In this review, we will be comparing S4700 and 4369, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL S4700 and JBL 4369 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL S4700 | JBL 4369 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 3" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 15" Pure Pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 28-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | up to 350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 54.50kg / 119.9lbs | 63.50kg / 139.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/16" x 19-11/16" x 14-5/8"
1068.0 x 500.0 x 371.0mm | 44-1/8" x 24-13/16" x 18-1/2"
1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm |
|---|
S4700 and 4369 are members of JBL's Studio Monitor series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the JBL S4700 and JBL 4369 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 S4700 |
JBL 4369 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 S4700 is a 3-way design whereas the 4369 is a 2-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 S4700JBL 4369
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 S4700 |
JBL 4369 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
3-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 15-inch
|
S4700 features a " Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 80Hz and 12000Hz. On the other hand, the 4369 features a 3" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz.
Frequency Response
S4700 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas 4369 has a frequency range of 28-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the 4369 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the S4700'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
S4700 and 4369 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. S4700 sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the 4369's is at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL S4700 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL 4369, 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 S4700 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 S4700 and 4369 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 S4700's and JBL 4369's external dimensions. JBL S4700 has external dimensions of 1068.0 x 500.0 x 371.0mm (42-1/16 x 19-11/16 x 14-5/8inch) whereas 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).
JBL 4369 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 130mm wider, 52mm taller and 99mm deeper than JBL S4700.
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 60% more floor or shelf area. JBL 4369 is 99mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL 4369 is 52mm 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 S4700 is approximately 1855.0cm2 / 287.5inch2 and base area of the JBL 4369 is approximately 2961.0cm2 / 459.0inch2. The S4700 requires 37% less surface area than the 4369 which gives it a small advantage 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 S4700 weighs 54.50kg / 119.9lbs and the JBL 4369 weighs 63.50kg / 139.7lbs. This makes the 4369 17% heavier than the S4700.
Here is a comparison of how S4700 and 4369's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
93 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1068mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1855cm2
vs
2961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
15000USD
vs
23200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
JBL S4700 |
JBL 4369 |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
up to 350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
93 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
28-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
15" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
Pure Pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
3" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Compression Driver |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
80Hz and 12000Hz |
800 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1068.0mm (42") |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
| Width |
500.0mm (19.7") |
630.0mm (24.8") |
| Depth |
371.0mm (14.6") |
470.0mm (18.5") |
| Weight |
54.50kg (119.9lbs) |
63.50kg (139.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in JBL's Studio Monitor series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | JBL 4369 digs deeper - 28Hz against 38Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (94dB vs 93dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 350W). |
| Size | depends | JBL S4700 is easier to place; JBL 4369 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL S4700: bi-amping; JBL 4369: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | JBL S4700 is cheaper - $15,000 against $23,200, about 35% less. |
A JBL S4700 B JBL 4369
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 4369 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 55% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - JBL S4700 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the JBL 4369 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL S4700 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate JBL 4369 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.