In this review, we will be comparing A170 and SE 3000F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Paradigm.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Stage A170 and Paradigm SE 3000F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
JBL Stage A170 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer
- 44-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:14.37kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 977.0" x 10-1/2" x 13"( 977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm )
Paradigm SE 3000F Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5.5" Midrange
- 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer
- 5.5" Midrange
- 55-21k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-100watts
- Weight:15.91kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1007.0" x 8-15/16" x 10-15/16"( 1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm )
What size room are the JBL Stage A170 and Paradigm SE 3000F 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 A170 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL Stage A170 and Paradigm SE 3000F compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that A170 is a 2-way design whereas the SE 3000F is a 3-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.
| Driver |
JBL Stage A170 |
Paradigm SE 3000F |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
A170 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer . On the other hand, the SE 3000F features a 1" Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
A170 has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz whereas SE 3000F has a frequency range of 55-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the A170 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SE 3000F's min frequency of 55Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
A170 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the SE 3000F which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. A170 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the SE 3000F's is rated at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Paradigm SE 3000F a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Stage A170, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
A170 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas SE 3000F has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the A170.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
A170 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SE 3000F has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Paradigm SE 3000F's Post terminals
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 A170's and Paradigm SE 3000F's external dimensions. JBL Stage A170 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 267.0 x 331.0mm ( 38-7/16 x 10-1/2 x 13inch) whereas Paradigm SE 3000F has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm ( 39-5/8 x 8-15/16 x 10-15/16inch) .
Paradigm SE 3000F is 39mm narrower and 53mm less deeper than JBL Stage A170 but it is also 30mm 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 Stage A170 is approximately 883.8cm2 / 137.0inch2 and base area of the Paradigm SE 3000F is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The A170 requires 39% more surface area than the SE 3000F which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.