| | |  | Speakers | Home » » » » JBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair) | | | | | | | Description: | | Add a pair of speakers in the bedroom, in the kitchen, in the garage or on the patio. JBL On Air Control 2.4G wireless speaker system combines high-performance sound quality with wireless-installation convenience. The unit includes a pair of wall-mountable loudspeakers that incorporate a wireless transceiver and amplifier, a transmitter/receiver module, and a remote control. This system is ideal for a host of wireless-speaker applications, including use as the surround channels in a multichannel home theater, as a second-room music system, and as a high-quality wireless speaker system for computers and digital music players. The On Air Control 2.4G utilizes the 2.4GHz frequency range for interference-free transmission, and the transmitter/receiver module can be used with up to two pairs of JBL On Air speakers. The active speaker system includes a mini-jack input for connection to a second local audio source and a subwoofer output that enables the speakers to be used as part of a 2.1-channel satellite/subwoofer audio system. The 100mm polylaminate woofer produces rich, deep bass response, while the 12mm titanium-laminate tweeter delivers sparkling, clear high frequencies throughout the listening room. Easy-to-use wall brackets are included. | | | Features: | |
• Wireless system lets you add speakers without running wires
• 2.4GHz ensures high performance sound up to 70 feet
• Ultra-compact monitors
• Magnetic shielding for video applications
• Wall brackets included for speaker and transmitter
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 5.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.12 inches | | Product Height:
| 9.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 14.5 pounds | | Package Length:
| 13.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 13.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 8.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 14.45 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 52 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 52 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
319 of 328 found the following review helpful:
 Nice sound, but MANY fatal flawsNov 11, 2007
By David Stein
Here's the good news: The sound quality is nice. The frequency response seems very detailed, and these diminutive speakers pack more bass than looks would suggest. No complaints about the sound quality.
Here's the bad news: These speakers have MANY very serious flaws that make them unusable.
1) The speakers have a timeout mechanism - they go into a standby mode if the sound stops transmitting. That's fine, but the standby mode mechanism is very overeager: the speakers often enter standby if the music volume stops, or even if the volume just gets a little too quiet, for a short period of time - even as little as 5 seconds. So the speakers can go into standby even during a quiet section of otherwise loud music, and the wakeup process is not trivial: it may take 10 seconds or more to reacquire the signal once the music kicks in again. Worse, this quirk is hard-coded and not adjustable; you can't disable or adjust the standby mechanism.
In short, these $200+ speakers have a tendency to cut out the music for 25 seconds or more when it dips too low. That is a fatal flaw. And it's not the only one:
2) These speakers will SHUT DOWN your Wi-Fi network. I have a very recent 802.11g router (a Motorola SBG900), and when there's music streaming to the speakers, my bandwidth drops from a steady 200kbps to about 5kbps. Seriously. If I unplug the transmitters (which are 10' away from both the router and the receiving computer), my bandwidth comes to life; if I plug 'em in again, my bandwidth vanishes immediately. It's terrible.
3) JBL made some very strange choices with regard to the cabling. The cable from the right speaker to the left is about 25 feet long - a bizarrely long connection for such small speakers - and unless you want to splice it, you're going to have a rat's-nest tangle of excess cable hanging somewhere between or behind the speakers. Meanwhile, the power cable is only about 18" between the active speaker and the power brick; and the power cable coming out of the brick is only about 3' long. As a result, if you mount the speakers 6' high, you'll have a massive black brick with a glowing green LED dangling at about 3', and probably a hookup to a longer power cable about 1' off the floor. It's quite sad; JBL must not have tried to actually mount these speakers before they shipped 'em out.
4) Speaking of mounting: The speakers come with wall mounting brackets that look sturdy at first glance. However, the speakers are very boxy - about 5" deep - so they'll project noticeably from the wall. Much worse, the mounting bracket is very poorly designed. For example, the speakers mount on a ball-and-socket bolt that's *way* too long - you'll see an extra 1.5" inches of bolt projecting from the wall mounting, for no particular reason. (In fact, JBL doesn't seem to trust the integrity of the bracket; they include a camera-strap-like thing for fastening the speaker to the bracket, in case it fails. Creepy.)
5) Want to buy extra speakers and dial 'em in to the same channel? Of course you do; it's wireless, right? Well, not so fast. First, JBL won't sell you *just* the speakers, so you have to buy a whole 'nother set - including a second transmitter - at full price. Second, the wireless setup has a hard limit of two speaker sets per transmitter channel. I own three sets of these speakers, and only two connect to the transmitter at any one time. I don't know why; it's completely capricious, and it severely limits the extensibility of the system.
It's really tragic that JBL made such terrible ancillary choices, because the prime virtue of these speakers - the sound quality - is very nice. But the convenience and sound quality aren't worth the hassles... particularly at such a high price point.
Bottom line: Avoid. Avoid at all costs. These things are FATALLY flawed. JBL needs to recall them and fix them... and if they don't, I'm certainly never buying their equipment again.
- David Stein
53 of 59 found the following review helpful:
 Wireless can be done with only minimal cost.Oct 11, 2007
By B. J. Stephen
These speakers are on the top of the 'not bad' scale. Considering the convience of the wireless system the downsides may easily be overlooked. Sound quality: Very Good. Wireless signal: Fair. If you have thick walls in your house - or want to use them outside without a clear view of the transmitter - you will be dissapointed. I have found that the speakers work much better with a clear view of the transmitter and must be no more than 5 meters away (for the old folks still using the english system about 15 ft). Overall I'm happy with the - beats stringing wires around the house.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Positive (Mostly)Jan 07, 2008
By P. Fahey
This product seems ideal for a surround sound system or similar "In Room" application. The quality of the sound is good, and the installation is relatively simple.
I am using it to expand my stereo system to another room. People passing between the recievers and transmitters create some interference, and the speakers occassionally drop out.
The speakers are not portable, and require a wall outlet to function.
All told, I am pleased with the product, but it has limitations.
22 of 26 found the following review helpful:
 Just AwfulAug 27, 2008
By Christina Christina
"Christinas Garden Body"
For some reason, my idiot boyfriend bought these for 228, which is way too much. The instructions say the speakers need to be 35 feet from the router. So, unless you are using them in a business location, they echo. No, I don't mean they give you a clear surround sound effect, I mean they have about a full second delay from the TV to the speakers. They are not completely "wireless" either. The speakers are wired to each other, so you still have an awkward wire across the room...plus the obvious cord to the outlet.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
They sound good and work fine if you know what you're gettingJan 27, 2010
By Bob
"screaminbob"
I worried about getting these because of the bad reviews. Many of the reviewers didn't understand what they were buying.
You get a transmitter with a power supply that plugs into the wall. You get a speaker with built-in amp that has another power supply plugged into the wall. You get a second speaker that is cabled to the first.
The transmitter gets it's signal via 2 RCA connectors or an iPhone headset type jack.
I bought these to play Pandora using my iPhone in several rooms. I added a splitter so the signal would serve a local Bose player and the remote speakers. It all works just fine; I'm buying a second pair.
If you expect some light little battery powered thing you can stick anywhere, this isn't it. If anything, it's overbuilt and designed for component audio type people which is fine for me.
Downsides: 1. heavy, bulky in-line power supplies. 2. I wish it could take more kinds of signal; I'd try them on the digital or optical audio out from my TV.
I'm amending this in July '10 because signal weakness is a bigger obstacle than I previously realized. Even getting the signal two rooms away is difficult.
See all 52 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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