JBL Bar 9.1 review: Wireless Dolby Atmos with a few bugs
"JBL's Bar 9.1 offers a unique, fully wireless design, but this feature comes at a high cost."
-
Super easy setup
-
Large, powerful bass
-
Convincing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 sound
-
Practical wireless speakers
-
Supports eARC, 4K, Dolby Vision
-
Not enough entries
-
Not enough EQ settings
-
Dialogue needs a boost
-
Mediocre for music
Sound bars do a tough job. The really good ones somehow manage to replace a full 5.1 home theater surround system with just a single elongated speaker cabinet and possibly a wireless subwoofer.
Any soundbar that uses satellite speakers – whether connected to the soundbar or connected to an electrical outlet – may produce better sound, but at the expense of convenience and physical space. This is the real reason why sound bars make sense for so many people.
That's what makes JBL's Bar 9.1 so convincing: With a pair of battery-powered, completely wireless satellites, it not only promises the real acoustic separation of the physical speakers, but also brings Dolby Atmos into the mix for an impressive 3D experience – everything for round $ 1,000.
JBL has set a high standard for Bar 9.1. Succeeds? Let's find out.
design
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
I personally don't think soundbars should attract attention – at least not visually – and Bar 9.1 tries to keep its physical presence to a minimum. Frankly it's boring, but in the best possible way.
The dark gray plastic case has only the slightest shine and is still only 47 inches long, even in its widest form – with both satellite modules at the ends. Take these modules off and you barely have 35 inches left.
It's also amazingly short and just under 2.5 inches tall. That should fit under all but the shortest TV stands. The minimal set of four controls on top can easily be ignored, and the scrolling LED indicator on the front is hidden behind the speaker grille and is completely invisible when not in use.
The bar 9.1 reduces its physical presence to a minimum. It looks boring, but in the best possible way.
The subwoofer is a different story. It's a very bulky and boxy unit that turns out to be a challenge if you don't want it to remain visible.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
If you're wondering how these detachable wireless satellites work when the Bar 9.1 is wall-mounted (which you can do with the included hardware), that's pretty impressive: the docking magnets are incredibly strong. Sitting requires a concerted effort – and sometimes both hands – to pull them freely. And although I haven't tested it, there is an option to mount the satellites on the wall at their secondary locations.
When the satellite is fully charged, you have a playing time of approximately 10 hours. A warning message appears on the bar display, informing you when a boost is required. Docking again is the easiest way, but the satellites cleverly have their own micro USB ports. This means that you can leave them technically in the rear or wall-mounted position and simply run a micro USB cable to them to charge them continuously. This can be an appealing option if you are planning sequential screenings of Lord Of The Rings films, as the satellite's batteries will take three hours to fully charge after discharging.
Sound bars are said to be easy to set up and use, but the JBL Bar 9.1 takes simplicity to a new level
This otherwise excellent design has only one irregularity: in some markets, JBL contains a set of four end caps to cover the exposed charging contacts on the bar and the satellites when they are not docked. Given the possibility of keeping the satellites permanently in this state thanks to these micro USB charging ports, this makes a lot of sense. What makes no sense is why Bar 9.1 doesn't always come with them. For example, our test unit didn't have one in the box.
To install
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Yes, sound bars should be easy to set up and use, but the JBL Bar 9.1 takes simplicity to a new level. After connecting the soundbar and subwoofer to the appropriate sockets and connecting the HDMI output of the bar to the HDMI ARC (or eARC) connector on your TV using the supplied HDMI cable, you are done with the basics.
The last step is to calibrate the system. Drag the surround modules from their houses next to the main bar and place them next to you. Pressing one of the buttons on the remote control for three seconds triggers a short but loud test tone, which is recorded by the bar's built-in microphones. Place the environment in its final positions and repeat the test. That's it. It took me longer to unpack the components than to set them up.
You can also connect the Bar 9.1 to Wi-Fi for AirPlay or Chromecast music streaming. Oddly enough, this has to be done using either the Apple Home app or the Google Home app on a smartphone or tablet. My attempts to use Apple Home failed, but Google Home got it working.
links
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Simplicity is great until it gets in the way of what you want to do. The connections of the JBL Bar 9.1 are a good example: You get an HDMI input, an HDMI ARC output, an optical input and a USB connection.
This means that with multiple source devices like streaming players, Blu-ray players, game consoles, etc., you need to make some decisions about how they are connected and how to switch between them. At this price, the Bar 9.1 should behave like a real A / V receiver replacement with at least four HDMI inputs.
Including the optical connector can be helpful for older non-HDMI ARC televisions. However, please note the following: Dolby Atmos does not work via an optical connection. So if you want the full Atmos experience on an older TV, use your Atmos source. The device must be connected to the bar's only HDMI input.
The USB port is honestly a mystery to me. JBL says you can use it to play music from a USB stick or external drive, but I can't imagine why you want it to. Only MP3 files are supported and playback cannot be controlled at all.
