Short answer: the Revel Concerta2 F35. It ranks #18 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $900; the JBL HDI-3600 ranks #21 and costs $3800, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Revel Concerta2 F35 offers: Two-and-a-half-way, four-driver design: a 1” aluminum dome tweeter on a waveguide, a 5.25” mid-range, and dual 5.25” mid-bass drivers in a rear-ported cabinet. Watch for: F3 of 61Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean a subwoofer is needed for real bass extension.
The case for the JBL HDI-3600: 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. The tradeoff: 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.
Buy the Revel Concerta2 F35. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL HDI-3600 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Revel Concerta2 F35 | JBL HDI-3600 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900 | $3800 |
| Ranked | #18 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #21 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 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) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 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 | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) | 40.5"H x 10.2"W x 13.5"D (1029 x 260 x 343 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.8 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 89.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 90dB manufacturer specified) | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 3x 5.25" deep anodized aluminum cone woofers, 1" Aluminum Tweeter | 2410H-2 1" compression driver, 3x 6.5" Advanced Aluminum Matrix woofers |
| Weight | 41 lbs / 18.6 kg each | 61.7 lbs / 28 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, dual rear-firing |
| Frequency Response | - | 38Hz - 30kHz (+/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Revel F206 vs PSB Imagine T65
- KEF R11 Meta vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- KEF R11 Meta vs Q Acoustics 5040
- Focal Chora 816 vs JBL HDI-3600
- JBL HDI-3600 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
The Two Speakers In Full
Revel Concerta2 F35: $900 Crutchfield
Pros: Two-and-a-half-way, four-driver design: a 1” aluminum dome tweeter on a waveguide, a 5.25” mid-range, and dual 5.25” mid-bass drivers in a rear-ported cabinet. Measured sensitivity of 89.4dB closely matches the 90dB spec, and distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, holding up well even with a high-pass filter applied. At its sale price (around $900/pair, down from full retail), the reviewer calls it a “no-brainer,” undercutting comparable budget floorstanders like the ELAC DF63. Frequency response and directivity mismatches are largely EQ-able, since most of what shows up in measurements traces to physical tweeter/mid-range separation rather than a fundamental flaw. Compression is fairly well controlled for the price - about 1dB of loss around 100Hz under long-term compression, described as “par for the course” at this cost.
Cons: F3 of 61Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean a subwoofer is needed for real bass extension. A dip in the lower midrange/2-3kHz region reduces attack and detail, and a peak around 5kHz adds some edge and sibilance in the lower treble. A peak in off-axis energy around 3kHz reflects off sidewalls at roughly 60-70° off-axis and arrives louder than the direct sound - this specific issue can’t be fixed with EQ (boosting the direct sound would boost the stronger reflection too) and would need acoustic absorption to properly address, though the reviewer considers it a minor, optional fix at this price. A couple of minor resonances appear in the impedance plot, including one around 300Hz that may partly explain a subtle sense of vocal warmth noticed in listening, though it’s more likely room-related. Minimum impedance around 3.8 ohms. Short-term compression testing shows some increased distortion in the tweeter and higher-frequency compression at loud output.
Full Revel Concerta2 F35 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 3x 5.25" deep anodized aluminum cone woofers, 1" Aluminum Tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.8 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 89.4dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner; 90dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 41 lbs / 18.6 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F206
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs KEF R11 Meta
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs JBL Studio 698
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F228Be
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F208
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Focal Chora 816
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- See all 25 comparisons
JBL HDI-3600: $3800 Audioadvice
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons