Jbl Bar 5.1 Black Sound Bar

JBL Bar 5.1 Soundbar (Black)

The JBL Bar 5.1 is a 5.1-channel soundbar system that converts into a true wireless surround setup. The two ends of the bar detach to become battery-powered rear speakers, a 10-inch wireless subwoofer handles the bass, and total system power is 510W. It is the original Bar 5.1 design: real detachable surround speakers rather than a virtual surround effect from a single bar.

Key features

• True 5.1-channel sound with two detachable wireless surround speakers
• 510W total maximum system power
• 10-inch wireless subwoofer for deep, flexible bass placement
• Surround speakers run up to 10 hours on battery, then re-dock on the bar
• Three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output with ARC, with 4K pass-through and HDCP 2.2
• Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS decoding, plus Bluetooth streaming

Detachable surrounds, real 5.1

The defining idea of this system is flexibility. For everyday television, news and music, the unit works as a single soundbar with the surround speakers docked at its ends, where they also recharge. For a film or a match, the two end speakers lift off and go behind the listening position, giving genuine rear-channel sound with no speaker cable across the room. Their batteries run for up to 10 hours of playtime, which covers several films before they need to return to the bar. Few soundbar systems at any level offer that conversion from tidy bar to full surround layout in seconds.

Power, drivers and bass

Total maximum power is 510W, with a maximum sound pressure level of 104 dB and a frequency response of 35 Hz to 20 kHz. The soundbar itself uses six 2.25-inch racetrack drivers and three 1.25-inch tweeters, an arrangement built for clear dialogue as well as scale. The separate 10-inch wireless subwoofer produces the low-frequency weight that a slim bar cannot, and because it connects wirelessly it can be placed where the bass sounds best in the room rather than only where a cable reaches. Docked or detached, the system is tuned as one 5.1 whole.

Connections and everyday control

Three HDMI inputs let a set-top box, console and media player connect directly, with 4K pass-through and HDCP 2.2 to the television through the single HDMI output with Audio Return Channel. An optical input and an analogue input cover older sources, and Bluetooth handles music from a phone or tablet. JBL SoundShift switches instantly between television sound and Bluetooth sound from a mobile device, so there is no menu diving when you move from a programme to a playlist. The bar is also programmed to respond to many existing television remote controls, keeping daily volume control on the remote already in your hand.

Fit and placement

The soundbar measures 1148 x 58 x 93 mm and weighs 3.9 kg, sized for larger televisions. The subwoofer measures 305 x 440 x 305 mm and weighs 13 kg, and each surround speaker is a compact 165 x 59 x 93 mm unit weighing 0.6 kg, easy to place on a side table or shelf behind the seats. In Black, the system suits a living room that wants proper surround sound for films and sport without a receiver, speaker wire or permanent rear-speaker installation.