JBL launches three new soundbars, for TVs big or small

Audio manufacturer JBL has now launched three new wireless soundbars, ahead of its conference at the IFA 2019 expo – all available now available to buy.

Only a few weeks after JBL released its Google Assistant-enabled soundbar, three sibling products – all of which can connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to your phone or TV – have joined the roster for a variety of different audio needs, whether you want dedicated surround sound or just a small boost to your living room audio.

At the top of the range is the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround (£549), is a successor to last year’s JBL Bar 5.1, slimming down the wireless soundbar / subwoofer system to a sleeker 1108mm width – while adding in Airplay 2 and Chromecast support, with 4K passthrough for HDR10 and Dolby Vision too. You likely won’t notice the 10W drop in volume (to 500W), but there has been a significant price drop from the £699 2018 model to smooth it over. There’s still no Dolby Atmos support, however.

Next is the mid-range JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass (£299). With a 300W output this soundbar features only two drivers and one subwoofer to put a heavier emphasis on the bass.

At £159, the JBL Bar 2.0 All-In-One is the cheapest model, and only has an 80W output, with two drivers and no subwoofer to help out. It’s aimed more as a supporting speaker for small TVs, rather than something for a truly big movie night, but may offer a suitable halfway house for those who aren’t trying to keep the whole street awake.

  • IFA 2019 is Europe's biggest tech show. The TechRadar team is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and hands-on first impressions of new TV, watches and other tech as they're announced.

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