Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL 4" 2-WAY Weather-resistant Bookshelf Speakers (Pair), N24AWIIBLK

I bought these speakers several years ago to be used as outdoor wall-mounted speakers. They worked out very well for almost a year outside before I took them down and brought them inside due to noise ordinance issues. The sound outside was very good, and handled medium to medium-loud volumes without any trouble, even with the speaker wire running perhaps 40-50 feet. Mounted outside, these speakers dispersed sound very well and I was often asked where the speakers were because the sound seemed to be all around.

I pretty much forgot about these speakers for a few years, and then found myself needing a set of speakers since my son took mine for his room. I dug these out and hooked them up and was surprised at the quality. I wasn't expecting much from a set of indoor/outdoor bookshelf speakers but these exceeded my expectations. I pulled off the grill and looked at the speaker components, and everything was in tip-top shape and very high quality.

These speakers handle mid-range exceptionally well, especially voices, drums, and guitars. Also, even with the volume turned up extremely high the sound remains clear and strong, with little detectable distortion.

Although these handle the higher notes found in classical music very well, they sound very directional due to the small size.

Bass handling was acceptable, but these speakers would benefit from a subwoofer if your music has a lot of bass.

Overall, for bookshelf speakers, these are very impressive for a wide range of musical tastes. I would recommend these if you need indoor/outdoor speakers, have limited space, or want to enjoy quality speakers on a budget.

This review is based on being used as bookshelf/satellite speaker only.

I bought my 1st pair of these about 5 years ago to complete my JBL 4 speaker set up. I upgraded my receiver to 7.1, and bought a 2nd set. With these as my sides and rears, they are fantastic. They can handle 100watts and all the highs and lows within a range needed for a satellite.

When watching movies/TV, they handle all the surround sounds just as if they were part of the action. Doors closing on the left or rear come out crystal clear. Sometimes I catch guests, or myself even.. reacting to the sounds that come out of them. Its also funny when the cats react to them like they just heard something.

Musically, they are a great compliment to my mains. Having a music atmosphere that is all encompassing really adds to my listening enjoyment.