In this review, we will be comparing Passif 50 and L100 Classic, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from PSB and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Passif 50 and JBL L100 Classic first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Passif 50 | JBL L100 Classic |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone | 12" Pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 40-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 Watts watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.70kg / 30.1lbs | 26.70kg / 58.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26" x 11" x 10"
660 × 280 × 254mm | 25.0" x 15.3" x 14.6"
636.5 x 389.6 x 371.5mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Passif 50 and JBL L100 Classic 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* |
PSB Passif 50 |
JBL L100 Classic |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Passif 50 is a 2-way design whereas the L100 Classic 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.
PSB Passif 50JBL L100 Classic
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Passif 50 |
JBL L100 Classic |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 12-inch
|
Passif 50 features a 1" titanium dome with ferrofluid and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. On the other hand, the L100 Classic features a 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 12" Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 3500Hz.
Frequency Response
Passif 50 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas L100 Classic has a frequency range of 40-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the L100 Classic can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Passif 50's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Passif 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the L100 Classic which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the L100 Classic can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Passif 50 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the L100 Classic's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the JBL L100 Classic a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Passif 50, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 Passif 50 is rated 30-200 Watts watts and L100 Classic 25-200 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
Passif 50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. L100 Classic has a Five-way gold-plated binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
PSB Passif 50's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
JBL L100 Classic's Five-way gold-plated binding posts terminals
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 PSB Passif 50's and JBL L100 Classic's external dimensions. PSB Passif 50 has external dimensions of 660 × 280 × 254mm (26 x 11 x 10-inch) whereas JBL L100 Classic has external dimensions of 636.5 x 389.6 x 371.5mm (25.0 x 15.3 x 14.6inch).
PSB Passif 50 is 109.6mm narrower and 117.5mm less deeper than JBL L100 Classic but it is also 23.5mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Passif 50 and JBL L100 Classic in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Passif 50 and JBL L100 Classic 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 PSB Passif 50 is approximately 712.0cm2 / 110.4inch2 and base area of the JBL L100 Classic is approximately 1447.4cm2 / 224.3inch2. The Passif 50 requires 51% less surface area than the L100 Classic 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 PSB Passif 50 weighs 13.70kg / 30.1lbs and the JBL L100 Classic weighs 26.70kg / 58.7lbs. This makes the L100 Classic 95% heavier than the Passif 50.
Here is a comparison of how Passif 50 and L100 Classic's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of JBL L100 Classic?
Here are the items that come with the L100 Classic:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille
- Owner's Manual
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Passive Radiator |
one 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
1447cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
4400USD
|
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
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
636mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
PSB Passif 50 |
JBL L100 Classic |
| Brand |
PSB |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-200 Watts watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
40-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
12" |
| Woofer Composition |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
Pulp |
| Woofer Surround Material |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800Hz |
450Hz and 3500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
636.5mm (25.1") |
| Width |
280.0mm (11") |
389.6mm (15.3") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
371.5mm (14.6") |
| Weight |
13.70kg (30.1lbs) |
26.70kg (58.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
open-grain walnut veneer |
Genuine walnut veneer |
| Available Colors |
Open-Grain Walnut |
Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - JBL L100 Classic costs roughly 1.8x what PSB Passif 50 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | JBL L100 Classic digs deeper - 40Hz against 50Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | PSB Passif 50 is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | PSB Passif 50 is easier to place; JBL L100 Classic is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | A | PSB Passif 50: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | PSB Passif 50 is cheaper - $2,499 against $4,400, about 43% less; arguably a different class. |
A PSB Passif 50 B JBL L100 Classic
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 Passif 50 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper PSB Passif 50 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, JBL L100 Classic has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, PSB Passif 50 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.