In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3800 and HDI-3600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL HDI-3800 and JBL HDI-3600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL HDI-3800 | JBL HDI-3600 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" Aluminum | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-30k Hz | 38-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-300 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.08kg / 83.8lbs | 28.09kg / 61.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45" x 11-15/16" x 16-9/16"
1143.0 x 304.0 x 421.0mm | 40-7/16" x 10-3/16" x 13-9/16"
1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
HDI-3800 and HDI-3600 are members of JBL's HDI series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the JBL HDI-3800 and JBL HDI-3600 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 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
Both HDI-3800 and HDI-3600 are 2-way speakers.
JBL HDI-3800JBL HDI-3600
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 HDI-3800 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
HDI-3800 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
HDI-3800 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz whereas HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the HDI-3800 can go slightly deeper then the HDI-3600's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 and HDI-3600 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HDI-3800 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the HDI-3600's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL HDI-3800 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL HDI-3600, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the HDI-3800 and the HDI-3800 can provide this impedance level.
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 HDI-3600 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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 HDI-3600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HDI-3800 and HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600'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 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).
JBL HDI-3800 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45mm wider, 115mm taller and 76mm deeper than JBL HDI-3600.
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 JBL HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2. The HDI-3800 requires 43% more surface area than the HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs. This makes the HDI-3800 36% heavier than the HDI-3600.
Here is a comparison of how HDI-3800 and HDI-3600'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 JBL HDI-3600?
Here are the items that come with the HDI-3600:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1028mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
893cm2
vs
1279cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
4180USD
vs
5500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL HDI-3800 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-300 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-30k Hz |
38-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1143.0mm (45") |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
304.0mm (12") |
259.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
38.08kg (83.8lbs) |
28.09kg (61.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Grey |
| 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 |
Siblings in JBL's HDI series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (37Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL HDI-3800 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | JBL HDI-3600 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; JBL HDI-3600: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | JBL HDI-3600 is cheaper - $4,180 against $5,500, about 24% less. |
A JBL HDI-3800 B JBL HDI-3600
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?
The usual trade-off: JBL HDI-3800 measures better, JBL HDI-3600 costs about about 32% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. In a large or open-plan room, JBL HDI-3800 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, JBL HDI-3600 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, JBL HDI-3800 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.