JBL - Bar 500
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 10, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
3
0
"The JBL does indeed sound 200€ better compared to the Polk. ... Even if I actually had payed the original asking price I would've been like, yeah, this checks out."
"I absolutely love them ... for the price, I feel it can't be beat."
"I think it's pretty good for the price. ... $400 when on sale at Amazon or JBL web store."
13
2
"sound effects are good (Interstellar and Prometheus spaceship rumble, Prey when hatchet is thunking into trees, Furiosa engine shaking, Blade Runner 2049 and Pacific Rim raining and other scenes)."
"room shaking (example Interstellar rocket launch, Furiosa motorcycles, Prometheus spaceship)."
"gives you literally twice the sound quality with an infinitely better sub. ... The JBL is better in every single aspect, especially in terms of clarity. ... The JBL on the other hand is significantly more detailed, fuller and the bass was not even comparable"
5
0
"gives you literally twice the sound quality with an infinitely better sub. ... The JBL is better in every single aspect, especially in terms of clarity. ... The JBL on the other hand is significantly more detailed, fuller and the bass was not even comparable"
"...but the midrange clarity of the bar 500 is just so much better!"
"And the soundbar's dialogue is world's better than the default tv speakers."
7
2
"sound effects are good (Interstellar and Prometheus spaceship rumble, Prey when hatchet is thunking into trees, Furiosa engine shaking, Blade Runner 2049 and Pacific Rim raining and other scenes)."
"room shaking (example Interstellar rocket launch, Furiosa motorcycles, Prometheus spaceship)."
"gives you literally twice the sound quality with an infinitely better sub. ... The JBL is better in every single aspect, especially in terms of clarity. ... The JBL on the other hand is significantly more detailed, fuller and the bass was not even comparable"
13
2
"room shaking (example Interstellar rocket launch, Furiosa motorcycles, Prometheus spaceship)."
"gives you literally twice the sound quality with an infinitely better sub. ... The JBL is better in every single aspect, especially in terms of clarity. ... The JBL on the other hand is significantly more detailed, fuller and the bass was not even comparable"
"Good for shaking the room during Interstellar rocket launch, Blade Runner 2049 and Prometheus vehicle and spaceship rumbles, etc."
Disliked most:
0
1
"I wouldn't count on JBL for longevity personally. ... Stinks to have to replace that that soon tho 2 years is a joke. ... longevity in home theater systems isn't my first place I'd give them points."
0
1
"The bar was noticably more distorted sounding than the older Bar 3.1. ... Which was realllllyyyy disappointing."
"distorted bar"
"Subwoofer was surprisingly bad sounding compared to the Bar 3.1 which is older"
0
1
"The bar was noticably more distorted sounding than the older Bar 3.1. ... Which was realllllyyyy disappointing."
"distorted bar"
"crappy subwoofer"
0
2
"Subwoofer was surprisingly bad sounding compared to the Bar 3.1 which is older"
"crappy subwoofer"
"so changing the bass level via remote actually just adjusts the sub 125 band on the 7-band EQ, and im pretty sure the actual crossover to the sub is much higher, potentially up to around 400-500 (haven’t really tested), so I notice much more richness “upping the bass” through the EQ."
I went with jbl SB590. Didn’t want to have a separate speakers setup .
r/Soundbars • Confused between these… any suggestions? ->JBL Bar 500: 5.1-Channel soundbar with MultiBeam™ and Dolby Atmos®. $399 on Amazon now or you can wait until Black Friday for a deeper discount, if possible. I got this over a year ago and it's still performing perfectly. [https://a.co/d/9vyVwUh](https://a.co/d/9vyVwUh)
r/Soundbars • Best Soundbar Under $250 in 2025? ->I have the JBL Bar 500 and I think it's pretty good for the price. $400 when on sale at Amazon or JBL web store. Unfortunately, Best Buy has it at $500 at the moment. Dialogue is crisp and sound effects are good (Interstellar and Prometheus spaceship rumble, Prey when hatchet is thunking into trees, Furiosa engine shaking, Blade Runner 2049 and Pacific Rim raining and other scenes). The soundbar is miles better than the default LG C4 tv speakers. The JBL Bar 500 was easy to setup, just HDMI 2.1 cable to C4 eARC. And HDMI from Panasonic UB820 to C4. Went with inexpensive 2-pack HDMI 2.1 Highwings cables from Amazon. Note the JBL Bar 500 has no detachable rear speakers. It simulates surround sound. I went with this soundbar as I'm downsizing. JBL has other (more expensive) models with detachable rear speakers.
