JBL Studio 6 88LCR vs Focal 300 IW 6 Comparison

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JBL Studio 6 88LCR

Passive In-wall | 43-20kHz

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Focal 300 IW 6

Passive In-wall | 55-28kHz

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JBL Studio 6 88LCR

Check price atAmazon›

Focal 300 IW 6

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JBL Studio 6 88LCR

See at AMAZON

Focal 300 IW 6

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JBL Studio 6 88LCR vs Focal 300 IW 6 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Studio 6 88LCR and 300 IW 6, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and Focal.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of JBL Studio 6 88LCR and Focal 300 IW 6 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	JBL Studio 6 88LCR	Focal 300 IW 6
Brand	JBL United States · founded 1946	Focal France · founded 1979
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Horn-Loaded	1" Inverted Hard-Dome
Woofer	2 x 8" PolyPlas	6.5" Flax
Frequency response	43-20kHz	55-28kHz
Sensitivity	96 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-175 watts	25-130 watts
Weight	—	2.22kg / 4.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	20.4375" x 8.7500" x 3.7500" 520.0 x 223.0 x 96.0mm	11.5000" x 7.5000" x 3.7500" 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm

What size room are the JBL Studio 6 88LCR and Focal 300 IW 6 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 6 88LCR	Focal 300 IW 6
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Average
Very Large Room	Poor	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.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both Studio 6 88LCR and 300 IW 6 are 2-way speakers.

JBL Studio 6 88LCR

Focal 300 IW 6

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 6 88LCR	Focal 300 IW 6
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 8-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

Studio 6 88LCR features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 2 x 8" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the 300 IW 6 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer.

Frequency Response

Studio 6 88LCR has a frequency range of 43-20kHz whereas 300 IW 6 has a frequency range of 55-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the Studio 6 88LCR can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 300 IW 6's min frequency of 55Hz.

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

Studio 6 88LCR

300 IW 6

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

Studio 6 88LCR is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 300 IW 6 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 6 88LCR sensitivity is rated at 96 dB and the 300 IW 6's is rated at 90 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 6 88LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 300 IW 6, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Studio 6 88LCR

300 IW 6

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.

Studio 6 88LCR can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas 300 IW 6 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the Studio 6 88LCR.

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 Studio 6 88LCR

Focal 300 IW 6

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Studio 6 88LCR features Spring post type posts and 300 IW 6 has a Spring 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 6 88LCR's and Focal 300 IW 6's external dimensions. JBL Studio 6 88LCR has external dimensions of 520.0 x 223.0 x 96.0mm (20.4375-inch x 8.7500-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas Focal 300 IW 6 has external dimensions of 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm (11.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 3.7500-inch).

Focal 300 IW 6 is 32mm narrower and 227mm shorter than JBL Studio 6 88LCR but they have the same thickness of 96.0mm.

What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 88LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 6 88LCR:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Cut-Out Template
Quick Start Guide

What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW 6?

Here are the items that come with the 300 IW 6:

One in-wall speaker
Grill (white)
12.5

Reasons to choose JBL Studio 6 88LCR over Focal 300 IW 6

Max Input Power	175 watts vs 130 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	96 dB vs 90 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	8 inches vs 6.5 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	43 Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass

Reasons to choose Focal 300 IW 6 over JBL Studio 6 88LCR

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
High Frequency Response	28k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	293mm vs 520mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	183cm² vs 214cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	799USD vs 1600USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

JBL Studio 6 88LCR vs Focal 300 IW 6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	JBL Studio 6 88LCR	Focal 300 IW 6
Brand	JBL	Focal
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-175 watts	25-130 watts
Sensitivity	96 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	43-20kHz	55-28kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	8"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	PolyPlas	Flax
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Horn-Loaded	Inverted Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	520.0mm (20.5")	293.0mm (11.5")
Width	223.0mm (8.8")	191.0mm (7.5")
Depth	96.0mm (3.8")	96.0mm (3.8")
Weight	n/a	2.22kg (4.9lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - JBL Studio 6 88LCR costs roughly 2x what Focal 300 IW 6 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	JBL Studio 6 88LCR digs deeper - 43Hz against 55Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	JBL Studio 6 88LCR is more sensitive (96dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Focal 300 IW 6 is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	A	JBL Studio 6 88LCR takes more power (175W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Focal 300 IW 6 is easier to place; JBL Studio 6 88LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. JBL Studio 6 88LCR sits in a wider range (15 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Focal 300 IW 6 is cheaper - $799 against $1,600, about 50% less; arguably a different class.

A JBL Studio 6 88LCR B Focal 300 IW 6
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 Studio 6 88LCR measures better, Focal 300 IW 6 costs about about 100% 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 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal 300 IW 6 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Studio 6 88LCR has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Focal 300 IW 6 is the easier speaker to get right.

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.