JBL EON One MK2 Portable Battery-powered PA System Reviews

I'm a Mobil DJ and MC in the NY/NJ area. I purchased one of these for the Ceremony Setup but soon started Using it at backyard Family gatherings and Small Events where Sound and Voice quality needed to be distributed across a medium crowd of 100 or less.
What I like best about this system is how it distributes all the tones evenly across the room and projects the sound to the back of the room at a great even volume without making the front crowd suffer the high volume. It just has perfect sound and Great Volume without fading out at 120-degree coverage.

I will be buying a second one to use for Small and Medium Events. The battery power is a plus and at total volume, I got 4 Hours of base-heavy music.

The last App update does make a huge difference.
With all the built-in effects, clarity, and consistent sound projection across the room, this is a great system.

If you are looking for a system to rumble your interior and blow your eardrums off this is not the system you are looking for.

If you are looking for a system that your guest will be able to speak and listen to Volume music without telling you to please Turn it down or raise the volume because we can hear in the back, this is the system for you.

Pros
Easy Setup
Battery Operated
Great Mixer built-in
Great Effects
Lightweight and compact, Easy to transport
Quality Sound and technology

Cons
No White option
Shows Clipping in the front with no option to turn off the LED
No Bluetooth or wireless pairing to 2nd speaker

I have been using the JBL EON one MK2 for over a year now in small clubs with capacities of about 100 people. The system is used for vocal reinforcement for a jazz quintet. The system is great to set up and has always performed excellently, once I got used to the quirks in the user interface that others have mentioned. However, since the latest app update, all is good. They have added "plus" and "minus" buttons on the tablet interface that makes adjusting levels and parameters easy and foolproof. There are also changes that allow for less jumping through menus. Just wanted to let anyone who is thinking of buying this unit because of its features, go ahead, and realize that most of the complaints about the user interface have been remedied!

Mobile DJ here. I use two of these for my wedding ceremony set up. Lows and Highs provide for a rich yet clean sound. Wedding officiants sound clean, clear and full through both lavaliere mics and handheld. Battery power has always been way more than enough for the length of a wedding ceremony. See video for demo. Thanks to Chris E. for always providing stellar support!

I have a Music Ministry that I started in 2014 that serves about 30 senior communities in East TN. I bought the JBL EON ONE MK 2 with the usual excellent guidance from Riley Koenemann, my sales engineer. The mixer is part of the JBL Connect app, so you don't need to buy a separate mixer. The mixer is intuitive and lets this PA Array deliver a well balanced, clear, quality sound with all the volume you need to any audience regardless of venue. You can save your settings before shutdown after a gig, which makes getting ready for the another very easy. I do no less than 4 gigs a week and sometimes 5. Yes, I have tried other brands of PA systems and this one just out classes everything else in this power class.
If you need more coverage in a large hall, the "Pass Through" channel lets you drive another JBL unit. The JBL Connect App lets you control both units without getting up. As a solo performer, I need to be able to make any adjustments WITHOUT getting up!
Thank you Sweetwater and Harman for great products and excellent service.
Kim Frasch, Quiet Music Ministry

State of the art technology with better sound and control than Bose..
Cliff Rodman

As soon as I received it, I couldn't resist testing this sound system. I've had the opportunity to work with Bose systems, which I don't appreciate much because, in my opinion, they have too much bass and tend to distort the sound if the source comes from a mixing table. For me, it was important to have a live sound close to studio quality, and this JBL EON MK2 system comes close to perfection.

Whether at low volume or high volume, the sound output is excellent, with a level of detail on vocals and instruments that does not distort the mix. The only downside is the weight, which is a bit negative as this system weighs around 20 kg.

So, if you appreciate the finesse of sound, this system is perfect for folk music or jazz, for example, but it might be a bit too dry for classical music. Having tested many systems of this kind, I believe this is certainly the one that delivers the best sound quality.

If you're a solo acoustic performer this gear is ideal. Sets up and breaks down in 15 minutes and sounds GREAT! Convenient and compact this JBL EON fits in my Mini Cooper! Great for small rooms and even enough for intimate acoustic outdoor performances. AAAAAnd it runs off battery power! So you can set up quickly and sound great ANYWHERE! Preset effects are great and simple to apply. As a solo acoustic performer this met EVERY need. As a bonus-the folks at Sweetwater made the purchase easy, delivered quickly and were ready to help if I needed it. I couldn't be happier with this purchase-it was perfection!

