Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL Venue Series Arena 6-Inch 2-Way Speakers (Pair)

If your want excellent sound but only have space for small speakers -- or are on a limited budget -- please consider purchasing these JBL speakers. Admittedly they will not give you as much deep bass as larger speakers may, but the bass they deliver is very clean and tight and and their midrange and highs are outstanding. Overall, the sound of these speakers is excellent -- far superior to most larger speakers in this price range, and also to many more expensive speakers of any size.

I purchased these speakers a few months back and have been nothing short of amazed. My main speakers are 10inch JBLs I bought back in 91. They still put out good sound but they needed a boost on the high size. Enter the Arenas!!! The Arena speakers gave me the boost I needed and suprised me with their sound. If you have a smaller place you could easily use them as your main speakers. I have a pair of 8in Sonys I use as satelites as well and these blow them away. The sound clarity and quality are outstanding. The only thing that I hated about these speakers is I didn't check Amazon first, so I paid waaayy too much for them. However, they were worth every penny. So if you need a boost or simply need some great small speakers, click buy and you'll be happy when they arrive!

I recently recieved my JBL arena's and paired them with the JBL voice center channel on a Harmon Kardon AVR247 Amp. WOW! The sound is very very nice. Unfortunately every other piece of audio equiptment I own now sounds like complete crud.

I was previously very happy with the sound system in my car, my headphones, even the suround sound setup I have on my PC. Unforntunately they now all sound weak and distorted in comparison. DO NOT BUY these excelent speakers unless you are preapred to upgrade your car, your headphones, and everything else you own. After listening the JBLs they will all sound pale in comparison.

In all seriousness these are great speakers if you are upgrading from a HTIB, or a Bose system of any kind. Your ears will thank you, and they are a bargain at twice the price, but still be prepared for evrything else to take a back seat to these speakers.

After shopping for a set of bookshelf speakers for quite a while, I decided to purchase these from Amazon. I've owned them for several months now, and can provide the following feedback...

Pros:
-The sound on the low end is not boomy. These speakers do not try to overextend themselves, and do not go into ranges where they cannot provide quality sound. This is one of the reasons I enjoy listening to them more than other speakers I previewed (Bose 301, for example).
-The treble is crisp, considering that these speakers are not overly large.
-Also considering these speakers' size and relatively low cost, I've found the sound transparency to be better than I expected.
-The speakers I received were in perfect condition and appear to have been made very well.

Cons:
-These speakers do not overextend themselves to become boomy, but as a result, they also do not provide an overwhelming amount of bass. Thus, I'm currently looking into the possibility of purchasing a subwoofer. If you're looking for a good, comprehensive sound, you may want to add the price of these speakers with a good subwoofer. If the cost of this is more than purchasing a nice pair of floorstanding speakers, you may wish to look into that option as well.
-I wouldn't mind a little more in the mid-range out of a pair of speakers. Since you get what you pay for, I'm not disappointed in the value for my money. However, this may be something to consider if you're carefully weighing your options.

All in all, I think this is a very good set of speakers, especially for those who like good sound but aren't willing to part with a large amount of money. I use mine primarily for music, but I imagine they would be a good part of a home theater system as well if you so desire. Since sound preference is a highly-personal thing, please take my comments only for what they are - just one person's opinions.

I love loud music, bottom line____. Wasnt on a huge budget just didnt want to spend a lot of money on me when i have a newborn son, but i am happy with this purchase. They handle my request for loud guitar very well, of course you need a sub...thats why i have one and thats why anyone who wants bass should have one, people who said " they dont hit lows very well"...well no crap they handle mids and highs nicely. You wont be dissapointed....JBL duh....