Jbl Bar 2.0 Deep Bass Black

JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One (Mk2) Soundbar

The JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One (Mk2) is a compact 2.0 channel soundbar that does everything from inside a single bar. There is no separate subwoofer in this system: two racetrack drivers and built-in bass ports produce the low end JBL describes as deep bass, while Dolby Digital decoding, JBL Surround Sound and a Smart Sound mode handle films, sport and everyday television. At 614 mm wide and just 58 mm tall, it sits neatly in front of most televisions without blocking the screen or the remote sensor, and one HDMI ARC cable is all it needs to work with the TV.

That simplicity is the point of the design. Television speakers have shrunk as screens have grown thinner, and dialogue, effects and music all suffer for it. The Bar 2.0 Mk2 answers with 80 watts of total output, a wider soundstage than the bar’s physical width suggests, and Bluetooth streaming for the hours when the television is off and the bar becomes the room’s music speaker instead.

Key features

• 2.0 channel all-in-one design with no separate subwoofer to place or wire
• 80 W total output, 2 x 40 W, from two racetrack drivers
• Deep bass produced inside the bar by built-in bass ports
• Built-in Dolby Digital decoding for film and streaming soundtracks
• JBL Surround Sound processing widens the soundstage
• Smart Sound mode keeps dialogue clear, including at low volume
• HDMI ARC connection: one cable, with volume controlled by the TV remote
• Optical input for televisions without ARC, plus Bluetooth 4.2 streaming
• Low-profile 58 mm height and wall-mount bracket kit included

Deep Bass Without a Subwoofer Box

Most compact bars give up on bass or hand it to a separate subwoofer that needs floor space, a power socket and a cable or wireless link. The Bar 2.0 Mk2 takes the other route: its racetrack drivers are paired with bass ports built into the cabinet, tuned to reinforce the low frequencies the drivers produce. The result is the weight a thriller, a football crowd or an album needs, from one tidy unit that suits smaller rooms, bedrooms and flats where a subwoofer box has no natural home.

HDMI ARC, Explained

ARC, the Audio Return Channel, carries the television’s sound to the bar through the same HDMI cable standard used for picture connections, and passes control back the other way. In practice that means the TV remote adjusts the bar’s volume, and the bar wakes and sleeps with the television, so day to day there is nothing extra to switch on or learn. Because the signal stays digital, Dolby Digital soundtracks from streaming apps, broadcasters and set-top boxes reach the bar’s decoder intact. Televisions without ARC connect through the optical input instead, with the same one-cable tidiness.

Sound Modes for Real Viewing

Two pieces of processing shape what you hear. JBL Surround Sound takes stereo and multi-channel material and spreads it into a wider, more involving presentation than two small speakers in a bar would normally manage, which suits films and live sport. Smart Sound mode works the other end of the problem: it keeps voices forward and intelligible at modest volume, so late-night viewing and news or drama stay clear without constant volume riding between quiet dialogue and loud adverts.

Music Over Bluetooth

With Bluetooth 4.2 and the standard A2DP and AVRCP profiles, a phone or tablet pairs to the bar for music, podcasts and radio when the television is off. The bar’s output and bass tuning, chosen for film soundtracks, give streamed music a scale that phone speakers and small portable speakers cannot match, making the Bar 2.0 Mk2 a dual-purpose unit: television soundbar by evening, room speaker the rest of the day.

Who the Bar 2.0 Mk2 Suits

Choose this bar for a simple, tidy upgrade to television sound with real bass and no extra boxes, especially in smaller living spaces, bedrooms and second rooms. It suits viewers who want one-cable setup, TV-remote control and Bluetooth music in a single low-profile unit.

Full technical specifications for the JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One (Mk2) are listed in the Additional Information table on this page.