JBL Studio 698 vs JBL Studio 690 Comparison

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JBL Studio 698

Passive Floor-standing | 36-40k Hz

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JBL Studio 690

Passive Floor-standing | 36-40k Hz

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JBL Studio 698

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JBL Studio 690

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JBL Studio 698

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JBL Studio 690

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JBL Studio 698 vs JBL Studio 690 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Studio 698 and Studio 690, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by JBL.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of JBL Studio 698 and JBL Studio 690 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	JBL Studio 698	JBL Studio 690
Brand	JBL United States · founded 1946	JBL United States · founded 1946
Design	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Compression Horn	1" compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide
Midrange	6"	—
Woofer	2 x 8"	2 x 8" PolyPlas
Frequency response	36-40k Hz	36-40k Hz
Sensitivity	90 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	—	up to 250 watts
Weight	35.83kg / 78.8lbs	29.45kg / 64.8lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	43-1/4" x 11-3/4" x 16-1/16" 1098.6 x 298.5 x 408.0mm	43-1/8" x 11-3/4" x 15-1/16" 1096.0 x 299.0 x 383.0mm

Studio 698 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

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
JBL Studio 630	Bookshelf	45-40k Hz	85 dB	6Ω	1 x 6.25"
JBL Studio 620	Bookshelf	50-40k Hz	84 dB	6Ω	1 x 5.25"
JBL Studio 680	Floor-standing	38-40k Hz	88 dB	6Ω	2 x 6.5"
JBL Studio 690	Floor-standing	36-40k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 8"
JBL Studio 6 88LCR	In-wall	43-20kHz	96 dB	6Ω	2 x 8"
JBL Studio 6 Theater	In-wall	65-20kHz	96 dB	6Ω	4 x 5.25"
JBL Studio 2 55IW	In-wall	40-20kHz	88 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
JBL Studio 6 66LCR	In-wall	45-20kHz	94 dB	6Ω	2 x 6.5"
JBL Studio 6 Architectural 8IW	In-wall	43-20kHz	93 dB	6Ω	1 x 8"
JBL Studio 2 8IW	In-wall	30-20kHz	88 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"

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 698 is a 3-way design whereas the Studio 690 is a 2-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 698

JBL Studio 690

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 698	JBL Studio 690
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 6-inch	-
Woofer	2 x 8-inch	2 x 8-inch

Studio 698 features a 1" Compression Horn Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8" 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 698 and Studio 690 has exactly the same frequency range of 36-40k Hz.

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

Studio 698

Studio 690

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 698 and Studio 690 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Studio 698

Studio 690

Min

Average

Median

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 698

JBL Studio 690

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Studio 690 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Studio 698 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

JBL Studio 690's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 698's and JBL Studio 690's external dimensions. JBL Studio 698 has external dimensions of 1098.6 x 298.5 x 408.0mm () 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 2.5999999999999mm shorter and 25mm less deeper than JBL Studio 698 but it is also 0.5mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Studio 698 and JBL Studio 690 in scale.

Comparison image of JBL Studio 698 and JBL Studio 690 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 698 is approximately 1217.9cm² / 188.8inch² and base area of the JBL Studio 690 is approximately 1145.2cm² / 177.5inch². The Studio 698 requires 6% more surface area than the Studio 690 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 698 weighs 35.83kg / 78.8lbs and the JBL Studio 690 weighs 29.45kg / 64.8lbs. This makes the Studio 698 22% heavier than the Studio 690.

Here is a comparison of how Studio 698 and Studio 690's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers

JBL Studio 698

JBL Studio 690

Min

Average

Max

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

Reasons to choose JBL Studio 698 over JBL Studio 690

Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver

Reasons to choose JBL Studio 690 over JBL Studio 698

Height	1096mm vs 1098mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	1145cm² vs 1217cm²	Takes less floor space

JBL Studio 698 vs JBL Studio 690 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	JBL Studio 698	JBL Studio 690
Brand	JBL	JBL
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Sensitivity	90 dB	90 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response	36-40k Hz	36-40k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	8"	8"
Woofer Composition		PolyPlas
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Compression Horn	compression driver with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	6"	No
Firing Direction	n/a	rear
Physical Specs
Height	1098.6mm (43.3")	1096.0mm (43.1")
Width	298.5mm (11.8")	299.0mm (11.8")
Depth	408.0mm (16.1")	383.0mm (15.1")
Weight	35.83kg (78.8lbs)	29.45kg (64.8lbs)
Enclosure		Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Wood-grain vinyl	MDF/Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Espresso	Wood, Dark Wood
Grille	n/a	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	n/a	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

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 (36Hz vs 36Hz).
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Expandability	B	JBL Studio 690: bi-amping.

A JBL Studio 698 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?

JBL Studio 690 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does.

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.