In this review, we will be comparing 4369 and F328Be, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL 4369 and Revel PerformaBe F328Be first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL 4369 | Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 3" Compression Driver | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 3 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-25k Hz | 26-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 350 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 63.50kg / 139.7lbs | 51.18kg / 112.6lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 50-15/16" x 13-1/2" x 17-5/8"
1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL 4369 and Revel PerformaBe F328Be 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 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 4369 is a 2-way design whereas the F328Be 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.
JBL 4369Revel PerformaBe F328Be
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
3 x 8.0-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 F328Be features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
4369 has a frequency range of 28-25k Hz whereas F328Be has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the F328Be can go slightly deeper then the 4369's min frequency of 28Hz.
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 F328Be which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 4369 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the F328Be's is rated at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL 4369 a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel PerformaBe F328Be, 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 F328Be has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 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 F328Be 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 Revel PerformaBe F328Be'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 Revel PerformaBe F328Be has external dimensions of 1294.0 x 343.0 x 448.0mm (50-15/16 x 13-1/2 x 17-5/8inch).
Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 287mm narrower and 22mm less deeper than JBL 4369 but it is also 174mm taller.
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 93% more floor or shelf area. JBL 4369 is 22mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel PerformaBe F328Be is 174mm 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 Revel PerformaBe F328Be is approximately 1536.6cm2 / 238.2inch2. The 4369 requires 93% more surface area than the F328Be which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The JBL 4369 weighs 63.50kg / 139.7lbs and the Revel PerformaBe F328Be weighs 51.18kg / 112.6lbs. This makes the 4369 24% heavier than the F328Be.
Here is a comparison of how 4369 and F328Be's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Revel PerformaBe F328Be?
Here are the items that come with the F328Be:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
8.0 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1120mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1536cm2
vs
2961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
17600USD
vs
23200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL 4369 |
Revel PerformaBe F328Be |
| Brand |
JBL |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 350 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-25k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
3" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1294.0mm (50.9") |
| Width |
630.0mm (24.8") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Depth |
470.0mm (18.5") |
448.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
63.50kg (139.7lbs) |
51.18kg (112.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: JBL 4369 is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 26Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL 4369 is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is easier to place; JBL 4369 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL 4369: bi-amping; Revel PerformaBe F328Be: bi-amping. JBL 4369 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Revel PerformaBe F328Be is cheaper - $17,600 against $23,200, about 24% less. |
A JBL 4369 B Revel PerformaBe F328Be
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 speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate JBL 4369 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, JBL 4369 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel PerformaBe F328Be is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.