In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by JBL. JBL 4369 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the 4309 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL 4369 and JBL 4309 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL 4369 | JBL 4309 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 3" Compression Driver | 1" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 6.5" Pure Pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-25k Hz | 42-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 350 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 63.50kg / 139.7lbs | 10.98kg / 24.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 24-13/16" x 18-1/2"
1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm | 16-1/2" x 10-1/4" x 8-15/16"
419.0 x 260.0 x 227.0mm |
|---|
4369 and 4309 are members of JBL's Studio Monitor series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the JBL 4369 and JBL 4309 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
JBL 4369 |
JBL 4309 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both 4369 and 4309 are 2-way speakers.
JBL 4369JBL 4309
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL 4369 |
JBL 4309 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
4369 features a 3" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz. On the other hand, the 4309 features a 1" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1.6 kHz.
Frequency Response
4369 has a frequency range of 28-25k Hz whereas 4309 has a frequency range of 42-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the 4369 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 4309's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
4369 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 4309 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the 4309 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 4369 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the 4309's is rated at 87 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the JBL 4369 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL 4309, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
4369 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas 4309 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the 4369.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 4369 and 4309 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 JBL 4369's and JBL 4309's external dimensions. JBL 4369 has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm (44-1/8 x 24-13/16 x 18-1/2inch) whereas JBL 4309 has external dimensions of 419.0 x 260.0 x 227.0mm (16-1/2 x 10-1/4 x 8-15/16inch).
JBL 4369 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 370mm wider, 701mm taller and 243mm deeper than JBL 4309.
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 4369 needs about 402% more floor or shelf area. JBL 4369 is 243mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL 4369 is 701mm 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 JBL 4369 is approximately 2961.0cm2 / 459.0inch2 and base area of the JBL 4309 is approximately 590.2cm2 / 91.5inch2. The 4369 requires 402% more surface area than the 4309 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.