JBL Bar 500MK2

In this jbl bar 500mk2 review, the JBL Bar 500MK2 is the best Dolby Atmos soundbar you can buy for under $400, priced at $399.95 and ranked #4 of 9 in our guide. It is a 5.1 channel system that pairs a 37-inch bar with a 10-inch wireless subwoofer, and JBL rates total output at 750 watts. A 4.5-star average from 293 Amazon ratings makes it the most reviewed JBL soundbar in this roundup. Buy it if you want deep bass and a wide front soundstage without running cables to rear speakers. Skip it if true rear-channel placement matters more to you than price.

The spec sheet explains the experience. A 10-inch subwoofer is unusually large at this price, which is why the JBL Bar 500MK2 reaches down to a 20 hertz frequency response and delivers bass you feel rather than just hear. MultiBeam 3.0 widens the front stage through beam steering, so the Dolby Atmos mix spreads across the wall in front of you instead of collapsing into one spot. PureVoice 2.0 then raises dialogue automatically, based on the scene's ambient sound and your volume setting, which helps at night when you keep the bar low. Meanwhile, SmartDetails keeps quiet cues like a creaking door audible in the mix. Connectivity covers Bluetooth, HDMI, Optical, USB, Wi-Fi and AirPlay, and a TV, console, phone or streaming stick can all feed it. The bar measures 4.1 by 37 by 2 inches and weighs 24.3 pounds.

Value is where the JBL Bar 500MK2 gets hard to beat. At $399.95 it undercuts the 45.8-inch JBL Bar 700MK2 by $150 while keeping the same 10-inch subwoofer, and it beats most sub-$400 competitors on subwoofer size alone. However, the savings come with one real trade-off: because the system has no rear speakers and no up-firing drivers, Dolby Atmos effects stay in front of you, and the Samsung Q990F in this guide places sound behind and above your seat. Even so, that extra immersion costs far more, and it demands space behind your couch. For open-plan living rooms, apartments with awkward seating, or anyone who refuses to run speaker cable across the floor, the Bar 500MK2 delivers the best bass-per-dollar in this lineup. If you want the biggest sub and the widest front stage under $400, this is the one to get.