JBL Stage A170 Floorstanding Speakers (Pair)

JBL Stage A170 Floorstanding Speakers (Pair)

The JBL Stage A170 is the most compact floorstanding loudspeaker in JBL’s Stage series, designed and engineered at JBL’s acoustic engineering facility in Northridge, California, and supplied here as a pair. It is a 2.5-way, bass-reflex design: a 1-inch (25 mm) aluminium dome tweeter sits in JBL’s patented High Definition Imaging waveguide, and two 5.25-inch (133 mm) Polycellulose cone woofers handle the midrange and bass. The specified frequency response is 44 Hz to 40 kHz, sensitivity is 89 dB, nominal impedance is 6 ohms, and JBL recommends amplifier power between 20 and 200 W, which covers most stereo amplifiers and AV receivers.

Key Features

• 2.5-way floorstanding design, bass reflex with rear-firing tuned ports
• Dual 5.25-inch Polycellulose woofers
• 1-inch aluminium dome tweeter with HDI waveguide
• Frequency response 44 Hz to 40 kHz
• Sensitivity 89 dB (2.83 V / 1 m); nominal impedance 6 ohms
• Recommended amplifier power 20 to 200 W
• Crossover frequencies 1.8 kHz and 2.8 kHz
• Dual 5-way binding-post terminals for bi-wiring or bi-amping
• Removable grille; dimensions 267 x 976 x 330 mm; weight 14.3 kg each
• Sold as a pair

High Definition Imaging Waveguide

The tweeter’s HDI waveguide is geometry derived from JBL’s professional monitor work, and its job is to control how high frequencies spread into the room. A small dome on a flat baffle changes its dispersion with frequency, so the sound reflected from walls and floor differs in balance from the direct sound, and the stereo image shifts as the listener moves. By controlling that dispersion, the waveguide keeps direct and reflected sound more consistent with each other, which keeps imaging stable across a sofa rather than only in one central seat, and helps the tweeter’s output blend with the woofers through the crossover region.

Why the Design Is 2.5-Way

In the A170 both woofers reproduce bass, but they do not share the whole midrange. The lower woofer is rolled off at the 1.8 kHz crossover point, while the upper woofer continues up to the 2.8 kHz handover to the tweeter. Doubling the cone area for bass gives a slim cabinet more low-frequency output and headroom than a single 5.25-inch driver could manage, while restricting the midrange to one driver avoids the interference between two separated drivers that can thicken voices. It is a practical route to floorstanding bass from a narrow footprint.

Amplifier Matching and Placement

At 89 dB sensitivity and 6 ohms nominal impedance, the A170 is an undemanding load: the recommended 20 to 200 W window spans modest integrated amplifiers through to full-size AV receivers. Two sets of 5-way binding posts allow bi-wiring or bi-amping where the amplifier supports it, with the linking arrangement used for a conventional single run of cable. The tuned ports fire to the rear, so a little free space behind each cabinet helps the bass stay even; some toe-in towards the listening position is a sensible starting point for imaging.

Where the A170 Fits

The A170 suits stereo systems in small to medium rooms, listeners moving up to their first tower speakers, and front left and right duty in a Stage-series home cinema completed with the matching centre and surround models. Its narrow cabinet takes little more floor space than a bookshelf speaker on a stand while reaching down to a specified 44 Hz. Full technical specifications are listed in the Additional Information tab.