JBL Bar 5.1 vs Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar review

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The present review is aimed to compare two soundbars - JBL Bar 5.1 vs Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar 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 8.4 for Smart Ultra Soundbar.

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 5.1.2 for the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar. Competitors do not have a built-in subwoofer. The Bar 5.1 has a wireless connection to separate subwoofer, and the Smart Ultra Soundbar - wired. Both models received our 8 rating of 10 for their audio features and specs. Spotify is available on each of the soundbars.

Connectivity

Only the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. The JBL Bar 5.1 has 3/0 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 1/1 of the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar. 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 9/10, respectively. App control is available in every soundbar. A built-in microphone is present only on the Smart Ultra Soundbar. Soundbars do not have Multi-room support.

Multichannel surround

Only the Smart Ultra Soundbar has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. The soundbars do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X. For multichannel surround JBL Bar 5.1 got a rating of 4, and Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar 6 out of 10.

Advantages JBL Bar 5.1 over Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar

Advantages Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar over JBL Bar 5.1