Short answer: the Danley ILE3 for better sound quality, the JBL CBT 100LA-1 for the lower price. The Danley ILE3 ranks #12 of 23 column and line array PA speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $37,000. The JBL CBT 100LA-1 ranks #18, rated 3.1/5, at $1,055, $35,945 cheaper.
Why pick the Danley ILE3: A 3-way powered speaker from Tom Danley’s Signature Series with four 10” woofers and five coaxial 5” mid/1” high drivers on a Paraline lens for a wide 140 degree by narrow 20 degree pattern, driven by a 1,400W amplifier. The tradeoff: It is very large and expensive, and the on-axis response is less even (0.85 average deviation).
Why pick the JBL CBT 100LA-1: A Constant Beamwidth Technology column from the same JBL CBT range as the measured JBL CBT 70J-1 and JBL CBT 1000, with sixteen 2” full-range drivers in a 1000mm tall cabinet. Watch for: No independent measurements yet, so it can’t be compared with ranked PA speakers.
Buy the Danley ILE3 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the JBL CBT 100LA-1 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Worth knowing: the JBL CBT 100LA-1 has not been measured yet. Its rating is estimated from related models, with a likely range of 2.7 to 3.5, so treat this verdict as provisional.
Want more options? Browse the full PA & Live Sound rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Danley ILE3 | JBL CBT 100LA-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $37,000 per pair | $1,055.00 each Passive |
| Ranked | #12 of 23 in Column and Line Array PA Speakers | #18 of 23 in Column and Line Array PA Speakers Estimated |
| Maximum SPL | 125dB peak (manufacturer specified) | 121dB (narrow mode) (manufacturer specified) |
| Passive | No | Yes |
| XLR Input | Yes | No |
| RCA Input | No | - |
| TRS Input | No | - |
| Optical Input | No | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | - |
| USB Input | No | - |
| HDMI Input | No | - |
| AES Input | No | - |
| Aux Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Drivers | 4x 10” woofers, 5x coaxial 5” mid / 1” HF drivers on Paraline lens | 16x 2” full-range drivers |
| Amplifier Power | 1,400W (2 channels) | Passive speaker; requires external amplification |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.18 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.99 | - |
| DIY Kit | No | - |
| Rigging | - | 18 x M6 inserts (OmniMount pattern); swivel/tilt wall bracket included |
| Configuration | - | Passive Constant Beamwidth Technology line array column |
| Frequency Response | - | 80Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Coverage | - | 150° horizontal, switchable 15° or 40° vertical |
| Power Handling | - | 325W continuous |
| Dimensions | - | 39.4” (1000 mm) tall |
| Weight | - | 15.9 lbs (7.2 kg) |
| DSP | - | No (passive) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Danley ILE3:
- Danley ILE3 vs JBL CBT 70J-1
- Danley ILE3 vs JBL CBT 200LA-1
- JBL CBT 200LA-1 vs JBL CBT 100LA-1
- JBL CBT 70J-1 vs JBL CBT 100LA-1
- JBL CBT 100LA-1 vs Yamaha VXL1-16
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Danley ILE3: $37,000 per pair Sweetwater eBay
Same family: the Danley HRE1 (larger model, ranked lower, rated 3.3/5).
Pros: A 3-way powered speaker from Tom Danley’s Signature Series with four 10” woofers and five coaxial 5” mid/1” high drivers on a Paraline lens for a wide 140 degree by narrow 20 degree pattern, driven by a 1,400W amplifier. Danley’s measurements show a preference score of 5.18 that reaches 5.99 with an ideal subwoofer, with 0.42 listening window deviation.
Cons: It is very large and expensive, and the on-axis response is less even (0.85 average deviation). The data comes from Danley. That data is low quality.
Full Danley ILE3 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 1,400W (2 channels) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Drivers | 4x 10” woofers, 5x coaxial 5” mid / 1” HF drivers on Paraline lens |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Maximum SPL | 125dB peak (manufacturer specified) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Passive | No |
| RCA Input | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.18 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.99 |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| XLR Input | Yes |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
JBL CBT 100LA-1: $1,055.00 each Passive Estimated Amazon eBay
Same family: the JBL CBT 50LA-1 (smaller model, ranked higher, estimated 3.1/5), the JBL CBT 70J-1 (smaller model, ranked higher, rated 3.4/5), the JBL CBT 200LA-1 (larger model, ranked higher, estimated 3.2/5) and the JBL CBT 1000 (larger model, ranked higher, rated 4.1/5).
Pros: A Constant Beamwidth Technology column from the same JBL CBT range as the measured JBL CBT 70J-1 and JBL CBT 1000, with sixteen 2” full-range drivers in a 1000mm tall cabinet. It keeps a steady 150° horizontal and switchable 15° or 40° vertical pattern across frequency, which helps speech intelligibility in reverberant rooms, and JBL rates it at 121dB (narrow mode).
Cons: No independent measurements yet, so it can’t be compared with ranked PA speakers. Its 2” drivers have no separate woofer or tweeter and roll off below 80Hz, so music needs a subwoofer, and it requires an external amplifier.
Full JBL CBT 100LA-1 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | Passive speaker; requires external amplification |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| Configuration | Passive Constant Beamwidth Technology line array column |
| Coverage | 150° horizontal, switchable 15° or 40° vertical |
| DSP | No (passive) |
| Dimensions | 39.4” (1000 mm) tall |
| Drivers | 16x 2” full-range drivers |
| Frequency Response | 80Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 121dB (narrow mode) (manufacturer specified) |
| Passive | Yes |
| Power Handling | 325W continuous |
| Rigging | 18 x M6 inserts (OmniMount pattern); swivel/tilt wall bracket included |
| Weight | 15.9 lbs (7.2 kg) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons