
JohnBlue JB4 Mk2
The difficult second album
Pros
- Beautiful construction, smooth and sweet sound
Cons
- Nothing noteworthy
Bottom Line
Just like JohnBlue’s entry-level JB3 desktop speakers, the JB4 Mk2 speakers provide a beautifully sweet interpretation of music and other audio. Notes from mid-bass all the way to higher registers are reproduced smoothly yet with immense layering of detail. Frankly, there’s not much we don’t like about the JB4 Mk2s.
-
Price
$ 880.00 (AUD)
We loved JohnBlue’s miniature JB3 monitors, so we were looking forward to experiencing the JB4 Mk2s. Thankfully the same ethos was followed — high quality construction with simple components, and no complicated crossovers or dampening — and the end result is speakers that sound spectacular at all but the highest volumes.
The JB4 Mk2 speakers are beautifully constructed. Instead of the glossy black lustre of the entry-level JB3 speakers, the JB4 Mk2s have a mottled cherry veneer that’s polished to a satin sheen. Constructed of one-inch thick MDF, the speakers feel very solid; the trade-off is that they weigh six kilograms each. The cherry wood veneer is quite realistic, while the copper-plated posts on the back of the enclosure are of equally high quality.
Each JB4 Mk2 uses a single four-inch full-range driver, placed in the centre of the speaker’s fascia. The maximum rated power is a seemingly measly 30 Watts, but this figure is deceptive. With a sensitivity of 89dB, the JB4 Mk2s are able to pump out high volumes from low-powered sources, making them a perfect fit for amplifiers like the KingRex T20.
The only other accompaniment to the full-range driver on the face of the JB4 Mk2 is a low, thin port cut at the base of the enclosure. It’s designed to radiate sound from the enclosure’s edge, amplifying audio while no doubt increasing bass response.
The idea behind an enclosure with a single full-range driver is to cut out complex crossovers and interference from the signal path. Whatever the trickery, we don’t care — because the end result is a speaker with amazing clarity and depth. Like we did with their smaller siblings, we hooked the JB4 Mk2s up to a KingRex T20 and UD-01 playing lossless FLAC audio files.
It’s no secret that we loved the JB3’s expansive nature — their ability to fill a room with sound despite being so tiny — and naturally we were keen to test whether these speakers could equal the feat. Of course, they did. At low to moderate volumes, the soundstage between the speakers is immense. The impression is given that you’re listening to much larger speakers that are positioned farther apart than in reality. This rich soundstage creates a large ‘sweet spot’ in which music sounds best.
Treble from the JB4 Mk2s is very rich — ‘syrupy’, even! There’s still plenty of detail audible, but it’s reproduced with a bias towards musicality and liveliness rather than bit-perfect accuracy. The omission of a dedicated tweeter means that all notes sound very linear and equal, so there’s no emphasis towards high frequencies to be found here. This has the advantage of ensuring there is no painful harshness at higher volumes.
Mid-range is, in a word, engaging. There seems to be slightly more detail evident here than higher up in frequency ranges (maybe a function of the full-range driver’s physical preference towards middle frequencies). It’s possible to distinguish individual guitar strings and hear every nuance within a singer’s vocals.
Bass is more evident than on the JB3s, thanks in part to a larger driver and the forward-firing port at the base of the enclosure. There’s certainly no trace of the boominess or overpowering volume you’d expect from a dedicated subwoofer; but there is a distinctive kick that permeates lower frequencies. Bass is tight and rolls off quickly, so if you’re looking for floor-shaking thumps that last for hours you’re out of luck.
The JB4 Mk2s are not completely suitable for the desktop due to their more traditional bookshelf size, but there’s very little we can otherwise fault them for. If you can find somewhere to set them up with appropriate accompanying equipment there’s a very good chance you’ll fall in love with them.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Miofive 4K Dash Cam review: This friendly road watcher is ‘here for you!’
- 2 Dell U3223QE review: A winning debut for an IPS Black monitor
- 3 Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A review: This 4K monitor plays nice with consoles
- 4 Firewalla Gold review: Powerful home network security in a tiny box
- 5 Acer Aspire 5 review: An affordable laptop that’s enjoyable to use
Latest News Articles
- Optus is offering a deal on its Internet Family Entertainer plans with Netflix
- Fetch TV adds 8 new free channels to its line-up
- Fetch TV releases the Fetch Mini 4K set-top-box with voice activated remote
- Sony announces X-Series speakers for music lovers of every genre
- JBL PartyBox 310 lets you party in wet and dark places and sing duets
Resources
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Top 10 best Android and Apple phones for under $600
- 25 Essential Party Games On PC And Console To Play With Family And Friends
- Mesh Wi-Fi vs Traditional Routers: Which is better?
- Which flagship TV is best? Sony 4K HDR Bravia 2016 versus LG 4K HDR OLED 2016
- 10 Blu-ray movies / Best looking Blu-ray movies