JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Customer Ratings
Based on 142 reviews
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
I'm twice blown away!
Written by DJ from Beaverton
Jan 28, 2006
When I heard these in the Apple store, I couldn't believe what i was hearing. I was looking at expensive iPod speakers from all the big name brands. You know the ones, Bose, Klipsch, Altec Lansing. They had them all and I listened to them all like only a man who has the day off and nothing better to do can. I saw the Duet and tried them just because they were there. I had low expectations and was prepared to be disappointed. When the music started playing, I could not believe what I was hearing. I tried different song and styles. Blown away. The sales people didn't seem to be as enthusiastic about the sound as I was so I went home and started reading every review and opinion about these things. There are actually some people who don't like these speakers. Still, overall, the reviews were positive. I went back to the store the next day to listen to them again and this time plugged my ipod into them. In that noisy environment and surrounded by more expensive speakers, I was still blown away. So I did what any rational person would do. I bought them.
Once I got them home, I plugged them in, hooked them up to my iPod and let it rip. They sounded twice as good at home than in the store. My eyes literally started to tear up. I brought my wife in to hear them. She, too, was blown away. She said she could hear things in the music that she had never heard before. I have now got them hooked up to my computer and have officially retired my old Altec Lansing 4.1 DDS kit which was $300.00 in its day. These Duets sound even better. Way better. I went in to listen to portable iPod speakers and came out replacing my desktop speakers. If you are still on the fence, get off and run to your nearest Apple Store and buy two sets. Once you hear how good they are, you will invent a use for the other set.
Now that I am done gushing, here is a bit of objectivity. Highs and mids are exactly where they should be. I do not detect much by way of coloration. I would describe the sound as clean, crystal clear. I mention the lows separately because that is an area where the speakers have gotten a bad wrap. If you are wanting more bass than what these speakers produce, you are wanting too much bass. Music should not, for the most part, rattle the floor or make your ears bleed. It should take your breath away, not knock the wind out of you. The base these speakers present is well balanced and way more than the size of these speakers have a right to give. I used the base boost preset in iTunes and had to turn it off because it was too much base.
Once caveat. I am not a gamer. I know that gamers and movie watchers want and need a lot more bass than music listeners. These are not gaming or movie speakers. They don't pretend to be. If you need your floor rattled and neighbors annoyed, these are the wrong speakers for you. Otherwise, you really can't do better than these.947 of 1286 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
These speakers are awesome :)
Written by JB from Bend
Jun 21, 2006
I got these speakers for my laptop because the ibook's speakers just aren't loud enough. I also got them in hopes they would be good enough to replace a stereo and I could condense everything. These speakers are awesome! I never expected them to be this good because of the price. The sound is clear and they definitely get loud. They are exactly what I was looking for.
651 of 969 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Great Speakers
Written by BG
Feb 19, 2005
I just bought these speakers today for my ipod and pc. They sound great what a buy. It came down to these and the more expensive creatures. The creatures do have more bass but for overall quality I can't see a reason to spend twice the money for basically the same thing. Get them you won't regret it.
613 of 895 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Less than $50.00 -- these babies sing
Written by JW from Kennebunkport
Feb 16, 2008
I've been using these speakers for several years and am still amazed at how great they sound. I've recommended these to several friends and they simply agree that they have a great sound, especially from such a compact package -- and at a good price. I paid $29.95 originally, so they've gone up in cost. That said, they pack a great punch whether your listening to Keith Richards, Marc Cohn, AC/DC or Leonard Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic.
108 of 136 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
These Are Simply Amazing! Stop Shopping and Buy Them Now.
Written by DM from Chicago
Mar 20, 2008
These are so much better than I expected after reading some of the reviews. I use them in my office, I take them with me on trips and set them up in my hotel rooms and use them in conjunction with the Alarm Clock on my iPod. Waking up to by the Allman Brothers is the only way to get up in the morning.
Beyond the convenience of taking these speakers everywhere I go, let's get to the main reason you want to buy them. The sound.
These sound so good. When I listen to them in the morning I can actually hear instruments in songs I've listened to thousands of times that I have never heard before. It somehow delivers the same music I always hear through an enhanced, magnified system. I hear so much more of the music that I love and that was the last thing in the world I ever expected from such a small speaker system. The volume is as much as I need for one or maybe two rooms. If you’re having a big party of 10 or more people you’ll need something bigger but these will work for parties up to 10 with ease.
I have used a Dell surround sound system in my one bedroom apartment for five years and the sound quality on these is better. It's better than the sound system in my 2001 Jeep too. I tell you this so if you're someone who is a sound engineer you'll know where I'm coming from.
These speakers are amazing and I think I'm going to buy a second set now, before they discontinue them, like everything else in this world I like that gets discontinued.
Buy these and enjoy your music collection like you never have before and on-the-go. These are amazing!
167 of 255 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
great sound, but cheap knob
Written by KH from Chicago
Nov 12, 2007
almost to the day of the warranty, the volume knob stops working. touch it just the slightest and you go from no sound to blasted sound and sometimes it doesn't work at all.
226 of 383 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
A must have for the money!!!
Written by JS from new york
Feb 19, 2008
Regarding the few complaints written about this product. Let me say this, yes there is some distortion, but only when you turn them all the way up!!! Don't all speakers do this when pushed to their max?!? Why you would want to do this anyway is beyond me, I think they are fantastic and worth the 50 dollar pittance they cost me!!! If your debating, stop now, look no further these puppies bang for the buck!!!! p.s I ordered these on feb 18 and got them the next day(standard shipping I may add)
120 of 176 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
so so...
