JBL is stocking up on soundbars at IFA, while Harman Kardon unveils a new home Bluetooth speaker.
As the IFA opens its doors this Tuesday in Berlin, it’s time for manufacturers to unveil their main new features expected for the end of 2022. In terms of audio, JBL had already unveiled its new wireless headphones and earphones. wire and continued with the presentation of its new range of soundbars.
In total, no less than four new soundbars were presented by the American brand, owned by the Harman Kardon group – itself owned by Samsung. We thus find, from the most upscale model to the most accessible, the JBL Bar 1000, JBL Bar 800, JBL Bar 500 and JBL Bar 300 soundbars.
Of course, the most interesting on paper is the most high-end soundbar, namely the JBL Bar 1000. It is a soundbar with a 7.1.4 audio system with therefore 7 voices horizontal, a subwoofer and four loudspeakers for vertical spatialization. Where JBL’s soundbar stands out is actually in its format.
Like the Philips Fidelio B97, it is equipped with removable speakers that can be placed at the back to enjoy better spatialization. Enough to provide, if you wish, two horizontal voices at the back, two vertical voices at the back, five horizontal voices at the front and two vertical voices at the front. Thus, it benefits from a total power, including subwoofer, of up to 880 W.
On the audio reproduction side, the speaker is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
For connectivity, the JBL Bar 1000 has three HDMI video inputs, an eARC-compatible HDMI output, an optical audio input, Bluetooth 5.0 compatibility and Wi-Fi connectivity for control via AirPlay, Alexa or Chromecast.
The JBL Bar 1000 soundbar will be available in October at a price of 1149 euros.
Three more accessible soundbars
If this price is rather high, the American manufacturer also offers three other sound bars at a more affordable price. The JBL Bar 800 uses the detachable soundbar principle of the Bar 1000, but at a price of 899 euros. However, it is limited to a 5.1.2 audio system and a power of 720 W.
More classic, the JBL Bar 500 soundbar is displayed at 649 euros and benefits from a more classic 5.1 audio system, without a vertical spatialization system. The soundbar still displays compatibility with Dolby Atmos even if, in the absence of a loudspeaker emitting upwards, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of this virtualization. However, it is accompanied by a dedicated subwoofer and will be available in September.
Finally, the latest model announced by JBL is none other than the JBL Bar 300, a 5.0 soundbar called ” all in one “. No remote subwoofer this time, it’s the sound bar itself that will take care of both reproducing the highs, mids and lows. Here too, Dolby Atmos certification is required, even if the absence of vertical speakers is puzzling. The JBL Bar 300 soundbar will be available in September for 399 euros.
In parallel with these soundbar announcements, JBL’s cousin brand, Harman Kardon, has also announced a new living room speaker, the Onyx Studio 8 Harman Kardon.
A new home speaker from Harman Kardon
It is actually a high-end Bluetooth speaker with a rather elegant design with a remote strapping system to be able to position it flat. The speaker has a 120mm main driver and a 20mm dual tweeter system for the treble. It also benefits from an autonomy of eight hours thanks to the integrated battery.
Harman Kardon also suggests that the speaker can be used as part of “conference calls”. Enough to indicate that it has a microphone system for voice calls.
The Onyx Studio 8 speaker will be available during the month of October at a price of 299 euros with three colors: black, champagne and dark blue.
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