Head to head
305P MkII vs. HS5
Both are Speakers in the same price bracket (€100 to €200) — which is why you genuinely hesitate between them. Here is what our register says about both, side by side, including what speaks against them.
JBL
305P MkII
€100 to €200
Small active monitor with wide dispersion and an adjustment for wall placement.
For
- Wide, even dispersion — the listening position matters less
- Cabinet made of 15 mm MDF
- Adjustment for wall placement on the back
Against
- Sold individually
- Bass rolls off early
Also available atAmazonAd
Yamaha
HS5
€100 to €200
Active two-way monitor with a white cone and room adjustment on the back — for small rooms.
For
- 74 Hz – 24 kHz at −3 dB, Yamaha's own figure
- Compact enough for a desk
- Room adjustment via switches on the back
Against
- Little deep bass — it won't simulate a club sub
- Sold individually: buy two
- Too quiet for parties
Also available atAmazonAd
Where it says “Ad” we earn a commission if you buy through the link — on the other routes we earn nothing. Either way you pay the same price, and it changes nothing about our recommendation. How we handle this
The key facts side by side
| Feature | 305P MkII | HS5 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | JBL | Yamaha |
| Price bracket | €100 to €200 | €100 to €200 |
| Our classification | Entry level | Entry level |
| Meant for | Nothing yet, Laptop only, Controller setup, Vinyl setup | Laptop only, Controller setup, Vinyl setup |
Technical specifications from the manuals
Every value taken word for word from that device’s manufacturer manual, with the PDF page. A dash means there is no clear value in the manual — not that the device lacks it.
| Feature | 305P MkII | HS5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | bi-amp, separate amps for tweeter and wooferp. 5 | bi-amp 2-way powered speakerp. 15 |
| Woofer | 127 mm (5")p. 20 | 5" conep. 15 |
| Tweeter | 25 mm (1")p. 20 | 1" domep. 15 |
| Amplifier power | HF 41 W + LF 41 W (Class D)p. 20 | 70 W dynamic (LF 45 W / 4 Ω, HF 25 W / 8 Ω)p. 15 |
| Inputs | 1x XLR, 1x TRS (balanced)p. 20 | XLR + phone jack (both balanced, parallel)p. 15 |
| Frequency response | 43 Hz to 24 kHzp. 20 | 74 Hz – 24 kHz (-3 dB), 54 Hz – 30 kHz (-10 dB)p. 15 |
| Maximum SPL | 108 dB peak, 94 dB continuousp. 20 | no clear value in the manual |
| Power consumption | 127 W maximump. 20 | 45 Wp. 15 |
| Dimensions | 298 x 185 x 231 mm (H x W x D)p. 20 | 170 x 285 x 222 mm (W x H x D)p. 15 |
| Weight | 4.73 kgp. 20 | 5.3 kgp. 15 |
Sources: 305P MkII: 3 Series MkII (305P/306P/308P) — Bedienungsanleitung (JBL Professional (Harman)) · HS5: HS Series (HS5/HS7/HS8) — Owner’s Manual (Yamaha Music Europe)
Where they differ
- They suit different paths — someone starting with vinyl needs a different device than someone on a controller.
- Different manufacturers, so different software ecosystems, spare parts and control logic. If you already own gear from one brand, that is a reason in itself.
We deliberately crown no winner here. What we can back up is above; anything else would be a claim, and there are plenty of those on this question already.
More comparisons: Speakers
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