Intelligent functions
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Despite the fact that most premium sound bars are now compatible with some kind of voice assistant, the JBL Bar 9.1 does not claim to officially support any of them. Maybe it's an oversight. I was able to configure the soundbar in both the Google Home and Apple Home apps. Google Assistant and Siri recognized them and initiated music streams.
Amazon's Alexa seems the weird A.I. however out.
A more puzzling question is why the Bar 9.1 with its two built-in microphones was not designed as a real smart speaker. With the Sonos Beam, you can talk to Google Assistant or Alexa for less than half the price. The $ 400 link bar from JBL acts as a Google Smart Speaker and Android TV streamer.
Sound quality
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Overall, the JBL Bar 9.1 lives up to its promise to offer a powerful home cinema experience. When it comes to films and shows with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack or even just a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, immerse yourself in a sound ball.
I had a lot of fun watching John Wick, Chapter 3: Parabellum, a film tailored to demonstrate the strengths of Bar 9.1. Gunshots were heard with precision from different corners of the room, while in the motorcycle chase you could feel the growing whine of the motors of the motorcycles as they approached from behind and then with Wick & # 39; s ride (if only briefly) were level.
You may be tempted to leave the rear speakers docked to the soundbar, but this should be avoided. The bar 9.1 relies heavily on the placement of these satellites to provide an impressive experience and is difficult to restore spatial audio without it.
With a subwoofer that is as big and heavy and powerful as the one that comes with the Bar 9.1, you can expect serious basses that won't disappoint. The 10-inch submarine that shoots down will let go of your fillings effortlessly if you allow it to. With 300 watts of power, it's a good thing that you can choose from five levels of bass playback with the remote control. I found that level five can get a little uncomfortable at times.
But don't put the bass back too much. At the lowest level, the bar 9.1 loses a significant amount of low-end and it becomes clear that the drivers in the soundbar were not set to work well without the sub. It is definitely a package deal.
The biggest gap is the lack of a dialog improvement mode.
As good as the Bar 9.1's surround sound chops are, there are some limitations that prevent them from performing as well as I expect a soundbar to do at this price.
The main disadvantage is the lack of EQ settings. Yes, you can change the bass level, the degree to which the Atmos speakers unfold their magic, and the volume intensity of the satellites, but that's all she wrote. There are no discrete settings for movies, TV shows, or music, and no way to control the treble or middle independently. Even budget sound bars offer more options. The biggest gap, however, is the lack of a dialog enhancement mode.
There have been many times in which I had to crank up the total volume to overcome the under-emphasized central channel. My family noticed it too; My wife asked me why it felt like our television had become so loud lately.
Bar 9.1 is also a mediocre music machine. If you only play tracks that benefit from the latest recording techniques, such as Beck's Hyperspace album or Billie Eilish's No Time To Die tracks, it is actually very pleasant to be surrounded by these songs. However, take a journey back in time to more traditional mixes, and the tracks sound encased in the soundbar case.
This problem is exacerbated by a clear lack of midrange definition. You can use bar 9.1 as a Bluetooth speaker, but I recommend sticking with AirPlay or Chromecast, which both sound a lot better.
Wireless problems
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Every time you disconnect a physical connection between a source and a speaker, there is a risk of interference and other connection problems. I've seen this more than once on real bluetooth earbuds. Unfortunately, this can also affect the performance of the Bar 9.1 wireless satellites.
I noticed several times that both wireless speakers suffered from poor connection. It was not a constant – most of the time things were very stable, but every now and then I heard them interrupted. Given what I do for a living, my media room may have slightly more wireless devices than average, which could have helped, but the room itself is relatively small. The speakers were never more than a meter from the soundbar and always had a line of sight without physical barriers.
Of course, this will vary depending on your personal area, but it is something you should be aware of. These speakers are only wireless. So if you find that their connection is not stable, there may be very little you can do to improve it.
Our opinion
The JBL Bar 9.1 is an innovative solution to an age-old problem: better immersive sound without losing the simplicity of a sound bar. It works out. With an effortless setup and wireless speakers that you can put up almost anywhere, it's a very chic design. However, barebone input options, minimal audio settings and matte music playback are difficult to swallow at this price.
Is there a better alternative?
When freedom from fully wireless rear satellite speakers is a must in a sound bar, the JBL Bar 9.1 is not just a good choice, it's the only choice. But be prepared that JBL has restricted other functions and even the sound quality by offering this cool function. If you agree with wired rear speakers, the Vbyio SB36514-G6 36 ″ 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar is a much better value.
How long it will take?
The Bar 9.1's construction and materials are excellent, and the wireless satellite modules are also built to last, so they'll likely be able to withstand a lot of docking and undocking over the years. However, keep in mind that all rechargeable batteries will eventually run out and we don't know how easy (or expensive) it will be to replace them when they're done.
Should you buy it
If you're a movie dog who loves big, bold basses and has a strong desire to avoid laying cables at all costs, the JBL Bar 9.1 may be a good choice despite its shortcomings. Everyone else should think long and hard before spending $ 1,000 on this soundbar – you can find great Dolby Atmos sound for a lot less.
Editor's recommendations