What a great new tool to add to the arsenal! Too many times for ceremonies have I been stuck running lead chords looking for the nearest piece of power to draw from. No longer an issue with the MK2. Pairing this with the Sennheiser XLR wireless transmitter and receiver plus an iPad has me totally cable free. Tare down is quick and effortless then it's on to the reception! Any solo/duo acoustic performer who is constantly playing and on the move would greatly benefit from such a set up as well. Faders on the app aren't quite as touch sensitive and fine tuned as could be desired but i'm just throwing a little shade in here so folks know I don't work for JBL, Sennheiser, Apple, or Sweetwater but boy I sure do love all their products and reliability.

I was a little reserved about the digital mixer. I like to be able to just grab a knob and turn it without going into a menu first to EQ or whatever. The flat EQ on this unit is great, and the effects are also. To adjust the EQ all you have to do is press and release the channel that needs adjustment and the knobs are right there clearly marked. It`s a breeze. The Sound is comparable to the Bose L1 that I have used for years. But I can carry this in one hand and play plugged in even where there is no electricity with it`s included battery power. It will do a four hour gig with battery power remaining. BUY IT!!

I really love my MK2. There were some issues getting it to link up but once I got there, it does exactly what I bought it for. We own a real estate business and my wife is active in our local and state associations. It's come in handy for this a few times and the ease of portability is awesome
Although the storage case is a bit expensive, I think that it's a very good investment. The cover has a few large pouches on it and it's perfect for storing cords and mics. Buy it. I also purchased a mic that is compatible with AC/DC and can run off of the USB port when using the battery alone. Buy that and the cord need too. My wife does some public speaking and I am a singer. It works well for our applications. Don't expect 1 unit to cover a very large area with extreme volume. That's not what it's designed for. Great for parties, busking, TV audio extension, outdoor movies with a battery projector, public speaking… huge list. The effects are nice for singers too. Reproduces a very nice sound. For the price, I think it's a super deal and am very happy with this purchase. Buy one if battery and ease of transportation is a requirement. If not, go for the PRX1. It pushes a bit more sound if needed. Enjoy!!

Great system but has its quirks. The XLR/1/4" dual channel works like this: below 0dB gain it uses the 1/4" jack, above 0 it uses the XLR. So I was scratching my head why I wasn't hearing anything when I turned the gain up from -inf on my microphone.
Also set the main gain all the way up or a little below max for some extra push during the gig. then set the inputs (being aware of the above). its a little different from a conventional mixer.

the phone ap is a must, but you have to be patient with the sliders, i think they are slow to detect your finger.

finally read the manual, so you can use the anti-feedback properly

Amazing sound, low is perfect, mids are perfect highs are perfect played 3 gigs already two battery powered the unit do the job the way is advertised. Thanks to Robert Williams from Sweetwater

Firstly, I would like to thank Benjamin for helping me out with this purchase. This PA speaker is very nice.

Very easy to carry, it does not feel as heavy on the handle and it's comfortable. You can lock the spacer, battery, and top speakers with the press of a locking button which is a cool touch to keep everything in place. The sound is very clear and has a nice EQ to bring out the sound that suits your liking. Easy to use, and instructions are very clear on how to configure. My acoustic guitar sounds very clean with warm tones and nice bass response, also the built-in effects are super convenient and can be adjusted per channel or in general (this I liked very much).

Waiting on the transporter case for further review on portability. Will see how it sounds with a keyboard as well.

So far I love it, and the battery is a huge plus for playability wherever and whenever.

This is brand new so I figured I would write a review (I just don't normally review things).

First off, The unit is smaller than the dimensions advertised on everyone's websites (which is a really good thing). If you take a look at the JBL user manual online it will have the correct dimensions in the specs sheet. The base unit is about 13 inches wide, 17 inches deep, and 24 inches high. The handle is very comfortable making it easy enough to even carry up a flight of stairs. It does weigh right about 42 pounds but the handle makes it "feel a little lighter/maneuverable" if that makes sense.

