Last Updated: July 12, 2019 (Refresh Now)
JBL Professional 305P MkII Next Generation 5 2 Way Powered Studio Monitor 305PMKII
Last Updated: July 12, 2019 (Refresh Now)
8.7
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
491
Old Reviews
194
Unverified
119
Spam Test
PASS
7.99 meters
SIZE
Review Analysis - 178 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Sound Quality
114monitors, jbl, hiss, volume, sound
+90%
-10%
" ... If JBL or other manufacturers cannot make decent stuff then they can go pound salt. ... "
" ... Monitors sound amazing. ... "
" ... Crystal clear with superb imaging and frequency response. ... However, this may not be the fault of the speakers at all - most likely a grounding issue with our AC in my facility. ... "
" ... I quickly got the whole thing set up with only one speaker (bought a pair) then what I experienced after was beyond amazing. ... These monitors are able to produce some serious sound. ... The quality of the sound is just perfect. ... "
" ... These are incredible speakers with clarity that I haven't ever experienced, I wish I had more words for these but simply put: just buy them. ... It feels like I'm listening to songs for the first time, but I've heard them for years. ... "
" ... Pretty nice, I am a JBL fan from 1976. ... "
" ... I first ordered a pair of the Audioengine A5 speakers, which are very nice speakers, but at $400 for the pair I felt they were overpriced. ... I was astonished at how good these sound, especially without a subwoffer, very clean sound and they have only improved over time. ... "
" ... The sound is great. ... "
Bass
42jbl, response, subwoofer, lows, treble
+98%
-2%
" ... Bass is low enough for near field, but you're not going to be shaking the wall panels with these alone. ... "
" ... A track that sounded great on the JBLs would be revealed by the B & O system to have muddy or boomy low mid and sub bass, harsh highs, or tinny/thin sounding mids. ... "
" ... Solid bass too. ... "
" ... Very nice lows (don ... "
" ... sounds great, no harshness, detailed, deep lows ... "
" ... These puppies give me all the bass that I need. ... "
" ... A bit bass heavy for my taste but really good for a 3rd pair of monitors . ... "
" ... In fact the initial mixes tended to have more bass because these monitors are slightly weak on the bottom end so +2 dB bass boost, neutral, and -2 dB cut positions would be better. ... "
Volume
33loud, speaker, room, volumes, speakers
+67%
-33%
" ... The perfect set of speakers for a small setup in a room, much louder than I would have expected and might even be a bit much for an apartment. ... "
" ... I don't even need a subwoofer for my room or else my neighbors will want to kill me. ... "
" ... These aren't for filling a room with music (bookshelf speakers) - they definitely behave like studio monitors. ... They don't get very loud, so keep that in mind, but if you are mixing music I think they are an amazing bang for the buck, even if they are ugly as sin (IMHO). ... "
" ... Even set at high volume and listening closely during silence, I detected none of the hiss or self-noise that some have mentioned, but I did use good balanced lines and a quality mixer as signal source. ... "
" ... Quite an improvement in specs, volume and sound from my Radio Shack ones, lol. ... "
" ... I keep them permanently on 7 volume, adjust with computer, madcapped volume totally sufficient for my computer, and obviously much bigger and more powerful than most smaller 2.1 sets. ... You'll find room on even a small desk, and be happy you did, LOL. ... "
" ... If you are plaining to throw a kids party or family Christmas party, you only need one speaker. ... If you really want to amaze your family and friends at a cookout, buy 2 speakers and they will all enjoy the concert sound it provides. ... "
" ... I haven't even fully cranked them to their Max but they sound plenty good to me. ... "
Price
27speakers, monitors, penny, jbl, incredible
+96%
-4%
" ... Definitely one of the best in the price range. ... "
" ... Fantastic speakers for an amazing price. ... "
" ... Crazy good value! ... "
" ... I use them for mixing and they're perfect - very high quality audio, especially for the price. ... "
" ... Though Yamaha HS series are on the same page, I much enjoy these for the price. ... "
" ... Probably, for a lot more money. ... "
" ... Probably the best speakers out there for the price. ... "
" ... With that significant a price difference I don't think you can compare the 2 sets of monitors fairly. ... However, if you're looking for something more budget friendly these are an absolutely amazing value. ... "
Device Compatibility
16monitors, computer speakers, speakers, audio, monitor
+94%
-6%
" ... I bought these for computer use. ... Do not hesitate to buy these for computer use. ... "
