The JBL 104 is an affordable and very compact studio monitor without compromising the sound quality. These highly rated mini-monitors will be suitable for listeners who have a small listening room with limited space. The small footprint of the JBL 104 allows us to fit them into tight spaces but it does limit their bass reproduction due to their compact size.
This is where an active subwoofer will help to supplement the overall bass performance of your monitoring system and deliver the missing subterranean low frequencies. It will be best to get a high-quality subwoofer that will match the JBL 104 studio monitors. The type of powered subs to go for will also depend on your own subwoofer requirements which we need to work on as well.
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Sonic Characteristics of the JBL 104 and Your Subwoofer Requirements
The JBL 104 is small and has a unique cabinet shape that looks rather stylish. There is a 0.75″ (19mm) soft dome HF driver and a 4.5″ (118mm) LF driver with a rear-firing bass port. The maximum Peak SPL is only at 102dB and this is good enough for nearfield listening distance. Its frequency response is between 60Hz to 20Hz (+/-3dB) which we weren’t expecting. Still, based on this range, the JBL 104 will certainly benefit from having the support of an active subwoofer. Each mini-monitor is getting 30 Watts of power coming from a Class D amplifier. There is a JBL 104-BT version where it comes with Bluetooth connectivity.
Another pleasant surprise which the JBL 104 gave us will be its bass performance as we were expecting almost non-existent bass reproduction. The small studio monitors were able to pump out tight low ends with agility. Even so, the overall sound reproduction still sounds a bit on the lean side and you certainly need a subwoofer to produce the subsonic bass frequencies as they are missing. To have more punch and fuller sound quality, you will require a subwoofer with higher crossover frequency options. We suggest going with a 100Hz crossover setting but you might want to do some experiments on your own with this.
More Details at Amazon – JBL Professional 104
You should also consider getting a studio subwoofer if you are using the JBL 104 for work. As studio subs are more accurate and cleaner than consumer-grade subs within the same price range. The JBL 104 has a high level of clarity and details of the upper registers can clearly be heard. Subtle nuances and details are not as obvious but it is still present. They have a neutral sonic characteristic and depending on the music being played, the 104 mini-monitors might sound very bright. There are times where we do find the active monitors to have decent low-frequency weight and a hint of warmth.
JBL 104 may not be the best studio monitors out on the market, but the price it is asking for and the sonic performance it is giving us still make them a top speaker choice in their price group. There are probably some monetary reasons when getting a pair of budget studio monitors and you might want to work on a comfortable amount which you are willing to invest in an active subwoofer. This will also help you to remove subwoofers that are priced above your allocated budget. Space limitations could be another reason when getting a compact size monitor like the JBL 104, there are plenty of small subwoofers to choose from so no worries.
Small subwoofers may have limited crossover range and are not able to dig deeper into the bass extension. You might want to set a requirement on these two aspects. If you need to fill medium to large size listening rooms, you will probably need a bigger subwoofer. We also suggest using another pair of larger studio monitors as the JBL 104 is more suited to be used in a small studio. Please do add in more subwoofer requirements on your own. The longer the checklist the better, and when you are done, you can check out the list of the best matching subwoofers which we have prepared for you below.
JBL 104 Specifications
- Type: 2-Way (Rear-firing bass port)
- Frequency Response: 60Hz-20kHz (+/-3dB)
- Drivers: 0.75″ (19mm) Soft Dome HF Driver, 4.5″ (118mm) LF Driver
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 247mm x 153mm x 124mm | 9.7″ x 6″ x 4.9″
- Weight: Host Monitor 2.06kg (4.5lbs), Extension Monitor 1.73kg (3.8lbs)
Best Subwoofers to match with JBL 104
JBL LSR310S is an ideal subwoofer choice to match with the JBL 104 studio monitors. This is a 10″ studio subwoofer designed to match with the small JBL monitors and since both of them are from the same company, we can expect seamless sonic performance from them. You can hear and feel the soundstage is bigger with the sound quality becoming fuller. There is accuracy in the JBL LSR310S bass reproduction which makes the JBL 104 mini-monitors sound like full-range speakers. The low-end delivery is clean as well and will be an ideal subwoofer for professionals.
More Details at Amazon – JBL LSR310S Channel Studio Subwoofer
For a wider frequency range, the PreSonus Temblor T10 will be an amazing studio subwoofer choice to go with your JBL 104 monitors. The Temblor T10 has a frequency response of 20Hz to 200Hz with a low pass filter frequency of 50Hz-130Hz (variable). It uses a Class AB amplifier which is pretty rare for a subwoofer to use. For a 10″ studio subwoofer, the PreSonus Temblor T10 is capable of delivering very deep bass frequencies which will help extend the low-end extension of your monitoring system. It is also agile enough to match with the JBL 104 studio monitor’s sound reproduction.
More Details at Amazon – Presonus Temblor T10 Subwoofer
If you are using a preamp with dedicated subwoofer output, you might want to go for a consumer-grade subwoofer instead as this could be a more affordable alternative to reach down to 20Hz bass extension. Getting a sealed subwoofer will be crucial especially if you are using the JBL 104 studio monitors for mixing and mastering. We recommend the entry-level SVS SB-1000 Pro, it is a powerful 12″ sealed subwoofer with up to 820+ Watts peak power and has a frequency response of 20Hz-270Hz (+/-3dB). The bass performance of the SB-1000 Pro is agile and impactful, will be ideal for music listeners too.
More Details at Amazon – SVS SB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)
For listeners who are facing space constraints, the Genelec 7040A is an excellent studio subwoofer for you and your situation. It is very compact in size and has a small footprint which allows you to fit the 6.5″ powered subwoofer into rooms with limited space. Due to its compact size, the Genelec 7040A has a narrow frequency response of 30Hz-90Hz (-6dB). The overall bass performance of this studio subwoofer is tight and articulate which matches really well with the pacing of the JBL 104 studio monitors. It can be a bit too costly for some listeners though.
The Yamaha HS8S is another amazing compact studio subwoofer and has a wide frequency response of 22Hz-150Hz which is impressive for a studio subwoofer of this size and price. It is a highly rated studio subwoofer with an 8″ bass driver and has an amplifier power of 150 Watts. The overall bass performance of the HS8S is clean and it is highly accurate too. It could also deliver very deep bass frequencies with prominence and without exaggeration. Making the Yamaha HS8S a good match with the JBL 104 studio monitors and worth your while to have a listen.
More Info at Amazon – Yamaha HS8S Studio Subwoofer
If you have a tight budget, the PreSonus Eris Sub 8 will be an excellent entry-level subwoofer to match with your JBL 104. This is an 8″ studio subwoofer and has an impressive frequency response of 30Hz-200Hz. The bass reproduction of the Eris Sub8 is clean and clear, keeping pace with the JBL 104 mini-monitors. For consumer-grade budget subwoofers, the Klipsch R-12SW is one of the best to aim for. It is affordably priced and has a 12″ front-firing woofer with up to 400 Watts of dynamic power. For listeners using the JBL 104 for work, we will suggest going with the PreSonus Eris Sub 8 studio subwoofer.
More Info at Amazon – PreSonus Eris Sub 8 Compact Subwoofer
To Sum It Up
Start shortlisting the subwoofers based on your own requirements and audition the shortlisted ones to see if they match well with the JBL 104 using your own ears. You may need to go for a few rounds of subwoofer auditions just to be sure. Didn’t find the subwoofer you looking for from this list? Then please feel free to use this as a reference when searching for other subwoofer models.
