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DJ Tech Reviews

JBL 305P MkII

A bi-amped 5-inch monitor with a wide sweet spot and full bass for its size, but an audible hiss at idle.

JBL 305P MkII monitor, front three-quarter view

Photos: JBL Professional

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88%

of 8 reviews recommend it4.7/5 from 695 Thomann owners

See reviews
Best for
A first pair of monitors for small rooms, home producers and DJs.
Skip it if
You work quietly in a silent room, or need sub-bass without a subwoofer.

The Internet’s Opinion

From 8 professional reviews and 96 owner reviews: plenty of evidence.

Seven of eight professional reviews recommend it, and owners at Thomann and Guitar Center give the same reasons: clear, detailed sound, fuller bass than a 5-inch woofer suggests and a price few rivals match. The recurring reservations are a hiss you can hear at idle, a flattering rather than neutral balance, and a low end that runs out before sub-bass.

7 recommend1 mixed0 avoid

What people praise

  • Hard to beat for the price
  • Clear, detailed sound that reveals more of a recording
  • Fuller bass than a 5-inch woofer suggests
Show 5 more
  • Rear Boundary EQ and HF Trim switches help it fit the room
  • Wide stereo image and a broad sweet spot
  • Plays loud and clean enough to fill a small room
  • Auto standby saves power and silences the idle hiss
  • Still working after two to five years of use

What to know first

  • Audible hiss from the tweeter at idle and low volume
  • Flattering rather than neutral, with forward upper mids and treble
  • Bass rolls off below about 45 Hz; sub-bass needs a subwoofer
Show 6 more
  • A few owners found the sound dull or disappointing
  • Rear port needs space from the wall
  • Limits or briefly cuts out when pushed to full volume
  • Individual units arrived with buzz, coil whine or a rubbing cone
  • Bigger on a desk than buyers expect
  • Auto standby can misfire or need a loud signal to wake

Owner ratings, as the retailers publish them

  • Thomann4.7/5from 695 ratings · read Oct 15, 2026
  • Guitar Center4.7/5from 60 ratings · read Oct 15, 2026
See the 8 reviews behind this

8 professional reviews (7 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 avoid); 96 owner reviews read at Thomann (66) and Guitar Center (30)Compiled 2026-10-11How this is compiled

Prices

Before you buy

Released
January 2018
Status
Current

Works with

  • Audio interfaces and mixersXLR or 1/4" TRS

    Balanced XLR and 1/4" TRS inputs with a +4 dBu / -10 dBV input-sensitivity switch, for computer audio interfaces, mixing consoles and production gear Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • Consumer sources (phones, laptops, hi-fi)Adapter cable needed

    The manual says the inputs also accept unbalanced consumer sources, but the only sockets are XLR and 1/4" TRS; there is no RCA or 3.5 mm input Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • JBL LSR310S subwooferOptional sub

    JBL calls the 10-inch LSR310S the match for the 3 Series MkII: the source feeds the subwoofer and its XLR outputs feed the monitors, which are then set to -10 dBV Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • Desk or near-wall placementBoundary EQ switch

    Boundary EQ (LF shelf at 50 Hz: 0, -1.5 or -3 dB) offsets the bass build-up on a desktop or near a wall; HF Trim sets -2, 0 or +2 dB Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • Any mains voltage100–240 V

    100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal power supply, so it works at home and abroad; each speaker takes its own IEC power cord Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

You’ll also need

  • A second speakerSold singly

    Each carton holds one monitor, a power cord, a quick setup guide and four rubber pads; a stereo pair means buying two Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • Balanced audio cablesNot in the box

    No signal cables are included; JBL says to connect balanced outputs with balanced XLR or TRS cables Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • An audio interface or mixerLine-level source

    The inputs are line level, made for computer audio interfaces, mixing consoles and other production equipment Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

  • Speaker standsRecommended

    JBL recommends stands rather than the work surface to reduce resonance and keep the low end intact; rubber pads are supplied for desk use Manufacturer spec sheet (JBL Professional), checked 2026-10-11

Key specs

Configuration
Powered 5" two-way studio monitor, bi-amplified
Woofer size
5 in
LF driver
126 mm (5")
Amplifier power (total)
82 W
Amplifier power
82 W (LF: 41 W, HF: 41 W; Class D)
Max SPL
108 dB peak (94 dB continuous)
All 15 specifications
Low-frequency extension
43 Hz
Frequency response
49 Hz – 20 kHz (±3 dB); 43 Hz – 24 kHz (-10 dB)
Inputs
1 x XLR (balanced), 1 x 1/4" TRS (balanced)
Weight
4.73 kg (10.43 lb)
HF driver
25 mm (1") soft dome
Crossover
1725 Hz, 4th-order acoustic Linkwitz-Riley
Input sensitivity
92 dB / 1 m (-10 dBV input)
Dimensions (H x W x D)
298 x 185 x 231 mm (11.75 x 7.3 x 9.9 in)
Tweeter size
1 in

15 of 15 figures sourced; hover one for its source

Our take

Tony AllenWritten from the sources on this page, not from a loan unit.

Seven of eight professional reviews recommend it, and the 96 owner reviews read agree on why: clear, detailed sound, fuller bass than a 5-inch woofer suggests and a wide sweet spot. The common complaint, raised by 24 reviewers and owners, is a hiss you can hear when nothing plays, and several call the balance flattering rather than flat. Buy it as a first pair for a small room; add a subwoofer for sub-bass.

What it is

Status, October 2026: current. JBL Professional still lists the 305P MkII.

What it is

The 305P MkII is a powered two-way studio monitor with a 5-inch woofer from JBL Professional, part of HARMAN (JBL Professional product page). JBL unveiled the 3 Series MkII ahead of the NAMM Show in January 2018 as the new edition of the original 3 Series, and the 305P MkII went on sale in the US that month (JBL announcement). It sits beside the 306P MkII with a 6.5-inch woofer and the 308P MkII with an 8-inch woofer.

The woofer is a long-throw 5-inch driver and the tweeter a 1-inch woven-composite dome. The tweeter sits in JBL's Image Control Waveguide, first developed for its M2 Master Reference Monitor, and the bass port is JBL's Slip Stream design. Two Class D amplifiers give 41 W to each driver, 82 W in all. JBL lists the frequency response as 49 Hz to 20 kHz at ±3 dB and the peak output as 108 dB.

Around the back are one balanced XLR and one balanced 1/4" TRS input, with a switch for +4 dBu or -10 dBV sources. There is no RCA or 3.5 mm input, so a phone or laptop needs an adapter cable. Boundary EQ cuts the low end by 1.5 or 3 dB for a desk or a spot near a wall, and HF Trim sets the treble at -2, 0 or +2 dB. JBL names the 10-inch LSR310S as the matching subwoofer.

Each speaker measures 298 x 185 x 231 mm, weighs 4.73 kg and is sold singly. The carton holds one monitor, a power cord, a quick setup guide and four rubber pads; signal cables are not included.

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