" ... Whether looking for a low priced reference to add to other monitors on your console, as stereo speakers for your laptop or home stereo, I can recommend these versatile speakers without hesitation. ... "
" ... To go further, I hooked up my 16-inch SVS subwoofer from my home theater system to the JBLs via the Essence STX II just to see how it sounded. ... "
" ... Total overkill for desktop audio. ... "
" ... Flat out if you want a great monitor set up do this again it will wow you. ... "
" ... I researched what speakers I wanted for weeks and finally decided on a pair of these monitors. ... "
" ... I use them for my computer. ... "
" ... I'm directly connecting it to my laptop with a 3.5mm adapter and it's great. ... "
Frequencies
15bass, lows, treble, mids and highs, mids
+93%
-7%
" ... mainly small EQ changes (1db or less), very light compression and limiting (generally less than 2db GR). ... The "problem" with the JBLs is that poorly EQ'ed/mastered/whatever songs still sound really good. ... "
" ... You can hear every little treble and bass sound from these speakers. ... "
" ... I'd summarize their sound as follows: imaging is big, separation is very good, bass is dynamic, mids are well-balanced ... not recessed, not thin, not sticking out, not syrupy, just well-behaved, and treble is detailed, extended, polite, sweet and never harsh. ... "
" ... Pleasant mids and highs without the overly harsh components that often accompany a horn-loaded tweeter. ... Yet the overall eq and balance travel very well between these two sources, I don't have to tweak eq or compression much at all, which means the overall mix accuracy is pretty spot on in the JBLs. ... "
" ... sounds great, no harshness, detailed, deep lows ... "
" ... sounds great, no harshness, detailed, deep lows ... "
" ... The speakers themselves are lighter and have a good response range that do not required over extended EQ. ... "
" ... They have a wide flat frequency response delivering audio accurately, vividly, and efficiently. ... "
Cables
10speakers, xlr, rca, balanced, figure
+50%
-50%
" ... The infamous hiss is created by the amplifier inside the speaker, and occurs without anything plugged in at all, except the power cable, on any outlet in any location. ... "
Controls
9volume, input, trim, speaker, sensitivity
+67%
-33%
" ... I use the Mackie Big Knob Passive Monitor Controller to control these monitors. ... This works with both unbalanced and balanced input, and makes volume control and input selection effortless. ... "
" ... The song Letter. ... "
" ... Leave them on Volume setting 7. ... "
" ... The rear inputs, knobs and switches aren't top quality. ... "
" ... The waveguide technology keeps you in the center of the music pretty much where ever you're positioned. ... "
Capacity
8feet, studio, home, bedroom, acoustically
+100%
" ... Fairly mid range thick but they great monitors for any room big enough for an 8” ... "
" ... You Do have to be correctly positioned and it definitely helps to have your room in order acoustically. ... "
" ... I use this to spin tech house. ... "
" ... And no matter where you are in the room, the experience is the same. ... "
" ... You'll find room on even a small desk, and be happy you did, LOL. ... "
" ... as backup in my kitchen. ... "
" ... I have my PC system in an all hardwood dining room with no furniture. ... It's about 20 by 15 feet. ... "
Comfort
8speakers, monitors, listening
+100%
" ... these are hands down some of the best speakers I have ever heard . ... "
" ... The clarity and accuracy is really eye-opening (or ear-opening, I suppose). ... It's a great way to tune my ears to the speakers, so that when it comes time to do my own mixes, my point of reference is what all my favorite albums sound like on these same monitors. ... "
" ... Felt like I was wearing my Senn HD 650 on head without wearing them. ... "
" ... I feel like the piano or violin or guitar is being played right next to me. ... "
" ... It feels like I'm listening to songs for the first time, but I've heard them for years. ... "
" ... If you can catch these on sale, these are hands down the best speakers you can get for the $$$. ... Personal note, it took a few days for my ears to adjust to the sound, but once they did they impressed me even more. ... "
" ... They are "soft" and easy on the ears. ... "
Microphone
7hear, record, mixing, studio, sound
+100%
" ... Test them with a good quality jazz recording to hear how good of a soundstage they can create. ... "
" ... I just want to hear details in the sound to get my mixes right of my live recordings as well as synthesized recordings. ... "
" ... Amazing sound stage and I can hear all the minor details in a recording. ... "
