It’s always seen by me that most reviewers in the UK,US and Australia seem to give a more perfect understanding for the normal buyers out there. Good work .I’m hooked
Hey Chris! Thanks for you videos! I have a bit of a tech question I hope you can answer. I'm looking into buying this soundbar/woofer and it will be my first experience with ARC so I can turn it on when turning on the TV. How ever I could imagine that my daughter would enjoy the BlueTooth function for music. How does ARC work? will the function only go with the TV or do the TV also turn on when I manually turn on the soundbar? Thanks! :) Ras, Denmark
Heya, glad you like the reviews Arc is over HDMI only, and will operate with the TV remote (if required) - you might be able to disable it if you don't want via your TV settings. As for Bluetooth, it's simple you'll just need to switch on the soundbar using the bundled remote and not the TV remote - which means your daughter will be able to switch on the soundbar without the TV coming on.
An observation! After recent firmware updates and calibrating rear speakers I noticed the overall systems volume lessened, Bass weaker, and 3D special effects disappearing…to my surprise I Factory Reset the whole system and Did Not Calibrate anything…results? Spatial 3D effects were back! Loudness increased! System fixed!
I’ve had the tv on and using the sound bar on.. currently I’m running Wireless sound ( airplay from my Apple TV) ever since I changed to that, I’ve noticed the problem. When I fire up Tv, sound bar automatically turns on. FYI I’ve had it on for about a full day and when I want to use them, they’re low battery. They’ll work for like 15 -30 seconds . Wierd.
Great review. I have the JBL 9.1 and I highly recommend it. However everyone seems to praise how good the bass is but in my experience, I found it a little underwhelming. It’s powerful, yes but the subwoofer seems to lack dynamic bass. The subwoofer is quite mono-tonal meaning it only produces a one-note bass. That one-note is a low deep rumble bass sound rather than a punchy, thumpy bass. It’s really unbalanced. It works flawlessly great in certain scenes where a low rumble sound can be heard but in a scene where a punchy/thumping is needed such as sudden explosion or thunderstorm, the subwoofer sounds average. The subwoofer only kicks in its low deep rumble after the thunderstorm or explosion is about to end. This completely kills the jump scares of a thunderstorm for example as the there’s no sudden thump or punch that comes with a sudden thunderstorm. Just an aftermath of a deep rumble bass delay after the thunder is about to end. I may had my expectations way too high as everyone raves about the bass but in the end I still recommend it. It fills the room with sound like no other Soundbar. And the Dolby Atmos is the best you’ll get in this price range (after the Sony HT-A9). I do however believe the Samsung Q950A is still the better buy.
Thanks for sharing. The mid-bass would come partially from the soundbar itself, rather than all from the subwoofer. Might be that you're expecting more from the soundbar or a different crossover.
I had the same complaint for months and the only fix for me was to factory reset the soundbar system and Do Not Calibrate it…the Bass became Punchier and Rears Louder.
Believe me I currently own the q950a and the sub is more than enough even for music which everyone is particularly complaining about. I’m not sure how anyone could listen music with more bass than this sub could produce. I bet this would beat almost every available high end soundbars in the market when it comes to movies, sports, tv shows, youtube etc. I hook up with apple tv 4k for dolby atmos and apple music spatial/loseless/dolby atmos is just mind blowing. Having said that, there are definitely couple of downsides; one obvious is the soundbar notification bar located at the top of it rather than at the front. I feel dolby atmos could be little better. Last time I was in store, I checked out the Jbl 9.1 and I was not impressed. The battery thing with the rear speaker seems ideal but eventual it will not last long and thats for sure.
Great review! I recently got the JBL 2.1 deep Bass after seeing your review (it doesn't disappoint at all. Love it. Especially the subwoofer thump) and was thinking about getting a 2nd system for my living room. Is the subwoofer the same between the jbl 5.1 and 9.1? I've read some reviews saying the 9.1 has less bass. I'm really on the fence between the two because the price for the 5.1 is 420usd and the 9.1 is 925usd where I'm at. The battery life on the rear is disappointing though and wish there was a wired option incase the batteries fail in the future. Do any of these higher end atmos systems around 1,000 usd compare in subwoofer thump as the jbls? Oh... Could u scroll thru the audio modes a little slower in the future so we could get a better audio sample? Enjoyed your review. Thanks.
Pleasure buddy, glad you find the reviews useful; noted on your comment for future recordings, too. As for your question: honestly, the bass quantity and quality, as pointed out in this review is stellar; I'd say they're similar in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality, the 9.1 takes the cake - extends lower (34Hz vs the 40Hz of the 5.1) and is excellent across the mid-bass, not sounding overbloated; if you can afford it, I'd definitely suggest the 9.1 over the 5.1; not just for the bass, but the all-round sound quality. Still, do check a few of the suggestions in the description to see if they come out cheaper (bearing in mind the Bose doesn't have a subwoofer included for the price!) As for the rears, they can be plugged in via the microUSB port and permanently on-power while being used, but yeah the overall battery life from my tests wasn't that impressive.
