JBL has today announced a brand new range of soundbar style speakers with the appropriately named BAR series arriving in Australia.
The BAR series consists of four models, the BAR STUDIO, BAR 2.1, BAR 3.1 and BAR 5.1, with each possessing different properties to allow customers options to fit any home theatre environment.
The company has also spoken about Australian availability of their recently announced JBL LINK BAR with Android TV – it will be arriving in Australia in October.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the BAR 5.1 – and the company’s confidence in it – JBL on Monday night treated us to an exclusive private screening of Mad Max Fury Road in Sydney’s Golden Age Cinema, with a twist: the theatre’s own sound system was disabled and replaced with the JBL BAR 5.1 for the screening.
While the Golden Age Cinema isn’t huge (it seats around 50 people), the sound pumped out of the BAR 5.1 at max volume boasted impressive clarity and no perceptible distortion. If we hadn’t been told, we wouldn’t have known the cinema songs was being run by a the sound bar, it’s rear speakers and subwoofer.
At the end of the screening, JBL staff picked up the battery powered rear speakers and passed them around the room to show that we’d been listening to truly wireless, battery powered rear speakers for the duration of the movie.
Marcus Fry, Brand Activation Director, of AUNZ at HARMAN said of the new BAR series
With the all-new JBL BAR series, we redefine the home theatre experience by delivering epic JBL Signature Sound in a sleek and stylish package. Designed with the user in mind, it is the ultimate home audio solution for every type of listener, and the perfect accent to any living space.
BAR Studio
The BAR Studio is the entry level model in the range, it’s a 2.0 Channel soundbar with Bluetooth, it includes Dual Bass Port design and JBL Surround Sound with Wireless music streaming through Bluetooth (v4.2) and HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) allowing for two-way communication through the HDMI port.
JBL says that the BAR Studio is designed to work with many of today’s top TV remote controls, allowing you to use your TV remote to control the soundbar.
BAR 2.1
The BAR 2.1 offers the same options as the Sondbar Studio, with HDMI (ARC) connection, JBL Surround Sound but with the added benefit of a wireless Subwoofer. The BAR 2.1 includes up to 300w of power thanks to 4x 2.25″ racetrack drivers, and 2x 1.25″ tweeters, with the wireless subwoofer coming with a 6.5″ trnasducer.
The BAR 2.1 is also designed to work with most of todays TV remotes, and of course also comes with a remote control of its own.
BAR 3.1
The JBL 3.1 offers a more powerful system, with an even larger 10″ wireless subwoofer with the soundbar offering up to 450w of power thanks to 6x 2.25″ racetrack drivers and 3x 1.25″ tweeters.
The soundbar also includes support for wirless audio streaming with Bluetooth 4.2, and has 3x HDMI inputs for connecting up devices capable of 4K video, as well as the HDMI (ARC) connector.
BAR 5.1
Finally, the BAR 5.1 is a 5.1-Channel 4K Ultra HD Soundbar with True Wireless Surround Speaker offers the top of the line soundbar audio experience with the inclusion of dual rear, battery powered speakers and 10″ wireless subwoofer.
The BAR 5.1 rear speakers can offer up to 10 hours of battery life, enough life to watch around four or five movies in full, surround sound. The soundbar supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS for a premium audio experience. It also comes with a microphone accessory to assist with calibration of the speakers.
The system boasts 3x 4K HDMI inputs with support for UltraHD definition video, with 510W of total system power thanks to 6x 2.25″ racetrack drivers and 3x 1.25″ tweeters.
The BAR 5.1 supports everything that JBL has to offer including Bluetooth 4.2, and JBL SoundShift, which JBL says allows you to ‘instantly switch between the sound from your TV and the Bluetooth sound from your mobile phone or tablet’.
Like the rest of the range, the BAR 5.1 will work with other TV remote controls, but it too comes with its own remote control as well.
Availability
The BAR series of speakers is avaialble to check out on the JBL Australia website.
The BAR Studio is currently listed as sold out, but are priced at $259.95 each, however the BAR 2.1 is in stock for $499 per system, as is the BAR 3.1 for $699 per system, but the BAR 5.1 is also back-ordered until the 5th June.
The series is available at retail at Harvey Norman stores in Australia, and JB Hi-fi in New Zealand.
JBL Link Bar coming to Australia. That is awesome.
Any word on pricing?
Not yet, but it looks awesome. Had a brief play at Google I/O and was impressed.