In this review, we will be comparing Studio 680 and Studio 690, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 680 and JBL Studio 690 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 680 | JBL Studio 690 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide | 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" PolyPlas | 2 x 8" PolyPlas |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 36-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.68kg / 49.9lbs | 29.45kg / 64.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/4" x 8-15/16" x 12-1/16"
1036.0 x 228.0 x 307.0mm | 43-1/8" x 11-3/4" x 15-1/16"
1096.0 x 299.0 x 383.0mm |
|---|
Studio 680 and Studio 690 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 680 and JBL Studio 690 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 680 |
JBL Studio 690 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
Both Studio 680 and Studio 690 are 2-way speakers.
JBL Studio 680JBL Studio 690
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 680 |
JBL Studio 690 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Studio 680 features a 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the Studio 690 features a 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" PolyPlas Woofer.
Frequency Response
Studio 680 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas Studio 690 has a frequency range of 36-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Studio 690 can go slightly deeper then the Studio 680's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Studio 680 and Studio 690 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Studio 680 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Studio 690's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 690 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Studio 680, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Studio 690 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Studio 680 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Studio 690.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Studio 680 and Studio 690 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
JBL Studio 680's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
JBL Studio 690's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Studio 680 and Studio 690 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 680's and JBL Studio 690's external dimensions. JBL Studio 680 has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 228.0 x 307.0mm (40-3/4-inch x 8-15/16-inch x 12-1/16-inch) whereas JBL Studio 690 has external dimensions of 1096.0 x 299.0 x 383.0mm (43-1/8-inch x 11-3/4-inch x 15-1/16-inch).
JBL Studio 690 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 71mm wider, 60mm taller and 76mm deeper than JBL Studio 680.
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 Studio 680 is approximately 700.0cm2 / 108.5inch2 and base area of the JBL Studio 690 is approximately 1145.2cm2 / 177.5inch2. The Studio 680 requires 39% less surface area than the Studio 690 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The JBL Studio 680 weighs 22.68kg / 49.9lbs and the JBL Studio 690 weighs 29.45kg / 64.8lbs. This makes the Studio 690 30% heavier than the Studio 680.
Here is a comparison of how Studio 680 and Studio 690's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 680?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 680:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Washers
- 4 Locking-collars
- 4 Foot pads
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 690?
Here are the items that come with the Studio 690:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Washers
- 4 Locking-collars
- 4 Foot-pads
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Height |
1036mm
vs
1096mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
700cm2
vs
1145cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1198USD
vs
1498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
JBL Studio 680 |
JBL Studio 690 |
| Brand |
JBL |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
36-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
PolyPlas |
PolyPlas |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
| Depth |
307.0mm (12.1") |
383.0mm (15.1") |
| Weight |
22.68kg (49.9lbs) |
29.45kg (64.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Wood, Dark Wood |
Wood, Dark Wood |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in JBL's Studio series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (38Hz vs 36Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | JBL Studio 690 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | JBL Studio 690 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | JBL Studio 680 is easier to place; JBL Studio 690 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Studio 680: bi-amping; JBL Studio 690: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | JBL Studio 680 is cheaper - $1,198 against $1,498, about 20% less. |
A JBL Studio 680 B JBL Studio 690
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 690 measures better, JBL Studio 680 costs about about 25% 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. In a large or open-plan room, JBL Studio 690 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, JBL Studio 680 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, JBL Studio 690 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.