Really good review. I'm looking for a good Sound bar in the £5-600 bracket. Was looking at the 5.1, but think the 9.1 is available for £600 currently. Is the 9.1 the same as the 5.1 but with the 2 extra speakers do you know?
Thanks! No the 9.1 is more than just that over the 5.1 - would definitely suggest it at that price - JBL dropped it significantly to make way for the 1000
I love theJBL 9.1 the only thing that would make it better is optional wireless ceiling speakers. I really wish they would do that, it isn’t even that difficult an option to make. You could incorporate speakers with ceiling can lights too so if you already have ceiling can lights no cutting or additional wiring for power would be needed. It’s a perfect addition for an Atmos setup and this JBL because the back side speakers are already a part of the bar.
That would be cool, but the issue is, it's about positioning - if the ceiling ones aren't in the right place, you'll get an incorrectly Atmos reproduction.
@@TotallydubbedHD I agree but that’s actually true with all your speakers, placement is always important and no reason not to have it available as an option.
@@TotallydubbedHD The funny thing is I think JBL already has a partnership with Juno and have a product kinda like this out. All they would have to do is make it compatible with their 9.1 soundbar for the overhead Atmos sounds and it’s good to go. They should also make sure branding is shared and the JBL name is much more prominent. Because when I think Juno I almost forget they did the speaker in the light.
@@TotallydubbedHD Awesome! I just ordered it. I ordered some micro usb cables with it in case I want to leave them in surround. Such a neat product. Thanks again!
Thanks for the great review. Im really interested in buying 1 but getting mixed information on the rear speakers from my research. Q1: Can the rear speakers play when connected to a wall socket powered on (micro USB use) and the batteries are flat? Q2: Does the micro USB charge the batteries? These questions might seem silly, as why else would JBL have that micro usb port, if not for charging or constant powersupply. Reviews I have seen, say charge when docked to sound bar only and to get a charge they need to be on standby. So I would really love to get confirmation.
Hi, thanks for your video, is really good! What would you recommend? Samsung soundbar , Sonos Beam gn2 (+2 sl rear speakers) or JBL 9.1? I ask because the system already 2 years. Or would you recommend something completely different? I mainly watch series and movies
Hi, I've originally wanted to purchase the Samsung 900a as I do not have space to place dedicated rear speakers. However, I'm being swayed by this JBL due to the flexibility of it's rear speakers. May I know which will be better for my usage? Mostly 30% music and 70% media content consumption. Occasionally karaoke.
The 900A doesn't have rear speakers - and given what you've said, why would you then even consider the 9.1? I'd suggest the 900A and not the 950A nor 9.1 if you don't have the space for rears
I wouldn't recommend unplugging the sub on systems like this - as they don't divert the bass to the main bar. Thus, it'll be lost. Unlike, for example, the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus or HK 1100 which have a toggle as such.
JBL 9.1 has no equalizer! So you can't adjust the sound to your own wishes. Voices are very low, sometimes difficult to understand. And low trebble (and therefore not adjustable). I returned mine bbl 9.1 and bought a Yamaha 2700. The Yamaha is really great! What a sound and so much possibilities (multiroom).
9.1 voices are low and sometimes diffult to understand? Are you kidding me? Difficult to understand?🤣 This makes me know you have never tried the jbl 9.1 in your life 😂
@@dannyjes3972 of course I don't believe, I have a jbl 9.1 I have never ever had any kind of problems or difficult to understand a single word. Stupid comment, dude, grow up and stop liying
Hi Mate, Let me kick off by saying awesome vids. I have not owned a surround system before & I am looking at pulling that trigger this year (within the next 90 days, trying very hard not to click BUY today lol). This is on the top of my list as it ticks all the boxes on paper, Atmos, surround wireless speakers and last but not least "Price" Yes, I am able to pick this up for just under US$800! But my concern is due to some of the reviews stating that the rears lose connectivity quite often during a single movie & this if so, is a deal breaker for me. Could you pleas shed some light on this & I would be very pleased if you could recommend some options that have Atmos (even wired) that will complete fill up a room of 16.4Ft x 13Ft for under US$1000. My Sony KD 65x9000F is wall mounted at the length of the room & we sit 9ft away from it. Thanks very much. PS. Anyone else want to jump in, please do.
Thanks, glad you're liking the reviews! I personally didn't have issues with the rears when I did my tests, but of course, some might have had problems with their setup and/or might have used it for far longer than I have (ie customers). My suggestion, however, would be to look into the Samsung line-up (check the description) - you might also be able to get the Q950A (an upgrade over the 9.1 in many ways) for around the same price, due to it being yesteryear's model.