Written by TS from Petaluma
Oct 28, 2007
the sound on these are so so. its really hard to adjust the volume, because when u do, it slides back. the bass is very bad. they make really bad interference noise when you call someone on the phone. i would try and find somethin else.
170 of 276 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
my honest opinion...
Written by DM from Unionville
Oct 24, 2007
ok, so you get what you pay for in the sound department, but the physical aspect of the speakers is quite poor.
the rubber pads on the bottom of each speaker doesn't stick very well to anything and the volume knob is shaped like a bullet tip, so when you grab it to adjust the volume, the entire unit slips and moves back on your desk. you have to hold the back of the unit with one hand, and then adjust the volume with the other.
hope this helps.177 of 290 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
DO NOT BUY THESE
Written by JE from Montclair
Jan 5, 2008
I bought them last Christmas, and they completely stopped working after three months. There is no warranty information in the box, and I didn't save the receipt so I had no luck returning/repairing them. I only just found them in the back of my closet, and am forced to throw them away, bitter at having wasted $50.
Save yourself the trouble. Don't buy 'em.
(I wouldn't even give these one star, but it won't let me give it zero stars)240 of 417 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Great Sound
Written by RP from Virginia Beach
May 26, 2008
I purchased these speakers to augment my iMac speakers. When they arrived, I plugged them in and they work great. The sound they put out is unbelievable for their small size. They really enhance the music on iTunes.
102 of 143 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Fabulous Speakers, Fabulous Price!
Written by KD from Colorado Springs
Jan 4, 2008
Fabulous speakers for the price! Really, really nice sound.....which was the most important to me. I read all the reviews and decided that cost and good sound beat out lousy knobs. But, surprise, surprise, when I unpacked my new speakers, the knob was fine. Perhaps they have replaced the old knobs? Anyhow, I figure that if the knob goes out, I can still control the volume in i-tunes or on my mac, so, who cares!!! For all the starving artists out there who want rich sound, at a fine price, whilst creating excellent art, then these are a great choice!
125 of 198 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Great Speakers!
Written by TH from Glendale
Apr 13, 2008
I picked up my 1st set of these a couple of years ago and (still) love them, they're hooked up to an iPod in our home Tiki Bar and put out great sound - I just picked up a 2nd set for my iBook when at home, because nothing can match them for sound and price.
128 of 209 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
You can actually get them cheaper...
Written by EF from Columbia
Feb 9, 2006
I concur with the positive reviews . . . one thing I would mention is that you can actually get them cheaper if you take a few minutes to search the internet. I got mine for like $25 and they have been working perfect for almost a year now.
56 of 66 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Amazing buy for 50$
Written by MR from Mississauga
Apr 27, 2008
I was quite surprised of the sound quality of these speakers even when u max out the volume. theire a great buy and are pretty sleek.
108 of 174 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
One of my best purchases
Written by PD from Upland
Sep 18, 2006
I had no idea what speakers to get for my iMac. I settled on these for their looks and the price. To my surprise the sound is fantastic. I have had these for over a year now and have had no problem. They have great range. I like all types of music, classical, rock, western, R&B and pop. They are quite loud for their size. I am very pleased with this purchase and would definitely recommend them.
41 of 44 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Excellent value!
Written by PS from Ottawa
Jul 25, 2008
I ordered my speakers two days ago and they arrived today. That would be great in and of itself but I set them up as soon as I got them and just love the sound. For the price they are an excellent value. I am listening to them right now as I type this review. A totally satisfied customer. End of.
37 of 37 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Oh, the static...
Written by HB from Grand Junction
Jun 22, 2007
I've had my JBL speakers for less than a year, and have the static issue as well. In fact, every day I use them, I have to unplug the cable to the computer and plug it back in to get good sound. After reconnecting them, they sound good again, so at least there is that. Anyone else having the static issue, you might try this. I sure hope the company finds a way to fix the problem.
57 of 79 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Wow! These are surprisingly good speakers for the price
Written by PG from Rowland Heights
Nov 28, 2006
I'm an audio engineer, and I'm NOT easily impressed, but these little speakers are the best-sounding personal speakers I've ever heard. In fact, they're better than many larger, pricier systems.
The bass response is the biggest surprise. It's natural-sounding and open, not stuffy or forced, yet it has a surprising amount of punch for such small speakers, without being the slightest bit "boomy". To my ears in my listening environment, they have an amazingly smooth frequency response across the entire audible range.
In case you think I'm kidding, I usually mix on a pair of Genelec tri-amped studio monitors whose price tag was more than 100 times that of the JBL Duet speakers. On several occasions, I've opened GarageBand or Logic Pro 7 to record a musical idea and ended up doing a rough mix, forgetting that I was listening to the Duet speakers rather than the big monitors. At low levels in a near-field application (...sorry, that's audio geekspeak — for all you normal humanoids who don't have the audiogeek mutant gene, that means the speakers are close to you...like on your desktop), these little speakers are surprisingly accurate.
I've owned my Duets for almost one year. I loved them so much that I immediately bought extra sets for my kids to use with their iPods. For the money, I've never heard anything better. My thanks to the folks at JBL for creating such a terrific speaker at such a reasonable price.38 of 42 people found this useful
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JBL Duet 2.0 Speakers - Aluminum
Poor, but Happily Dancing College Student
Written by SW from EAST ELMHURST
Aug 9, 2006
I'm low on my budget, but my love for music has compelled me to seek a pair of quality speakers, with a great bass, sexy look and loud volume. After reading many reviews and painstakingly turning down $300 speakers and docks, I settled on these. For a pair of decently priced speakers, they catered to all my desires, and now I'm having extravagant dance parties with these boomin' puppies. Absolutely fabulous.
35 of 37 people found this useful
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