Next, this sounds great. It's got the lows you'd expect from a 10" bottom, and plenty of mids and highs with a wide dispersion as advertised. I bought this for two purposes, to use for solo or duo acoustic guitar gigs, and to act as my keyboard monitor or main, depending on if with the band or solo.

The mackie srm flex, yamaha stagepas, and turbosound equivalents (i1000? - which I think is a bit louder) all sound great and can be eq'd to get you what you need in this price range. The reason I chose the jbl was it's only 10 lbs heavier than the Mackie srm flex (the lightest of the bunch), the column elements store inside the unit like previous eon one units, (so you really can carry the whole thing in one hand) and the mixer. Huge bonus is battery power if you need it, and the ios app is fantastic. No issues yet for me.

I was concerned about the ease of use with the mixer being menu driven and having the same knobs serving different channels, however it's really easy to use and very intuitive after playing with it for about five minutes: you press the channel 1 knob, channel 1 one lights up, all the knobs function as labeled. Need to adjust the mids on channel 2? Press channel 2 knob, turn the knob labeled mid, and so on.

The app gives you the added bonus of being able to "see" all your settings at once, but it's not necessary to use the app in practice.

The effects sound great and are very adjustable and have many tweakable parameters. And importantly all three effects can be used at once on each channel and each effect with its own send level. (Effects are not available on channel 5.)

One gripe - I would love to be able to buy a JBL cover for this unit, without having to buy the whole wheeled "transporter and cover" package for $139 or so.
(To JBL: I get 42 pounds isn't for everyone but you market this as a one-hand carry unit, so why not provide an option to buy just a carry cover?)

All the comparable brands that I mentioned above are likely just as reliable and do sound great, but again I chose this because yeah I'm a little impartial to JBL (I had the eon 610s which I also loved and other products), it's a truly one-hand carry with the column segments fitting nicely into the cabinet, excellent sounding choruses, delays, and reverbs, (and all the DBX feedback suppression and ducking - neither of which I've used yet), 3-xlr/combo jacks, and the option to run on battery.

There are probably some features on here I may not use all the time, but I really don't think this unit will have me wanting for more anytime soon. (if you've read this far you've probably said that before too :-)

I just got this and I am very impressed so far. The way that it can be used with its internal battery (which can also power my other pedals) is really great.

Ok thought about one of these for sometime I have a few PA systems of course it takes a lot of time and a good back most of my stuff is solo acoustic and vocals and most places are smaller clubs I got this so I could busk on the streets in key west only after I got it I found out you could not do that you have to read the small print on the next too last page of the application . Anyway I'm not upset one bit this equipment is awesome the fact I don't have to lug all the other stuff the effects that are built in are great vocal and acoustic sound perfect no need for out board gear ,it is very simple to operate and dial in fast and the fact you don't need to even plug it in so I can set up near the ocean and practice the power and clearness is superb would recommend this all day long it's a no brainer if you are looking to get in get out this is the way to go l picked up a second battery and double charger and of course the jbl cover same as I have on all my jbl speakers just a perfect fit looks awesome and dose what it is supposed to do I will probably be getting the jbl prx one for larger gigs and together they will really sound great

I was able to test this out as a single unit and stereo-pair. Overall, it sounds great and provides the ability to easily relocate when needed. The added benefit of being battery powered and bottom-heavy allows for easy pick-up-and-go.

The tower assembly is easy and having the added option of height adjustment for the upper speaker array is a nice touch. The unit itself holds the tower assembly and makes it compact compared to other competitors.

The sound response is great and tunable not only via the built-in display, controlling the speakers through the app is also very nice. The app provides enhanced functionality to set speaker groups, change volume on multiple speakers at once, EQ control, firmware updates, and more.

Having so many inputs makes flexibility great and allows for multiple artists to utilize the same unit without the need for a mixer. The only thing I wasn't able to get working was pass-through, but I'm fairly certain it's user error.

Overall, early impressions of the unit is very positive and I'm sure it will continue to improve as time goes on.

Amazing clarity, volume and frequency response!

