In this review, we will be comparing R700 and HDI-3600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk R700 and JBL HDI-3600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk R700 | JBL HDI-3600 |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Polypropylene | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-38k Hz | 38-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.90kg / 79lbs | 28.09kg / 61.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm | 40-7/16" x 10-3/16" x 13-9/16"
1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk R700 and JBL HDI-3600 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* |
Polk R700 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
| 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 R700 is a 3-way design whereas the HDI-3600 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.
Polk R700JBL HDI-3600
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Polk R700 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer.
Frequency Response
R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz whereas HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k 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
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
R700 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the HDI-3600 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 HDI-3600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R700 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the HDI-3600's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL HDI-3600 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 HDI-3600 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 R700 and HDI-3600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R700 has a bottom firing port whereas HDI-3600 has a rear firing ports. Polk R700's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to JBL HDI-3600 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 Polk R700's and JBL HDI-3600's external dimensions. Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) whereas JBL HDI-3600 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm (40-7/16 x 10-3/16 x 13-9/16inch).
Polk R700 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 61.7mm wider, 115.8mm taller and 83.3mm deeper than JBL HDI-3600.
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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2 and base area of the JBL HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2. The R700 requires 54% more surface area than the HDI-3600 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 Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs and the JBL HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs. This makes the R700 28% heavier than the HDI-3600.
Here is a comparison of how R700 and HDI-3600'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 Polk R700?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of JBL HDI-3600?
Here are the items that come with the HDI-3600:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- Owners Manual
 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
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
4180USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1028mm
vs
1143mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
893cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
JBL HDI-3600 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
38-38k Hz |
38-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1143.8mm (45") |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
320.7mm (12.6") |
259.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
428.3mm (16.9") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
28.09kg (61.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black, Walnut, White |
Grey |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - JBL HDI-3600 costs roughly 1.9x what Polk R700 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (38Hz vs 38Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | JBL HDI-3600 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | JBL HDI-3600 is easier to place; Polk R700 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Polk R700: bi-amping; JBL HDI-3600: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $4,180, about 47% less; arguably a different class. |
A Polk R700 B JBL HDI-3600
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. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R700 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, JBL HDI-3600 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, JBL HDI-3600 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.