Media System 2000 Manufactuerd by JBL Retail Price $220 Frequency Response: 50Hz - 20kHz Satellite Power: 15W+15W Subwoofer Power: 35W

JBL, like Bose, is another recognized home speaker manufacturer. Recently they, too, have jumped onto the multimedia bandwagon. The Media System 2000 speakers that we chose were their top-of-the-line product for the PC platform, $220 tower shaped speakers that are quite welcome on any desk because of their smooth, slick look. For some reason, JBL says the speakers are dark bronze, though most of us would have said they looked more like black.

The 9.5x5.2x10.5 inch tower subwoofer (35W RMS) houses a somewhat medium-sized ( 4-inch) long throw woofer. The master controls are not located on this unit, but instead are all built onto a satellite for easier access. The satellites are 7x 2.7x7.2 inches, quite a bit taller than many other satellites on this roundup- mostly due to the fact that the stand itself is about 2 inches high. All controls are located on one satellite, which include volume, bass and treble controls. Each of the satellites can handle up to 15W RMS.

Of course, installation is no big deal here, though JBL should have included a better manual for the follow up. The instructions provided are somewhat simplistic.

Now for the audio performance.  Since this system is priced at $220, and since it’s from JBL, most of us were expecting good performance. Yes, it did perform well to a certain extent, but not really up to the standard expected of a  $220 system. 

Musical quality was very good at low and mid-range volumes, the lyrics are quite sharp and lively. Movie dialogue is also very sharp. But when you turn up the volume, there is a certain lack of power because the subwoofer just doesn’t provide that deep bass and the overall stereo image is lost. 
 

The overall quality of sound is there, but the depth and power is just nowhere near the $220 range.  Game performance was quite OK: Half-Life fans will enjoy these speakers because A3D was very good (though not at high volumes), and even the sharp reverberation of EAX on NFS III sounded cool. But the real deal is that the whole package just doesn’t pack the power punch that you experience from other high-end units. The overall music performance is great, but we can’t really recommend this unit because it just does not have the power and depth you would expect from a $220 system. And so, on to the next...