In this review, we will be comparing Stage 260F and A180, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Stage 260F and JBL Stage A180 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Stage 260F | JBL Stage A180 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose | 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25k Hz | 40-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-225 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.55kg / 43lbs | 17.29kg / 38lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-13/16" x 12-1/4" x 14-5/16"
1037.0 x 312.0 x 364.0mm | 41-1/8" x 12" x 14-1/2"
1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Stage 260F and JBL Stage A180 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 260F |
JBL Stage A180 |
| 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Stage 260F is a 3-way design whereas the A180 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 Stage 260FJBL Stage A180
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 260F |
JBL Stage A180 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Stage 260F features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose Woofer. On the other hand, the A180 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polycellulose Woofer.
Frequency Response
Stage 260F has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas A180 has a frequency range of 40-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the A180 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Stage 260F's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Stage 260F and A180 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
Stage 260F and A180 have the same power range of 20-225 watts.
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
A180 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Stage 260F has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
New
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 260F's and JBL Stage A180's external dimensions. JBL Stage 260F has external dimensions of 1037.0 x 312.0 x 364.0mm (40-13/16inch x 12-1/4inch x 14-5/16inch) whereas JBL Stage A180 has external dimensions of 1045.0 x 305.0 x 369.0mm (41-1/8 x 12 x 14-1/2inch).
JBL Stage 260F is 8mm shorter and 5mm less deeper than JBL Stage A180 but it is also 7mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Stage 260F and JBL Stage A180 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL Stage 260F and JBL Stage A180 Size and External Dimensions
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 260F is approximately 1135.7cm2 / 176.0inch2 and base area of the JBL Stage A180 is approximately 1125.5cm2 / 174.5inch2. The Stage 260F requires 1% more surface area than the A180 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 Stage 260F weighs 19.55kg / 43lbs and the JBL Stage A180 weighs 17.29kg / 38lbs. This makes the Stage 260F 13% heavier than the A180.
Here is a comparison of how Stage 260F and A180'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 Stage 260F?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Stage 260F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker Grille Plinth 4 Spikes 4 Screws Hex-key Quick Start Guide Important Safety Instructions
What's in the Box of JBL Stage A180?
Here are the items that come with the A180:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outriggers
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spikes
- 8 Screws
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1037mm
vs
1045mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1125cm2
vs
1135cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
800USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL Stage 260F |
JBL Stage A180 |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-225 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-25k Hz |
40-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polycellulose |
Polycellulose |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1037.0mm (40.8") |
1045.0mm (41.1") |
| Width |
312.0mm (12.3") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Depth |
364.0mm (14.3") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
19.55kg (43lbs) |
17.29kg (38lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Espresso,Latte |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: JBL Stage 260F is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
JBL Stage A180 digs deeper - 40Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (225W vs 225W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
JBL Stage 260F: Atmos drivers; JBL Stage A180: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
JBL Stage A180 is cheaper - $800 against $999, about 20% less. |
A JBL Stage 260F
B JBL Stage A180
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 Stage A180 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.
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.