" ... I'm a wedding videographer and bought these to improve my ability to hear my audio work. ... "
" ... my husbands hobby is writing music so, he needed this to record his songs . ... "
" ... They have the perfect parlance’s sound for recording and mixing music. ... "
" ... I record a lot of Voice dialog and I edit a lot of video and these reference monitors work exceptionally well in my studio ... "
Product Reliability
5working, stopped working
+40%
-60%
" ... I ordered two and one didn't power on at all and had a broken switch on the back. ... The working one was scuffed up. ... "
" ... Within a few days, with less than an hour of use, it started having major issues and I returned it! ... "
" ... 2 years of light use and one in my pair has stopped working. ... "
Cleaning
5sound, cloth, surface, studio, front
+80%
-20%
" ... I was astonished at how good these sound, especially without a subwoffer, very clean sound and they have only improved over time. ... "
" ... Works great, clean sound, def recommend getting a sub with it though ... "
" ... I use these in my studio area to practice on my DDJ RX and the sound from these little things are clean and crisp. ... "
" ... My wife loves it while she cooks and clean. ... "
Design
5reveal, imaging, sleek, plastic front, look
+100%
" ... The first way round robs the sound of tons of detail and body. ... "
" ... These have great imaging and reveal a lot of detail. ... "These have great imaging and reveal a lot of detail. ... "
" ... The detail is top notch! ... "
Build Quality
5feet, baffle, speakers, plastic front, plastic
+60%
-40%
" ... The older speakers were made of wood and had a real solid feel to them. ... "
" ... Do not pay more than $160 for these, the price dropped after the M2 came out. ... "
Video Playback
4music, watch, videos, jbls, editing
+100%
" ... Monitor is a 32" 4k so I can sit back at 3-4 feet and enjoy streamed movies. ... "
" ... Maybe even saw a couple of Z's videos. ... "
" ... When it comes to the best all around-er (games, movies, video editing) the JBLs blow the others away. ... "
" ... Perfect for audio editing, watching movies, and listening to music. ... "
Power Consumption
4+25%
-75%
" ... LOW power amps. ... "
" ... LOW power amps. ... "
Clarity
4low, high, end, clarity, amazing
+100%
" ... And I was very impressed by the amount of clear low end they put out. ... "
" ... Clearer, Deeper and Wider ... "
Size
4x, weight, inches, fit, especially
+100%
" ... I ordered 2 and because of size and weight constraints I chose these. ... Totally, nice setup and not big and bulky. ... "
" ... Good size and sound. ... "
" ... Super blappy, especially for the size. ... "
" ... Super blappy, especially for the size. ... "
Gaming
3music, jbls, watch, speakers, play
+100%
" ... I've played games on them and they sound amazing. ... "
" ... That desk can be a mixing board or gaming computer. ... "
" ... A single pair of these JBLs was more than sufficient to do the wedding, background music, karaoke and a couple of games. ... "
For Running
3headphone, amp, volume, studio, straight
+100%
" ... As someone who enjoys high end headphones, these blew my mind. ... "
" ... On the other side of my Bifrost I am running an Asgard II Headphone Amp to use with my many pair of Headphones. ... "
" ... I always wanted to try a set of studio monitors for listening to music and decided that these were the ones based on just about every review (all highly positive) I read and, at this price, why not?! ... "
Ease of Use
3mix, good, easy to set, easy
+100%
" ... punchy, open, easy to get a good mix without a lot of fuss. ... "
Software Platform
3need
+100%
" ... But if you need a decent interface at a great value, check it out ... "
" ... Note: you will need additional cables to connect to a computer / laptop / phone / controller / interface. ... "
Marketplace
3less, left, image, customer
+100%
" ... Very satisfied customer here! ... "
" ... And with Amazon Prime, they arrived less than 48 hours later very well-packed and intact. ... No wonder Amazon rules. ... "
Ports
3rca, need, interface, computer, clean
+67%
-33%
" ... I'm directly connecting it to my laptop with a 3.5mm adapter and it's great. ... "
" ... Note: you will need additional cables to connect to a computer / laptop / phone / controller / interface. ... "
Storage
3studio, fit
+100%
" ... They're pretty big and take up a fair amount of room at my workstation, but they are so worth it. ... "
" ... Perfect to fit into a small home studio! ... "
" ... Bought these as a small replacement for those and planned on using the Rokit's in a larger space. ... "
Fit
3desk, surface, studio, feet, dust
+67%
-33%
" ... Perfect to fit into a small home studio! ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 7.99 meters