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- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 6 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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3 out of 5 people found this review helpful
1.0 stars
"Waste of Money"
Pros: Still looking for one
Cons: The list goes on and on
Summary: I usually never buy any electronics without reading a review first on CNET. I had previously bought the Harman and Kardon home theatre speaker system in a box (HKTS 14). I loved the system so much, as the shelf speakers were great and the sub was incredible. Well my wife was dusting one day and accidently turned the knob in the back all the way up and to make a long story short the sub was fried. It was going to cost $250+ to fix it and I only paid like 370 all together for the system so I decided I would try a JBL subwoofer. Note to people buying subwoofers...If there are no "meaningful" reviews on a subwoofer, don't get it. It was hard to come by any reviews negative or positive for this subwoofer. The few reviews out there were all positive but stated little about the product. I bought the sub for about $250.00 or so. I have been so very unhappy with it thus far. First off, it is a direct firing subwoofer. Unlike the Harman Kardon which was a down firing. The H/K would shake me, my walls, and my neighbors walls everytime I watched a movie. With the JBL, I have to stick my hand in front of the subwoofer to make sure it is on. One of the reasons I bought this sub is because it boasts a 250 Watts RMS Power/ with 500 Watt Peak. SInce my H/K was only 200 Watts I figured this would be a great step up. Sorry to say it was a horrible step down. I even wrote the technicians at JBL and stated by frustrations to them. In so little words they basically told me that the Harman and Kardan Subwoofer I previously owned was better than this one. If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought the Polk Audio PSW505. This was one of the only speakers I was able to listen to at Fry's and absolutely loved it..it was just out of my price range. I am now wishing that I would have just saved the money and bought that subwoofer as it would blow this one out of the water with half the volume. I predict I will be putting this subwoofer on sale on ebay very soon...sorry for the long version..just very frustrated and I told JBL that I would get on every sight that I could to show my displeasure with this subwoofer!
- 1 reply to this review
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Dear fellow Audio lovers, PLEASE! disreguard
walke108's ENTIRE OPINION on the JBL Venue 12 subwoofer, I think "HTR in a box" owners (not that there is anything wrong with that)as a rule, should not dive into the deep end unless they know how to swim! now, with that beeing said, my system although not high-end, is very impressive (to me anyway) to start I have a Yamaha RX-V1800 Reciever, a Yamaha DVD-S2300mkII, an Adcom GFA-5500 (just for the main front two channel speakers)
my front (main speakers) are Infinity Beta 50's, Center Channel is Infinity Beta C350
Rear (surround) Infinity Beta 20's, and Surround back channel, Infinity Beta 10's, and my sub is a Klipsch Synergy 12. in home theater applications everything is perfect with the exception of the sub, although a great sub, I needed more low end, and at about $500 bucks, another Synergy was out of the question. so I happend to see the JBL Venue 12 on Amazon a few months ago at $168!
and FREE shipping! so I bought two, and all I have to say is WOW! very powerful, clean,
and very deep bass, they fill the gap I was missing, and because all my speakers are made by Harmon INTL. voice matching through the entire frequency spectrum is Absolutly seemless, (I have them crossed over at 60Hz) so in conclusion the JBL Venue 12,
even at $250-300 each is a steal! Rock solid and very, very musical, in either home theater, or two cannel stereo, with LFE on, oh and just to sweeten the apperance
all of my speakers were sent out to a local woodworking shop for hand rubbed varnish, I think around four or five coats for a mirror finish, even the subs, they look as good as they sound!
A very good investment, for years of musical bliss!
So go ahead and get one, or two! Great product. Thanks Harmon!
JBL Venue Sub 12 - subwoofer:
