Short answer: the Audioengine HD4 for better sound quality, the JBL One Series 104 for the lower price. The Audioengine HD4 ranks #54 of 64 powered bookshelf speakers at $429. The JBL One Series 104 ranks #62 at $129, $300 cheaper.
What the JBL One Series 104 offers: Heavy internal EQ from the amplifier meaningfully compensates for otherwise poor raw driver measurements, and casual listening on undemanding content sounded like a scaled-down JBL 305P Mark II - well above typical computer-speaker quality for the price. Solid build quality for a $90-130 powered pair with dual built-in amplifiers. Watch for: Measuring the passive drivers alone (bypassing the amplifier’s EQ) showed “no bass, no low mids, and highly irregular highs” - a disaster by the reviewer’s description. Even with the amplifier’s correction applied, there’s an on-axis cancellation around 7.4kHz from the coaxial driver design, and JBL’s own published frequency-response graph uses a compressed 95dB vertical scale that hides real deviations the reviewer’s 50dB-scale CEA-2034 measurement reveals. Female vocals and “lisping” content became bright and annoying; the reviewer’s verdict was “can’t recommend it though if you want a true hi-fi experience.”
What the Audioengine HD4 offers: Rated 3.3 in the SpeakerRanking database. Watch for: Not a great sounding speaker for the high price.
Buy the JBL One Series 104 if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Audioengine HD4 if sound quality matters more than the price.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 64 powered bookshelf speakers instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL One Series 104 | Audioengine HD4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 | $429.00 |
| Ranked | #62 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #54 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 45Hz with the amplifier’s DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz with the amplifier’s DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) | - |
| Drivers | 4.5" coaxial low-frequency driver, 0.75" soft dome tweeter | 4" (102mm) woofer |
| Dimensions | 9.7H x 6W x 4.9D in (per manufacturer, 104-BT) | 9"H x 5.5"W x 6.5"D (228.6 x 139.7 x 165.1 mm) |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs / 2.06 kg (master), 3.8 lbs / 1.73 kg (slave) | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60 Hz-20 kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 60W total Class D (30W per speaker) | 50w RMS Per Speaker |
| App | No | No |
| EQ | Yes (fixed, amplifier-applied) | No |
| DSP | Yes | - |
| Inputs | - | Bluetooth, Aux, RCA Input |
| Outputs | - | RCA Output |
| Bluetooth | - | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
JBL One Series 104: $129 Amazon eBay
Pros: Heavy internal EQ from the amplifier meaningfully compensates for otherwise poor raw driver measurements, and casual listening on undemanding content sounded like a scaled-down JBL 305P Mark II - well above typical computer-speaker quality for the price. Solid build quality for a $90-130 powered pair with dual built-in amplifiers.
Cons: Measuring the passive drivers alone (bypassing the amplifier’s EQ) showed “no bass, no low mids, and highly irregular highs” - a disaster by the reviewer’s description. Even with the amplifier’s correction applied, there’s an on-axis cancellation around 7.4kHz from the coaxial driver design, and JBL’s own published frequency-response graph uses a compressed 95dB vertical scale that hides real deviations the reviewer’s 50dB-scale CEA-2034 measurement reveals. Female vocals and “lisping” content became bright and annoying; the reviewer’s verdict was “can’t recommend it though if you want a true hi-fi experience.”
Full JBL One Series 104 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz with the amplifier's DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 45Hz with the amplifier's DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DSP | Yes |
| Dimensions | 9.7H x 6W x 4.9D in (per manufacturer, 104-BT) |
| Drivers | 4.5" coaxial low-frequency driver, 0.75" soft dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (fixed, amplifier-applied) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 60W total Class D (30W per speaker) |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs / 2.06 kg (master), 3.8 lbs / 1.73 kg (slave) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Audioengine HD4: $429.00 Amazon eBay
Cons: Not a great sounding speaker for the high price.
Full Audioengine HD4 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| Dimensions | 9"H x 5.5"W x 6.5"D (228.6 x 139.7 x 165.1 mm) |
| Drivers | 4" (102mm) woofer |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 60 Hz-20 kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, Aux, RCA Input |
| Output Power | 50w RMS Per Speaker |
| Outputs | RCA Output |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audioengine HD4 vs Kali Audio IN-UNF
- Audioengine HD4 vs Edifier R1700BT
- Audioengine HD4 vs Edifier S1000MKII
- Audioengine HD4 vs Edifier S1000W
- Audioengine HD4 vs Dynaudio LYD 5
- Audioengine HD4 vs Pioneer DJ VM-50
- Audioengine HD4 vs NHT Pro M-00
- Audioengine HD4 vs Klipsch The Fives
- See all 39 comparisons