Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL PB10 10" 150-Watt Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer

Okay, I used to own a 12" KLH and one day, the amp just fried. I have no idea how, so I needed a new sub. I was given this as a replacement sub from Best Buy because I got some service plan. It turned out to be a great deal because this sub had more wattage, and a better sound with a smaller sub. Not only that, it wasn't as boomy as the KLH. I was really impressed. I hooked it up to my Aiwa system which is admittedly kind of bad, but had a pretty good bass response except for the really low notes. So, I set the crossover to just pick those up, and it just added a nice whump to the bottom of the music. With tweaking, it really made a great addition and blew my old KLH out of the water. I brought the sub to college and hooked it up to a Cambridge Soundworks DTT2500 and found very different results. It kind of overpowers them because it doesn't play the high notes all that well and my speakers don't play any bass really (they're cute little cubes), so there is a gap in the music unlike my Aiwa.

So, here's my advice, if your system already has decent bass, buy it without thinking twice, but if you are using a sort of fake bose system or a computer system, question what you are doing. For movies, it is great though because you don't need such a full range. So, I can sneak by...

Oh, a few final notes. This thing hums a lot, but that can be solved by using a power strip or more expensive power cable. Make sure that you're careful because it is a downfiring sub with no covering. A final quirk: no on/off switch. It autodetects sound which is fine if you have a powerstrip...otherwise you'll hear humming all night.

Overall though, I really like the sound it produces and the volume levels it can handle.

I recently bought this sub and I'm very happy that I payed a little bit extra to get the cool looking lights on front. Playing through my Harmon Kardon reciever I have found none of the humming or popping that another reviewer mentioned. Just pristine, clear bass. The amp has quite a few knobs you can tweak, including crossover frequency, phase shift, and of course level. Sounds great with movies and backing up my tower speakers for music. Buy it.

I've listened to the pb 10 and own the pb 12 the only difference is one has a little more to it than the other, Iam pushing it with an Onkyo DS 797 it sounds great except for the low level hiss when the unit is off/ I have exchanged it once but still the same flaw but the hiss noise is soooo low it is not that serious.. But, I am currently thinking about switching to the velodyne foundation series subwoofer, to see if there are any mfg defects... otherwise a very solid performing and built sub!

I am an audio novice, but the setup was straightforward. It works well with my Onkyo amp. However, there is a low-level hum as mentioned in an earlier post, when the music is off. Therefore, I use a power strip to shut it off when I'm not playing music. The profile is reasonable enough to fit in the built in wooden cabinets. Seems like a good value.

I always dreamed of a "real" subwoofer...and I found it ! I coupled a Yamaha E-250 with the JBL PB10 and listening to the system is a pleasure every day. Whether it's Jazz, Rock, Techno or Drum and Bass, the sub can find the lowest frequencies. There are numerous control at the back to set it at the level you need. I haven't cranked it up to the max yet as books start to fall from my bookshelf when it's set at 2/3. At half volume, the lamps on the first floor shake...you better have neighbor living far from you.

I also own a Klipsh subwoofer for my hometheater but it doesn't compare. As for the humming sound, the PB10 as been in my bedroom for a year and i must be deaf bacause i haven't noticed anything.