Customer Reviews and Ratings

4.0 out of 5 stars

Based on 43 reviews

  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    A tad disappointed

    • Written by from Victoria

    I own a set of the original Creatures (and love them) so getting a second set for my wife's new iMac was a natural. I tested them on my Mac and sadly the new ones are MUCH quieter despite both being rated at 25W. So quiet that I would not recommend them. The sound quality is excellent but, no matter how good, it underwhelms when it's just not loud enough. Also missing is the cool blue LEDs that shone down under the 1st gen speakers. JBL, why would you ruin a good thing and shade your reputation?

    4 of 4 people found this useful

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    They dont make'em like they used to

    • Written by from Brooklyn

    I have the first generation creature speakers. LOVED THEM. loud, great bass.. not static. But My daughter thought the satellite speakers were for poking... with a PEN!

    For Christmas i asked for the new version. Thought it was a perfect purchase...new technology better sound... i would love them too.

    Well not quite. The sound was less then loud, and the bass was just average. I decided my old creature speakers were better then the creature III speakers and will be returning them right away!

    7 of 8 people found this useful

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Sound

    • Written by from Vienna

    By way of full disclosure, I do not push these speakers by any stretch. And, I have the sub jammed by my feet, with the satellite speakers placed about 2 feet apart on the top of my desk. So my deployment is not one of an audiophile.

    That said, even at low volumes with suboptimal deployment, the speakers provide rich, full sound.

    Dings on the speakers are the master volume buttons, which do not provide much feedback when pushed, and from my very limited testing, it does not seem like the top end volume is very high.

    All-in-all, though, an excellent speaker set that is well worth the price.

    23 of 25 people found this useful

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Not what I was expecting from JBL, they can and do ALOT better.

    • Written by from Innisfil

    These are quietest set of subs I have ever heard for a computer, sure its clear but you can get something that sounds better for half the price. They are also complete garbage, they broke within a year of me having them. Save your money, its not what you expect if you have any experience with JBL. Unless their computer speakers/subs are just bad completely and they know how to make everything else, which I highly doubt. By far the worst JBL product I own or have ever owned.

    26 of 43 people found this useful

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great

    • Written by from Leduc

    I have to say, these are a decent set of speakers, if it were based only on looks, it'd be 5/5. The sound is clear and the bass is nice, where they do start to lack is when you crank them up to ear splitting volume. At near max levels, the sound tends to distort, but for med/high its rich a clear. Definitely worth $100

    26 of 26 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Small Package, Big Presence

    • Written by from calgary

    I downgraded from 4.1 to 2.1, but what these speakers lack in surround, they make up in clarity and simplicity. My treble/bass knobs are reversed as well, but it really makes no difference.

    Touch both buttons to mute, one is up and one is down. It seems like (with the power button on the woofer) these speakers aren't meant to be turned off regularly. They sure have quite the tight response. Sharp, crisp sounds with an impressive low bass presence. Mid tones seem to be lacking a little (with a big woofer and small satellite speakers, it would tend to..)

    I don't know about filling my room with great audio, but for sitting at my desk and listening at acceptable levels, these are great!
    I do miss my physical on/off button and front/back volume knobs from my 4.1, but I'm happy with the creatures!

    16 of 18 people found this useful

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Speakers keep breaking down

    • Written by from Salinas

    Thought it would be a good speaker to own based on reviews. First time both speakers stopped after 9 months of use. Was sent a new one and now one speaker again has stopped after another 9 months again. Going to look elsewhere now.

    14 of 18 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Creature? A Beast!

    • Written by from Vacoas

    Bought this marvel some hours ago and I should admit that I love these babies! The sound is crisp.. wonderfully loud with no distortion (well.. I don't hear any). For someone who was looking for a 5.1 surround I'm certainly not disappointed with this 2.1!

    24 of 25 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    AMAZING

    • Written by from Glen Head

    loud crisp everything you could ever want with a compatible unique look. all my friends and i love these. IT IS AWESOME

    16 of 17 people found this useful

  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    satisfied! :)

    • Written by from Burnaby

    bought this set a few weeks back for my one bedroom apartment and its doin pretty well.. looks good sounds great for its size.. maybe a bit overpriced though but a goood system..