I was getting tired of moving gear from show to show so I made the leap to a column array system. I went to a local store and compared the Bose, EV and this JBL. The JBL has a really nice sound and covers low to high frequencies very well. Its an extra bonus that they are battery operated or plug in, blue truth controlled and blue tooth connected for music and they break down into a very easy to move package. We no longer hall floor wedges either!

I own a pair of the MKI's. I've had them since 2020 and absolutely love them! Recently one of the units died so I decided to buy an MKII to give it a try. There are some great new features that come with it being digital instead of analog. Unfortunately there are also some negatives associated with it being digital. Here are a few cons: The battery meter is a very tiny icon on the interface. In the previous gen there were fairly large battery indicator lights on the mixer that were easy to see day or night at a glance. Another thing that I dislike is the size. The the width of the MKII is much wider than the previous gen. Not a bad thing for some but I definitely need to pack my truck differently now. The last thing that bothers me is that the unit is digital now instead of analog. My need for this unit is simple. I'm a mobile DJ and use it for ceremonies and cocktail hours. The plug and play of the previous generation was exactly what I needed. I know that I will get used to this but I just really liked the previous gen better.

I was trying to decide between this and an EV evolve 30m. I demoed these side by side at GC. They were were close sonically. The EV maybe a little punchier and the JBL maybe a little smoother in the midrange. EV had a little better bass with it's wooden sub. What really sold me on the JBL was how the poles stored in the bass module instead of a seperate bag and the fact that the mixer had external knobs that can be adjusted without having to use the app. Evolve has no external volume knobs for each channel, you HAVE to use the app. The app on the JBL has some glitches but updates are coming out. I set up the effects, EQ etc. before the show with the app but any volume adjustments between channels and master volume I always use the physical knobs, it's just so much easier than trying to use the app. It's also able to run on battery, I rarely do, but it's a nice option. I would take those over the competing Bose L1 pro 8 anyway. More SPL, more channels, more effects options and sounds just as good, maybe better.

I have to say after spending time researching utube videos/forums on the JBL EON 1 MK2...finally success!..Lots to learn, but worth it!..G

I am a full time musician- I do many weddings and private events as well as local bars and hotels.
There are several reasons why this is a good fit for me, but quick and easy set up and break down is the main one.
It does this well. Brings a lot to the table in this respect. You can look at YouTube video reviews for details about this.
The drawbacks for me personally are as follows:
1. I feel like I need to add a second speaker to get solid midrange to a group of more than 50-60 people. I am picky, many may not feel this way. The system, especially plugged in, has volume. It just doesn't have quite the depth that I like for my vocals and the acoustic guitar. Personal preference I suppose.
2. The app you use for adjusting is lacking in a few respects. It does not give access to the Bluetooth channel at all as far as I have seen. The sliders are not responsive enough for fine tune adjustments. Also, the effects don't have quite the parameter adjustments that you need to really dial in the sound you want. Again, I have been making a living at this for over 30 years so I am picky, but just FYI.
I will be using this quite a bit for my Solo Acoustic performances. It is louder than other battery powered systems and the tower is nice and tall to reach the back of larger rooms.
I did notice that the "through" jack seems to reduce volume to the external speaker that you connect it to, and when it is connected and at higher volumes there is a hum, or buzz in the main system. Still testing to see why this is.
Ease of use is generally very good. It has done what I required, though not to the extent that I hoped it would.
IMHO it is worth the investment for solo musicians. Especially if it stands the rigors of performing 3-4 times a week.
Time will tell.
Michael- Wedding Music Charleston

So I have had these speakers for about a year now. in smaller settings and at half volume or higher they sound pretty good, but there is a drastic drop in volume what's you lower past the mid levels on channel and main. However, if you put it up to 3/4 then it's starts to clip and distort the volume. I checked compression on the channels, and there were none active. I use a yamaha mixer to feed left right to the set. We have played around with settings on mixer and on the speaker themselves. If you can find the right spot, they sound amazing. Don't turn them up to high though. I found my two tops are both now crackling after we let a headliner run sound with them and I am having difficulty just finding the replacement speaker tops. They are great for small shows, but for the price, I was hoping they could carry outdoor events better. Use only indoors or small outdoor settings of no more than 20 people.

