JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2): which Dolby Atmos soundbar should you buy?

For years, if you checked our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide, or yearly list of Award winners, you'd have seen one recommendation for buyers on a budget: the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

While we applaud its longevity, variety is the spice of life, which is why we've continued hunting for an affordable soundbar capable of dethroning it, but to little avail. Perhaps, until now.

Yes, this month, a new challenger has stepped into the ring, in the shape of the JBL Bar 300MK2. Brandishing some pretty comprehensive specifications and a bombastic sound, the soundbar earned our hallowed five-star rating, which may lead you to justifiably ask: which one should I buy?

We’ve got you covered. We've compared them in detail to help you decide which one is worthy of your home set-up.

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: price

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 costs £449 / $449 / AU$649, while the JBL Bar 300MK2 comes in at £350 / $450 / AU$549.

That’s nearly the same price in the US, but there is a bit of a difference in the UK. The Beam certainly isn't immune to price drops, and we've recently seen it go as low as £335, but it usually costs the full £449.

This puts both soundbars in the entry-level Dolby Atmos category, with more pricey mid-range models such as the Sonos Arc at £799 / $799 / AU$1399.

At this price, both models also have stiff competition with the Hisense AX5125H, which costs £249 / $350 (around AU$500). The soundbar package consists of a main soundbar, subwoofer and two small surround speakers.

This is our only other five-star entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar recommendation. Inevitably, it takes up more space than the single soundbars we are looking at today.

But with this match up, while the Sonos model has seen some significant price drops recently, the JBL bar takes the crown.

**Winner: JBL Bar 300MK2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: build

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a compact model, measuring 7 x 65 x 10cm (hwd). It’s got quite a stylish design, sporting rounded ends with a perforated polycarbonate grille facing the listener. There are two colour finishes available – white and black.

That contrasts with the JBL’s longer, more plastic-looking build that measures 5 x 94 x 10 cm (hwd), and is only available in black.

This means the JBL is much longer but also a little less tall than the Sonos Beam, so it's even less likely to block the bottom of the TV. It might not be the case if your TV has feet rather than a stand, so that is worth keeping in mind when your setup.

Unlike the Beam, there’s an LED display at the front of the bar, which is a pleasant surprise at this price and makes volume and output changes instantly visible.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 does not come with a remote control, but it can be operated via the Sonos app (more on this later) and the TV remote.

With the Bar 300MK2, we get a remote that closely resembles the soundbar itself. It’s long, thin, simple and entirely black apart from the symbols on the buttons. From here, you can turn on Dolby Atmos and Bluetooth, change the output, adjust the volume, and crank up the bass from 1 to 5. You can also use the accompanying app to control the soundbar.

Both soundbars feel sturdy and well-built, and which one you prefer will be down to personal preference and practicality.

**Winner: draw**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: features

But what are the soundbars hiding under their shells? Starting with the Sonos model, the 5.0 bar features one central tweeter and four elliptical mid-woofers each powered by Class D amplifiers.

Within the JBL’s slender body are five mid/bass racetrack drivers and four 0.75-inch tweeters, which also create a 5.0 sound system. Neither model includes up-firing speakers, so Dolby Atmos is delivered virtually.

On top of the Beam’s body are touch-sensitive buttons, LEDs, and far-field mics for voice control of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. At the back of the bar, you will find sockets for power, ethernet, and a single HDMI eARC as well as a connect/reset push button.

JBL’s model offers a dedicated HDMI input as well as an HDMI eARC port. That's a draw for those with lots of sources who don’t want to lose an input when they connect their soundbar. That said, this input doesn't support 4K/120Hz signals from a games console.

Both the Sonos and the JBL soundbars can be controlled by an app. These act as an all-in-one hub for the bars, with access to EQ controls and more advanced sound settings.

The apps also offer room calibration to fine-tune the sound to your space, but it's worth noting that the Beam's calibration requires an iOS device – Android devices aren't compatible.

Both soundbars have wi-fi and support music streaming via platforms including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Amazon Music Ultra HD.

As wi-fi is included, you can stream using platforms such as Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Amazon Music Ultra HD with both soundbars. You can expand the Sonos with wireless surrounds and a subwoofer if you wish. This isn’t an option with the JBL model, however.

It’s tough to decide a winner here as both soundbars are relatively well matched, but the JBL Bar takes it for that extra HDMI connectivity.

**Winner: JBL Bar 300MK2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: sound

Now for the main event: how do the soundbars compare in terms of audio performance? It’s evident from the outset that they are taking quite different approaches.

The JBL Bar 300MK2 produces an immersive and room-filling sound in our test room, massively outdoing the audio quality of the majority of TV speakers and producing a wider soundstage than the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

We say in our review while watching Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning: “As the camera follows the progress of the helicopter in the sky, the sound stretches into the room, along the ceiling, to a point just above the listening position.”

It packs a lot of punch with the bass, too, which adds to the overall immersive experience. When the helicopter flies overhead, for example, we can feel the thrum of the chopping in the soles of our feet.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 doesn’t reach the same impactful bass levels and weightiness as the JBL, but it counters with a more precise and controlled overall sound. It balances each frequency with expert finesse, creating an impressively detailed sound considering its compact size and lack of up-firing drivers.

When watching Roma, for example, we say: “In the incredibly stress-inducing scene in which the father painstakingly parks his car in the family’s narrow driveway while smoking a cigarette and blasting classical music, the rapid editing from interior to exterior, above the car to below the bumper, is expertly matched by the Beam Gen 2’s rendering of space and dynamics.”

This controlled performance continues with music, as the Sonos model offers clear vocals along with good cohesion between the different frequencies.

The JBL Bar 300MK2’s bombastic performance lends itself less well to music, though. It’s still bassy and immersive, but with Aurora’s Your Name, the soundbar struggles to separate each frequency, which leads to a slightly clogged delivery.

Although the JBL Bar 300MK2’s punchy performance will win it many fans, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 takes the crown for its more cohesive and detailed overall sound, which works well with both music and movies.

**Winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: verdict

The JBL Bar 300MK2 and Sonos Beam Gen 2 are both excellent five-star Dolby Atmos soundbars, and either would make a worthy addition to your home cinema system.

JBL’s sleek-looking soundbar offers an immersive, room-filling sound that gives your movie viewing experience a great sense of excitement and scale.

Sonos’ model, on the other hand, delivers a more controlled overall performance with an excellent sense of precision that the JBL can't match.

That makes the Sonos Beam Gen 2 our top recommendation for most people, and means it keeps the top spot as the best entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar for now. Though the JBL definitely gave it a decent, and welcome, run for its money.

**Overall winner: Sonos Beam Gen 2**