Short answer: the JBL Stage 2 280F. It ranks #63 of 74 floorstanding speakers at $1,319.90 against the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez’s #71 at $1,799, and its dual 8-inch woofers give low compression and high output for the money. Neither is linear: the JBL lacks the evenness of similarly priced rivals like the Polk Reserve R500, and the Triangle shows resonances around 260Hz along with a dip in the bass.
Buy the JBL Stage 2 280F. It is rated higher for sound quality; the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is no longer sold new.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Stage 2 280F | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,319.90 per pair | $1,799 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #63 of 74 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #71 of 74 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) 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 | - |
| Power Handling | 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 |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.69 | 2.76 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.14 | 5.37 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Stage 2 280F: $1,319.90 per pair Amazon eBay
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. Measured bass extension of 48Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 89.5dB.
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 |
| DIY Kit | No |
| 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) |
| Power Handling | 125W RMS |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.69 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.14 |
| Weight | 55.1 lbs (25 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Polk Signature Elite ES60
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Magnepan LRS+
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Infinity Reference 253
- JBL Stage 2 280F vs Polk Audio XT60
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Triangle Esprit Antal Ez: $1,799 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Predicted in-room response sums rather nicely aside from the resonance and bass issues. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±50 degrees is reasonably controlled. Measured bass extension of 85Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 90.7dB.
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 |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 43.9”H x 11.8”W x 15.7”D (1115.0 x 300.0 x 400.0 mm) |
| 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) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 2.76 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.37 |
| Weight | 98.5 lbs (44.7 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs JBL Studio 590
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Rockville RockTower 68B
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Bose 901 Series V
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Sony SS-CS3
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Magnepan LRS+
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Infinity Reference 253
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Focal Aria Evo X N°2
- Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Polk T50
- See all 12 comparisons