I ordered two of these units at the advice of the sweet water rep. I had to return both because of an issue. They had recently just come out as one of the first that has a battery and we're truly wireless and therefore there was little to no online information about troubleshooting it. I didn't get far with JBL either.

Once I got the new ones in, they worked great. It took me about a day to figure out the programming. The connect app wasn't very good either. But once I got them working in conjunction with one another, they were great.

Awesome sound quality on all ends. The sound more than fills my wedding venue.

After about 7 months of sparing use however, one of the units no longer charges the battery or recognizes that it is plugged in. I am not sure what is going on with it.

I do intend to order another one as a backup. But I'd say that since they are still relatively new, be on the lookout for them to workout the manufacturing issues.

The PA sounds great in smaller venues. The issue I have with it is the user interface. It's not intuitive or user friendly at all. To make changes in EQ or effects requires you to navigate several menus and submenus, and the screen is tiny. Rapid, on-the-fly changes are nearly impossible, especially if you want to tweak the delay, chorus, etc. This can be a problem in a live situation. I solved the issue by purchasing a separate mixer with onboard effects and running the outputs from the mixer into the PA. I've essentially turned the PA into a powered speaker array. I no longer use the JBL's onboard effects. Life is simpler now and much less frustrating. I strongly recommend using a mixer in front of this PA if you want to have the ability to make changes in a timely manner.

The EON ONE MKII sounds great but the BT based Pro Connect App is quirky and drops the BT connection frequently. You then need to wait ten seconds or more for it to reconnect. Don't take my word for it, just see the EON ONE user community Facebook page and review the experiences of other users. A recent firmware update just exacerbated the issue.

The Unit itself is a capable battery powered unit, where it falls short is the Pro Connect App, it glitches out drops connections and I have had to uninstall and reinstall the app on my IPad multiple times for the control side BT to make it work, not cool! The BT music play connected fine. There are 2 BT connections one for control and one for playback. It is very confusing when you receive the box because there is nothing stating you need to update the firmware and that is not ok.You Must UPDATE the firmware but if the BT for the speaker control won't connect you cannot UPDATE!!!! It also doesn't come with a cover and for this price a cover should be included the lesser quality offerings in the battery column PA units included covers.

Be Aware the Sweetwater Staff are awesome and they are always helpful, a shout out to Josh Strid my sales rep and to the Tech service who did all they could on the first unit I bought that the BT didn't work on at all out of the Box.
JBL has always had quality equipment but to let an APP ruin that is not good.

Since I can't edit my previous review, I'm submitting another one. I've owned the Eon One MKII for 13 months. It no longer works on battery power, so it appears the battery has failed. Fortunately it still works on AC power, but battery operation is a feature that adds to the price of the unit, so it should work. I contacted JBL and they wanted me to ship the unit to a repair center over 100 miles away. That would mean going without a PA for weeks, or even months. They (JBL) agreed to ship me a new battery, which I'm sure I can install myself, but I'll have to disassemble the unit to get access to it. Their willingness to do that adds one star to my review. If the new battery doesn't fix it and the problem ends up being something more serious, I'll write another review to bring that to everyone's attention.

Speaker array=A+++/App control=Fail
Bought two of these. They sound great with awesome options and fantastic electronics. Problem is I also bought them for the app to control the arrays remotely and save settings. Just Google JBL pro app. Hordes of folks are not able to get it to work at all which has been my experience. I almost returned them but I work for a nonprofit and it's what I can afford. I'll just suffer through and hope that at some point they'll fix the app. It's all the more disappointing because the equipment itself is so good.

Save your money and get something else. I get it a little above our unaplified volume and the red light goes nuts on the front like were pushing it too hard when I can litterally raise my voice a little and speak louder than it's playing. I've talked to support and tried all settings on the limiter and get about 92db 3ft in front of the speaker before the red loght goes crazy. I'm going back to my MLS1000 from guitar center as much as I hate that store, but we're playing for small bars and can't get enough volume and I'm already out 3 shows because this thing keeps crapping out on me. Will be returning it.

On my second one … They are great if they work but have many problems… I do not recommend go ahead and buy a Bose…