    10 of 10 people found this useful

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Incredible Sound But Apparently Defects Are Common

    • Written by

    I purchased a new iMac in Oct 2010. Very nice! In Dec I received the JBL Creature III as a gift. The sound was absolutely phenomenal! Loved 'em! Sadly, they quit (I mean 'died') a month later. The Apple Store was very good to quickly exchange for new ones. Several weeks later these ones died, also. Apple Care worked over the phone with me, and we determined that the iMac was perfectly fine, but the speakers had failed. I returned the speakers, and once again, Apple was very helpful to exchange the JBL's for a different brand. I learned from several sources that this problem was not uncommon for these speakers. Too bad! They sounded so good!

    14 of 17 people found this useful

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Absolutely terrible

    • Written by from Reading

    I bought these speakers a couple weeks ago and returned them the next day. They sounded like someone had put a good set of speakers in a closet and closed the door.

    The Bose Companion speakers cost the same and deliver far superior sound.

    10 of 26 people found this useful

  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty Good for the money

    • Written by from Boston

    These sounds pretty good, but definitely lose quality as volume increases. Mine died after 3 years, but for the price well worth it

    15 of 19 people found this useful

  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Disappointing

    • Written by from Reston

    I bought these speakers based on reviews and my previous purchased, inexpensive JBLs, which I LOVED, they had a GREAT sound in every way. Unfortunately, the subwoof blew out, so I bought these thinkng they'd be a good replacement. I was pretty disappointed--the high range on these speakers is nonexistent, the small speakers have a nasty hiss and the base is a bit distorted. These may be better than a lot of speakers in the price category, but I'm more than a little frustrated with my purchase. :(

    15 of 22 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Sound!

    • Written by from Kodiak

    These speakers sound great, and look great as well. The subwoofer has a nice bump to it and the speakers have a very clear sound. The only thing I would change is the range of volume on the speakers. Otherwise a great buy!

    14 of 17 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Good

    • Written by from Philadelphia

    I have to admit that when I purchased the product, it arrived late because of the snow in Philly. The sound of the speaker was slow, so when I increased the volume on my computer it didn't really change. I wanted to call to complain about it; then I re-read the instruction guide and I realized there was a sound button on the micro speaker; when turned on their maximum, the sound really blown me away. My laptop volume is on 3 and the sound from the speaker is just perfect. i think it's woth its money, it's not a great deal, simply a good product and the qualifications are verified.

    14 of 17 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    love

    • Written by from melville

    these little speakers may not look too intimidating but guess again... these speakers are amazing and great for small parties and events

    14 of 14 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    For what you pay these are great!!

    • Written by from Bethesda

    I just got my JBL Creature III speakers and I already love them!! Once I hooked them up I didn't stop playing music all day long. The bass is strong but not overpowering while the treble is just right. The subwoofer and satellite speakers are all perfect sizes to fit on your desk. Each unit is made out of plastic so they are very light. All of the cords are good lengths so you can hook up your speakers without having to stretch or use an extra power strip. As a whole the system is slick looking and good sounding. For what you pay I would highly recommend these speaker. Before I purchased the Creatures I was looking at the Sound sticks but I am happy that I saved my money and went with the Creatures instead. I tested the Soundsticks in the apple store and for what you pay I was not blown away. However these are truly wonderful!! If you are unsure whether you should buy them or not...you definitely should!!!

    19 of 19 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty Good, Could have better bass

    • Written by from Webster

    I just purchased these speakers a few hours ago, the sound quality is great for a system at this price, the volume is loud when you turn up the speakers to their maximum volume, the bass at high levels is distorted which is somewhat annoying, but in this price range it is fairly good if not at the highest level of bass, overall I would give this 5 stars for anyone who does not need an insanely expensive system for heavy listening

    17 of 18 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    excellent for the price

    • Written by from Sterling Heights

    I hooked these up to my TV as a cheap alternative to a surround sound system and I think they sound great! My living room is fairly small, so maybe that's why it's more than enough to fill with sound, but they're good enough for me especially considering the cost difference to a Bose system or something else like that. The bass is good too.

    27 of 29 people found this useful