In this review, we will be comparing Studio 2 8IW and Studio 2 55IW, two Passive In-wall speakers by JBL Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 2 8IW and JBL Studio 2 55IW first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
JBL Studio 2 8IW Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 8" PolyPlas Woofer
- 30-20kHz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 304.0" x 8.9375" x 3.6875"( 304.0 x 228.0 x 94.0mm )
JBL Studio 2 55IW Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer
- 40-20kHz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 120watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 359.0" x 6.4375" x 3.3750"( 359.0 x 164.0 x 86.0mm )
Studio 2 8IW and Studio 2 55IW are members of JBL's Studio series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
JBL Studio Series History
What size room are the JBL Studio 2 8IW and JBL Studio 2 55IW 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 8IW |
JBL Studio 2 55IW |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Poor |
(* 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 Studio 2 8IW and JBL Studio 2 55IW 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
Both Studio 2 8IW and Studio 2 55IW are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
JBL Studio 2 8IW |
JBL Studio 2 55IW |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Studio 2 8IW features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" PolyPlas Woofer . On the other hand, the Studio 2 55IW features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer .
Frequency Response
Studio 2 8IW has a frequency range of 30-20kHz whereas Studio 2 55IW has a frequency range of 40-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Studio 2 8IW can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Studio 2 55IW's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall 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
Studio 2 8IW and Studio 2 55IW have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
Sensitivity
In-wall 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.
Studio 2 8IW can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Studio 2 8IW has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 20 watts less than the Studio 2 55IW.
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
Studio 2 8IW features Spring posts type posts and Studio 2 55IW has a Spring posts type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Studio 2 8IW's and JBL Studio 2 55IW's external dimensions. JBL Studio 2 8IW has external dimensions of 304.0 x 228.0 x 94.0mm ( 11.9375-inch x 8.9375-inch x 3.6875-inch) whereas 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) .
JBL Studio 2 55IW is 64mm narrower and 8mm less deeper than JBL Studio 2 8IW but it is also 55mm taller.
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 2 8IW?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 2 8IW:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCloth scrimCut-Out TemplateInstruction Manual
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 2 55IW?
Here are the items that come with the Studio 2 55IW:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCloth scrimCut-Out TemplateInstruction Manual
Woofer Size 
Height 
Max Input Power 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*