Floorstanding loudspeakers — JBL STAGE 280F

The Stage 280F is a 2.5-way floorstanding loudspeaker developed by JBL engineers at the company acoustic centre in Northridge, California, and belonging to the Stage 2 generation. It is offered in Espresso or Latte woodgrain, both paired with a plain coloured baffle and a grille in the same shade, and is sold singly.

Key specs that matter

The 280F uses two 8-inch (200 mm) woofers with ribbed polycellulose cones, a material to which JBL adds a proprietary mix of other components to raise stiffness. Treble is handled by a 1-inch (25 mm) anodised aluminium dome tweeter. JBL lists 33 Hz to 25 kHz within plus or minus 6 dB, sensitivity of 91 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m and a nominal impedance of 6 ohm. Recommended amplifier power runs from 20 to 225 W. Including its base the cabinet is 1113 mm high, 357 mm wide and 420 mm deep, and it weighs 25.1 kg. Shipping weight is 30.6 kg.

Engineering and use context

In the 2.5-way layout the upper woofer runs up to just below the tweeter, while the lower woofer is rolled off earlier, and the published crossover points are 1.1 kHz and 2.1 kHz. The high-frequency section of the network uses air-core inductors and mylar capacitors, and the low-frequency section uses laminate-core inductors and electrolytic capacitors. The tweeter sits in a Next Generation HDI waveguide, a patented JBL geometry. A pair of flared racetrack-shaped ports at the back provide bass reflex loading. Without its base the body narrows to 241 mm wide and 409 mm deep. The front baffle is of a floating design, the box includes trim rings, and magnets hold the grilles in place. JBL covers the speaker with a 1-year parts and labour warranty. Besides the main 5-way binding posts, the rear panel has a separate pair of 5-way posts for Atmos with integrated wire management, intended for the optional 240H Atmos height module that sits on top of the cabinet.

Pairing

The fairly high sensitivity and moderate nominal load let the 280F work with typical AV receivers and stereo amplifiers inside its recommended power range. In a surround system the dedicated Atmos terminals allow a 240H module to be wired through the tower, and both finishes are shared across the Stage range for matching centre and surround models.

Alternatives

In the Studio 6 line, the Studio 680 pairs two 6.5-inch PolyPlas cones with a 1-inch compression driver, carries an 88 dB rating and accepts a maximum of 200 W.