Second Chance JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam

With the JBL Bar 5.0 I enjoy high sound quality with my television. The bar is quickly installed and I really think Dolby Atmos is an addition. I just don't think the bass of the soundbar is powerful enough. To enjoy powerful bass, I need the JBL Bar 5.1. This is supplied with a subwoofer.

Easy connection
No HDMI cable is included with the bar. Unfortunately, my TV does not have an HDMI arc connection, so I have to connect it with an optical cable. Fortunately, I have this cable myself at home and I do not purchase it separately. With the right cable, connecting the bar is a matter of connecting 2 cables.

Quick installation
The bar comes with a quick start guide in which all steps of the installation are explained with pictures and text. I find this small guide a bit unclear and look up the extensive manual. With this manual included, the bar is ready for use within twenty minutes.

In the middle of the action of the movie
Now that the bar is connected, I am very curious about the Dolby Atmos technology. I'm watching a movie that supports Dolby Atmos. The sound is spacious and room-filling, making it feel like I'm right in the middle of the movie. Because it is about virtual Dolby Atmos, the effect is not as intense as with a setup with multiple speakers.

Operate the bar via Siri
Because the soundbar supports different smart home platforms, I can easily add it to my smart home. I connect the bar to my Apple Homekit to control it indirectly with my voice. For example, I ask Siri on my phone to increase the volume of the bar or skip a song. This makes operating the bar even easier for me.

Hit and miss sound quality
I play some songs via Airplay. What is striking is that the sound quality of the bar is hit and miss. When I play reggae, dub or classical songs, the sound is full and detailed. I miss detail in a genre like metal. All songs sound best when the bar is turned up at a higher volume. At a lower volume, the bass loses its power and the midrange dominate. For me, a full reproduction of the lowest notes is an important part of music. The bass is therefore something I expected more from a JBL product.

This soundbar is a nice compact device that contains everything. Despite the fact that there is no subwoofer, the speakers still deliver a nice full sound. The bass is standard well present, but if you find it too little, you can set extra bass. This is done via a key combination on the remote control, which is a bit cumbersome.

The package also includes an HDMI cable to a power cable to connect the soundbar to your television. After all, you get the best sound with HDMI. First check whether your TV has an HDMI-ARC (or eARC) connection. If not, you also have the option to connect it with an optical cable (not included). The package also contains the supplies to hang the suondbar on the wall (2 L-brackets and necessary screws and plugs).

Setting up for the Google Assistant is easy via your Google Home app. (I don't have Alexa or Siri so I can't comment on that). I find a disadvantage that there is no built-in assistant in the soundbar, so that you actually need a google home or google home mini for optimal effect. I have such a device, so with simple voice commands, I simply play music or adjust the volume.

My television immediately recognized that an HDMI sound device was connected, so I could also control the soundbar with my TV remote control immediately after connecting. Just calibrate the Virtual-Dolby and I could watch movies with surround effect. This works surprisingly well. A system where you have multiple speakers in your room works even better, but the disadvantage is that you either have to pull a lot of cables or invest a lot of money in a wireless system. Nevertheless, this device does what it promises and creates a sound throughout your room.

Even when I'm just playing music, the positioning of the speakers ensures that I have equally good sound everywhere in my room. Unlike more traditional soundbars that only send sound forward, this JBL multibeam also sends sound sideways and up/down, filling your entire room with music.

Conclusion: A nice compact device that plays a nice full and clear sound. Films also get a new dimension through the Virtual-Dolby effect.

Bar 5.0 Multibeam from JBL. I was looking for the right soundbar for a long time and I found it! A requirement was that I did not want such an ugly separate sub woofer and the Bar 5.0 Multibeam from JBL does not have that! Furthermore, it should look nice in the whole of the living room, with its beautiful round design and not too large (71 cm) it does this perfectly. Now it is still on the TV cabinet under the TV, but you can also choose to hang the Bar 5.0 Multibeam with the included suspension system. A wonderful sound, while watching a movie with the built-in Virtual Dolby Atmos, you get a beautiful 3D sound and this without extra separate speakers in the living room. You can easily turn off this sound by pressing the atmos button on the accompanying remote control, if you are watching a talk show for example! So all in all, the Bar 5.0 multibeam from JBL is for me the ideal soundbar in the ideal living room.