Short answer: the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks #11 of 48 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $319; the KEF LS50 Wireless II ranks #16 and costs $2749.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the JBL 305P MKII side: A fantastic value in studio monitors. Extremely close to the Focal Alpha 50 EVO, almost indistinguishable. The catch: Possible slight hissing from the amps at low levels. Rear ported, can be an issue close to walls.
What the KEF LS50 Wireless II gets right: Uni-Q coincident driver array (130mm aluminum woofer with a 25mm MAT dome tweeter mounted at its acoustic center) gives excellent, consistent off-axis dispersion, measuring the tightest directivity spread of this batch alongside a smooth listening-window response. The tradeoff: Primary/Secondary architecture means one speaker handles every input while the other depends on a wireless or wired Ethernet link back to it - placement is less flexible than a fully symmetric pair.
Buy the JBL 305P MKII. It ranks higher for sound quality than the KEF LS50 Wireless II and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL 305P MKII | KEF LS50 Wireless II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $319.00 | $2,749.99 |
| Ranked | #11 of 48 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #16 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) | 12" x 7.9" x 12.2" (305 x 200 x 311 mm) (12.0 x 7.9 x 12.2 in) each |
| Frequency Response | 49 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3 dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 45Hz - 28kHz ±3dB |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 51.3Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Inputs | XLR, TRS | HDMI eARC, optical, digital coaxial, 3.5mm analog, USB-A (service), Ethernet, RCA subwoofer out |
| Weight | 10.4 lbs / 4.7 kg each | 44.3 lbs / 20.1 kg (44.3 lb) for the pair |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer | Uni-Q coincident array: 130mm aluminum woofer + 25mm MAT aluminum dome tweeter |
| App | No | KEF Connect (placement EQ presets, source selection, firmware updates) |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes, 4.2 |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | Yes, fixed placement presets (desk/bookshelf/wall-mount) - no automatic room correction |
| Output Power | 81w Per Speaker | 280W (LF) + 100W (HF) per speaker, bi-amped |
| Sensitivity | 91.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Max SPL | - | 108dB at 1m |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Genelec 8330A vs Genelec 8320A
- Edifier Airpulse A100 vs JBL 705P
- Kali Audio SM-5 vs Adam Audio T5V
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs KRK Rokit 5 G4
- Yamaha HS5 vs KEF LS50 Wireless II
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
KEF LS50 Wireless II: $2,749.99 Amazon KEF Crutchfield
Pros: Uni-Q coincident driver array (130mm aluminum woofer with a 25mm MAT dome tweeter mounted at its acoustic center) gives excellent, consistent off-axis dispersion, measuring the tightest directivity spread of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 3.96) alongside a smooth listening-window response (smoothness_listening_window 0.375, aad_on_axis 0.343). Bass extends to a genuinely deep 51.3Hz at -3dB / 41.5Hz at -10dB for a compact standmount, backed by a bi-amped 280W (LF) + 100W (HF) design. One of the most complete input sets in its class: HDMI eARC, optical, coaxial, RCA, Ethernet, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon Ready, and Spotify/Tidal Connect, so it can replace a full receiver-based setup for TV, turntable, and streaming use.
Cons: Primary/Secondary architecture means one speaker handles every input while the other depends on a wireless or wired Ethernet link back to it - placement is less flexible than a fully symmetric pair. No mic-based automatic room correction, only fixed placement EQ presets in the KEF Connect app. Bass alignment Q (lfq 0.676) sits toward the higher end of typical ported values. At $2,999.99/pair it’s roughly double the price of KEF’s own smaller LSX II.
Full KEF LS50 Wireless II review and specifications →
| App | KEF Connect (placement EQ presets, source selection, firmware updates) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51.3Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7.9" x 12.2" (305 x 200 x 311 mm) (12.0 x 7.9 x 12.2 in) each |
| Drivers | Uni-Q coincident array: 130mm aluminum woofer + 25mm MAT aluminum dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes, fixed placement presets (desk/bookshelf/wall-mount) - no automatic room correction |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 28kHz ±3dB |
| Inputs | HDMI eARC, optical, digital coaxial, 3.5mm analog, USB-A (service), Ethernet, RCA subwoofer out |
| Max SPL | 108dB at 1m |
| Output Power | 280W (LF) + 100W (HF) per speaker, bi-amped |
| Weight | 44.3 lbs / 20.1 kg (44.3 lb) for the pair |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs Edifier Airpulse A100
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs Kali Audio IN-5
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs KRK Rokit 5 G4
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs Yamaha HS5
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs Presonus Eris E5 XT
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs Adam Audio T5V
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MKII
- KEF LS50 Wireless II vs IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
- See all 10 comparisons