Short answer: the JBL Stage 2 280F. It ranks #49 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $529.95; the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez ranks #55 and costs $1799, 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.
What the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez offers: Predicted in-room response sums rather nicely aside from the resonance and bass issues. Watch for: Resonance around 260Hz and a number of other resonances show up on-axis, along with a dip in bass response.
Buy the JBL Stage 2 280F. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez 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 | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $529.95 | $1799 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #49 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #55 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 30Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 62Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 48Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| Drivers | 1" anodized aluminum dome tweeter with HDI waveguide, dual 8" polycellulose woofers | 2x 6.5" (160mm) fiberglass cone woofers, 1x 6.5" (160mm) natural cellulose midrange, 1x 1" (25mm) titanium dome tweeter |
| Weight | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55.2 lb) each | 98.5 lbs / 44.7 kg |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 90.7dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 43.8" x 14.1" x 16.5" (1113 x 358 x 419 mm) | 43.9"H x 11.8"W x 15.7"D (1115.0 x 300.0 x 400.0 mm) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1.1kHz, 2.1kHz | - |
| Output Power | 125W RMS | - |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (2.7 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, front |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Infinity Reference 253 vs JBL Studio 590
- Polk T50 vs JBL Studio 590
- Sony SS-CS3 vs JBL Studio 590
- Klipsch RP-8000F II vs JBL Stage 2 280F
- Sony SS-CS3 vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Infinity Reference 253
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Magnepan LRS+
- 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
- See all 11 comparisons
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez: $1799 Discontinued
Pros: Predicted in-room response sums rather nicely aside from the resonance and bass issues. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±50 degrees is reasonably controlled.
Cons: Resonance around 260Hz and a number of other resonances show up on-axis, along with a dip in bass response. Two distinct distortion sources - one around 250-300Hz, another around 3-4kHz - already cross the reviewer’s audibility threshold even at moderate output, and get much worse at 96dB SPL/1m, where distortion broadly exceeds 50% relative level across large parts of the spectrum. Directivity is not great overall. The reviewer does not recommend it. Discontinued.
Full Triangle Esprit Antal Ez review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) - low confidence - on-axis curve shows an unusual notch/dip around 250-300Hz for this floorstanding tower |
| Dimensions | 43.9"H x 11.8"W x 15.7"D (1115.0 x 300.0 x 400.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" (160mm) fiberglass cone woofers, 1x 6.5" (160mm) natural cellulose midrange, 1x 1" (25mm) titanium dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (2.7 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 90.7dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 98.5 lbs / 44.7 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Bose 901 Series V
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs JBL Studio 590
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Magnepan LRS+
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Infinity Reference 253
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Sony SS-CS3
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs KEF Reference 203