In this review, we will be comparing Studio 690 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 690 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 690 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" PolyPlas | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-40k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.45kg / 64.8lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-1/8" x 11-3/4" x 15-1/16"
1096.0 x 299.0 x 383.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Studio 690 and Polk R700 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 690 |
Polk R700 |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Studio 690 is a 2-way design whereas the R700 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 690Polk R700
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 690 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Studio 690 features a 1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Studio 690 has a frequency range of 36-40k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Studio 690 can go slightly deeper then the R700'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 690 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 690 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 690 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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.
R700 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Studio 690 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the R700.
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 690 and R700 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
JBL Studio 690's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Studio 690 has a rear firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to JBL Studio 690 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 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 690's and Polk R700's external dimensions. 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) whereas Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 21.7mm wider, 47.8mm taller and 45.3mm deeper than JBL Studio 690.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Studio 690 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of JBL Studio 690 and Polk R700 Size and External Dimensions
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 690 is approximately 1145.2cm2 / 177.5inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Studio 690 requires 17% less surface area than the R700 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 690 weighs 29.45kg / 64.8lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 22% heavier than the Studio 690.
Here is a comparison of how Studio 690 and R700'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 690?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
38k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1096mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1145cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1498USD
vs
2198USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| General |
JBL Studio 690 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
JBL |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-40k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
PolyPlas |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1096.0mm (43.1") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
299.0mm (11.8") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
383.0mm (15.1") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
29.45kg (64.8lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Wood, Dark Wood |
Black, Walnut, White |
| 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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (36Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL Studio 690 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | JBL Studio 690 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | JBL Studio 690: bi-amping; Polk R700: bi-amping. JBL Studio 690 sits in a wider range (15 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | JBL Studio 690 is cheaper - $1,498 against $2,198, about 32% less. |
A JBL Studio 690 B Polk R700
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $700 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.