The JBL Bar 5.1 Surround is a mid-range soundbar released in 2020. It's not a "true" surround setup with rear speakers, so it plays back surround sound content virtually, using its MultiBeam technology to bring a more cinematic feel to your living room. There are some premium features, like a room correction tool to optimize audio based on your room's unique acoustics, as well as built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay support. However, it can't support Dolby Atmos content, which is found on many streaming platforms.
Our Verdict
The JBL 5.1 Bar is a pretty versatile soundbar, making it a decent choice for mixed usage. Dialogue in your favorite TV shows is clear and easy to follow, and voices and lead instruments in music sound detailed and pleasant. Its sub adds rumble in the bass, great for bass-heavy music and action-heavy movies. While it can playback surround sound, unfortunately, you can't enjoy object-based content like Dolby Atmos, which is more and more common on streaming platforms.
- Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
- Room correction available.
- No Atmos support.
- No bass and treble adjustments.
The JBL Bar 5.1 reproduces dialogue with clarity and detail, meaning you can enjoy everything from sitcoms to podcasts to audiobooks. Its discrete center channel improves vocal reproduction, too, which is great. You can even use its night mode feature to balance the volume level across different programs and commercials, which is really handy if you don't want to disturb those around you.
- Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
- Room correction available.
- No dialogue enhancement feature.
The JBL Bar 5.1 Soundbar reproduces a fairly balanced sound right out of the box, making it suitable for listening to lots of different music genres. Voices and lead instruments are clear in the mix, and its sub offers a solid amount of bass for genres like EDM and hip-hop. Plus, its room correction tool is designed to optimize its output based on your room's unique acoustics, which is a nice touch. However, you won't find a lot of customization tools, so you can't switch up its sound based on your preferences.
- Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
- Room correction available.
- No graphic EQ.
- No bass and treble adjustments.
The JBL Bar 5.1 reproduces clear and accurate dialogue, and its subwoofer brings some rumble during action-packed movie scenes. You can even use its smart mode feature to enhance sound effects in the mix. It can playback 5.1 surround sound formats that are commonly found on streaming platforms, like Dolby Digital, though it doesn't perform as well as setups with discrete surrounds. There's no Atmos support, either.
- Outstanding wireless connectivity options.
- Room correction available.
- No Atmos support.
- No bass and treble adjustments.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 10, 2023: Added market comparison with the JBL Bar 500 to the Height (Atmos) box.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Updated Audio Format Support results for greater clarity on Smart Mode's performance.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Updated Audio Format Support and Video Passthrough To TV results with new methodology.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
It comes in one color variant: Black. You can see its label here. Note that JBL also manufactures another soundbar called the JBL Bar 5.1, which comes with two detachable wireless satellites. However, we haven't tested this variant and expect it to perform differently than our test unit.
If you come across a variant of this soundbar that's different from our test unit, please let us know, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The JBL Bar 5.1 is a 5.1 setup from this manufacturer's 2020 lineup. Compared to the JBL Bar 5.1, this soundbar doesn't use any satellite speakers and instead uses 'Multibeam' technology alongside discrete speakers in the bar itself to improve the bar's surround performance without satellites. However, unlike many other 5.1 setups, it doesn't support Atmos. It also has limited sound enhancement features.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best soundbars for music, the best 5.1 soundbars, and the best soundbars with subwoofer.
The JBL Bar 500 is better than the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The 500 is a newer model that offers better sound quality, with a better stereo soundstage and better stereo dynamics. It can playback Dolby Atmos content, though it has to downmix it into stereo to do so. It offers more sound enhancement features as well.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is a better soundbar than the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup with a better soundstage performance that gets louder with less compression at max volume. Unlike the JBL, it supports Dolby Atmos content, and it comes with a graphic EQ and built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant support. However, the 5.1 JBL has a better surrounds performance, and it comes with a room correction feature and more wireless playback options.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The Sonos is a better-built 5.0 setup that supports Atmos content, unlike the JBL. It also has a better soundstage and built-in voice assistant capabilities. However, the 5.1 JBL has a dedicated sub and can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It's also better suited to users who want to use a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough.
The Sonos Arc is a better soundbar than the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround. The Sonos offers better soundstage and Atmos performances. It can also be upgraded to the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers for better performance. However, the JBL's dedicated sub reproduces a more extended low-bass and has EQ presets and a Full HDMI In port.
Test Results
