The JBL 1 Series 104 are a capable pair of compact powered monitors with some great distinguishing features.
The market for low-budget studio quality monitoring is getting more crowded every year.
But the 1 Series 104s shouldn’t be overlooked by beginner audio engineers, podcasters, video editors and others who need an ultra-compact low budget reference monitor.
These monitors are perfect for anyone looking for a portable or pair of speakers that perform well enough for serious audio tasks.
These monitors will appeal to anyone looking for a portable or pair of speakers that perform well enough for serious audio tasks.
Price: $149 USD
At less than $150 USD from retailers, these speakers are accessible to the tightest budgets and still deliver great performance.
In the past it would be impossible to imagine that such well engineered monitors could be available for this price.
But the 1 Series 104s are a great example of an entry-level offering that goes beyond what you might think a $150 monitor can do.
Fit and finish
The look of some compact monitors can seem closer to a portable Bluetooth speaker than a pro audio product.
But the aesthetics of the JBL 104s balance a sense of performance and design without sacrificing functionality.
The specially designed enclosures are optimized for desktop placement—eliminating the need for foam monitor pads.
The small size and sleek lines make them classy enough to leave out on a desk if your workspace doubles as your bedroom or living room.
The small size and sleek lines make them classy enough to leave out on a desk if your workspace doubles as your bedroom or living room.
Features
Patented waveguide
A waveguide is the physical structure around a speaker that enhances its response.
JBL’s decades of speaker expertise have led to highly advanced waveguide technology that powers their respected M2 Master Reference monitors.
They’ve used the same approach to deliver maximum performance in the small format 104 series—and it shows.
Coaxial design
Coaxial speaker cabinets have the high frequency driver positioned at the centre of the main driver.
Coaxial speaker cabinets have the high frequency driver positioned at the centre of the main driver.
This approach minimizes timing difference between the high and low frequencies emitted by each driver resulting in a wider, more accurate stereo image.
It also gives the monitors a fairly large sweet spot for the size—you won’t have to sit stock still in a restricted position to get the most out of these.
Comprehensive I/O
The JBL 104s offers ⅛” and RCA inputs as well as traditional balanced TRS, allowing you to connect a wide variety of devices directly.
Both 60 watt class D power amplifiers are housed in the left speaker. Balanced I/O as well as AC power are located on the back panel for minimum cable clutter.
Sound
The 104s deliver nicely transparent sound for their size and price point.
These speakers are about as compact as you could get, but still provide low end down to 50 Hz—an impressive achievement .
You’ll still need a good pair of headphones to reference the lowest frequencies, but I had no problem carrying out basic mixing tasks with the 104s
To my ears they were a little light in the lower midrange and the drop-off after 50 Hz is quite dramatic.
But placing the speakers close to boundaries in tight spaces (as they’re designed) would probably help these issues a bit.
The detail in the upper mids and highs is compelling, but the coaxial driver/tweeter configuration steals the show. These speakers have fantastic stereo imaging and phantom centre.
The 104s got surprisingly loud for their size when cranked without becoming overly harsh or strident.
The 104s got surprisingly loud for their size when cranked without becoming overly harsh or strident.
And the wide sweet spot could be extra helpful for beginner engineers just getting started with panning.
Conclusion
The JBL 1 Series 104s are a great choice for a first pair of monitors for budding engineers, or a monitoring solution for podcasters or video editors who need reference audio at the lowest price.
If you’re looking to make the most out of limited space with a pair of ultra-compact speakers with reference quality sound on a budget, the 104s are worth a look.