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JBL has introduced Bar 5.0 MultiBeam, an all-in-one soundbar that offers Dolby Atmos surround sound for $ 400.
Scheduled for release in February, the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam adapts the same proprietary MultiBeam digital surround sound technology as the JBL Bar 5.1 to help create the three-dimensional effect of Atmos. More importantly, it promises to do it for far less cash than most Atmos-certified soundbars.
In fact, we only know of one Dolby Atmos soundbar that is cheaper, the $ 199 Anker Soundcore Infini Pro. And the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam sounds much more sophisticated: in addition to Atmos, which is achieved through a combination of MultiBeam’s beamforming tricks and a set of upward and side firing drivers, the JBL soundbar also covers the type. of wireless features you only occasionally see in premium soundbars.
That includes multi-room functionality from AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Alexa, so streaming music should be straightforward, regardless of your preferred platform.
Being an all-in-one soundbar, there is no subwoofer or satellite speakers included, although JBL says four passive radiators help keep the bass powerful. Presumably, this approach is also part of what makes the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam a total of $ 100 cheaper than the Bar 5.1, despite the latter lacking Dolby Atmos support.
Since, like most of the products revealed during fully digital CES 2021, we have not had the opportunity to do so, we cannot attest to what the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam sounds like in practice. You might get what you pay for and remember that Infini Pro’s Atmos implementation leaves a lot to be desired.
But $ 400 for Dolby Atmos, a healthy combination of wireless connectivity options, and a wide-range controller setup certainly sounds tempting enough to keep an eye out. We’ll see if the Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is worthy of joining the best soundbars when it goes on sale in February.
