Short answer: the JBL Stage 2 280F. It ranks #49 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $529.95; the Magnepan LRS+ ranks #50 and costs $1300, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the JBL Stage 2 280F side: Genuinely impressive output capability and low compression/distortion for the price, courtesy of the dual 8” woofers - the reviewer’s standout praise for this pair. Set against that: Explicitly called out as disappointing relative to expectations for the JBL name and this price point - lacks native linearity compared to similarly-priced alternatives like the Polk Reserve R500.
The case for the Magnepan LRS+: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). The tradeoff: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it.
Buy the JBL Stage 2 280F. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Magnepan LRS+ and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 56 floorstanding speakers instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Stage 2 280F | Magnepan LRS+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $529.95 | $1300 |
| Ranked | #49 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #50 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 30Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 67Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 48Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1" anodized aluminum dome tweeter with HDI waveguide, dual 8" polycellulose woofers | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Weight | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55.2 lb) each | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.8" x 14.1" x 16.5" (1113 x 358 x 419 mm) | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1.1kHz, 2.1kHz | - |
| Output Power | 125W RMS | - |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | open baffle |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Klipsch RP-6000F II vs Infinity Reference 253
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs Infinity Reference 253
- Klipsch RP-5000F II vs Infinity Reference 253
- Dynaudio Emit 30 vs JBL Stage 2 280F
- Sony SS-CS3 vs Magnepan LRS+
The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Stage 2 280F: $529.95 Amazon
Pros: Genuinely impressive output capability and low compression/distortion for the price, courtesy of the dual 8” woofers - the reviewer’s standout praise for this pair. High sensitivity (89.5dB measured) and low impedance make it easy to drive. Decent bass extension (F3 48Hz, F10 30Hz) reaches about 50Hz in-room. Horizontal dispersion is reasonably consistent (~55 degrees), meaning the speaker takes reasonably well to EQ correction.
Cons: Explicitly called out as disappointing relative to expectations for the JBL name and this price point - lacks native linearity compared to similarly-priced alternatives like the Polk Reserve R500, which the reviewer recommends instead for anyone who doesn’t want to rely on EQ. Treble falls off a cliff above about 10-12kHz, giving a notable lack of air/space that needs real correction (a wide +Q0.5 boost from 10-20kHz) to fix. A sharp impedance resonance around 900Hz-1.1kHz is nearly impossible to EQ out cleanly even with narrow filters. Elevated multitone distortion in the 600Hz-2.5kHz range, tied to the midwoofer rather than the tweeter. Compared to the similarly-priced Klipsch RP-6000F II/RP-8000F II, this JBL is less directive and native-flat but does extend roughly 20Hz deeper in the bass - a real tradeoff either way, not a clean win.
Full JBL Stage 2 280F review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 30Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 48Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1.1kHz, 2.1kHz |
| Dimensions | 43.8" x 14.1" x 16.5" (1113 x 358 x 419 mm) |
| Drivers | 1" anodized aluminum dome tweeter with HDI waveguide, dual 8" polycellulose woofers |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Output Power | 125W RMS |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55.2 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Infinity Reference 253
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Sony SS-CS3
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Polk T50
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Klipsch RP-6000F II
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs JBL Studio 590
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Dynaudio Emit 30
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
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Magnepan LRS+: $1300 Magnepan
Pros: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). Delivers a uniquely dramatic and enveloping soundstage with genuinely three-dimensional depth effects that work across all music genres, not just classical or orchestral material as commonly assumed. Extremely tight, locked-in center-phantom imaging when set up correctly. Open-baffle design avoids the “boxy” enclosure coloration of conventional cabinet speakers. Multitone distortion is remarkably consistent from low to high frequency, a characteristic the reviewer hasn’t observed in conventional cone-and-dome speakers. Compression at high output stays modest (about 0.5-1dB) through the midrange and treble, giving roughly 20-26dB of usable dynamic range in that region. At its price, a strong contender for a dedicated secondary listening room, even if not a main-system replacement.
Cons: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it. Bass rolls off very quickly (F3 74Hz, F10 67Hz, described as falling off “like a rock”), making a subwoofer an absolute requirement for any low-end content. A roughly 3dB dip in the mid-bass (100-300Hz) region thins out vocal body and fullness compared to a conventional bookshelf speaker. A resonance/bump around 400Hz adds a mild boxy quality, though it responds well to about 2dB of EQ correction. Extraordinarily fussy about exact positioning - both seating height (must align with the acoustic reference point between the panel’s lower tie-down points) and horizontal aiming are unusually critical; moving just a couple of inches can cause treble content above roughly 500-600Hz to nearly vanish. Distinct off-axis cancellation zones exist directly to the sides of the panel, where very little sound is audible at all. Fails badly under extreme dynamic-transient testing in the bass, and the reviewer blew fuses pushing the speaker during testing - not built for high-volume or highly dynamic playback. A genuinely different category from conventional hi-fi speakers, requiring more setup patience and experimentation than a typical monopole design.
Full Magnepan LRS+ review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 67Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Drivers | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | open baffle |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Infinity Reference 253
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Sony SS-CS3
- Magnepan LRS+ vs JBL Studio 590
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Polk T50
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Klipsch RP-6000F II
- Magnepan LRS+ vs Bose 901 Series V
- See all 16 comparisons