JBL Bar 1300 11.1.4-channel surround sound

Product Information

Setting up the system was almost disarmingly simple. The soundbar automatically made a wireless connection with the subwoofer and surround speakers, and the only other thing left to do was hit the calibration button in the JBL app. This triggered a series of noise bursts from each speaker that the system measured and used to automatically adjust for levels and timing delays on the surround and subwoofer channels. The unit comes with an audio calibration system which seems to be similar to what we used in the Bar 1000. The audio calibration system is mandatory if you are going to have the surround speakers detached. This happens because it has to adjust for distance and delay, among others, that will vastly improve the final outcome.

Unusually for rear speakers, the detachable units you get with the JBL Bar 1300 lie flat, retaining the 60mm height of the soundbar, rather than standing on their ends. This is an attractive approach if you ’ re putting the rears on a shelf or bit of furniture, though the flat but deep profile could be a bit problematic if you want to hang the rears on your wall. That said, Samsung also offers a flagship 11.1.4-channel soundbar in the form of the HW-Q990C that bests the JBL Bar 1300X in practically every way. Its sound is more neutral out of the box, it’s more dynamic, it’s every bit as immersive, and its sound customization features do more without making you memorize gangly button-press combinations that make no sense. Listening to too-aggressive Atmos sound mix—like the one accompanying Apollo 10½ on Netflix—the JBL tamed some of the distracting overkill of it all without diminishing in any way the immersiveness of the sound experience. Sound still spread from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, but there was just a bit more connective tissue between the front and rear soundstages and the overhead effects, weaving it all into a more cohesive listening experience. S celkovým výkonom systému 1170 wattov premení JBL Bar 1300 vaše filmy, hudbu a hry na pohlcujúce zvukové zážitky a vtiahne vás do centra diania. Vstavaná Wi-Fi s AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music a Chromecast built-in™x Držiak na stenu so skrutkami v tvare písmena „L“ (hlavná jednotka) + 2 x Držiak na stenu so skrutkami v tvare písmena „U“ (pre priestorové reproduktory) You can also turn off the Smart Mode, an EQ profile intended to enhance sound effects (if you can remember how; more on that in a bit). The simple fact is that no matter what you do to tweak the 1300X, music never sounds quite right, and it’s inconsistent in its weirdness. The consequence of this is a song like Björk’s “Hyperballad,” whose bass line consists mostly of frequencies between 30 and 60Hz, sounds a bit too bottom heavy, whereas her “Army of Me” from the same album, which features bass fundamentals in the neighborhood of 80 to 100Hz, sounds relatively anemic. And the Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky,” with its bass line strongest somewhere between 180 and 200Hz, sounds like it was remixed by Fatboy Slim when played through the 1300X.

Because of the tonal imbalances across the entire audible spectrum, it can also be tough to listen to playlists of music that come from different genres. Just to give one example, I have a racing playlist on Spotify that transitions from Val Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” to James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.” Overall, the frequency response of these channels is quite balanced, albeit with some extra rumble in the bass, so you feel the boom of a helicopter flying overhead, for example. You can also use the ATMOS and REAR buttons on the remote to adjust the height and rear levels, respectively, for a more immersive sound. Wi-Fi support is provided, and there’s the ability to browse music platforms through the new JBL One app. Open it and you’ll find it’s home to fully customisable settings that allows the user to personalise their listening experience.It is typical for a JBL soundbar to come with just these basic sound modes. This may not allow for a lot of flexibility like other brands offer. But if you just want simplicity then you are going to love this one. Auto Calibration System With multichannel music, movies or TV shows, the side-firing speakers create extra width, while the centre channel keeps the dialogue clear and focused on the screen. The wireless rear speakers are free of delays or dropouts, delivering multichannel audio with genuine surround presence. Bluetooth allows you to stream music wirelessly to the soundbar, but most importantly, to use the two surround speakers as portable Bluetooth speakers. Each can be used independently, with the possibility of pairing them to provide stereo sound. The infrared remote control that comes with the JBL Bar 1300 is compact and intuitive.

The result is an impressive performer that produces an engaging and enjoyable object-based audio experience. It’s not cheap, but if you’re looking for a high-quality and very flexible immersive audio solution, this wireless soundbar system is an accomplished and hassle-free solution. Also consider Samsung’s Q990C is the only other soundbar I’ve heard that’s capable of delivering such a perfectly realised hemisphere of sound for the object-based Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats to strut their stuff in. And while there are a couple of areas where the Q990C outguns the Bar 1300 slightly, JBL’s bar actually manages to achieve more effect clarity in that sound hemisphere than even Samsung does.

The surround speakers feature a full-range driver and a tweeter for the rear surround effects, another full-range driver for the rear vertical effects and two passive radiators for more bass. Despite their small size (20.2 x 6 x 13.9cm), the JBL Bar 1300’s surround speakers are equipped with three drivers and two passive radiators. As for Dolby Atmos, we can admit that we were expecting a bit more than what we actually heard. Seeing that the front channels featured dual up-firing drivers in different angles we were hoping for something better. But the Bar 1300X did not behave much different that what we heard with the Bar 1000.

One problem most soundbars have is the proximity of their front channels but the JBL one had good separation and channel shifting. Panning effects were very distinct and impressive with projectiles flying in front of us. Depth was also good with sound sources appearing in different distances from our viewing position.With the JBL One App you can setup Wi-Fi, customize EQ and control your device through a very nice and easy to understand UI. You can also set up your soundbar, personalize settings, and use the integrated music services to enjoy your favorite songs. As for sound management features the Bar 1300X is certainly not all that complex. Considering its price tag and what the competition offers then surely this one chooses simplicity over complexity. Which, to be honest, is a characteristic of many JBL products. More often than not these days, soundbars only come with a single HDMI ARC/eARC connection, assuming you’ll be doing most of your viewing via the streaming services built into a smart TV or routing any additional sources through the TV’s inputs. Bluetooth profil: Hlavný bar - A2DP 1.2 a AVRCP 1.5, odnímateľný priestorový reproduktor - A2DP 1.3 a AVRCP 1.6 Are the JBL Bar 1300’s battery-powered, detachable wireless speakers enough of a hook to get you interested in this latest offering from the company? Let us know in the comments section.