CES 2022 wasn’t great for high-end loudspeaker announcements, but Harman Luxury definitely caught our attention with the brand new JBL 4305P Studio Monitor Powered Bookshelf Loudspeakers.
These $2,200/pair loudspeakers feature a real wood veneer finish in a choice of natural Walnut with a blue grille or Black Walnut with a black grille.
JBL is marketing these as a “streaming” powered speaker which is certain to catch the attention of consumers who otherwise wouldn’t consider these “studio” looking powered loudspeakers as a home audio product. JBL has plenty of other models that fall into that category.
The streaming part is backed up by a free 90-day Qobuz trial subscription; Qobuz has been doing a lot of this over the past 24 months including a new partnership with Sonos and we think it’s a wise marketing play and one that will help grow the base.
If you’re considering these for wireless applications, the JBL 4305P’s streaming core provides both wired and wireless network audio capabilities via Ethernet, Google Chromecast Built-in, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth audio.
In addition to support for wireless audio, the 4305P provides a number of connections for physical sources including asynchronous USB and optical digital inputs, and a 3.5mm analog input; legacy iPhone and Android smartphones that still have a 3.5mm output can be connected to the 4305P this way.
Each enclosure features a 2410H-2 1-inch compression driver mated to a High-Definition Imaging horn. A 5.25-inch cast frame, fiber-composite cone woofer operates in a bass-reflex configuration with dual front-firing tuned ports.
Each driver is powered by an internal Class D amplifier delivering 25W to each compression driver and 125W to each woofer for a total available system power of 300W rms for the pair.
That’s a lot of power for this type of loudspeaker and suggests that JBL believes that can be utilized for both music and movies in a home setting.
The 4305P also includes an analog input with combination XLR/1/4″ TRS phono connectors and a selectable input sensitivity switch for use with balanced or unbalanced signals. There is also a line-level subwoofer output for connection to a powered subwoofer.
We can see the 4305P being very effective as the heart of a 2.1 music/home theater set-up with all of these connectivity options.
The decision to include a “pro-grade” input provides the option for balanced XLR and 1/4″ TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) or unbalanced TS (tip/sleeve) connections for use in home studio applications for music, video, and podcast creation — in case you were wondering why these could be considered to be studio monitors.
For more information: JBL Specialty Audio
Related reading: JBL 4309 Bookshelf Loudspeakers (not powered)
