In this review, we will be comparing Studio 680 and Imagine X2T, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 680 and PSB Imagine X2T first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 680 | PSB Imagine X2T |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" PolyPlas | 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 30-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.68kg / 49.9lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Studio 680 and PSB Imagine X2T 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 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Studio 680 is a 2-way design whereas the Imagine X2T is a 3-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 680PSB Imagine X2T
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.2-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 Imagine X2T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Studio 680 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Imagine X2T which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 680 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Imagine X2T's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the PSB Imagine X2T 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Studio 680 is rated up to 200 watts and Imagine X2T 20-200 watts.
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 Imagine X2T 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
PSB Imagine X2T's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Studio 680 has a rear firing port whereas Imagine X2T has a front firing ports. PSB Imagine X2T's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to JBL Studio 680 with its rear-firing port.
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 PSB Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm (40-1/8 x 9 x 16-3/4inch).
JBL Studio 680 is 1mm narrower and 119mm less deeper than PSB Imagine X2T but it is also 16mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
PSB Imagine X2T needs about 39% more floor or shelf area. PSB Imagine X2T is 119mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL Studio 680 is 16mm taller.
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 PSB Imagine X2T is approximately 975.5cm2 / 151.2inch2. The Studio 680 requires 28% less surface area than the Imagine X2T 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 PSB Imagine X2T weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the Imagine X2T 4% heavier than the Studio 680.
Here is a comparison of how Studio 680 and Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T?
Here are the items that come with the Imagine X2T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
700cm2
vs
975cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1198USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1036mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
JBL Studio 680 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Brand |
JBL |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
30-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
PolyPlas |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
229.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
307.0mm (12.1") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
22.68kg (49.9lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Wood-grain |
| Available Colors |
Wood, Dark Wood |
Black |
| 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 |
A generation apart: JBL Studio 680 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | PSB Imagine X2T digs deeper - 30Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | PSB Imagine X2T is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Imagine X2T is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | JBL Studio 680 is easier to place; PSB Imagine X2T is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Studio 680: bi-amping; PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping. JBL Studio 680 sits in a wider range (15 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | JBL Studio 680 is cheaper - $1,198 against $1,500, about 20% less. |
A JBL Studio 680 B PSB Imagine X2T
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?
PSB Imagine X2T leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. JBL Studio 680 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL Studio 680 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate JBL Studio 680 the better fit for a very large room, and PSB Imagine X2T for a mid-size room.
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.