Short answer: the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks #11 of 48 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $319; the Edifier Airpulse A100 ranks #17 and costs $999.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the JBL 305P MKII: A fantastic value in studio monitors. Extremely close to the Focal Alpha 50 EVO, almost indistinguishable. Set against that: Possible slight hissing from the amps at low levels. Rear ported, can be an issue close to walls.
What the Edifier Airpulse A100 gets right: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. The tradeoff: On-axis deviation trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote.
Buy the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Edifier Airpulse A100 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL 305P MKII | Edifier Airpulse A100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $319.00 | $999.99 |
| Ranked | #11 of 48 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 48 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) | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Frequency Response | 49 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Inputs | XLR, TRS | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg each | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| App | No | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Output Power | 81w Per Speaker | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Sensitivity | 91.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
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- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs KRK Rokit 5 G4
- Yamaha HS5 vs Edifier Airpulse A100
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL 305P MKII: $319.00 Amazon
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner Review Measurements
- Audio Science Review Measurements
- 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
- 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
Edifier Airpulse A100: $999.99 B&H Photo Airpulse
Pros: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. Directivity spread is the widest and most controlled of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 4.26). A full input set for a desktop system: RCA, USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth, plus a dedicated subwoofer output and an included IR remote.
Cons: On-axis deviation (aad_on_axis 0.498) trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote. The compact 5” woofer caps sub-bass extension at 63.0Hz (-3dB) / 53.2Hz (-10dB), the second-shallowest in this batch, effectively expecting an external subwoofer for full-range use. No Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay/Chromecast) - Bluetooth only.
Full Edifier Airpulse A100 review and specifications →
| App | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Drivers | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| EQ | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Inputs | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Output Power | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Weight | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs KRK Rokit 5 G4
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs KEF LS50 Wireless II
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs Kali Audio IN-5
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs Presonus Eris E5 XT
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MKII
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs Yamaha HS5
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs Adam Audio T5V
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