In this review, we will be comparing S4700 and K2 S9900, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL S4700 and JBL K2 S9900 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL S4700 | JBL K2 S9900 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 4" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 15" Pure Pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 48-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | up to 500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 54.50kg / 119.9lbs | 82.70kg / 181.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 47-1/4" x 22-1/16" x 13-3/4"
1200.0 x 560.0 x 350.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL S4700 and JBL K2 S9900 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 K2 S9900 |
| 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
Both S4700 and K2 S9900 are 3-way speakers.
JBL S4700JBL K2 S9900
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 K2 S9900 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
4-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 K2 S9900 features a 4" Magnesium Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 900Hz and 15000Hz.
Frequency Response
S4700 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas K2 S9900 has a frequency range of 48-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the S4700 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
S4700 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the K2 S9900 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. S4700 sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the K2 S9900's is rated at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL S4700 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL K2 S9900, 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 S4700 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 S4700 and K2 S9900 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 K2 S9900'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 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).
JBL S4700 is 60mm narrower and 132mm shorter than JBL K2 S9900 but it is also 21mm deeper.
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.
Near-identical footprints. JBL S4700 is 21mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL K2 S9900 is 132mm 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 K2 S9900 is approximately 1960.0cm2 / 303.8inch2. The S4700 requires 5% less surface area than the K2 S9900 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 K2 S9900 weighs 82.70kg / 181.9lbs. This makes the K2 S9900 52% heavier than the S4700.
Here is a comparison of how S4700 and K2 S9900's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
93 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1068mm
vs
1200mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1855cm2
vs
1960cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
15000USD
vs
44000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
500 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
40k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
JBL S4700 |
JBL K2 S9900 |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
up to 500 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
93 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
48-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
15" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
Pure Pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
4" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Compression Driver |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
80Hz and 12000Hz |
900Hz and 15000Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1068.0mm (42") |
1200.0mm (47.2") |
| Width |
500.0mm (19.7") |
560.0mm (22") |
| Depth |
371.0mm (14.6") |
350.0mm (13.8") |
| Weight |
54.50kg (119.9lbs) |
82.70kg (181.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
These sit in different price classes - JBL K2 S9900 costs roughly 2.9x what JBL S4700 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 | A | JBL S4700 digs deeper - 38Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (94dB vs 93dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | JBL K2 S9900 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | JBL K2 S9900 takes more power (500W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL S4700: bi-amping; JBL K2 S9900: bi-amping. JBL S4700 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | JBL S4700 is cheaper - $15,000 against $44,000, about 66% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL S4700 B JBL K2 S9900
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 K2 S9900 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 2.9x the price. 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 K2 S9900 appeals to you. 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.