This Dolby Atmos soundbar proves that different surrounds don’t always deliver a better experience
As a home cinema professional, I review many soundbars. While no model can match the immersive experience of a full-fat multi-speaker setup, the category has grown significantly over the years, and for good reason.
When soundbars were first introduced in 2005 with the Yamaha YSP-1, they boasted a compact design, combining surround sound into a single product that sat neatly in front of your TV. And there’s a lot to love about that simplicity.
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All this makes them sound good. But when you actually use it, JBL shows that having a lot of smart functions and wireless surrounds does not guarantee that it is the best product available, or that it will be better than similarly priced single bar solutions.
While the 1000MK2 delivers an accurate and wide soundstage with its removable speakers, they fail to pack the punch we expected.
We say in our review: “Even when cranked up to their maximum volume, they don’t rival rival systems and struggle to produce really loud sound above ours.”
Their flexible design is still a big draw, giving the package flexibility that competitors just don’t have. But best-in-class soundbars can provide a more immersive listening experience without additional kit.
Take the Sonos Arc Ultra, and compare it to it, for example. The Award Winner comes in at roughly the same price as the JBL model, which costs £999 / $999/AU$1799.
When we put two soundbars on the head, Sonos is able to produce a convincing feeling around us, despite the fact that it is a single soundbar. While watching Thunder with both models firing around the soundstage, Sonos delivers a wider yet more precise experience that JBL can’t match.
Despite featuring a smart, innovative design with its removable speakers, the JBL surround doesn’t make enough of an impact, especially when compared to Sonos’ compact design. It seems that less is more, this time. That’s why I felt the need to write this warning, to let readers know, just because something is around, doesn’t automatically make it better. Trust me, I did a side-by-side comparison to check.
MORE:
Here is our review of JBL 1000MK2 bar
These are The best soundbars for Dolby Atmos
And this is our review of Sonos Arc Ultra
