Floorstanding loudspeakers — JBL STUDIO 698

The Studio 698 is the heaviest of three floor-standing models in JBL's Studio 6 loudspeaker family and the only tower in the range with a separate midrange driver. The series comprises the 698, 690 and 680 floorstanders, the 630 and 620 bookshelf models, the 610 wall-mountable surround, the 665C and 625C centres and the 660P and 650P powered subwoofers, and every passive model in it uses a compression driver for the treble. Studio 6 reached the US market in 2022.

Key specs that matter

Bass is shared by two 203 mm PolyPlas cone woofers, a 152 mm PolyPlas cone handles the midrange, and the top end comes from the 2414H-1, a 25 mm compression driver mounted in an HDI waveguide. Crossover points are 320 Hz and 1.8 kHz. JBL specifies 36 Hz to 40 kHz, a sensitivity of 90 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m and a nominal impedance of 6 ohm. The cabinet is 300 mm wide, 400 mm deep and 1058 mm tall, and each speaker weighs 35.84 kg. Black and walnut wood finishes are listed.

Engineering and use context

Moving the woofer crossover down this low is what separates the 698 from the Studio 690, which shares the same pair of 8-inch woofers and the same height but runs as a 2.5-way with points at 600 Hz and 1.7 kHz. In the 698 the dedicated midrange cone covers the range between both crossover frequencies, so the larger woofers are limited to the bottom octaves. The 698 cabinet is 50 mm deeper than that of the 690, and it weighs about 6.5 kg more. The compression driver runs from its crossover point to the top of the rated range, and the HDI waveguide in front of it controls how its output spreads. Bass loading relies on a reflex port, tuned by JBL and opening on the back panel. The grille attaches magnetically, and four carpet spikes and four feet pads are supplied in the box with the owner's manual and warranty card.

Pairing

JBL sets the recommended amplifier power at a maximum of 250 W, the same ceiling it gives the 690, while the smaller 680 is rated for 200 W and 88 dB. Any stereo amplifier or AV receiver rated for this nominal impedance can drive it. Inside the same family the 665C centre shares the same sensitivity figure, and the 660P subwoofer, with a 12-inch driver, 500 W RMS amplifier and 28 Hz lower limit, can extend a surround setup, with the 10-inch 650P at 250 W RMS as the smaller option.

Alternatives

JBL's Studio 690 is the Studio 6 tower that keeps the twin 8-inch woofers while dropping the separate midrange cone.