Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL SCS150 6-Piece Home Theater Speaker System

I bought my home theater system about a month ago, and I got these speakers as one of the components. I tried listening to several speaker systems at friends' houses and in stores before going for this set.

I didn't want to buy separate front, center and rear speakers since that often causes a problem of "unmatched speakers". In buying separate speakers, you need to take care and match the construction type, material of construction, etc of all the speakers. I didn't want that hassle and hence decided to go with a home-theater-speaker-system.

The four satellites in the system are all same with dual 3-inch woofers. This works well for the latest surround sound technologies like DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, etc. The center speaker is also the same, but since it is to be used horizontally, there is a slight difference in the design of its outer casing.

All the speakers have 100 watts peak power, and they really sound loud (louder than I can tolerate in a 200 sq ft room) without much distortion. That is one of the important qualities of this speaker system - sound doesn't get distorted till really high volumes.

The speakers have good high frequency fidelity and have a very impressive capability for mid-range frequencies. The usual hole between the lowest frequency that satellites can play, and highest frequency that subwoofer can play is almost absent - an amazing feature for a speaker system in this price range.

The subwoofer accompanying this system is a 150 watts powered subwoofer, and believe me, there is no other subwoofer in this price range that can equal the thumping, thunderous, full, tight and rich bass of this subwoofer. The subwoofer is clearly the biggest selling point of this speaker system. The subwoofer has a selector for Auto On/Always On, which turns out to be a good power saver. It also has a knob to turn the bass up or down - which is also quite useful.

The system comes with all speaker cables you could need - three 30ft cables, and three 50ft cables! Also, it comes with wall mounting brackets for all 4 satellites (although front speakers are always better placed on stands - the JBL FS400 stands for this speaker system).

All in all, this speaker system rocks in every department of sound reproduction and I highly recommend it.

Moving into a townhouse with a smaller living room, I was forced to give up my Yamaha NS-A638 bookshelf speakers, which I liked very much. After a great deal of research into smaller speaker systems, both online and in stores, I decided to buy the JBL SCS150.

The sound from the speakers is surprisingly crisp and clear, given the fact that engineering a speaker that is both small and good-sounding is very difficult. The subwoofer's bass output is fantastic also. As a test, I played the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan," the end of "Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones," and the beginning of "Toy Story 2" (all on DVD). The sound was a marked improvement over my old speakers and they were even better at picking up some of the subtle background effects in the rears, compared to my old speakers.

Of course, a person can pay more for speakers that are smaller (the satellites measure 16" high) or even better sounding, but the JBL package is a good balance of budget and sound. As a nice rounding touch, the box also includes ample speaker wire and wall-mounting brackets.

There are only a few negatives. First, some people may not like the dark gray/silver casing of the speakers. I thought I would hate it myself, but I am beginning to think it is rather elegant. The subwoofer's physical size is rather large, almost the size of a small end table. Finally, my biggest complaint is the rather weird footprint of the satellite speakers ... it is not entirely flat and the holes underneath are set towards the back, meaning that owners will have to take a bit of caution as they hunt for compatible stands for these speakers. JBL does make a set of stands for them, which can be purchased on their website.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this package for those who want to do home theater in a room, but must do it with budget and space in mind.

When it comes to movies, these speakers are amazing. Like being in a theatre all by yourself. You can hear every word clearly through the centre speaker, and the subwoofer can shake the house if you're not careful.

However, it is less than amazing for music, as it is deficient in the tweeter category, so your treble gets lost.

Movie buffs and gamers can rejoice - music fans won't be ecstatically happy.

I wanted nice sound at an affordable price. I asked for a recommendation from a family member who designs and installs home theaters. They highly recommended JBL. I didn't think I could touch the price of a JBL speaker system. And when I saw the SCS150 system I was perhaps a little skeptical as to whether I was getting a bottom of the line system from JBL. I can tell you that they are absolutely fantastic! And what does that family member think who deals with home theater every day, you may wonder? They share the same view. Don't be afraid of this system, you'll be extremely happy if you want superb sound at an affordable price!

I just installed these speakers and I'm really amazed at the quality of the sound in comparison to the price. I have a 20' by 20' living area and I think these speakers are just perfect for filling the room with sound. The subwoofer is especially good (my 17 year old loves it turnedfull up!). I highly recommend this product.