Short answer: the JBL One Series 104. It ranks #40 of 42 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $129; the NHT Pro M-00 ranks #42 and costs $498, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the JBL One Series 104 offers: Heavy internal EQ from the amplifier meaningfully compensates for otherwise poor raw driver measurements. 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.
On the NHT Pro M-00 side: Cast aluminum-zinc alloy enclosure doubles as a heatsink for the built-in discrete Class AB amplifier, and both RCA and XLR/TRS inputs are provided with a near-field/far-field voicing switch. Set against that: Amir identified a critical flaw: a sudden suck-out in the upper bass frequencies that affects many commonly-used notes.
Buy the JBL One Series 104. It ranks higher for sound quality than the NHT Pro M-00 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 42 powered bookshelf speakers instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL One Series 104 | NHT Pro M-00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 | $498 pair, discontinued (used market; originally $249 each) |
| Ranked | #40 of 42 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #42 of 42 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 | 1" ferrofluid-cooled fabric dome tweeter, 4.5" treated paper-cone woofer |
| Dimensions | 9.7H x 6W x 4.9D in (per manufacturer, 104-BT) | 9H x 5.7W x 7.3D in |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs / 2.06 kg (master), 3.8 lbs / 1.73 kg (slave) | 14 lbs / 6.35 kg each |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 60W total Class D (30W per speaker) | 75W RMS continuous, 150W peak (per speaker) |
| App | No | No |
| EQ | Yes (fixed, amplifier-applied) | - |
| DSP | Yes | No |
| Inputs | - | RCA, XLR/TRS |
| Bluetooth | - | No |
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- Vanatoo Transparent Zero Plus vs Neumi BS5P
- Edifier R2000DB vs Neumi BS5P
- KRK Classic 5 vs Neumi BS5P
- Edifier S1000MKII vs JBL One Series 104
- Pioneer DJ VM-50 vs NHT Pro M-00
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL One Series 104: $129 Amazon
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) |
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- JBL One Series 104 vs Pioneer DJ VM-50
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NHT Pro M-00: $498 pair, discontinued (used market; originally $249 each)
Pros: Cast aluminum-zinc alloy enclosure doubles as a heatsink for the built-in discrete Class AB amplifier, and both RCA and XLR/TRS inputs are provided with a near-field/far-field voicing switch.
Cons: Amir identified a critical flaw: a sudden suck-out in the upper bass frequencies that affects many commonly-used notes. Treble peaks on-axis, and vertical-axis performance is particularly problematic. In-room response turns notably bright in rooms with absorptive surfaces. Comparing directly to the JBL 305P Mark II, Amir found the NHT sounded “dead and bright” while the JBL was “balanced” with “rich and warm detail,” concluding, “I would not remotely use the NHT M-00 relative to JBL 305P Mark ii. The difference in overall fidelity and pleasantness is immense.” Long discontinued; not recommended even on the used market.
Full NHT Pro M-00 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 9H x 5.7W x 7.3D in |
| Drivers | 1" ferrofluid-cooled fabric dome tweeter, 4.5" treated paper-cone woofer |
| Inputs | RCA, XLR/TRS |
| Output Power | 75W RMS continuous, 150W peak (per speaker) |
| Weight | 14 lbs / 6.35 kg each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons