In this review, we will be comparing K2 S9900 and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL K2 S9900 and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL K2 S9900 | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 4" Compression Driver | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-50k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 500 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 82.70kg / 181.9lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47-1/4" x 22-1/16" x 13-3/4"
1200.0 x 560.0 x 350.0mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL K2 S9900 and PSB Synchrony T600 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 K2 S9900 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| 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
Both K2 S9900 and Synchrony T600 are 3-way speakers.
JBL K2 S9900PSB Synchrony T600
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 K2 S9900 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
K2 S9900 features a 4" Magnesium Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 900Hz and 15000Hz. On the other hand, the Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
K2 S9900 has a frequency range of 48-50k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the K2 S9900'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
K2 S9900 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Synchrony T600 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 Synchrony T600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. K2 S9900 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Synchrony T600's is rated at 89 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the JBL K2 S9900 a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, 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.
K2 S9900 can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS, whereas Synchrony T600 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the K2 S9900.
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 K2 S9900 and Synchrony T600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows 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 K2 S9900's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. JBL K2 S9900 has external dimensions of 1200.0 x 560.0 x 350.0mm (47-1/4 x 22-1/16 x 13-3/4inch) whereas PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
JBL K2 S9900 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 332mm wider, 152mm taller and 7mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
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 K2 S9900 needs about 151% more floor or shelf area. JBL K2 S9900 is 152mm 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 K2 S9900 is approximately 1960.0cm2 / 303.8inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The K2 S9900 requires 151% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 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 K2 S9900 weighs 82.70kg / 181.9lbs and the PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the K2 S9900 137% heavier than the Synchrony T600.
Here is a comparison of how K2 S9900 and Synchrony T600'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 PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
500 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1200mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1960cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
44000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL K2 S9900 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
JBL |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 500 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-50k Hz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
900Hz and 15000Hz |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1200.0mm (47.2") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
560.0mm (22") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
350.0mm (13.8") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
82.70kg (181.9lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - JBL K2 S9900 costs roughly 5.5x what PSB Synchrony T600 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL K2 S9900 is more sensitive (93dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | JBL K2 S9900 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | JBL K2 S9900 takes more power (500W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; JBL K2 S9900 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL K2 S9900: bi-amping; PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $44,000, about 82% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL K2 S9900 B PSB Synchrony T600
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 K2 S9900 measures better, PSB Synchrony T600 costs about about 5.5x the price% 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. 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 K2 S9900 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.