Short answer: the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks #11 of 58 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $319; the Audioengine A5+ Classic ranks #38 and costs $399, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the JBL 305P MKII offers: A fantastic value in studio monitors. Extremely close to the Focal Alpha 50 EVO, almost indistinguishable. Surprisingly deep and wide soundstage. Good horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees). Has a proper limiter that controls output cleanly rather than crudely cutting bass, and holds up well under sustained loud playback with minimal thermal compression. Watch for: Possible slight hissing from the amps at low levels. Rear ported, can be an issue close to walls. A port resonance around 1.6kHz is audible and distracting on some tracks. Midrange is somewhat scooped rather than flat for a studio monitor, and treble runs about 1.5dB hot - Erin’s Audio Corner recommends using the -2dB treble shelf switch. Vertical dispersion narrows around the crossover, so try to stay within about 10 degrees of the tweeter axis.
What the Audioengine A5+ Classic offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a reasonably flat response outside of the upper bass. Internal Class AB amplification (50W RMS, 75W peak) with a linear power supply drives a 5” Kevlar woofer and 0.75” tweeter. Watch for: A valley in the upper bass (200-400Hz) recesses that range, and a distortion peak shows up around 800-900Hz even at 86dB SPL. Off-axis response doesn’t track the on-axis curve well through the crossover, suggesting the waveguide isn’t fully optimized. Resonances appear at 900Hz and 4.4kHz.
Buy the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Audioengine A5+ Classic and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL 305P MKII | Audioengine A5+ Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $319.00 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #11 of 58 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #38 of 58 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Dimensions | 11.7"H x 7.3"W x 9.1"D (297.2 x 185.4 x 231.1 mm) | 10.9"H x 7.2"W x 9.7"D (276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 49 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 50Hz - 22kHz (+/-1.5dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 68Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 50Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Inputs | XLR, TRS | - |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg each | 15.4 lbs / 7 kg (left/powered), 9.7 lbs / 4.4 kg (right) |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer | 5" Kevlar woofer, 0.75" silk dome tweeter |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | - |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | No |
| Output Power | 81w Per Speaker | 50W RMS / 75W peak |
| Sensitivity | 91.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| DSP | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- KEF LSX II LT vs Presonus Eris E5
- Edifier S1000W vs Presonus Eris E5
- Neumann KH80 DSP vs Presonus Eris E5
- JBL 305P MKII vs Edifier R2000DB
- Focal Alpha 50 EVO vs Audioengine A5+ Classic
Prices on this page were last checked August 24, 2026 at 6:53 AM 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
JBL 305P MKII: $319.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: A fantastic value in studio monitors. Extremely close to the Focal Alpha 50 EVO, almost indistinguishable. Surprisingly deep and wide soundstage. Good horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees). Has a proper limiter that controls output cleanly rather than crudely cutting bass, and holds up well under sustained loud playback with minimal thermal compression.
Cons: Possible slight hissing from the amps at low levels. Rear ported, can be an issue close to walls. A port resonance around 1.6kHz is audible and distracting on some tracks. Midrange is somewhat scooped rather than flat for a studio monitor, and treble runs about 1.5dB hot - Erin’s Audio Corner recommends using the -2dB treble shelf switch. Vertical dispersion narrows around the crossover, so try to stay within about 10 degrees of the tweeter axis.
Full JBL 305P MKII review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Dimensions | 11.7"H x 7.3"W x 9.1"D (297.2 x 185.4 x 231.1 mm) |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 49 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR, TRS |
| Output Power | 81w Per Speaker |
| Sensitivity | 91.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner Review Measurements More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: LIVE! JBL 305P MkII Powered Studio Monitor Review
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Focal Alpha 50 EVO vs JBL 305P MKII sound.DEMO More from DSAUDIOreview →
- DSAUDIO.review: JBL 305P MKII vs Yamaha HS5 6-Track Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review JBL 305P MKII vs KRK Classic 5 CL5G3 sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: JBL 305P MKII vs Adam Audio T5V 6-Track Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Adam Audio A5X vs JBL 305P MKII sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Kali Audio LP-6 V2 (2nd Wave) vs JBL 305P MKII sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs JBL 305P MKII sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: Kali Audio IN-5 vs JBL 305P MKII Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: JBL 308P MKII vs JBL 305P MKII Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: Neumann KH80 DSP vs JBL 305P MKII Sound & Frquency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: JBL 305P MKII vs PreSonus Eris E5 6-Track Comparison
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for JBL 305P MKII Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Audioengine A5+ Classic: $399.00 Amazon Bhphotovideo eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a reasonably flat response outside of the upper bass. Internal Class AB amplification (50W RMS, 75W peak) with a linear power supply drives a 5” Kevlar woofer and 0.75” tweeter.
Cons: A valley in the upper bass (200-400Hz) recesses that range, and a distortion peak shows up around 800-900Hz even at 86dB SPL. Off-axis response doesn’t track the on-axis curve well through the crossover, suggesting the waveguide isn’t fully optimized. Resonances appear at 900Hz and 4.4kHz.
Full Audioengine A5+ Classic review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 10.9"H x 7.2"W x 9.7"D (276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 5" Kevlar woofer, 0.75" silk dome tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 22kHz (+/-1.5dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 50W RMS / 75W peak |
| Weight | 15.4 lbs / 7 kg (left/powered), 9.7 lbs / 4.4 kg (right) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Edifier R1280T
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Edifier R1280DB
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Klipsch The Fives
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Focal Alpha 50 EVO
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Pioneer DJ VM-50
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Vanatoo Transparent One Encore Plus
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Dynaudio LYD 5
- Audioengine A5+ Classic vs Edifier MR4
- See all 26 comparisons