JBL is one of the brands that has grown the most in the field of soundbars in recent years. Their 500, 800, 1000, and 1300 soundbars are among the best sellers, and in this review, I will focus on one of the best soundbars with Dolby Atmos on the market, the JBL Bar 800.
It is a very particular model, as it does not offer the best sound quality on the market nor is it the most complete bar in terms of connectivity or features, but it has enough features to recommend it.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Soundbar Dimensions | 1174 mm (width) x 56 mm (height) x 120 mm (depth) |
| Soundbar Weight | 3.4 kg |
| Subwoofer Dimensions | 305 mm (width) x 440.4 mm (height) x 305 mm (depth) |
| Subwoofer Weight | 10 kg |
| Connections | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2 HDMI inputs, 1 optical digital input, 1 USB 2.0 port |
| Controls | Remote control, JBL One App, voice control (Alexa/Google Assistant) |
| Supported Audio Formats | Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, MP3 |
| Number of Drivers | 6 drivers in the soundbar + 2 tweeters + 10″ subwoofer |
| Number of Audio Channels | 5.1.2 |
| Virtual Assistants | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant |
Design, controls, connections, and formats
The design of the JBL Bar 800 is quite simple, very much in line with the rest of the soundbars on the market. The truth is that there is little room for innovation in this area, so I suppose it is enough that JBL has manufactured an elegant and sturdy bar, and indeed, it is. Only available in black, it is a large soundbar, measuring 117.4 cm wide, 5.6 cm high, and 12 cm deep. As you can see, it has a low and quite slim profile, so even though it is large, it is designed to fit well under any modern television.
The bar combines a larger metal part with matte plastic on the top, where the logo and the (few) buttons it has are located, basically the volume control and a pairing button for Bluetooth. And JBL relies on the remote control and, above all, the JBL One app (Android and iOS) for controlling the bar. A small LED screen on the front provides just enough information about the volume, input source, or playback.
But let’s talk about the rear speakers, which are one of the stars of the show. These speakers are initially anchored to the bar but can be removed and taken wherever you want, as they are completely portable and wireless. The battery inside each of them – with up to 10 hours of autonomy – recharges automatically every time they are reattached to the bar, although they also have a USB-C port to charge them separately. They also have a power button to turn them on and off manually. By the way, when you remove them from the bar, it measures only 88.4 cm wide.
The subwoofer also deserves a mention for its virtues, the main one being the fact that it has a 10-inch driver, the largest within its range and price. As we will see later when talking about sound, this subwoofer gives the JBL Bar 800 a tremendous bass punch. Additionally, the port is downward-facing, located at the bottom of the subwoofer, making it easy to place it in practically any corner of the living room.
It is probably in the connections chapter where this JBL Bar 800 shows its greatest weaknesses: it has an HDMI 2.0 input that can transmit 4K at 60Hz, Dolby Vision, and HDR10, and an HDMI eARC port only compatible with Dolby formats (Dolby Digital, Dolby True-HD, Dolby Atmos). No trace of DTS formats and no 4K at 160Hz in its HDMI port.
The rest of the connections are the usual ones, with an optical audio connection, a USB-A port, and an Ethernet connection. For wireless, we find Bluetooth 5 and WiFi with support for AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, and Alexa Multi-Room Music.
Channels and speakers
The JBL Bar 800 is a 5.1.2 channel soundbar and subwoofer set. This means there are three front channels, two rear, two top, and the bass channel. The interesting thing here is that the three front channels (center, right, and left) are equipped with two transducers per channel, a configuration that already gives us clues about the good sound quality this bar provides: racetrack drivers, a type of elongated midrange speaker designed to fit inside slim equipment – like a soundbar – without sacrificing quality, and three other 20mm tweeters.
The surround speakers also feature 46×90 mm racetrack drivers, although in this case without tweeters, while the vertical projection speakers are more standard, with full-range 70 mm drivers.
Those who enjoy blasting the walls or windows at full volume will also have a great time with this bar, which adds up to a total RMS power of 720W: 340W from the bar, 80W from the surround speakers, and a tremendous 300W from the subwoofer. The frequency range from 35Hz to 20kHz is covered powerfully and clearly.
Sound quality
Just listening to it for a few seconds is enough to see that the sound quality from its front speakers is fantastic. The JBL Bar 800 is very close to offering high-fidelity sound with the bar’s speakers, rendering voices, effects, and instruments astonishingly, with well-balanced mids and highs and deep, powerful bass.
The sound quality in the surround speakers is also fantastic. They also offer a lot of versatility, as when anchored to the bar, they expand the sound widthwise, creating a sound wall that extends far beyond the edges of the TV, while if you remove them from the bar and place them behind you, they offer a truly immersive experience. Depending on the type of content you are watching, you may prefer one configuration or the other, and having this versatility is one of the strong points of the JBL Bar 800.
The vertical projection drivers are somewhat less exuberant in terms of sound quality. The truth is that there is a slight sense of overhead effects, but certainly much less pronounced than what we can get with higher-end bars. This, in any case, is totally expected and does not diminish my overall opinion of the JBL Bar 800, especially considering its price.
The subwoofer compensates for this quite a bit, offering tremendous bass extension. The 10-inch port is one of the largest among all soundbars at this price, and the bass power is really great; you should seriously consider your neighbors and family if you buy the JBL Bar 800, because this subwoofer is one of those that make the walls or windows shake as soon as the frequencies drop a bit.
Important: the JBL One app has a calibration mode, which goes from being recommended to essential when finding the best location for the subwoofer and also for the surround speakers. The PureVoice function also achieves good results in enhancing voices and improving dialogues when necessary. The app also provides a three-band graphic equalizer and a Night mode.
Alternatives
Within the range of €500 to €700, the JBL Bar 800 seems to me the best soundbar you can buy. You would have to increase the budget a bit more for a truly superior option like the Samsung HW-Q930D, a model immediately below the HW-Q990D. From JBL, the model superior to this Bar 800 is the Bar 1000, but the two mentioned Samsung models are superior.
For less than the cost of the JBL Bar 800, an alternative to consider is the Samsung HW-Q800D, a 3.1.2 channel system that comes very close to JBL’s sound quality, but without dedicated surround speakers.
