Short answer: the Presonus Eris E5 XT. It ranks #19 of 64 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $119.99; the JBL One Series 104 ranks #62 and costs $129, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Presonus Eris E5 XT offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows very smooth, consistent directivity through the crossover region and into the treble, with early reflections tracking the on-axis curve closely. Watch for: On-axis response is uneven, with peaks at both frequency extremes and a dip around the roughly 3kHz crossover, giving a bass-and-treble-heavy tonal balance with the midrange partially recessed. Because directivity is otherwise good, room reflections closely mirror that same imbalance rather than smoothing it out. At 96dB SPL distortion spans a wide range of frequencies, and while dropping to 86dB helps, the woofer or its amplifier remains the weak link.
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.”
Buy the Presonus Eris E5 XT. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL One Series 104 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the JBL One Series 104. It ranks near the bottom of the 64 powered bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Presonus Eris E5 XT | JBL One Series 104 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $119.99 | $129 |
| Ranked | #19 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #62 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 45Hz with the amplifier’s DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 65Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 35Hz with the amplifier’s DSP bass boost active (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 10.2"H x 7"W x 7.7"D (259.1 x 177.8 x 195.6 mm) | 9.7H x 6W x 4.9D in (per manufacturer, 104-BT) |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | TRS, XLR, RCA | - |
| Weight | 10.1 lbs / 4.6 kg each | 4.5 lbs / 2.06 kg (master), 3.8 lbs / 1.73 kg (slave) |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer | 4.5" coaxial low-frequency driver, 0.75" soft dome tweeter |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | - |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | Yes (fixed, amplifier-applied) |
| Output Power | 80w Per Speaker | 60W total Class D (30W per speaker) |
| DSP | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Edifier R1280DB vs Donner Dyna 3
- Pioneer DJ VM-50 vs Donner Dyna 3
- Neumi BS5P vs Donner Dyna 3
- Edifier MR4 vs Presonus Eris E5 XT
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs Edifier R1280T
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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Presonus Eris E5 XT: $119.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows very smooth, consistent directivity through the crossover region and into the treble, with early reflections tracking the on-axis curve closely.
Cons: On-axis response is uneven, with peaks at both frequency extremes and a dip around the roughly 3kHz crossover, giving a bass-and-treble-heavy tonal balance with the midrange partially recessed. Because directivity is otherwise good, room reflections closely mirror that same imbalance rather than smoothing it out. At 96dB SPL distortion spans a wide range of frequencies, and while dropping to 86dB helps, the woofer or its amplifier remains the weak link.
Full Presonus Eris E5 XT review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 65Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Dimensions | 10.2"H x 7"W x 7.7"D (259.1 x 177.8 x 195.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | TRS, XLR, RCA |
| Output Power | 80w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 10.1 lbs / 4.6 kg each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- DSAUDIO.review: New PreSonus E5 XT and Yamaha HS5 could not sound any more different! SOUND AND RESPONSE COMPARISON More from DSAUDIOreview →
- DSAUDIO.review: Bright and brighter. PreSonus E5 XT takes on Adam Audio T5V SOUND & FREQUENCY RESPONSE COMPARISON
- DSAUDIO.review: PreSonus Eris E5 XT vs PreSonus Eris E5 (new vs old) Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: PreSonus E7 XT vs PreSonus E5 XT Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: PreSonus Eris E8 XT vs PreSonus Eris E5 XT Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: PreSonus E5 XT vs KRK Rokit 5 G4 Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- Audio Science Review Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Presonus Eris E5 XT Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MKII
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs KRK Rokit 5 G4
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs Airpulse A100
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs KEF LS50 Wireless II
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs JBL 705P
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs Kali Audio IN-5
- Presonus Eris E5 XT vs Vanatoo Transparent Zero Plus
- See all 46 comparisons
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
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL One Series 104 vs NHT Pro M-00
- JBL One Series 104 vs Audioengine HD4
- JBL One Series 104 vs Kali Audio IN-UNF
- JBL One Series 104 vs Edifier R1700BT
- JBL One Series 104 vs Edifier S1000MKII
- JBL One Series 104 vs Edifier S1000W
- JBL One Series 104 vs Dynaudio LYD 5
- JBL One Series 104 vs Pioneer DJ VM-50
- See all 41 comparisons