r/Soundbars • Absolute best soundbar for gaming/movies on LG C4 under $400-$500 ->Consider a JBL Bar 500 ($400 when on sale). Includes a wireless subwoofer. It was pretty much plug and play with HDMI cable to LG C4's eARC, and another HDMI cable from LG C4 to Panasonic UB820. Dolby Atmos or surround sound gets autodetected. It comes with a remote, but I only use it for changing the bass level rarely. Otherwise just using the LG C4's remote to control the soundbar's volume. Personal preference, I like having a subwoofer. Good for shaking the room during Interstellar rocket launch, Blade Runner 2049 and Prometheus vehicle and spaceship rumbles, etc. And the soundbar's dialogue is world's better than the default tv speakers.
r/Soundbars • Best Soundbar atm ->I went with a [JBL Bar 500](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQPZYWFC). It is $400 USD when on sale. [rtings.com's review](https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/jbl/bar-500) I was looking for a low profile soundbar, smaller subwoofer, and more compact (replacing ancient 5 speaker, big subwoofer, and chunky receiver). It has crisp dialogue and room shaking (example Interstellar rocket launch, Furiosa motorcycles, Prometheus spaceship). My setup: 65" LG C4 tv, Panasonic UB820, JBL Bar 500, 2x HDMI 2.1 Highwings cables. See page 6 diagrams of the [Quick Start Guide](https://www.jbl.com/soundbars/BAR-500-.html) under Documents and Downloads. One diagram for ARC setup, other diagram for eARC capable tv.
r/Soundbars • Soundbar recommendations for C4 ->The default C4 speakers are so-so. I went with a JBL Bar 500 soundbar and the dialogue is much stronger and clearer. The Soundbars subreddit and [https://www.rtings.com/soundbar](https://www.rtings.com/soundbar) were helpful in choosing a soundbar.
r/LGOLED • LG C4 dialogue sound too low. ->I have it and it's amazing found better than sony s20r. I compared both in local store. I would suggest first get a demo.
r/Soundbars • Confused between these… any suggestions? ->Okay. So I literally just purchased this exact same soundbar (JBL 5.1) from Best Buy for that price. I have only had it for a few days. But I can say this thing is nice. I upgraded from a 2.1 JBL soundbar and immediately noticed the increased clarity from the additional speakers. Also, I would say it’s probably going to be the best sound bar you could get for $250. At $600, it is a different discussion. But since I paid $280 out the door, I consider that a stellar price for this sound bar. P.S. For what it’s worth to anyone. The 10” subwoofer has enough bass to vibrate my chest when I sit on my couch about 10’ away. So, it’s plenty loud enough for music.
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->wtf I just paid $350 for the JBl 5.1 soundbar with subwoofer and lemme tell you this setup sounds amazing and the subwoofer is super bassy and pounds!
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->For sure the JBL. I had it and absolutely loved it until I upgraded to the Sonos arc. Not to mention the deal on that JBL, you can’t beat it. The 10 inch sub really gets down too. Plus Hisense is not great quality imo
r/Soundbars • Unsure about which soundbar to roll with ! ->Yeah, one of the ones OP had was a 3.1, only the JBL is a 5.1. Alls I’m saying is that just because the other suggested ones are 3.1 doesn’t disqualify them because they are 3.1 as one of the original choices was only 3.1
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->Jbl soundbars are literally the best "bang" for your buck. My 5.1 destroys 95% of these new atmos bars bass wise
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->I got it by chance at Walmart it knocks shit off my shelf the bass is so good
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->I have the jbl it is amazing
r/Soundbars • Should I go with the JBL or the Samsung? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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