@@TotallydubbedHD Thanks mate, was just looking at the Samsung options & currently on your Q900A review :) which is selling here at US$730 & the Q950A with the rear speakers is going for US$1100. Is it fully worth the $370 dif? & would you pick the Q950A over the JBL Bar 9.1 Atmos? I'm currently leaning towards the Q950A as I did not realize it is with the rear speakers too. Thanks a mil, mate
@@Bitchovski no worries! I'd not say the 950A is worth that much more than the 9.1, no. But the 900A being cheaper, plus the ability to upgrade later down the line (with prices potentially dropping more for the rears), being the best option out of the bunch (price to performance) imo.
@@TotallydubbedHD Hey Buddy, guess who's in the midst of 22 Channels and loving?! Thanks for the vid & tips. The only thing is there's a bit of a disappointment as had I waited two months (could not afford the additional $300 this month), I could have got the Q990B but hey 60 whole days was way too long of a wait, so stuck with the Q950A for a few years, but good vibes to be stuck with 🍻🤩
At the moment I have got onkyo avr with Dolby Atmos 10 speakers setup but my kids won't let me watch nothing so I'm looking for different solution upstairs... How would You compare this soundbar to proper set-up? Is it comparable at all? Just don't want to waste money ... Thank You
Hi noone seems to respond to me about my question i hope you do... i just purchased the jbl 9.1 amd its sounds awsome . But when i play video games the subwoofer seems to struggle to balance with high frequecies. Like talking dialog or foot steps is hard to tell where they are .. i was co sidering samsung 990b . What would you recomend if i want to move up from the jbl 9.1 soundbar
Thanks for the explanation Sir. Please answer this query - I have 2019 model TCL TV with HDMI ARC port, and JBL 9.1 with HDMI eARC port, also a Xiaomi Box 2nd Gen. So if I connect an external hard drive (that has bluray rip movies of lossless Dolby Atmos) to Xiaomi Box, which inturn will be connected to JBL 9.1, so will the sound output be lossless Dolby Atmos ?
The louder you play the faster battery dies have you not learned this every speaker that uses a battery like this I played it pretty loud for over 10 hours
If i buu this soundbar, i want to have the satellite speakers permanently mounted at the back. Its a bit of a hassle for me to plug it in the soundbar to charge. Is it okay to just permanently have those 2 speakers plugged in with lets say a smartphone fast charging adapter so i dont have to charge it daily? Or would that cause a problem with the speakers?
@@TotallydubbedHD Perfect timing, my friend purchased the 9.1 first so I tagged along. With set it up to his tv. The sound is great. But i notice the voice clarity is low. Some videos are okay but some are not. We tried playing ps5 and we are having a hard time hearing the voice coz the music and other sound is way louder than the voices. Any tip on that?
I just got the soundbar when using netflex I get dolby atmos multi-ch pcm message is that normal ? Although i saw some videos on youtube where their soundbar message only says dolby atmos! Any idea ?’
Hi mate got a question. I have the LG SP11RA 7.1.4ch system but this one just doesn't have the punchy bass that JBL soundbar have don't get me wrong it's a nice sounding soundbar but do you think I should swap too the JBL 9.1 or will I be downgrading my self I know that the JBL Bar is a 5.1.4ch. not quite sure if I should swap over I'm having problems with this soundbar and this is the 2nd one I got and it's about to be a 3rd since this one is having problems now as well.
@@TotallydubbedHD Any chance you could do a review on it please their is actually barley any on that system I wanted to see JBL Bar 9.1 vs That soundbar
I have one question I need answered before ordering. Does ANYONE know the range on the detachable speakers. How far can they be from the central soundbar before losing connection? No one has posted anything about that?
The real question is, why would you want to be going far with it? I had no issues in my room (that's less than 3-4m from the soundbar); and indeed even if you had a 120" TV/projector, you still wouldn't be sat too far for it to be a problem (suspect it'll be roughly 10-15m range)
@@TotallydubbedHD I guess the question is, do those detachable speakers output enough sound to have them feel like a portable speaker. If I wanted to take one in the kitchen while cooking so I could hear music/movie. Maybe 30ft from living room, Is it loud enough?
This is an important question that interests me as well. In another review they said the surround speakers can function as stereo too, and I'd like to know if I can take them out to my balcony to listen some music. So if anyone knows the range that would be really helpful!
Hello , I would like to know, if i cast a dolby atmos supporting movie via my phone, will it automatically play dolby atmos surround sound or not ?! To be able to cast do i need to a fire tv stick or Google chrome cast kind of devices?!
But most (incl myself, where I'd consider myself an audio enthusiast), don't want the trouble of bookshelf speakers, subwoofer, cables, amplifier + receiver and a separate remote for that all (let alone the cost). And again, I have such a setup on my desktop, but not the TV. But of course, everyone is different :)
@@TotallydubbedHD What all seems ironic lol. A setup like that for your pc but not your tv. I guess its daunting to most but omg the sound is sooo much better.
Want to get this... However been reading about low dialogue volume from the center speaker. To the point where sometimes dialog is not clear. How you experienced this?
I work from home and have had them detached from 9am till 8pm. They are on mostly all day with music playing, RU-vid then movies or games after work. 😅🤷♂️ you got bad set probably. Return bro.
