Perfect Club Speakers – JBL JRX125 Dual 15″ 2-Way Speaker

NOTE: The updated JBL JRX125 is now called the JBL JRX225. It is essentially the same speaker with a new number designation.

Probably the most critical item that you will need to purchase as you become a performing live musician is a great pair of speakers. The success of your live band really depends on how well your sound is translating live and the speakers are the voicebox of your band. Today I’m going to tell you about my JBL JRX125 speakers and how well they have served my music.

I have owned my JBL JRX125’s for about 8 years now and have had no problems whatsoever with them. Visually the speakers are very nice looking with a rugged 18-guage steel mesh grille and a cloth covering. They have recessed handles on the sides and will accept both 1/4″ and Speakon connectors. The JBL nameplate on the grille and handles is nice and understated and keeps the speakers very professional looking.  

JBL JRX125 has Classic JBL Sound

If you’ve ever had JBL speakers before then you’re familiar with their warm and full sound. These speakers have the classic JBL sound and their frequency response is perfect for live band situations. They are built with dual 15″ speakers and a Progressive Transition Waveguide horn. Progressive Transition Waveguide is a JBL trademark that simply means the horn is physically designed to deliver “uniform off-axis frequency response to every point withing the intended coverage area” – JBL. This all translates into excellent sound. If you want to check out all the technical specifications then click the link to take a look at the JBL JRX125 Spec Sheet.

JBL JRX225 is a Quasi 3-Way Speaker

There are several features that I really love about these speakers. First of all, even though the speaker is a 2-way speaker, it’s wired as a “Qasi 3-Way speaker” with the lower 15″ speaker acting as a subwoofer. The way the two 15″ speakers are crossed over are with the upper 15″ speaker handling the mid-frequencies and bass, and the lower 15″ speaker handling bass only. I can tell you from personal experience that these speakers can really pump out the bass and they do it without overloading the room with bass frequencies.

The problem with a traditional bi-amped subwoofer system is that you can easily hit your maximum SPL level with the subwoofer and everything after that SPL just muddies up the mix. These speakers give you low, rumbly bass but still keep things well balanced with the mids and highs. You can really do without a separate subwoofer when you’re using the JBL JRX125 speakers and they reproduce the all important mid frequencies incredibly well.

Ferro-fluid Cooled Horn

Another feature that I really like is the ferro-fluid cooled compression driver with titanium diaphragm in the horn. The high frequencies are suprisingly full and not overly crisp or crackly from the horn. Again, they achieve that classic JBL warmth. The horns are also protected by SonicGuard circuitry so if they’re hit with excess power from a dropped mic or feedback, the circuit will absorb the excess energy without cutting off like breaker protected horns. I like that because it means no waiting for the horns to reset after an overload condition.

JBL JRX125 Power Rating

The JBL JRX125 speaker’s power rating is ideal for club bands with a rating of 500 Watts RMS and 2000 Watts peak power capacity. JBL recommends a power amp of 500 -1000 watts @ 4 ohms. I use a 1000 watt Peavey amplifier with mine and they sound fantastic. The cabinet is very solid and has good mass which combats cabinet rattles and rumbling that you get with cheaper cabinets.

Recessed Handles Not The Best

The only complaint I have about the JBL JRX125 is the recessed handles. The speakers just aren’t very easy to lug around as they weigh in at 94 lbs. apiece. I always bump my wrist against the top of the handle recess when I haul the speakers with a band member and they’re too heavy and awkward for me to lug around alone. So I would recommend adding some wheels and a rear handle to the speakers to make moving them easier.

Summary

In summary, I highly recommend the JBL JRX125 Dual 15″ 2-way speaker. They just sound amazing and are worth every penny of the price. Make sure you pick up a pair today!