JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review
Our Verdict
The meaty JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam soundbar delivers rooming-filling Atmos sound and good bass — but you can't make many adjustments.
For
- Atmos support
- Auto calibration
- Impressive bass without a subwoofer
Against
- Few sound adjustments
- No app
Tom'south Guide Verdict
The compact JBL Bar five.0 MultiBeam soundbar delivers rooming-filling Atmos audio and proficient bass — only yous can't make many adjustments.
Pros
- +
Atmos support
- +
Auto scale
- +
Impressive bass without a subwoofer
Cons
- -
Few audio adjustments
- -
No app
If you're looking to unleash Dolby Atmos'southward immersive sound, but don't want a lot of speakers or to fork over a packet of cash, the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam soundbar should be high on your wishlist. The all-in-ane Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is meaty, making it easy to fit into whatsoever setup, only all the same produces a large sound. And it has one feature that few affordable Atmos soundbars can boast: it performs auto calibration to set the driver distances and levels for the best surround sound effect in your room.
Like many of the best soundbars, JBL's effort also produces impressive bass without the need for a subwoofer. But it lacks other features that are mutual on soundbars, such as sound modes. Its simplicity could be highly-seasoned, or yous may find it frustrating; go on reading our JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review to find out which might apply to you.
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JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam: Toll and Availability
- $349 from Amazon
- $349 from JBL
The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam was released in April 2021. It's bachelor for $349 from Amazon and direct from JBL.
JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review: Blueprint
- Space-saving, all-in-ane design
- Wi-Fi connectivity and HDMI ARC
- Simple onboard controls and remote control
The Bar 5.0 MultiBeam's atomic size belies the big sound information technology creates. Within its 27.ix x 3.nine 10 2.iii-inch frame, JBL has crammed five drivers (three in the front, ii on peak for height channels) and four passive radiators. In that location no split up surrounds or a wireless subwoofer — it's an all-in-1 Atmos machine.
The Bar 5.0 MultiBeam'southward minimalism extends to its controls. On summit of the soundbar you lot'll observe buttons for power, book up and down, and input. That's it. On the front right there's an LED display that comes on when you modify something. If you lot change the volume, the level displays; if you switch the input, the input displays. This is how front displays on a soundbar should work — always-on displays distract you from what's on the Television set, especially in dark scenes.
The back of the unit has an HDMI ARC port to connect to your Tv and i HDMI input. You lot can also connect to your Goggle box via optical digital sound. In that location'south a USB port y'all tin can use to upgrade the firmware or play music files. The soundbar includes Wi-Fi, or you can get wired with an Ethernet cablevision. Through Wi-Fi, though, you can connect wirelessly using AirPlay, Chromecast or Alexa Multi-Room Music. You can as well utilise Bluetooth.
The remote is almost equally simple as the controls on the unit. Information technology has buttons for ability and volume, besides as unimposing buttons for the TV input, HDMI in and Bluetooth. The Atmos button engages virtual Atmos when the signal is in a format other than Atmos, bringing height to any sound signal — another dainty bear on.
JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review: Setup
- Wireless setup could be more streamlined
- Auto scale very easy and useful
This is where the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam's simplicity can piece of work against it. Connecting it to your TV is like shooting fish in a barrel — use an HDMI cable or optical digital cord — but the adjacent steps require that yous read the manual. Since there'due south no app, nor whatever on-screen menus, you accept to utilize combinations of the few buttons available.
At that place are 3 different methods you can use to set upwards Wi-Fi: the Google Home app on Android or iOS; AirPlay speaker set up on iOS; or the Alexa app. For a soundbar that seems to strive for simplicity, that'south a lot of choices.
One thing yous will want to do is calibrate the speakers. To do this, hold the HDMI button for 5 seconds and follow the prompts on the front end LED display. The speaker will send a series of sounds that allow information technology to measure where walls are in your room. It and then figures out the all-time balance for the drivers. Few mid-priced Atmos soundbars include this, and for that reason, few mid-priced Atmos soundbars succeed in creating a sense of height in the mix.
One time y'all've calibrated the speaker, the only other affair y'all can do to arrange the sound is heighten or lower the bass. There are no sound modes (other than switching virtual Atmos off), dialog boost or blaster. While that makes using the Bar five.0 MultiBeam dead uncomplicated, it also means that if the calibrated sound isn't to your liking, this isn't the soundbar for you.
JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review: Sound quality
- Dolby Atmos is constructive afterward calibration
- Could use more customization options
- Proficient music performance
The Bar 5.0 MultiBeam impresses with its wide sound and large bass, especially because its size and lack of a subwoofer. Once calibrated, information technology handles Atmos (and virtual Atmos) better than most standalone soundbars — especially at this price. However, dialog can get buried in the mix when at that place's a lot of activeness or music, which made me wish I could suit the middle channel level.
During Atmos demo videos, the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam showed its prowess with handling tiptop sounds, equally pelting sounded like it was coming from the ceiling. Since it lacks surround speakers, move of a leaf around the room wasn't every bit immersive as it could have been, but I notwithstanding got more of a sense of correct-to-left motion than from a traditional soundbar.
In the opening scene of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, when Sam zips through a canyon, the sound moved with him as he crossed the screen. The unit of measurement'south low-end gave oomph to explosions in the sky, but it couldn't rattle the flooring similar a subwoofer would. Using virtual Atmos, the pulsing soundtrack to Tenet filled the room, though the deep bass was at times too much for the little soundbar, causing it to distort. Discussions between John David Washington and Robert Patterson often got buried among the ominous music.
The Bar 5.0 MultiBeam impresses with its wide sound and big bass, especially considering its size and lack of a subwoofer.
In the less complex soundscape of Mare of Easttown, the Bar five.0 MulitBeam's bass helped add resonance to Kate Winslet'southward New England accent and made information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to sympathise.
The Bar 5.0 MultiBeam handles music well, too. Billie Eilish's vocals on "Your Power" were clear and the strummed guitar sounded crisp and vivid. The kick pulsate on the Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" thumped resoundingly and his vocals were full.
This compact soundbar has plenty of power to fill a large room. It measured about 95 decibels at total volume. It didn't distort much, though at that level the audio got too bright and sounded harsh.
JBL Bar five.0 MultiBeam review: Verdict
The JBL Bar v.0 MultiBeam has a lot going for it. Information technology'due south reasonably priced. Its all-in-one compact design means it will likely fit in your existing prepare and information technology doesn't dominate the room. And, most importantly, it sounds great and handles Dolby Atmos well, even without surrounds or a subwoofer.
Merely the lack of manual audio adjustments means if the calibrated audio doesn't delight your ears, then you're substantially stuck. The biggest issue will likely be the center channel in the mix, where dialog comes from.
Other Atmos soundbars in the toll range, such as the Vizio Thousand-Series M51a-H6, offering more control simply lack the upfiring speakers that are essential for Atmos height, and they come with more speakers. If y'all're interested in an all-in-one Atmos soundbar, the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is definitely worth a listen — and it may be a bang-up addition to your home theater.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/jbl-bar-5.0-multibeam
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