In this review, we will be comparing Sub 600P and A120P, two Powered Subwoofer speakers from Focal and JBL. Being Powered subwoofers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Focal Sub 600P and JBL Stage A120P first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.Focal Sub 600Pand JBL Stage A120P have the same driver set up: Both subwoofers have 1 x 12" drivers.
Frequency Response
Sub 600P has a frequency range of 28-270 Hz whereas A120P has a frequency range of 32-150 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Sub 600P can go slightly deeper then the A120P's min frequency of 32Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
Cabinet Type
The Focal Sub 600P has a Acoustic Suspension type cabinet. Acoustic Suspension aka Sealed type subwoofers have enclosures that are sealed hence no ports or holes exists on the cabinet. Sealed designs helps to provide more accurate and tight bass responses compared to ported designs. On the other hand the JBL Stage A120P have Bass reflex type enclosure.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Sub 600P's and JBL Stage A120P's external dimensions. Focal Sub 600P has external dimensions of 400.0 x 400.0 x 425.0mm (15-3/4 x 15-3/4 x 16-3/4inch) whereas JBL Stage A120P has external dimensions of 415.0 x 393.0 x 475.0mm (16-5/16 x 15-7/16 x 18-11/16inch).
Focal Sub 600P is 15mm shorter and 50mm less deeper than JBL Stage A120P but it is also 7mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
JBL Stage A120P needs about 10% more floor or shelf area. JBL Stage A120P is 50mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL Stage A120P is 15mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Sub 600P is approximately 1700.0cm2 / 263.5inch2 and base area of the JBL Stage A120P is approximately 1866.8cm2 / 289.4inch2. The Sub 600P requires 9% less surface area than the A120P which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a subwoofer may become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often to find the optimal positioning, also known as 'Subwoofer Crawling'. The Focal Sub 600P weighs 21.00kg / 46.2lbs and the JBL Stage A120P weighs 18.68kg / 41.1lbs. This makes the Sub 600P 12% heavier than the A120P.
Here is a comparison of how Sub 600P and A120P's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Subwoofer class.
Weight
All Subwoofer Speakers
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
270 Hz
vs
150 Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
400mm
vs
415mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1700cm2
vs
1866cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
300USD
vs
1449USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
Size, drawn to scale
Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.
JBL Stage A120P needs about 10% more floor area. JBL Stage A120P stands 50mm further into the room. JBL Stage A120P is 15mm taller.
| General |
Focal Sub 600P |
JBL Stage A120P |
| Brand |
Focal |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Subwoofer |
Powered Subwoofer |
| Frequency Response |
28-270 Hz |
32-150 Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
300-watt RMS |
250-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
600-watt RMS |
500-watt RMS |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
Polycellulose |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
400.0mm (15.7") |
415.0mm (16.3") |
| Width |
400.0mm (15.7") |
393.0mm (15.5") |
| Depth |
425.0mm (16.7") |
475.0mm (18.7") |
| Weight |
21.00kg (46.2lbs) |
18.68kg (41.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Bass reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
1 Year |
| Labor Warranty |
|
1 Year |
A sealed subwoofer against a ported one. That is the most consequential line on this page: it decides how the bass rolls off, how it behaves in a small room, and how much output you get for the size of the box.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | A | Focal Sub 600P goes deeper - 28Hz against 32Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 32Hz. |
| Amplifier power | evenly matched | Much the same amplifier (300W vs 250W RMS) - under 1dB apart. |
| Driver area | evenly matched | Near-identical radiating area (12" against 12"). |
| Enclosure | depends | Focal Sub 600P is sealed - a sealed box rolls off gently and is usually the easier one to integrate in a small or awkward room; JBL Stage A120P is ported - a ported box gives more output low down for its size, at the cost of a steeper roll-off below tuning. Neither is better in the abstract; ported tends to suit films and sealed tends to suit music, and both generalisations have exceptions. |
| Price | B | JBL Stage A120P costs less - $300 against $1,449, about 79% less. |
A Focal Sub 600P B JBL Stage A120P
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Focal Sub 600P is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 4.8x the price. JBL Stage A120P is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Films or music? If this is mainly a home cinema, JBL Stage A120P will hit harder for the money; if it is mainly for music in a normal-sized room, Focal Sub 600P is usually the easier one to make sound right. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $300 each, two JBL Stage A120P cost about $600 against $1,449 for one of the other, which is worth a thought.
One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.