Customer Reviews

JBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Here's the good news: The sound quality is nice. The frequency response seems very detailed, and these diminutive speakers pack more bass than looks would suggest. No complaints about the sound quality.

Here's the bad news: These speakers have MANY very serious flaws that make them unusable.

1) The speakers have a timeout mechanism - they go into a standby mode if the sound stops transmitting. That's fine, but the standby mode mechanism is very overeager: the speakers often enter standby if the music volume stops, or even if the volume just gets a little too quiet, for a short period of time - even as little as 5 seconds. So the speakers can go into standby even during a quiet section of otherwise loud music, and the wakeup process is not trivial: it may take 10 seconds or more to reacquire the signal once the music kicks in again. Worse, this quirk is hard-coded and not adjustable; you can't disable or adjust the standby mechanism.

In short, these $200+ speakers have a tendency to cut out the music for 25 seconds or more when it dips too low. That is a fatal flaw. And it's not the only one:

2) These speakers will SHUT DOWN your Wi-Fi network. I have a very recent 802.11g router (a Motorola SBG900), and when there's music streaming to the speakers, my bandwidth drops from a steady 200kbps to about 5kbps. Seriously. If I unplug the transmitters (which are 10' away from both the router and the receiving computer), my bandwidth comes to life; if I plug 'em in again, my bandwidth vanishes immediately. It's terrible.

3) JBL made some very strange choices with regard to the cabling. The cable from the right speaker to the left is about 25 feet long - a bizarrely long connection for such small speakers - and unless you want to splice it, you're going to have a rat's-nest tangle of excess cable hanging somewhere between or behind the speakers. Meanwhile, the power cable is only about 18" between the active speaker and the power brick; and the power cable coming out of the brick is only about 3' long. As a result, if you mount the speakers 6' high, you'll have a massive black brick with a glowing green LED dangling at about 3', and probably a hookup to a longer power cable about 1' off the floor. It's quite sad; JBL must not have tried to actually mount these speakers before they shipped 'em out.

4) Speaking of mounting: The speakers come with wall mounting brackets that look sturdy at first glance. However, the speakers are very boxy - about 5" deep - so they'll project noticeably from the wall. Much worse, the mounting bracket is very poorly designed. For example, the speakers mount on a ball-and-socket bolt that's *way* too long - you'll see an extra 1.5" inches of bolt projecting from the wall mounting, for no particular reason. (In fact, JBL doesn't seem to trust the integrity of the bracket; they include a camera-strap-like thing for fastening the speaker to the bracket, in case it fails. Creepy.)

5) Want to buy extra speakers and dial 'em in to the same channel? Of course you do; it's wireless, right? Well, not so fast. First, JBL won't sell you *just* the speakers, so you have to buy a whole 'nother set - including a second transmitter - at full price. Second, the wireless setup has a hard limit of two speaker sets per transmitter channel. I own three sets of these speakers, and only two connect to the transmitter at any one time. I don't know why; it's completely capricious, and it severely limits the extensibility of the system.

It's really tragic that JBL made such terrible ancillary choices, because the prime virtue of these speakers - the sound quality - is very nice. But the convenience and sound quality aren't worth the hassles... particularly at such a high price point.

Bottom line: Avoid. Avoid at all costs. These things are FATALLY flawed. JBL needs to recall them and fix them... and if they don't, I'm certainly never buying their equipment again.

- David Stein

These speakers are on the top of the 'not bad' scale. Considering the convience of the wireless system the downsides may easily be overlooked. Sound quality: Very Good. Wireless signal: Fair. If you have thick walls in your house - or want to use them outside without a clear view of the transmitter - you will be dissapointed. I have found that the speakers work much better with a clear view of the transmitter and must be no more than 5 meters away (for the old folks still using the english system about 15 ft). Overall I'm happy with the - beats stringing wires around the house.

