JBL has announced its new Dolby Atmos soundbar series for 2025, and it's aiming to deliver some seriously powerful home cinema sound.
The American audio company has revealed a five-strong lineup of new soundbars, with "MK2" editions of its current soundbar range hitting the market immediately.
The star of the show is the new JBL Bar 1300MK2, which is a successor to the four-star wireless soundbar package that we tested last year.
JBL is calling the MK2 model the "most packed soundbar we've ever made", and it's touting its extensive experience in cinema audio systems as inspiration for this new soundbar system.
So, what's new? The Bar 1300MK2 starts strong, as it features no less than 29 drivers throughout the full package.
That includes six upward-firing drivers, plus two 8-inch woofers in a push-pull configuration subwoofer.
The system's 29 drivers deliver a total of 11 audio channels in a 7.1.4 configuration, with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
All of those drivers require ample amplification, and JBL claims to have delivered the goods with a whopping 2470W of total system power.
1200W of that comes from the subwoofer, which has been redesigned to resemble a square-ish barrel in stature.
Interestingly, it appears to be following in the footsteps of the Samsung HW-Q990F's more compact subwoofer, and it even has a similar driver configuration.
When quizzed about this, JBL – which exists under the Harman Audio umbrella that's owned by Samsung – says that there is often an "exchange of technology" within the Harman brands, but that JBL still operates separately.
Importantly, it claims that the Bar 1300MK2's new subwoofer is more powerful than the one in the Q990F, though it could share "some parts" with the Samsung system.
Moving on to the unique selling point of the Bar 1300MK2; the nifty detachable speakers return.
There's a new mechanism to make detaching the wireless surround speakers from the main chassis of the soundbar even easier, and the upgraded Bluetooth-enabled speakers have a few new tricks up their sleeves.
There's a new feature called Broadcast, which will allow users to take a surround speaker with them if they need to leave a room, turning said speaker into a multi-room audio device.
This switches the wireless speaker from just delivering surround effects to outputting the full bandwidth of the audio being played by the soundbar, to ensure you don't miss out on any of the action – perfect for those people who leave the room during a movie and say "don't pause it, I'll be right back".
These wireless surrounds can also be used as traditional Bluetooth speakers, and they even feature AuraCast, meaning they can be synced up with JBL's other wireless audio products, including the Charge 6 and Flip 7.
Speaking of JBL's other offerings, this new soundbar system is packed with proprietary JBL technology, including AI Sound Boost, which is also featured on the portable speakers listed above.
JBL promises that it's "not just slapping AI in front of a feature to appeal to users" and that it will deliver "big consumer advantages". It uses AI to analyse the sound and predict what's about to play, allowing the system to redistribute power in the process to amplify parts where the sound could otherwise be limited.
Multibeam 3.0 is also onboard, which spaces sound out on a horizontal axis to deliver a more expansive soundscape. JBL says this latest version spreads sound more evenly, and it's set to deliver a wider sound too.
Other software features include a new Night Listening mode, PureVoice 2.0, which is JBL's answer to dialogue enhancement, and SmartDetail, which will reportedly amplify softer and more subtle environmental sounds to enhance immersion.
The Bar 1300MK2 sounds completely feature-packed already, but it doesn't end there. Wi-fi streaming is on board, with support for all of the streaming platforms including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect. Roon is also supported thanks to Harman now owning the platform.
Two HDMI passthrough sockets are also included for wired connectivity, but it hasn't yet been confirmed if these are full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets.
The soundbar can be controlled via the JBL One app, with further implementation into JBL's full audio ecosystem for multiroom playback, and you can stream music directly to the bar via the JBL One app too.
You can also pair other JBL speakers to work in tandem with the system, which is an interesting concept that we're looking forward to trying out.
Let's take a breather from that onslaught of features and discuss price, as JBL has confirmed that the Bar 1300MK2 will launch at the same £1300 launch price as its predecessor. We'll add international pricing once we have it.
The new soundbar system is launching in September of this year, when it will take on the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on the market, including the Sony Theatre Bar 9 and Sonos Arc Ultra.
Step-down Dolby Atmos soundbars aplenty
Alongside the new Bar 1300MK2, JBL has announced a full range of Atmos-ready 'bars. The Bar 300MK2, Bar 500MK2, Bar 800MK2 and Bar 1000MK2 will launch this month.
The Bar 300MK2 and Bar 500MK2 are practically the same, though the latter includes a subwoofer while the former does not. These respective 5.0 and 5.1 channel options deliver virtualised Dolby Atmos and include support for Multibeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0 and SmartDetail.
Stepping up to the Bar 800MK2, we're introduced to Night Listening, detachable wireless surround speakers, and the same 10-inch subwoofer found on the Bar 500MK2.
Climbing a further rung on the JBL soundbar ladder, we have the Bar 1000MK2, which brings full Dolby Atmos with upward-firing drivers into the mix.
All of these soundbars are compatible with the JBL One application and feature streaming support over wi-fi
UK pricing for these soundbars is as follows:
- JBL Bar 300MK2: £350
- JBL Bar 500MK2: £500
- JBL Bar 800MK2: £800
- JBL Bar 1000MK2: £900
MORE:
Read our full JBL Bar 1300 review
As well as our Samsung HW-Q990F review
And check out our overall picks for the best soundbars
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