If you’re interested in Dolby Atmos soundbars, then 2025 is rapidly shaping up to be a great year.
This week alone we saw JBL unveil its new range of soundbars – a list headed by the impressive-looking JBL Bar 1300MK2.
That unit is a direct successor to the JBL Bar 1300 soundbar system that we initially reviewed and gave four stars to in 2023.
It's a big deal as is is positioned as a direct rival to the Samsung Q990F and Sonos Arc Ultra in the top end of the Dolby Atmos soundbar market.
Adding to the allure, the Bar 1300MK2 comes with some big hardware upgrades. Chief of these is its massive 29 drivers count, which lets it deliver a total of 11 audio channels in a 7.1.4 arrangement.
Add to this the wireless satellite speakers, which attach to the main unit to charge when not needed, and the cable-free subwoofer, and the system looks impressive.
But, after a scroll through the Bar’s specifications and a quick check on the details of JBL’s accompanying step down models – the 800MK2, 500MK2 and 300MK2 – one key thought came to mind: where’s the small option?
The entry level 300MK is relatively affordable – it's set to retail for £350 – but it’s a full width unit, coming in at 82cm wide.
As I’ve said before, this is a disappointment for me; small, great-sounding Dolby Atmos soundbars remain something of a rarity.
Jump to our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide, indeed, and you’ll see only one recommendation: the Sonos Beam Gen 2.
To date, this remains the only small, 42- and 48-inch TV-friendly, Dolby Atmos soundbar we have tested and can fully recommend.
And that, to me, is a problem. Not all of us have giant home cinema setups with media stands that can accommodate a full width unit.
The lack of alternatives on our list isn't due to lack of trying. We have tested other big name, small soundbars including the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini, Amazon Fire TV Soundbar and more over the years.
But in each instance, when we have run them head to head with the Beam (Gen 2) in our dedicated review rooms, we always found them lacking in some areas.
The Ambeo Mini’s sound doesn’t match the Beam’s (not exactly industry leading itself) low end heft and feels slightly thin by comparison. Amazon’s offering, while cheap, lacks the detail and finesses required to take on the Beam.
Which is why I had really hoped that JBL would have a small bar to take up the challenge during this latest launch. This is especially true as past small soundbar offerings have hinted at greatness.
Though it has long since been retired, the firm’s four-star JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam was, for years, a favourite of mine, with its full-bodied sound powering many a bad movie night between 2021 and 2023.
If JBL had finessed the Bar 5.0’s core offering, adding more detail and general precision to its sound, it could have created something truly special this year.
Which is why I can’t help but think it missed a trick with its new line of Atmos Soundbars, even though the larger units ooze promise in their own right.
MORE:
These are the best soundbars we have reviewed
We rate the best OLED TVs
Our picks of the best surround sound systems
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