Our Guide To The JBL EON ONE Portable PA Family

It’s no secret that musicians are suffering withdrawal symptoms from being gig-less for much of 2020. 

With summer around the corner and the easing of lockdown beginning, artists may feel like they have unfinished business with 2020 and have some serious catching up to do in regards to gigs and live performances as soon as it's possible. With outdoors and open spaces being a safer place for all, a powerful, portable, and battery-powered PA system might be just the thing you need to take your show on the road and make the most out of your rediscovered freedom!

JBL offers a whole family of portable PA options covering all budgets, crowd capacities, and channel counts designed for modern applications. Starting from small, ‘carry-it-under-one-arm’ solutions such as the EON ONE Compact, to the powerful and portable EON ONE Pro - each speaker in the range has a unique feature set fit for any solo artist/performer, ensemble, and venue, not to mention applications for outdoor fitness, schools and more.

In this blog, we’re going to run through each of the offerings from the EON ONE range and give you examples as to which product might be better suited to you.

EON ONE Compact

The EON ONE Compact, as the name suggests, is the smallest speaker of the bunch - but don’t let that fool you. The Compact is packed-full of tech and features enough power to easily broadcast your voice to a good-sized crowd.
 
Featuring a single 8” driver for low-frequencies, 1” tweeter for high-frequencies, and enough power to emit 112dB max output level, the Compact packs a punch that belies its 8kg weight.
 
Connectivity-wise, the EON ONE Compact has enough inputs for two microphones, a hi-z or line instrument, and a stereo playback source. There’s also Bluetooth - enabling you to stream backing tracks, background music, or announcements wirelessly using your phone or tablet.
 
Whilst we’re on the topic of phones and tablets, the EON ONE Compact features a completely remote-controlled digital mixer. That means that you can adjust all of the channel levels, EQs, and reverb using bluetooth and a free app on your Android or iOS device. You can also store/recall your favourite mixer settings as you move from venue to venue.

For more information on how you can completely control EON ONE Compact’s digital mixer wirelessly using your tablet or phone, check our YouTube tutorial video. 

Having the ability to control these parameters remotely means that making adjustments while playing is easier than ever. Rather than stop the show, reach down to the back of the speaker and turn a control, simply use your phone/tablet to make the adjustment. With many artists using phones and tablets for lyrics and sheet music, the mixer page can be open and ready to adjust in a single button press.

The key attribute that makes the EON ONE Compact so portable is its built-in battery. With up to 12-hours of battery life and a quick tool-less battery swap feature, EON ONE Compact can be positioned effortlessly and perform in any environment. It can also recharge in 2.5 hours or be used whilst connected to mains power.

The EON ONE Compact is well suited to singer-songwriters and buskers playing to small audiences/gatherings, but it is also just as at home when used for more recreational activities such as outdoor gyms, yoga, and education where portability and power-to-weight is crucial. When you’re done, it easily fits on a car seat, tube, or bus for the journey home.

As it utilises a traditional wedge enclosure that lives on the floor in front of the performer, it’s total range can be limited in larger audiences and so you may want to consider mounting it on a tripod when your audience grows, or if you need even more coverage, check out the next member in the EON ONE family - the JBL EON One!

EON ONE

The EON ONE is a very different beast to the EON ONE Compact. Whereas the Compact might look more like a traditional speaker with its 8” low-frequency driver and 1” high-frequency tweeter components, the ONE is based on a slightly different speaker concept, a line array system.
 
In comparison to a traditional speaker which projects sound outwards in quite an erratic fashion, a line array uses multiple speakers to generate an even and controllable sound output focussed directly on the audience. A line array system ensures that the sound pressure level is more consistent throughout the audience, rather than a traditional speaker that often requires you to deafen the front row in order for the back row to hear!
 
Line Array systems are what you will find hanging at the side of large festival stages and JBL’s flagship VTX line array systems in particular can be seen at world-renowned venues and festivals around the world.
 
The EON ONE uses 6 carefully positioned 2” high-frequency drivers on top of two height spacers that deliver consistent sound to the front and back rows of the audience. To provide all of the low-end, the EON ONE has a dedicated 10” subwoofer.
 
When you consider that the EON ONE has 380 watts of power and provides 118dB SPL in total across a larger area, the EON ONE can cover a sizable outdoor space and large audiences with ease.

Connectivity-wise, the EON ONE has enough inputs for two microphones/instruments, 2 stereo sources, and Bluetooth streaming. Unlike the Compact, the EON ONE’s mixer is a simple, analogue affair with hands-on controls of EQ, reverb, and channel levels.

With 3 different setup height options and the ability to pack all of its component pieces back into the subwoofer assembly for easier transportation, the EON ONE is a serious loudspeaker in a boot-sized box.

The EON ONE is most suited to singer-songwriters or other solo performers playing medium sized audiences. As the EON ONE is not battery powered and weighs in at 19kg, it is limited as to where it can be positioned and used, but with 380w of power, it’s the best product in the EON range to give you maximum power over a maximum space and is the entry level, JBL Line Array product.

EON ONE Pro

Whilst EON ONE sets a standard for introducing Line Array tech in a car-boot-sized package, the EON ONE Pro takes all of that advanced speaker technology and makes it completely portable by adding battery power.

First and foremost, compared to the EON ONE, the EON ONE Pro has considerably less bulk with both a reduced enclosure size as well as slimmer and lighter spacer columns. JBL opted to reduce the size of the subwoofer from 10” to 8” however it still retains all of the low-end weight and volume of the ONE with 118dB SPL peak when combined with its 6 x 2” high-frequency driver array.

But the biggest and most noticeable difference between the ONE and ONE Pro is the addition of its extended-life, lithium-ion battery. Providing up to 6 hours of playtime when you are busking or playing in places where wall-sockets aren’t an option. The ONE Pro allows you to gig anytime, anywhere whilst achieving all the benefits of the ONE’s line array technology including wide and consistent coverage across the audience. The Battery added to the ONE Pro is not a light addition, but with the other weight savings, the ONE Pro is still 2kg lighter (and quite a lot thinner) than the ONE after all of the additional features.

Connectivity-wise, the EON ONE Pro features 4 mic inputs with switchable phantom power and Hi-Z options, 2 separate stereo inputs, as well as Bluetooth streaming enabling you to stream backing tracks, background music, or announcements wirelessly using your phone or tablet. There are also Bass, Treble, and Reverb controls per channel, as well as a few extra output options such as a monitor output and an XLR Pass thru connector to allow multiple EON ONE Pro’s to be used. 

The EON ONE Pro is most suited to small ensembles or duos thanks to it’s increased I/O count and can easily be at home in medium to large-sized audiences/gatherings thanks to its advanced line-array technology and even, consistent coverage across a wide area. Being Battery powered, the EON ONE Pro is perfect for events where you are required to follow the audience and play wherever the client requires. Being able to up-sticks and move around the venue with no cords attached is a huge advantage; perfect for making the most of the weather for example!

Overall, the EON range has a model that suits anybody from small independent artists busking on the streets to established duos and ensembles looking for something portable and professional to suit a wide range of environments.