Firstly this sound bar is a killer soundbar at the price point (usually around $349 on sale in Amazon). It’s hard to find a good 5.1 soundbar with good subwoofer at this price.
I got this on prime early access deal (2nd prime day) for $288, and it was a no brainer at this price! Without prime sale, it’s usually around 299-349, still a great price.
Now let’s talk sound quality:
I watched Andrew Robinson’s review about this sound bar (please watch it, it’s the only good technical review available from a proven audiophile YouTuber). He praised it well and recommended it and called it the budget sound bar king, even better than the klipsch 600.
I was waiting for prime day sale to buy it…
Once I got it in, set up was simple. For all iOS users, download the “JBL Bar set up” app, to add the sound bar to Wi-Fi. It’s very simple that way!
Subwoofer was pre paired (it should be from factory, don’t know why some people are saying it was not paired!! But it’s easy to pair).
Connected the tv input (Sony x900f for me) and it was up and running.
Next make sure to do the calibration, it steps up the sound quality considerably. I made sure “smart mode” was “on”, this mode applies JBL sound processing and smartly and effectively turns any stereo input to 5.1
I was surprised! The smart mode actually sounds very good, it widens the sound stage, and you actually feel the surround sound effect. For my room, I actually get the bouncing effect from the side firing tweeters pretty well, nevertheless, sound stage is pretty wide, and you won’t feel like listening to a 2.1 channel sound.
Bass was adequate, I tried between 3 and 4, ended up at 3 since it’s pretty balanced there.
The sound bar has 5 front firing full range drivers, no tweeter pairs, but I was surprised: there was good and clear treble in the sound and midrange was also very manageable (clear). Dialogues are nice and clear and clearly seems like it comes from the center driver (mimicking the center channel), even at Smart mode ON.
People complain that there are no adjustment options, to be honest you don’t need any! Bass can be adjusted from 1-5, and that’s all you need. The eq settings are nicely tuned from factory and to be very honest, I don’t feel like I have to make any changes.
I do own a full Sonos Arc set up (5.2.2) and feel like this JBL bar is pretty good at what it does: providing simple 5.1 sound at a reasonable price without offering gimmick features.
I also heard people complaining about longevity, so I also got the 3 year plan from Amazon for $33, totally worth it! Peace of mind. Recommend everyone getting it cause you never know when electronics fail. $33 is a bargain.
I ordered the soundbar 600 before, returned it cause it clearly sounded a 2.1 sound bar even with surround option “on” and loudness was not adequate. This JBL, which is cheaper, sounds day and night better and I love it! It’s nice and loud, sound stage is wide, and everything is perfectly pre tuned from factory.
To sum up, don’t read the negatives, no one can guarantee you anything when it comes to electronics. The sound bar is actually very good, and you won’t be disappointed. But do recommend the 3 year plan ($33), for peace of mind. Even with the added pan, total price is very good and lower than other gimmick sound bars… great job JBL, and thanks Andrew Robinson for an honest video! Check his review out, you will get the real picture…
JBL BAR5.0 5-Channel Multibeam Soundbar with Dolby Atmos Virtual Grey, Black
4.4 | 3,574 ratings
Price: 189.95
Last update: 10-11-2024
About this item
Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam surround sound gives you an immersive and exciting 3D sound experience and a wide soundstage.
Certified for Humans – Smart home made easy for non-experts. Setup with Alexa is simple.
Punchy bass without the need for a separate subwoofer thanks to four passive radiators built-in.
Dolby Vision coupled with 4K pass through will allow enjoy pristine video quality.
With AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music and Chromecast built-in, you can stream all your favorite online content in amazing sound quality, with a simple finger tap.
Certified for Humans – Smart home made easy for non-experts. Setup with Alexa is simple.
Punchy bass without the need for a separate subwoofer thanks to four passive radiators built-in.
Dolby Vision coupled with 4K pass through will allow enjoy pristine video quality.
With AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music and Chromecast built-in, you can stream all your favorite online content in amazing sound quality, with a simple finger tap.
Product information
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Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here
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