Home > Consumer Reviews > JBL ES250PBK 400 Watt Powered 12" Subwoofer - Black

I originally was going to order the ES150PBk 200watt sub-woofer, but it was not going to be shipped until mid April. So I went with JBL's 300watt RMS (500Watt Peak) model. I paid $353.00 with a $30.00 off (for applying for an Amazon credit card) and this brought the price down to $323.00 with "free" super saver delivery. This unit will shake your living room during explosions in action movies (check out Pearl Harbor and Live Free, Die Young) and provides a nice, tight bass in music. I only have it turned up to just passed the mid-point & that is very loud. It is well designed, attractive, and you get more than your money's worth. You can not go wrong for this price! By the way, it does come with a removable black grill that is not pictured. I researched several other sub-woofers and none came close to providing the specs that this one does at this price and from such a well-established company. Last, but not least, JBL has been making speakers since the 1930's and is at the forefront of loudspeakers for the music industry. Because I am a tech savvy musician, I am well aware of JBL's reputation. So, in closing, rest assured that you are getting an outstanding product, through a trusted, reliable and reputable company at an outstanding price!!!

When used in a small room, this subwoofer delivers!

Frequency response is smooth with no annoying resonances (booming). While the purist might want a slightly lower -3dB frequency, it is better than most of the other speakers in this price range (and getting an extra third octave or so is pretty expensive, and in my opinion barely noticable).

You will want to spend some time getting the level just right. I have a receiver which automatically does this, so it was very simple. If you don't you will want to try a variety of program material to tweak it.

I can't evaluate how this speaker holds up when driven at it's rated maximum power. I would blow the windows (and my ears) out if I tried it in my room.

Overall, a beautiful product. Well designed and built and worth the money.

I bought this subwoofer in addition to a JBL SCS-145.5 SCS Series Home Theater Speaker System, and I'm pretty impressed. I was thinking about buying a BOSE system instead, but a friend of mine was encouraging me to check out JBL - saying that JBL is better priced and a better quality. I have to admit he was right! The subwoofer, alone, puts out sound that makes me feel pretty roughed up after watching a video clip from "Live Free Die Hard". I am not disappointed!

Little known fact... JBL ONLY covers the speaker and the enclosure for 5 years. The amp and circuitry is covered for 1 year only. I have had 2 of these and they started clicking after the one year mark. JBL refused to service them. Do what you will, but you were warned!

J. Jaybird- I read the reveiws on this subwoofer and for the price ($305) it is Truely worth the money. The reveiws were right when they said to turn the volume to about 5 (halfway) when you first try it out. I have had the volume higher but the intake for my furnace just about rattled out of the floor. It goes way down to 25hz I beleive and there is plenty of low frequency effect. It is a little big so you might want to put it behind your couch or in a hidden corner. Bottom line is that it works perfectly for me and I would recomend it to people thinking of spending more money. Great Product (JBL) and the right price.- J. Jaybird.