JBL Stage 250B vs JBL Stage 240H Comparison

Speaker to replace

Change

JBL Stage 250B

Passive Bookshelf | 55-25k Hz

Check price atAmazon›

Change

JBL Stage 240H

Passive Surround | 100-25k Hz

Check price atAmazon›

JBL Stage 250B

Check price atAmazon›

JBL Stage 240H

Check price atAmazon›

JBL Stage 250B

See at AMAZON

JBL Stage 240H

See at AMAZON

JBL Stage 250B vs JBL Stage 240H Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by JBL. JBL Stage 250B is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Stage 240H is a Surround speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of JBL Stage 250B and JBL Stage 240H first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	JBL Stage 250B	JBL Stage 240H
Brand	JBL United States · founded 1946	JBL United States · founded 1946
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Hard-dome
Woofer	5.25" Polycellulose	4.5" Polycellulose
Frequency response	55-25k Hz	100-25k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	85 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	20-150 watts	25-75 watts
Weight	5.64kg / 12.4lbs	3.45kg / 7.6lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12-5/8" x 7-15/16" x 9-1/2" 321.0 x 202.0 x 242.0mm	10-11/16" x 7-1/8" x 7-3/16" 272.0 x 181.0 x 183.0mm

Stage 250B and Stage 240H are members of JBL's Stage 2 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

JBL Stage 2 Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
JBL Stage 280F	Floor-standing	39-25k Hz	91 dB	6Ω	2 x 8"
JBL Stage 260F	Floor-standing	45-25k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 6.5"
JBL Stage 250B	Bookshelf	55-25k Hz	86 dB	6Ω	1 x 5.25"
JBL Stage 240B	Bookshelf	65-25k Hz	85 dB	6Ω	1 x 4.5"
JBL Stage 245C	Center Channel	82-25k Hz	91 dB	6Ω	4 x 4.5"
JBL Stage 240H	Surround	100-25k Hz	85 dB	6Ω	1 x 4.5"

What size room are the JBL Stage 250B and JBL Stage 240H 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 Stage 250B	JBL Stage 240H
Near-field	Poor	Average
Small Room	Average	Good
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Average	Poor
Very Large Room	Poor	Bad

(* 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 Stage 250B and Stage 240H are 2-way speakers.

JBL Stage 250B

JBL Stage 240H

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 Stage 250B	JBL Stage 240H
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5.25-inch	1 x 4.5-inch

Stage 250B features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer. On the other hand, the Stage 240H features a 1" Hard-dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Polycellulose Woofer.

Frequency Response

Stage 250B has a frequency range of 55-25k Hz whereas Stage 240H has a frequency range of 100-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the Stage 250B can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Stage 240H's min frequency of 100Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Stage 250B

Stage 240H

Min

Average

Median

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

Stage 250B and Stage 240H have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Stage 250B sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Stage 240H's is at 85 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL Stage 250B a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Stage 240H, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Stage 250B

Stage 240H

Min

Average

Median

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.

Stage 250B can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Stage 240H has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Stage 250B.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

JBL Stage 250B

JBL Stage 240H

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Stage 250B features 5-Way post type posts and Stage 240H has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Stage 250B's and JBL Stage 240H's external dimensions. JBL Stage 250B has external dimensions of 321.0 x 202.0 x 242.0mm (12-5/8inch x 7-15/16inch x 9-1/2inch) whereas JBL Stage 240H has external dimensions of 272.0 x 181.0 x 183.0mm (10-11/16 x 7-1/8 x 7-3/16 inch).

JBL Stage 250B is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 21mm wider, 49mm taller and 59mm deeper than JBL Stage 240H.

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 Stage 250B is approximately 488.8cm² / 75.8inch² and base area of the JBL Stage 240H is approximately 331.2cm² / 51.3inch². The Stage 250B requires 48% more surface area than the Stage 240H which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of JBL Stage 250B?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Stage 250B:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers 2 Grilles 8 Self-adhesive rubber pads Quick Start Guide Important Safety Instructions

What's in the Box of JBL Stage 240H?

Here are the items that come with the Stage 240H:

2 Dolby Atmos height speakers
2 Grilles
2 Anti-slip pads
Quick Start Guide
Important Safety Instructions

Reasons to choose JBL Stage 250B over JBL Stage 240H

Max Input Power	150 watts vs 75 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	86 dB vs 85 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	5.25 inches vs 4.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	55 Hz vs 100 Hz	Generates deeper bass

Reasons to choose JBL Stage 240H over JBL Stage 250B

Height	272mm vs 321mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	331cm² vs 488cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	299USD vs 399USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

JBL Stage 250B vs JBL Stage 240H Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	JBL Stage 250B	JBL Stage 240H
Brand	JBL	JBL
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Surround speaker
Power Range	20-150 watts	25-75 watts
Sensitivity	86 dB	85 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response	55-25k Hz	100-25k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	5.25"	4.5"
Woofer Composition	Polycellulose	Polycellulose
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Hard-dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
Physical Specs
Height	321.0mm (12.6")	272.0mm (10.7")
Width	202.0mm (8")	181.0mm (7.1")
Depth	242.0mm (9.5")	183.0mm (7.2")
Weight	5.64kg (12.4lbs)	3.45kg (7.6lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Wood-grain vinyl	MDF/Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Espresso,Latte	Espresso,Latte
Mounting Bracket
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in JBL's Stage 2 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	JBL Stage 250B digs deeper - 55Hz against 100Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (86dB vs 85dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	A	JBL Stage 250B takes more power (150W vs 75W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	JBL Stage 240H is easier to place; JBL Stage 250B is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Surround - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it.
Price	B	JBL Stage 240H is cheaper - $299 against $399, about 25% less.

A JBL Stage 250B B JBL Stage 240H
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 Stage 250B measures better, JBL Stage 240H costs about about 33% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 100Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL Stage 240H much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate JBL Stage 250B the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and JBL Stage 240H for near-field listening and a small 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.