In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3600 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL HDI-3600 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL HDI-3600 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-30k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 28.09kg / 61.8lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-7/16" x 10-3/16" x 13-9/16"
1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL HDI-3600 and B&W 603 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 HDI-3600 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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 HDI-3600 is a 2-way design whereas the BW 603 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 HDI-3600B&W 603
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 HDI-3600 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the HDI-3600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
HDI-3600 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 HDI-3600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. HDI-3600 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL HDI-3600 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, 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.
HDI-3600 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the HDI-3600.
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 HDI-3600 and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HDI-3600 and BW 603 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 HDI-3600's and B&W 603's external dimensions. JBL HDI-3600 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm (40-7/16 x 10-3/16 x 13-9/16inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
JBL HDI-3600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 69mm wider, 43mm taller and 5mm deeper than B&W 603.
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 HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The HDI-3600 requires 38% more surface area than the BW 603 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 HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the HDI-3600 16% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how HDI-3600 and BW 603'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 JBL HDI-3600?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HDI-3600:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1028mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
893cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
JBL HDI-3600 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-30k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
259.0mm (10.2") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
345.0mm (13.6") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
28.09kg (61.8lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Grey |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | JBL HDI-3600 digs deeper - 38Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | B&W 603 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | JBL HDI-3600 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; JBL HDI-3600 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL HDI-3600: bi-amping; B&W 603: bi-amping. |
A JBL HDI-3600 B B&W 603
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?
JBL HDI-3600 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate JBL HDI-3600 the better fit for a very large room, and B&W 603 for a mid-size room.
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.