In this review, we will be comparing Studio 6 Architectural 8IW and Studio 6 Theater, two Passive In-wall speakers by JBL Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW and JBL Studio 6 Theater first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter
- 8" Polyplas Woofer
- 43-20kHz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:10-80watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 318.0" x 8.7500" x 3.6875"( 318.0 x 223.0 x 94.0mm )
JBL Studio 6 Theater Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter
- 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer
- 65-20kHz Frequency Response
- 96 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:10-150watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 643.0" x 6.2500" x 3.7500"( 643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm )
Studio 6 Architectural 8IW and Studio 6 Theater 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 6 Architectural 8IW and JBL Studio 6 Theater 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 Architectural 8IW |
JBL Studio 6 Theater |
| 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 6 Architectural 8IW and JBL Studio 6 Theater 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Studio 6 Architectural 8IW and Studio 6 Theater are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW |
JBL Studio 6 Theater |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
Studio 6 Architectural 8IW features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polyplas Woofer . On the other hand, the Studio 6 Theater features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer .
Frequency Response
Studio 6 Architectural 8IW has a frequency range of 43-20kHz whereas Studio 6 Theater has a frequency range of 65-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the Studio 6 Architectural 8IW can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Studio 6 Theater's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
Studio 6 Architectural 8IW
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW
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 6 Architectural 8IW and Studio 6 Theater have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Studio 6 Architectural 8IW sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Studio 6 Theater's is at 96 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 6 Theater a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Studio 6 Architectural 8IW
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 6 Architectural 8IW can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Studio 6 Architectural 8IW has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS , 70 watts less than the Studio 6 Theater.
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 6 Architectural 8IW features Spring posts type posts and Studio 6 Theater 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 6 Architectural 8IW's and JBL Studio 6 Theater's external dimensions. JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW has external dimensions of 318.0 x 223.0 x 94.0mm ( 12.5000-inch x 8.7500-inch x 3.6875-inch) whereas JBL Studio 6 Theater has external dimensions of 643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm ( 25.3125-inch x 6.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch) .
JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW is 325mm shorter and 2mm less deeper than JBL Studio 6 Theater but it is also 64mm wider.
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 6 Architectural 8IW:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCut-Out TemplateQuick Start Guide
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 Theater?
Here are the items that come with the Studio 6 Theater:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCut-Out TemplateQuick Start Guide
Woofer Size 
Height 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Base Surface Area