Short answer: the JBL HDI-3600 for better sound quality, the Dynaudio Emit 30 for the lower price. The JBL HDI-3600 ranks #28 of 68 floorstanding speakers at $3800. The Dynaudio Emit 30 ranks #53 at $1274.25, $2525.75 cheaper.
What the JBL HDI-3600 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a fairly even on-axis response and flat overall frequency response, with high 90dB sensitivity and very low distortion through the midrange. Triple 6.5” Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers and a 1” compression driver in JBL’s HDI waveguide. 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 HDI-1600, making it more audible. Narrow vertical sweet spot means careful listener-height positioning matters more than usual.
What the Dynaudio Emit 30 offers: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. The two woofers hand off at staggered crossover points (around 1kHz and 3.5kHz) rather than sharing one, which avoids the acoustic lobing a shared crossover point would cause between the tweeter and the lower woofer, and adds a few dB of sensitivity in the process. Genuinely deep bass for a speaker around this price - measured F3 near 44Hz and extends audibly down to about 40Hz in-room without much difficulty. Harmonic distortion measures clean and low at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Good CTA-2034 sound power and uniform directivity mean the speaker takes EQ correction well if a listener wants to dial in its one tonal weak point. Dynamic range and compression performance are strong overall, with only a minor, high-Q compression artifact tied to a cone-edge resonance that’s unlikely to be audible. Wide, consistent horizontal dispersion around ±70° with just a small ~10° narrowing between 1-3kHz, and a reasonably forgiving ±20° vertical window centered on the tweeter axis. Watch for: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can lack presence and cymbals can lack sizzle as a result. A cone-edge surround resonance shows up around 1-1.3kHz in burst-decay measurements (a trait the reviewer has also seen on other Dynaudio models) and lines up with elevated multitone distortion across roughly 600Hz-1.5kHz. An enclosure resonance appears around 350Hz in the impedance curve. Placed too close to a rear wall, the dual ports make the bass noticeably boomy - pulling the speaker out is needed to keep the low end from overloading the room. Fully resolving the top-end inconsistency needs a modest EQ correction (roughly +2dB with a Q of about 1, centered 3-6kHz), so out-of-the-box tonal accuracy in that band isn’t quite class-leading despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Buy the JBL HDI-3600 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Dynaudio Emit 30 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Dynaudio Emit 30. It ranks near the bottom of the 68 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL HDI-3600 | Dynaudio Emit 30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3800 | $1,274.25 |
| Ranked | #28 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #53 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 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) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 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) | 36Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) | 87dB |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal | 4 ohms |
| Frequency Response | 38Hz - 30kHz (+/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Drivers | 2410H-2 1" compression driver, 3x 6.5" Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 61.7 lbs / 28 kg each | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 40.5"H x 10.2"W x 13.5"D (1029 x 260 x 343 mm) | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual rear-firing | ported, rear (dual) |
| Power Handling | - | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Country of Origin | - | Denmark |
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The Two Speakers In Full
JBL HDI-3600: $3800 Audioadvice eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a fairly even on-axis response and flat overall frequency response, with high 90dB sensitivity and very low distortion through the midrange. Triple 6.5” Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers and a 1” compression driver in JBL’s HDI waveguide.
Cons: 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 HDI-1600, making it more audible. Narrow vertical sweet spot means careful listener-height positioning matters more than usual.
Full JBL HDI-3600 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 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) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 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) |
| Dimensions | 40.5"H x 10.2"W x 13.5"D (1029 x 260 x 343 mm) |
| Drivers | 2410H-2 1" compression driver, 3x 6.5" Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers |
| Frequency Response | 38Hz - 30kHz (+/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 61.7 lbs / 28 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual rear-firing |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Dynaudio Emit 30: $1,274.25 Amazon eBay
Pros: A 2.5-way floorstander: two 5.25” mid-woofers paired with a roughly 1” dome tweeter, driven through dual rear bass-reflex ports. The two woofers hand off at staggered crossover points (around 1kHz and 3.5kHz) rather than sharing one, which avoids the acoustic lobing a shared crossover point would cause between the tweeter and the lower woofer, and adds a few dB of sensitivity in the process. Genuinely deep bass for a speaker around this price - measured F3 near 44Hz and extends audibly down to about 40Hz in-room without much difficulty. Harmonic distortion measures clean and low at both 86dB and 96dB SPL/1m. Good CTA-2034 sound power and uniform directivity mean the speaker takes EQ correction well if a listener wants to dial in its one tonal weak point. Dynamic range and compression performance are strong overall, with only a minor, high-Q compression artifact tied to a cone-edge resonance that’s unlikely to be audible. Wide, consistent horizontal dispersion around ±70° with just a small ~10° narrowing between 1-3kHz, and a reasonably forgiving ±20° vertical window centered on the tweeter axis.
Cons: A dip and inconsistency in the lower-treble presence region (roughly 2-5kHz) makes the top end sound uneven - sometimes soft, sometimes forward - depending on the specific instrument or frequency being reproduced; male vocals can lack presence and cymbals can lack sizzle as a result. A cone-edge surround resonance shows up around 1-1.3kHz in burst-decay measurements (a trait the reviewer has also seen on other Dynaudio models) and lines up with elevated multitone distortion across roughly 600Hz-1.5kHz. An enclosure resonance appears around 350Hz in the impedance curve. Placed too close to a rear wall, the dual ports make the bass noticeably boomy - pulling the speaker out is needed to keep the low end from overloading the room. Fully resolving the top-end inconsistency needs a modest EQ correction (roughly +2dB with a Q of about 1, centered 3-6kHz), so out-of-the-box tonal accuracy in that band isn’t quite class-leading despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Full Dynaudio Emit 30 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 36Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country of Origin | Denmark |
| Dimensions | 35.4"H x 6.7"W x 10.7"D (900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 5.25" mid-woofers, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 44Hz - 25kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Power Handling | 180W (IEC rated) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB |
| Weight | 34.2 lbs / 15.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear (dual) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-6000F II
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-8000F II
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- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Klipsch RP-5000F II
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Sony SS-CS3
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Infinity Reference 253
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