In this review, we will be comparing Studio 2 55IW and SC800D, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and OSD.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 2 55IW and OSD Black Series SC800D first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 2 55IW | OSD Black Series SC800D |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | OSD
United States · founded 2003 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 1-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" PolyPlas | 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-20kHz | 40-500Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | — |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 10.43kg / 22.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.1250" x 6.4375" x 3.3750"
359.0 x 164.0 x 86.0mm | 20.2500" x 14.5000" x 4.0625"
515.0 x 369.0 x 104.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Studio 2 55IW and OSD Black Series SC800D 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 Studio 2 55IW |
OSD Black Series SC800D |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Studio 2 55IW is a 2-way design whereas the SC800D is a 1-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 Studio 2 55IWOSD Black Series SC800D
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 Studio 2 55IW |
OSD Black Series SC800D |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
1-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Studio 2 55IW features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the SC800D features a " Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Studio 2 55IW has a frequency range of 40-20kHz whereas SC800D has a frequency range of 40-500Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall 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.
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.
SC800D can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Studio 2 55IW has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 180 watts less than the SC800D.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Studio 2 55IW features Binding post type posts and SC800D has a Binding 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 Studio 2 55IW's and OSD Black Series SC800D's external dimensions. JBL Studio 2 55IW has external dimensions of 359.0 x 164.0 x 86.0mm (14.1250-inch x 6.4375-inch x 3.3750-inch) whereas OSD Black Series SC800D has external dimensions of 515.0 x 369.0 x 104.0mm (20.2500-inch x 14.5000-inch x 4.0625-inch).
OSD Black Series SC800D is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 205mm wider, 156mm taller and 18mm deeper than JBL Studio 2 55IW.
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 2 55IW?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 2 55IW:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Cloth scrim
- Cut-Out Template
- Instruction Manual
What's in the Box of OSD Black Series SC800D?
Here are the items that come with the SC800D:
- In-wall passive subwoofer
- Grille
- 10 Screws
- 2 Self-adhesive rubber pads
- Cutout Template
- Install Guide