In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3800 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-3800 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL HDI-3800 | 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 8" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-30k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-300 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.08kg / 83.8lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45" x 11-15/16" x 16-9/16"
1143.0 x 304.0 x 421.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL HDI-3800 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-3800 |
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-3800 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-3800B&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-3800 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
HDI-3800 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 8" 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-3800 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the HDI-3800 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-3800 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-3800 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. HDI-3800 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the JBL HDI-3800 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-3800 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the HDI-3800.
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-3800 and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HDI-3800 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-3800's and B&W 603's external dimensions. JBL HDI-3800 has external dimensions of 1143.0 x 304.0 x 421.0mm (45 x 11-15/16 x 16-9/16inch) 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-3800 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 114mm wider, 158mm taller and 81mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL HDI-3800 and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL HDI-3800 and B&W 603 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 HDI-3800 is approximately 1279.8cm2 / 198.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The HDI-3800 requires 98% 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-3800 weighs 38.08kg / 83.8lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the HDI-3800 58% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how HDI-3800 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-3800?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HDI-3800:
- 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 |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 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
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1279cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
JBL HDI-3800 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-300 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-30k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
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 |
1143.0mm (45") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
304.0mm (12") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
38.08kg (83.8lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
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-3800 digs deeper - 37Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL HDI-3800 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| 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-3800 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; JBL HDI-3800 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL HDI-3800: bi-amping; B&W 603: bi-amping. |
A JBL HDI-3800 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-3800 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-3800 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.