Good spatial audio will be costly, but it surely’s definitely worth the funding when you worth a very immersive residence theater expertise. The $1,699.99 JBL Bar 1300X soundbar is expensive, however its 11.1.4-channel setup, with conveniently removable wi-fi satellites and an enormous 12-inch subwoofer, supplies all-encompassing audio with thunderous rumble. It envelopes you with sound due to detailed directional imaging and is the soundbar to get if you’d like a full encompass system in a single package deal, incomes it our Editors’ Selection award.
Go Vast or Deep With Removable Satellites
The 1300X soundbar is an oblong black plank measuring 2.4 by 39.4 by 5.5 inches (HWD). A black metallic grille covers the entrance and caps protrude barely out of the left and proper sides to carry the satellites. Empty caps with wraparound grilles are included to cover the inelegant ends on the soundbar when the satellites aren’t related. A white alphanumeric LED show sits close to the correct finish of the grille and helpfully reveals the soundbar’s standing.
The highest of the soundbar has a big, flat plastic panel within the center containing a small JBL brand, quantity and energy/enter buttons, and two pinhole microphones. Two extra metallic grilles flank that panel to accommodate the upward-firing drivers.
The rear of the soundbar options a big recess with an HDMI port for connecting to a TV over eARC, three extra HDMI ports for connecting extra gadgets to your TV (utilizing the soundbar as a swap), an optical audio enter, a USB port, an Ethernet port, and a jack for the ability cable. There aren’t any holes on the again of the soundbar for mounting, however two L-shaped brackets are included that screw into the underside if you wish to put it on a wall.
Every satellite tv for pc measures 2.4 by 8 by 5.5 inches and weighs 2.75 kilos. Every has grilles that wrap from the entrance round to the left or proper sides (relying on the speaker). A recess on the other facet homes the metallic contacts used for charging. These audio system plug into the left and proper ends of the primary soundbar and keep connected pretty securely, widening the bar to 54.2 inches. The satellites are wi-fi and thus run on battery energy; they cost when related to the soundbar. JBL says they can run for as much as 12 hours on the battery, although that may fluctuate relying on quantity.
A wi-fi subwoofer joins the soundbar and satellites and it. It requires an influence outlet, however no direct connection to the soundbar. It’s a hefty 18.9-by-14.4-by-14.4-inch black block, one of many largest subwoofers we’ve seen included with a soundbar.
This wi-fi design is handy as a result of it means you’ll be able to set the subwoofer wherever in your room and place the satellites round your sofa with out working wires to the subwoofer or the satellites.
The soundbar itself has six 1.8-by-3.5-inch racetrack drivers and 5 0.75-inch tweeters going through ahead, and a further 4 2.75-inch full-range drivers going through upward for top. Every satellite tv for pc has its personal matching racetrack driver, tweeter, and upward-firing driver, together with two passive radiators. The subwoofer has a formidable 12-inch downward-firing driver. The system delivers 1,170W with a frequency vary of 33Hz to 20kHz.
The included distant is a thin, rectangular black wand with flat, round buttons. Its controls embody energy, quantity up/down, mute, play/pause, favourite, and calibrate; supply buttons for TV, Bluetooth, and HDMI; and devoted quantity choice buttons for Dolby, bass, and rear satellites. Oddly, the enter and quantity choice buttons are situated on an remoted panel that gives the look they need to slide out to disclose extra controls, however that is only a design alternative.
Streaming Options and JBL Bar 1300X App Expertise
The JBL Bar 1300X is an 11.1.4-channel sound system with wi-fi satellites you can deploy behind and to the edges of the listener. It’s primarily designed to be used with a TV over HDMI eARC, but additionally helps optical audio for non-spatial audio requirements. It options Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with Alexa Multi-Room Music (MRM), Apple AirPlay, and Google Forged. The satellites can perform independently of the soundbar as a Bluetooth stereo pair or separate Bluetooth audio system when related to your cellphone.
Alexa MRM doesn’t imply the Bar 1300X has Alexa itself. The soundbar lacks any voice assistant; it may possibly merely be used to play music with Alexa instructions when you have an Echo sensible speaker or Echo Present sensible show (or use the Alexa app in your cellphone).
You should utilize the Bar 1300X out of the field by plugging it into your TV or pairing it along with your cellphone over Bluetooth, however it is best to use the JBL One app (out there for Android and iOS) to totally set it up.
