JBL Bar 5.1 vs Polk Audio Command Bar review

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The present review is aimed to compare two soundbars - JBL Bar 5.1 vs Polk Audio Command Bar that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers. Based on our rating, Bar 5.1 has a total rating of 7.2 out of 10 versus 6.6 for Command Bar. The competitors' control buttons are different: power, volume down, volume up, input and volume down, volume up, microphone, action, respectively.

Audio features

Both soundbars have active amplification type. A significant difference between the units in the number of channels, the JBL Bar 5.1 has 5.1 versus 2.1 for the Polk Audio Command Bar. The output power is different and equal to 510 (overall) W for the Bar 5.1 versus 160 (overall) W for the Command Bar. Competitors do not have a built-in subwoofer. Rivals have wireless connection to separate subwoofer. The JBL Bar 5.1 got our rating of 8 out of 10, and the Polk Audio Command Bar 6 for its audio features and specs. Spotify is available on each of the soundbars.

Connectivity

Both models do not have WI-FI support. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The JBL Bar 5.1 has 3/0 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 1/1 of the Polk Audio Command Bar. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Both soundbars have a USB connector. For connectivity, the Bar 5.1 received a rating of 8/10 versus 7/10, respectively.

Features

Both models support voice control using Amazon Alexa. App control is available for the Bar 5.1. A built-in microphone is present only on the Command Bar. Multi-room is only available for the Polk Audio Command Bar.

Multichannel surround

None of soundbars equipped with Dolby Atmos multichannel audio decoder. The soundbars do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X. For multichannel surround JBL Bar 5.1 got a rating of 4, and Polk Audio Command Bar 5 out of 10.

Advantages JBL Bar 5.1 over Polk Audio Command Bar

Advantages Polk Audio Command Bar over JBL Bar 5.1