Short answer: the Sony SS-CS3. It ranks #45 of 54 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $450; the JBL Stage 2 280F ranks #47 and costs $529.95, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Sony SS-CS3 offers: Affordable entry-level floorstanding tower offering solid sensitivity (88.6dB SPL at 2.83V/1m), making it easy to power with standard budget AVRs. Watch for: Severe cabinet and driver resonances plague the passband between 100Hz and 600Hz, imparting audible coloration and chesty resonances to male vocals and acoustic instruments.
What the JBL Stage 2 280F offers: 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. Watch for: 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…
Buy the Sony SS-CS3. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Stage 2 280F 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 54 floorstanding speakers instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sony SS-CS3 | JBL Stage 2 280F | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $450.00 Discontinued | $529.95 |
| Ranked | #45 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #47 of 54 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 30Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 72Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 48Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 36.3"H x 9.1"W x 10.2"D (922 x 230 x 260 mm) | 43.8" x 14.1" x 16.5" (1113 x 358 x 419 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal | 6 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 89.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 0.75 in. supertweeter, 0.98 in. polyester main tweeter, dual 5.12 in. MRC woofers | 1" anodized aluminum dome tweeter with HDI waveguide, dual 8" polycellulose woofers |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs / 11.5 kg each | 55.1 lbs / 25 kg (55.2 lb) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | ported, rear |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1.1kHz, 2.1kHz |
| Output Power | - | 125W RMS |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- Definitive Technology BP-9020 vs Infinity Reference 253
- Focal Chora 816 vs Infinity Reference 253
- ELAC DF63 vs Magnepan LRS+
- Infinity Reference 253 vs JBL Stage 2 280F
- Monolith Encore T6 vs JBL Stage 2 280F
The Two Speakers In Full
Sony SS-CS3: $450.00 Discontinued
Pros: Affordable entry-level floorstanding tower offering solid sensitivity (88.6dB SPL at 2.83V/1m), making it easy to power with standard budget AVRs. Harmonic distortion remains reasonably low at moderate listening levels (86dB SPL) when high-pass filtered above 80-100Hz with a dedicated subwoofer. Front-ported design allows relatively close placement to front boundaries without excessive port occlusion.
Cons: Severe cabinet and driver resonances plague the passband between 100Hz and 600Hz, imparting audible coloration and chesty resonances to male vocals and acoustic instruments. Irregular frequency response peaks and dips make automated receiver room correction difficult to equalize effectively. Poor low-frequency extension (F3 of 72Hz, F10 of 39Hz) for a floorstander, combined with rapid distortion escalation below 80Hz at higher SPLs (96dB+). Supertweeter driver adds crossover complexity without providing audible high-frequency benefit within the human hearing spectrum. Discontinued.
Full Sony SS-CS3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 72Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 36.3"H x 9.1"W x 10.2"D (922 x 230 x 260 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 0.75 in. supertweeter, 0.98 in. polyester main tweeter, dual 5.12 in. MRC woofers |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs / 11.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
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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