This product seems ideal for a surround sound system or similar "In Room" application. The quality of the sound is good, and the installation is relatively simple.
I am using it to expand my stereo system to another room. People passing between the recievers and transmitters create some interference, and the speakers occassionally drop out.
The speakers are not portable, and require a wall outlet to function.
All told, I am pleased with the product, but it has limitations.

For some reason, my idiot boyfriend bought these for 228, which is way too much. The instructions say the speakers need to be 35 feet from the router. So, unless you are using them in a business location, they echo. No, I don't mean they give you a clear surround sound effect, I mean they have about a full second delay from the TV to the speakers. They are not completely "wireless" either. The speakers are wired to each other, so you still have an awkward wire across the room...plus the obvious cord to the outlet.

Once I got the speakers working they sounded great. However, setup, and on-going usage is a real nuisance.

First, it took a long time to figure out that there has to be a direct line of sight path between the transmitter and the active speaker.

Then there are the operational issues:
1. The transmitter, my Pioneer receiver, and active speaker seem to have to be turned on in a specific order. I can't remember what that is, but I now leave on the transmitter and speaker all the time.
2. Once music has stopped play you must mute the active speaker or it loses contact with the transmitter.
3. Once the music has stopped, you must turn off the receiver or the transmitter loses touch with the speaker.
4. The remote for the active speaker is also a very narrow direct line of sight, and its range is not very good.

While I have finally figured out how to make the setup work, and how to keep it working, I would not buy these wireless speakers another time.

This is only a wireless speaker for one of the speakers. You have to wire the other one to the first. This defeats the wireless concept. Returned these and bought ones that are truely "wireless".

I worried about getting these because of the bad reviews. Many of the reviewers didn't understand what they were buying.
You get a transmitter with a power supply that plugs into the wall. You get a speaker with built-in amp that has another power supply plugged into the wall. You get a second speaker that is cabled to the first.
The transmitter gets it's signal via 2 RCA connectors or an iPhone headset type jack.
I bought these to play Pandora using my iPhone in several rooms. I added a splitter so the signal would serve a local Bose player and the remote speakers. It all works just fine; I'm buying a second pair.
If you expect some light little battery powered thing you can stick anywhere, this isn't it. If anything, it's overbuilt and designed for component audio type people which is fine for me.
Downsides: 1. heavy, bulky in-line power supplies. 2. I wish it could take more kinds of signal; I'd try them on the digital or optical audio out from my TV.
I'm amending this in July '10 because signal weakness is a bigger obstacle than I previously realized. Even getting the signal two rooms away is difficult.

Made a lot of research before buying this pair of boxes. Most of reviews argued about having so many cables in a wireless system. Without cables you can not have decent audio.
Audio quality is perfect. Transmission range is also great without interference. And they have a LINE IN plug which is very convenient.
If you are thinking about buying wireless audio, don't waste your money go for these babies.

I got the package. Figured out how to set it up with a completely useless User's Manual. Spent hours trying to sync the transmitter with the receiver with no luck at all. Just went crazy watching green, red and orange lights on the speaker. Could not find a support number. I got the green lights occasionally but wasn't able to sync. I tried the JBL support line, waited for 30 mins and still didn't get any live support. Any help on how to sync would be appreciated. ThanksJBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair)

I was blown away by the sound quality of these speakers. I've read some negative reviews and I am sympathetic, but one person said "avoid...do not buy." Well it all depends on your needs. I don't want to take them outside or move them around my house in differant rooms. I bought them for my flatscreen tv because it's internal speakers werent loud enough. These speakers more than satisfy. I run my laptop through my tv and listen to music through these babies and I am totally satisfied with both volume and sound quality. I'm what you call an audiofile. I want perfect sound. I am a musician of 27 years and know what perfect sound is. Well these aren't perfect. If you want perfection you'll need to spend $1,000 on wired speakers. I was supprised at how good these speakers are. No air sound or distortion at all. Good bass even without using the option to connect a sub-woofer, and fantastic stereo split. I'm happy.