In this review, we will be comparing 4305P and A500, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from JBL and Buchardt. Being Powered speakers, 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 JBL 4305P and Buchardt A500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
JBL 4305P Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 300-watt RMS Integrated Amplifier
- 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter
- 5.25" Pulp Woofer
- 45-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.1 Bluetooth
- App Control Feature
- Weight:6.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 336.0" x 8.3125" x 11.3125"( 336mm x 210mm x 223.3mm )
Buchardt A500 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 450-watt RMS( 1320-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.74" aluminum waveguide Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 6" paper Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 25-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192kHZ Max Sample Rate
- No Bluetooth
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 365.0" x 7" x 11"( 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL 4305P and Buchardt A500 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 4305P is a 2-way design whereas the A500 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
JBL 4305P |
Buchardt A500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.74-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
4305P features a 1" Teonex Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1750 Hz. On the other hand, the A500 features a 0.74" fine weave soft fabric textile aluminum waveguide Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 1 x 6" paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 150Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
4305P has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas A500 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the A500 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 4305P's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare JBL 4305P's and Buchardt A500's external dimensions. JBL 4305P has external dimensions of 336mm x 210mm x 223.3mm ( 13.3125inch x 8.3125inch x 11.3125inch ) whereas Buchardt A500 has external dimensions of 365.0 x 180.0 x 280.0mm ( 14.4 x 7 x 11inch) .
JBL 4305P is 29mm shorter and 57mm less deeper than Buchardt A500 but it is also 30mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL 4305P and Buchardt A500 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL 4305P and Buchardt A500 Size and External Dimensions
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 JBL 4305P is approximately 468.0cm2 / 72.5inch2 and base area of the Buchardt A500 is approximately 504.0cm2 / 78.1inch2. The 4305P requires 7% less surface area than the A500 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of JBL 4305P and Buchardt A500 on a Media Console