Short answer: the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower. It ranks #12 of 228 floorstanding speakers by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $5,698. The JBL HDI-3600 ranks #63, rated 4.3/5, at $3,800, $1,898 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower is the more accurate, deeper-bass choice. Highly accurate three way bamboo towers with a ribbon tweeter, deep tight bass and a long warranty. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.97 against 4.64 for the JBL HDI-3600. Its bass reaches about 38.7Hz before falling 3dB, against 78Hz for the JBL HDI-3600. The catch: Listening window smoothness measures a moderate 0.40 and on axis deviation runs 0.286dB average, both trailing the tighter figures posted by some smaller passive AsciLab and Ascend bookshelf models.
The case for the JBL HDI-3600: Floorstanding speakers with a horn tweeter, triple woofers, high sensitivity and very low distortion, made for loud music and movies. Watch for: A wide shelving-down above 2kHz affects the in-room response, and vertical dispersion is a bigger issue than horizontal: the reviewer noted the dip is wider here than on the smaller JBL HDI-1600, making it more audible.
Buy the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $1,898 saving on the JBL HDI-3600 is not enough to make up the difference.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Highly accurate three way bamboo towers with a ribbon tweeter, deep tight bass and a long warranty.
Floorstanding speakers with a horn tweeter, triple woofers, high sensitivity and very low distortion, made for loud music and movies.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower | JBL HDI-3600 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,698 per pair | $3800 per pair |
| Ranked | #12 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #63 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Enclosure | ported | - |
| Drivers | RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter, 6” SEAS Excel Curv midrange (sealed sub-chamber), 2x 6” SEAS Excel aluminum woofers | 2410H-2 1” compression driver, 3x 6.5” Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers |
| Dimensions | 43”H x 7.5”W x 10.5”D (1092 x 190 x 267 mm) | 40.5”H x 10.2”W x 13.5”D (1029 x 260 x 343 mm) |
| Weight | 56 lbs (25.4 kg) each | 61.7 lbs (28 kg) each |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB @ 2.83V/1m anechoic (manufacturer) | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal | 4 ohms nominal |
| Power Handling | 400W continuous, 600W peak | - |
| Frequency Response | 36-27,000Hz +/-3dB anechoic (manufacturer) | 38Hz - 30kHz (+/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 38.7Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) | 78Hz - the on-axis curve also shows an unusual step/dip around 40-55Hz that may be a near-field-scan artifact for this tower (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 28.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) | 62Hz - the on-axis curve also shows an unusual step/dip around 40-55Hz that may be a near-field-scan artifact for this tower (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Warranty | 7 years parts and labor | - |
| Country | United States | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.97 | 4.64 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.42 | 6.95 (spinorama.org) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, dual rear-firing |
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