[JBL’s New Hot Item] IRX ONE All-in-One Column Speaker with Easy Control and Excellent Sound Quality

The IRX ONE is the newest addition to the world’s popular portable PA speakers by JBL! I tried out IRX ONE’s performance and compared it with other models!

The lineup of JBL column speakers includes the famous EON ONE and the EON ONE PRO. The EON ONE PRO itself has changed the PA industry with its built-in battery. Next, the EON ONE MK2 was released and became a huge hit thanks to the compatibility with the JBL Pro Connect wireless control app that includes features such as Soundcraft mixer, dbx processor, and Lexicon effects, in addition to being battery powered. The lineup has further evolved with the flagship model PRX ONE that has a large 12-inch subwoofer and a maximum output of 2000W.

Here are the main features of the new IRX ONE!

• Compact size
• Lightweight for easy carry
• Excellent sound quality
• Easy control
• Useful functions
• Reasonable price

From left to right are the IRX ONE, PA UNO, PRX ONE, and the EON ONE MK2.
They are about the same height, and it is obvious that the IRX ONE is the slimmest.

I took this picture from a bird’s eye view to show the varying depths of the interiors.
The IRX ONE has the shortest width and depth, which means it takes up minimal space.

The column spacers for height adjustment and the array cabinet fit into the back of the IRX ONE’s base unit. The handle is so easy to grip that the 15.6 kg weight feels so light that I don’t feel stressed at all when carrying it.

Look at how simple this is! The IRX ONE only has a few knobs and it doesn’t even have an LCD!
The only controls are GAIN, TREBLE, BASS, LEVEL, and MAIN.

Setting up is also super easy.

1. Set the GAIN levels: Adjust the Mic inputs to the 3 o’clock position and the line inputs to 9 o’clock
2. Set the LEVEL (channel volume controls) to 12 o’clock
3. Set the MAIN volume control to the desired volume
4. Use the TREBLE and BASS controls to adjust the tone of each channel
5. Fine-tune the LEVEL to adjust the balance among different channels

That’s all there is to it and now you can easily enjoy the JBL sound even if you are new to PA speakers! I believe that the fact that anyone can get high sound quality easily is one of the major selling points of this IRX ONE. High-end PA speakers are often too complex to control due to their multi-functionality and because they allow for a wide range of settings. Therefore, there are multiple factors that can confuse users, but the IRX ONE is so simple that even first-time users can quickly and easily create the sound they want.

In addition, the IRX ONE can be phantom powered for condenser microphone use, allows for Bluetooth audio streaming for wireless music playback and the MIX OUT output for system expansion and multiple speakers.
The IRX ONE has various features required of a portable PA speaker, making it a flawless product.

By the way, don’t you think feedback is a little scary?
That sudden squealing or whirring noise... I think many of you have experienced that moment when feedback ruins a live performance. There are several ways to eliminate feedback, but you may think that it is difficult to do so unless you are an expert PA engineer with a lot of experience and ability to make the right judgment. Don’t worry, all you have to do is press the AFS button and you are good to go! As long as this button is turned on, the IRX ONE detects feedback instantly when it starts to ring and the AFS algorithm reduces the gain at the feedback frequency. This then prevents the same frequency from causing feedback later on!

I think many of you may not know what Ducking is. To put it very simply, the Ducking system on the IRX ONE is a function that automatically reduces the volume of the background music when it detects speech through the microphone so that the voice can be heard while music is being played via Bluetooth. For example, the volume of the background music turns down while an instructor at a dance lesson is speaking. When everyone there is just dancing and nobody is speaking into the mic, the background music returns to its original volume. Just turn on this Ducking button and you don’t have to go turn down the volume on the speaker every time!

Presets on the IRX ONE is another beginner-friendly feature. Presets help you to create and deliver good sounds even if you know that you can’t emulate an expert PA engineer (I used this term again!) who creates sound just by making small adjustments with a graphic equalizer that has a number of vertical sliders. The Presets include the perfect equalization for different applications, so just turn the PRESET knob one by one to wherever you like and you’re good to go. For example, if your main application is talking, choose SPEECH, which has a clear low frequency. If you want to emphasize the bass sound, select DJ.

As for the sound quality, my honest impression is that “I knew JBL could do it!”
Since the IRX ONE is the most reasonably priced speaker among JBL’s column speakers, I thought the sound quality would be normal, but the result wasn’t what I expected in a good way. One of the characteristics often seen in so-called good speakers is that “the balance of the sound does not fail even at high volumes, and the high frequency isn’t painful to the ears,” and this is the exact impression that I got from the IRX ONE. The column speaker array is so small, but it produces clear, firm, and loud sound. The speaker works with or without the two height spacers, so the height of the IRX ONE can be adjusted to three different heights, depending on where the speaker is placed and the height of the audience’s ears: Use two spacers when placing the speaker on the ground, and use no spacers when the speaker is on the stage.

I made sound files to compare the sounds of the CLASSIC PRO PA UNO, the JBL IRX ONE, the JBL EON ONE MK2, and the JBL PRX ONE, so please listen to them carefully with headphones on. I recorded the sounds with the same output level from the mixer at the maximum volume where the sound was not in distortion on the speaker right before the LIMIT indicator turned on.

There are now three models of JBL column speakers, so here are advantages of each model for those who are considering purchasing one!

IRX ONE: Reasonable price, easy control
EON ONE MK2: Battery powered, wireless control
PRX ONE: High volume, excellent sound quality

How was it?
The column speaker is the most growing PA speaker category today thanks to its all-in-one function of the mixer, power amp, speaker, and subwoofer, which are essential for music events! The latest model from the eminent brand JBL, the IRX ONE, is easy to control and accessible for beginners. I recommend this column speaker for a wide range of applications, regardless of genre; speeches, lessons, lectures, presentations, live performances, parties, and DJing. Go check it out!