The app enables you to join the soundbar to your Wi-Fi community to allow Alexa MRM, Apple AirPlay, and Google Forged, and might replace the firmware when wanted. The app supplies a meager three-band EQ for adjusting the sound however no presets, and it additionally has separate audio sync and quantity sliders for the rear audio system once they’re indifferent.
The app can stroll you thru calibrating the setup with on-screen prompts that specify the place to place the encompass audio system. You may also use the app to arrange the My Second function, which launches your favourite playlist or radio station whenever you press the favourite button on the distant. Amazon Music, Calm Radio, iHeartRadio, Napster, Qobuz, Tidal, and TuneIn help this function, however Apple Music and YouTube Music don’t. Lastly, the app supplies a touch-screen model of the bodily distant if you wish to management the soundbar instantly through your cellphone.
Massive Bass and Detailed Encompass
With such a giant subwoofer, it’s unsurprising that the Bar 1300X can put out some heavy sub-bass. The soundbar performed our bass take a look at observe, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” with highly effective thump build up at solely half-volume. Actually, I used to be unable to push the amount any increased to check the bass as a result of the kick drum hits had been already vibrating the partitions and flooring, and whereas I’m the one condominium on my flooring, the thunder might nearly definitely be heard upstairs. If you wish to really feel no matter you’re watching or listening to, this soundbar and its 12-inch subwoofer ship the affect.
The Bar 1300X can be wonderful for extra balanced music and doesn’t attempt to inject further rumble the place there’s no. The opening acoustic guitar plucks of Sure’ basic progressive rock hit “Roundabout” get stable resonance with out sounding artificially boosted, and the crisp string texture comes via within the increased frequencies. When the observe correctly kicks in, each aspect stands by itself, from the punchy bassline to the brilliant guitar strums and the distinguished vocals.
It’s an in depth sound, and the width of the soundbar ensures that stereo separation is current. The stereo soundstage will be enhanced by really retaining the satellites connected to the edges of the soundbar; in the event that they’re separated and positioned in encompass positions they supply a extra room-filling expertise that largely preserves the directionality of the observe, although growing from two channels to extra is technically much less correct than simply listening in stereo.
The Dolby Atmos audio in Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity is highly effective, with wonderful directional imaging via the 1300X. The sound of rubble flying overhead within the opening chase scene excites, with the peak channels of each the soundbar and the satellites clearly giving the impression of rocks taking pictures across the viewer. The dialogue will be heard clearly towards the bombastic soundtrack and the deep rumble of stonework being destroyed.
Whereas The Nun’s Dolby Atmos combine is not fairly as sensory-overloading as Physician Unusual, its use of spatial audio for environmental sounds to construct pressure is extremely efficient with the Bar 1300X. When the demon nun is stalking Frenchie on the abbey grounds, the telltale rustling of leaves comes via clearly each excessive and behind the listening place. When she jumps right down to assault, the sound of branches cracking appears to come back from instantly overhead. The subwoofer does loads of work for the ambiance, too, offering deep, palpable sub-bass rumble to wring a way of dread from the scene.
Even with no spatial audio combine, the Bar 1300X does an excellent job of up-mixing stereo for horrifying content material. Watching some horror recreation playthroughs on YouTube, I seen that ghostly whispers got here via the encompass audio system fairly plainly, including a chilling sense of behind-the-shoulder spookiness. Up-mixing can’t examine with a full spatial audio combine, however the soundbar can nonetheless immerse you in audio when multichannel content material isn’t out there.
Room-Filling Residence Theater Audio
At $1,699.99, the JBL Bar 1300X is among the dearer soundbars we have examined, but it surely affords a great deal of energy and an extremely immersive expertise. Its enormous subwoofer can simply shake the home when listening to music or watching motion pictures, whereas top channels add a brand new dimension to spatial audio content material and removable satellites hold the variety of energy cords and wires to a minimal. The JBL Bar 1300X eclipses the $1,899.99 Samsung HW-Q990B in comfort and energy, incomes it our Editors’ Selection for high-end residence theater audio, although the HW-Q990B would possibly nonetheless be a better option for some Samsung TV house owners because of unique options. Should you don’t need to spend fairly a lot, in the meantime, the $899 Sonos Arc affords 5-channel audio and sensible assistant help, although it lacks rear top channels and does not embody a subwoofer.
