JBL Stage2 240B Dual 4.5″ Bookshelf Speakers in Espresso
The JBL Stage 2 240B Bookshelf Speakers have a dark wood-toned veneer, an all black front baffle and color-matched horn. The black Grill is magnetic and has an orange silicon ring on the back to protect the speaker’s finish if you choose to remove the Grills. This speaker is part of JBL’s line of component-based audio and is designed to take the guesswork out of system matching. They are very attractive and provide an impressive performance from a small-footprint speaker. These speakers feature a 2-way design with Next Generation patented High-Definition Imaging (HDI™) waveguide geometry, 1-inch (25mm) Anodized Aluminum dome tweeter, and a 4.5-inch (114mm) Polycellulose ribbed cone woofer that provides a deep, signature JBL bass. Coming in at 10.1 pounds, you can feel the heft with the size only at 10.7in x 6.9in x 8.5in. They are impressive enough to be used as main speakers or surrounds.
FEATURES:
• 4.5-inch (114mm) Polycellulose Ribbed Cone Woofers
• Precision 2-Way Crossover
• Next Generation HDI Horn
• 1-inch (25mm) Anodized Aluminum Tweeter
• 5-Way Binding Posts
• Magnetically Attached Grilles
• Integrated Wall Mount Bracket
• ¼-20 Insert for Aftermarket Mounts
• Anti-Slip Pads
The speakers are small enough and light enough to be placed almost anywhere in the room. They have 1/4Inch x20 inserts on the back panel for aftermarket mounts. JBL includes port plugs to install when mounting on the wall to contour and tighten the bass. They also include Anti-Slip pads. The speakers were balanced and crisp and worked well in music, movies, and shows, giving them a realistic quality. I swapped out my 3ft tower speakers to see how these compared, and I couldn’t tell a difference.
These speakers perform excellently and are affordable.

This is my first experience setting up and using a Home theater AV setup. JBL’s new modern audio lineup potentially targets consumers like me. Consumers that just wants something that works. Enter JBL’s Stage 240B bookshelf speakers. These speakers are sold as a pair and comes in two different colors, Espresso and Latte. I currently have the Espresso version and I must say that I’m impressed with the design of these speakers.
Sound
The speakers come with an 4.5 inch woofer and an 1 inch dome tweeter that provides a pretty sweet balanced sound. These speakers offer a wide sound stage and when using them in my 2.1 setup, the vocal clarity is on point. Instrument details in movies stood out and movie chase scenes sounded really good. I tested these speakers without using a dedicated subwoofer. The bass response was good but I recommend using a dedicated subwoofer to go along with the pair of 240B bookshelf speakers to get the full benefit of your AV setup.
Placement
I couldn’t test the 240B bookshelf speakers as surrounds in my current setup as I have yet to purchase additional speakers. I know these will add value to any existing setup.
Accessories
Included in the box are Anti-Slip pads, 2 wall brackets, 2 foam plugs, and 8 mounting screws. JBL included everything needed to help with placing these bookshelf speakers anywhere in the home.
All you really need is speaker wire to build out your home theater.
Conclusion
JBL’s 240B bookshelf speakers sound really good. They are lightweight, and easy to setup.
They handled everything I threw at them and then some. Music listening sounded really great as well. These speakers are perfect for the budget conscious consumers and I think they wont disappoint.

The JBL Stage 2 240B bookshelf speakers have truly impressed me with their performance. Despite their small size, the sound quality is exceptional. However, I did learn that they are quite particular about placement when looking for that perfect sound stage. For the best sound, they need to be about 6 to 8 feet apart and angled directly at your ears while you sit at least 6-8 feet away.
Sound Quality
The bass is tight and has an OK thump, but the mids are where they start to openup beautifully, and the highs sounded amazing, Listing to the Jayhawks I was able to clearly identify each instrument, and Louis’s falsetto never sounded so sweet. Without a subwoofer, the Stage 2 240B speakers still perform well, especially if you use a quality amp and don’t push them too hard. Just don’t expect a lot of low-frequency response on their own.
Optimal Setup
The real magic happens when you pair the Stage 2 240B speakers with a subwoofer, like the JBL Stage 2 200P that I’m using. Together, they create an impressive and immersive listening experience with an almost imperceivable crossover. You’d swear that you’re sitting in front of a couple of massive speakers but then you open your eyes and see a set of small bookshelf’s. Despite the size, these speakers can run loud and clear, enough to potentially annoy apartment neighbors. In a house or studio, they can get loud enough to make it hard to hold a conversation but clear enough that you can do just that when listening at lower volumes.
Final Thoughts
With a decent amp, these speakers, and a subwoofer, you can create an audiophile system for a reasonable price. The JBL Stage 2 240B bookshelf speakers deliver beyond expectations, making them a fantastic choice for anyone looking to enhance their audio setup.

These are a very good value-for-the-money pair of speakers. I was looking for a more budget-friendly, good-sounding, and aesthetically pleasing option for my living room setup. I already have a dedicated HT room, but still wanted something smaller that would blend well with my living room without standing out too much. While it’s not very hard to find good-value, relatively-good sounding speakers, it seems the great majority of them come in some sort of black or dark brown color, and it makes it hard to integrate them into a more modern space. If you want a white/lighter option that still sounds good, you almost have to be ready to spend considerably more, as the great majority seem to go for $500+ per speaker.
These were one of very few options of pairs of speakers with good quality, without going north of $500 dollars, and that at the same time would allow you to expand the sound into a full surround, and even Atmos, setup while staying aesthetically pleasing. They won’t shake the room or anything like that, but work really well for a small listening area, and are a great option as surround speakers. They are the ‘smaller’ option in the JBL Stage 2 line of speakers. The Latte/white colors work great for a living room, common area, and/or more modern space. If budget allows, I would recommend pairing these with the sub, the center speaker, and the 250B’s or floor standing speakers from the Stage 2 line to complete a 5.1 surround setup. JBL even has height speakers in the same line for a full Atmos setup.
I am currently using the 250B’s as the fronts, and these 240B’s as the surrounds, with future plans to eventually add the sub, center, and height speakers for a full Atmos setup. These 240B’s also include the hardware needed to wall mount them. After using my receiver’s calibration (Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with iOS app), the speakers, combined with the room correction, resulted in a very good frequency response. They won’t work miracles, but the combination of quality, price, and aesthetics is hard to beat. And the good thing about this line of speakers is that, with the right receiver to drive them, you can start small with a simple stereo setup, and little by little add more of the speakers to have a 5.1 surround sound setup, and if desired, eventually complete a full 7.1.4 surround/height speaker setup while all the speakers blend well together sound-wise, and the lighter colors makes them easier to integrate into more modern areas (which would help those with a WAF-Wife Acceptance Factor).
Recommended to those looking for a good value set of speakers that (now or later) want a surround and/or Atmos setup but also have a WAF, or simply want a lighter color option for a more aesthetically pleasing look.