JBL Bar 5.1 vs Bose Soundbar 500 review

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An affordable soundbar is always a good option to consider, so JBL Bar 5.1 vs Bose Soundbar 500 comparison definitely makes sense. Based on our rating, Bar 5.1 has a total rating of 7.2 out of 10 versus 7.4 for Soundbar 500. The competitors' control buttons are different: power, volume down, volume up, input and microphone, 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 3.0 for the Bose Soundbar 500. 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 Bose Soundbar 500 6 for its audio features and specs.

Streaming services

The JBL Bar 5.1 has support AirPlay, and its competitor in our comparison has AirPlay 2. Spotify is available on each of the soundbars.

Connectivity

Only the Bose Soundbar 500 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 1/0 of the Bose Soundbar 500. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. Both soundbars have a USB connector. For connectivity, each of the soundbars received a rating of 8/10.

Features

App control is available in every soundbar. A built-in microphone is present only on the Soundbar 500. Soundbars do not have Multi-room support.

Multichannel surround

Only the Soundbar 500 has a Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format support. The soundbars do not support the surround sound technology DTS:X. For multichannel surround, each of the opponents received 4 points out of 10.

Advantages JBL Bar 5.1 over Bose Soundbar 500

Advantages Bose Soundbar 500 over JBL Bar 5.1