Designed for value-conscious music lovers, the new Stage 280F floorstanding loudspeaker is the flagship of JBL’s Stage 2 range. It’s an impressively large (1,113x241x409mm, 25kg) and imposing 2.5-way design, with dual 200mm ribbed polycellulose woofers and a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter within a large, moulded waveguide. Typical for JBL is the bass reflex cabinet loading, although in this instance there’s a large, rear-facing oval outlet with two round ports inside, tuned to suit the enclosure.

Built for both hi-fi and home theatre applications, the Stage 280F has a flat top which perfectly accommodates the optional JBL 240H Dolby Atmos speaker, which has upward firing drivers. Wiring for the latter is thoughtfully looked after by a pair of rear binding posts at the top of the 280F, so the 240H only requires a short 15cm speaker cable to connect. If the optional height speaker isn’t used, there’s a rubber cover to hide the binding posts from view.

The front baffle is around 5mm larger than the cabinet, giving it a distinctive ‘floating’ look, and is made in one large piece with the tweeter waveguide and woofers blending in with no fasteners visible. The bundled magnetically attachable grille hides all the drivers, and allows the speakers to visually better disappear into the listening room. The Stage 280F is available in Espresso or Latte finishes, names which I suspect speak to their intended customer demographic.

JBL provides a wooden plinth which screws into the base of the speaker. It’s a nice arrangement which greatly aids stability and raises the cabinet slightly off the floor – especially when the supplied spikes are used. The company proudly boasts that this is designed and engineered at its Acoustic Engineering Center of Excellence in Northridge, California – although it’s built in China to keep production costs down. Nevertheless, fit and finish are great for the money.

As you would expect from JBL, this speaker goes a little louder for any given amount of amplifier power, than most of its rivals. Sensitivity is claimed to be a healthy 91dB [1m, 2.83V] and nominal impedance is put at 6 ohms – so this should be pretty easy to drive for most modern amplifiers. The manufacturer recommends it be used with amplifiers producing between 20W and 225W. Many will choose to pair the Stage 280F with one of JBL’s own multichannel receivers, and use other Stage 2 loudspeakers to complete their home theatre system. However, a simple pair also works well for standard stereo use. Quoted frequency response is 39Hz to 25kHz (±3dB).

I used a variety of amplifiers for my listening tests, including a Rotel RA-1572 MKII and a Yamaha R-N2000A. Setting up the review pair of JBLs in my listening room proved easy, as they worked well in the location that I usually use. This is about 2.5m apart, and around 60cm out from the boundary wall to give an even bass character. The user manual points out that angling the speakers towards the listening position improves imaging, although personally I preferred them almost straight ahead in my listening room.

THE LISTENING

Anyone familiar with modern JBL tower-style loudspeakers will hear a strong family resemblance. The Stage 280F makes music feel compelling – rather like being on a thrill ride. With lots of cone area, the output is strong and impressively dynamic – the room is energised with sound to make the music exciting. This energy doesn’t just go into the bass area, as the midrange is vivid and upfront. The speaker boasts good bass extension and decent bass weight, yet this never dominates if you’ve positioned it correctly in your room.

Crooked – Gumnut Remix by Smilk is the sort of song that works well with the JBL, with a strong, solid rhythmic bass line and lots of airy electronic sounds that create interest and atmosphere. The detailed treble is a touch prominent and can seem rather well lit, but it’s never harsh and is typical amongst its similarly priced peers. Indeed at this price point, don’t expect the Stage 280F or any other loudspeaker to have huge levels of refinement, smoothness and subtlety. All the same, the JBL serves up decent levels of detail and there’s actually some delicacy in its delivery – enough to make listening to it big fun. 

Keep The Wolves Away by Uncle Lucius highlighted this midrange, with the guitar, organ and vocal sounding realistic and entertaining. The bass guitar and kick drum also worked very well together. Leonard Cohen’s voice in Happens to the Heart was impressively reproduced too, and there was no sign of any lumpiness further down in the bass. This makes this track a great way to showcase the Stage 280F’s talents – it has been voiced very well, as demonstrated by the fact that it never over-extends itself and tries to do something that it can’t. Melenie De Biasio’s voice on Your Freedom Is The End Of Me initially sounded a bit raw, but the more use this speaker got, the smoother the midband became.

The 280F’s spatial performance is very good, making tracks like Hysteresis by Angus MacRae feel like an extra-wide movie screen. The JBL has no trouble creating an open window that envelops the entire front wall, well beyond the respective positions of the speakers. The violins on this track came across as being a bit diffuse and broad, which is just as it should be. Images were well focused and there was a better sensation of front-to-back depth than expected.

As with all JBLs, the Stage 280F relishes playing as loudly as you dare without distress or compression – providing your amplifier is up to the job. I really enjoyed the energy and dynamics of Wytaliba by Salmonella Dub, a track with complex percussion and bass lines. The bottom end was punchy and supple, albeit not the fastest I’ve heard. This speaker always feels cohesive and in control though, which is something that cannot be said for many of its rivals.

Used as part of a 2.1 channel system using a REL T9i subwoofer, the JBL proved happy in a home theatre role, watching movies, Netflix and Disney shows. Although the Stage 280F is surprisingly capable in the bass by itself, the subwoofer improved things further. Time (from Inception) by Hans Zimmer proved suitably dramatic and convincing, and the deep bass absolutely shook my room.

THE VERDICT

I really enjoyed my time with my review pair of JBL Stage 280Fs, as they made music sound young and alive. No matter what content was thrown at this sizeable floorstander, it sailed through without raising a sweat. Indeed, used as front speakers in a multichannel home theatre setup they proved formidable, so imagine how a full JBL setup would perform. Whether you’re an audiophile, movie enthusiast or head banger, you’ll likely love the way this loudspeaker gives a serious bang for your buck.

For more information visit JBL