JBL BAR series is a whole new range of soundbars

By Simon Lucas
published

BAR is a four-strong range of soundbars with a customisable element for greater flexibility

JBL has unveiled its most comprehensive range of soundbars to date. Called BAR, they start from just £150.

That buys you BAR Studio, a 30-watt design with HDMI ARC connectivity as well as optical, USB and analogue inputs.

Double your money up to £300 and BAR 2.1 can be yours. This adds a 180-watt wireless subwoofer with a 16cm driver, for a total of 300 watts all-in.

BAR 3.1 has, as the model name suggests, a dedicated centre-channel driver in its metre-long body. The HDMI input count is upped to three, and the subwoofer grows to a 25cm/300-watt device. Added to the soundbar's 150 watts, that's plenty of power. BAR 3.1 costs £400.

£650 buys you BAR 5.1 (pictured above). It features two detachable, battery-powered wireless rear speakers (battery life is a claimed 10 hours), one at each end of the soundbar. It comes with the same hefty wireless subwoofer as BAR 3.1, and its three HDMI inputs are all 4K/HDCP2.2 compatible.

BAR 2.1 goes on sale in September, with the other three models following in October.

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Simon Lucas

Simon Lucas is a freelance technology journalist and consultant, with particular emphasis on the audio/video aspects of home entertainment. Before embracing the carefree life of the freelancer, he was editor of What Hi-Fi? – since then, he's written for titles such as GQ, Metro, The Guardian and Stuff, among many others.