JBL 305P MkII review: Powerful, compact, and cost-effective

Huge sounds at a not-so-huge price is something of a JBL 3 Series Studio Monitor trademark. Budding bedroom music producers who don’t want to bankrupt themselves on their first pair of monitors often choose a pair of JBL 3 Series speakers for this reason, instead getting an affordable product that still delivers a sound full of clarity and detail that they are after. The 305P MkII monitors are the most affordable product in the 3 Series range — do they add to its fantastic track record?

A storied history of speaker manufacturing

Owned today by Harman International, JBL was founded in 1946 by pioneering American engineer James Bullough Lansing, who had been building speakers since 1927. By the 1970s, JBL products were established as a household brand, and by the end of the decade, recording studios using JBL monitors outnumbered all other brands combined.

The story of the JBL 3 Series begins in 2013, with the release of the JBL 305 LSR MkI – a monitor taking inspiration from and using tech from JBL’s own iconic M2 Master Reference Monitors.

Out the box

Commencing with the aesthetics — because who wants monitors on their desk that are an absolute eyesore? Not so with JBL’s MkII 305P pairing, which come with a glossy black MVC front design, a matte black body, and a ported enclosure.

Vitally, you quickly get a sense of just how durable these monitors are for a budget-priced speaker. “Buy cheap, buy twice” is not an idiom to be applied to the 305P monitors, as they are quite clearly built to last.

The studio monitors are sold as a single monitor rather than a pair. Expect a fetching box with JBL’s trademark red and white. Don’t expect included audio cables, and don’t grumble about it either, as this is the normal practice for pro-monitors.

Besides your lovely new 305P MkII monitor, you also get the power cord, four peel-off rubber pads, and a paper setup guide.

All the necessary features accounted for

Connectivity-wise, JBL has you fully covered with XLR and ¼-inch inputs. The volume knob is deftly placed for easy control — these are all found on the rear panel. For fine-tuning, the 305P MKII includes a high-frequency trim switch with -2dB, 0, and +2dB settings, so if you are a picky audio wizard, you can tweak the high-end response into your personal dream territory.

Note also the Boundary EQ switch — this helps you compensate in any instances of bass build ups getting out of control, a common issue when the monitors are placed near walls or corners. Long story short, these features combined make the monitors ideal for a wide variety of differing studio spaces.

The 305P MkII in performance

To properly review the JBL 305P MKII monitors sound performance, they need to be judged for what they are: JBL’s most budget-friendly studio monitors, created with smaller studio spaces and beginner/intermediate music producers in mind.

Does that mean these things sound cheap? Goodness, no. You’d be silly to hope for the kind of sound heard from gargantuan monitors at the most expensive studios on Earth, but you’ll instead get wonderfully balanced audio and clarity of sound — the detailed sound you’ll need to produce music and audio to a professional standard.

The main trade off is bass response, which is not the fault of the monitors themselves, but instead something you have to accept when buying a smaller pair of speakers. If you do need Earth-shuddering bass, a quick solution would be to get a subwoofer speaker to join in a situationship with your 305P pairing.

In terms of a verdict on the bass sound — it is nonetheless fantastic for monitors of this size! Kick drums and bass sounds great. If you are working with a lot of sub-bass then, again, a subwoofer will deliver the best results.

The size of the JBL 305P MkII certainly doesn’t impede the high-end frequency sounds. The balance between the mids and highs is really impressive, and many users report that they rarely bother with tweaking the onboard EQ controls to this end. On the whole, the high-end response is detailed and full of clarity.

The final word

While the JBL 305P MkII monitors come at a budget-friendly, entry-level price point, they have a few of the features you’ll find on much more expensive JBL monitors. Thus, it’s almost condescending to say these are for beginner bedroom producers alone. If you’re a producer who isn’t in a large studio space, this pair of monitors is absolutely worth your consideration. If you simply need a modestly-sized pair of speakers due to space considerations, you’ll struggle to find a higher quality pair at this diminutive size.

Features such as the Image Control Waveguide make these monitors wonderful to work with. They are built to last and are durable, and the design includes a specially shaped and tuned rear reflex port that delivers all the detail and clarity of sound you could want from such a modestly priced product. 

If you are a beginner, these are an absolute no-brainer. If you’re an intermediate level producer, these are strongly worth considering, and they are brilliant for anyone who needs a great pair of monitors without much spare space for them. A brilliant pair of companions on your music and audio journey.