When shopping for a premium soundbar to boost your TV‘s audio, JBL and Sonos stand out as two of the most popular options. Both companies make stellar soundbars, but have differences that may make one a better fit depending on your priorities.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll compare JBL and Sonos across the most important factors from sound quality to features and beyond. You‘ll get a detailed analysis of each brand‘s strengths and weaknesses so you can determine which soundbar lineup best meets your needs and budget.
JBL Soundbars
JBL is renowned for their signature audio performance emphasizing powerful bass, vivid clarity and dynamic range. Their soundbar lineup brings JBL‘s professional sound pedigree into sleekly-designed home theater products.
Key strengths of JBL soundbars include:
- Thundering bass: With large drivers including 8" or 10" subwoofers on premium models, JBL soundbars deliver trembling low frequencies for thundering bass that brings movies and music to life.
- Multi-driver designs: Numerous compact drivers team with wider soundbars firing audio from more angles for immersive surround effects without rear speakers.
- Advanced audio formats: Flagship soundbars include Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for 3D audio immersion when playing supported content.
- Detachable/wireless rears: Certain models have satellites providing true surround, going beyond virtual effects for greater envelopment.
On the flip side, some downsides of JBL bars include:
- Dialogue clarity can occasionally suffer at loud volumes when action heats up
- Minimalist designs lack some premium flair boasted by rivals
- Surround effects can feel forced or unnatural at times
Still, those craving hearty bass punch for action movies or bass-laden tunes paired with vigorous dynamics will love a JBL soundbar.
Sonos Soundbars
Known for smart speakers excelling more with stereo music than surround sound, Sonos soundbars still impress with beautiful balance, wealth of features and leading connectivity.
Benefits that Sonos Soundbars deliver include:
- Clear, balanced sound: While light on chest-thumping bass, Sonos soundbars shine with warm accurate audio perfect for vocals and intricate acoustic music.
- Trueplay tuning: Audio automatically adapts to the room using your phone‘s mic for optimized sound quality.
- Sleek premium designs: With metal meshes and curved lines, Sonos bars flaunt attractive aesthetic flair.
- Robust wireless ecosystem: Sonos soundbars integrate seamlessly with other Sonos speakers lettings you extend audio room-to-room.
Downsides of Sonos soundbars encompass:
- Anemic bass lacks oomph and punch for action movie lovers
- Surround effects feel constrained even on premium 3D-audio models
- Expensive prices, especially for full 5.1.2 channel setups
Those wanting beautiful balanced sound aligned with Sonos‘ leading multi-room audio platform will find the brand‘s soundbars to be a superb overall package.
Now let‘s compare JBL and Sonos soundbars across some key factors in detail.
JBL vs Sonos Soundbars Compared
Sound Quality
Winner: Tie
Both JBL and Sonos soundbars impress in their own way, catering to different listener preferences.
JBL‘s dynamic, bass-forward signature mates ideally for bombastic action movies and thumping tunes. The kick of larger subwoofers paired with dedicated bass radiators supplies the gripping low-end heft home theaters demand.
Sonos smartly tunes their soundbars seeking a balanced, natural sound optimized for the human voice. You get sparkling treble and a fairly wide soundstage that makes music, podcasts and TV dramas sound clear and intimate.
Those wanting to feel the drama of epic battles or heart-thumping EDM will lean JBL. But Sonos better suits vocal-centric programming like news, talk shows and acoustic/jazz genres with its gorgeous midrange.
Features & Connectivity
Winner: Sonos
Both JBL and Sonos stuff their soundbars with connectivity and cutting-edge features. However, Sonos pulls ahead with its industry-leading wireless multi-room audio platform.
All Sonos speakers form an integrated ecosystem controlled by the superb Sonos app. Soundbars can be seamlessly paired with other Sonos speakers like bookshelf units or subs. Control music playback room-to-room right from your phone! No other whole-home wireless audio solution matches this versatility.
Sonos‘ Trueplay room calibration also gives their bars the edge. Using your phone‘s mic, Trueplay tunes the soundbar‘s output tailored precisely for your room‘s shape and construction.
While JBL soundbars counter with Bluetooth and Google Chromecast built-in for casting music from phones, only Sonos gives you such deep wireless integration.
Design
Here‘s a quick visual rundown of how JBL and Sonos soundbars compare design-wise:
| JBL Soundbar Design | Sonos Soundbar Design |
|---|---|
|
|
Winner: Sonos
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but overall Sonos flaunts more upscale, refined designs than JBL. Substantial metal and glass builds exude luxury with fewer visible drivers. Controls blend seamlessly into the bar itself.
JBL counters with far more affordable prices. Their utilitarian vibe still looks sharp thanks to front LED cues and tapered ends. Compact sizes suit smaller TV stands.
Those wanting a soundbar doubling as interior eye candy will gravitate to Sonos. But budget-focused buyers get pleasing aesthetics from JBL without overspending.
Voice Assistant Support
Winner: Tie
Both JBL and Sonos soundbars offer integrated voice assistant support for convenient hands-free control. Use spoken commands to:
- Adjust volume
- Skip/play songs and videos
- Launch music services
- Get weather/news updates
- And manage other smart home devices
Top models from both brands bake in support for either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Most buyers will be happy with what both companies offer here.
JBL does lose points for relying on external Echo speakers for Alexa features on most bars. But onboard Google Assistant negates much of this deficit.
Surround Sound Capabilities
Immersive surround effects transform movies, TV and video games for a cinematic experience. Here‘s how JBL and Sonos soundbars compare when it comes to enveloping 360° audio:
JBL pulls ahead for shoppers demanding true seamless surround sound. Their bars with detachable/wireless satellite speakers and Dolby Atmos/DTS:X decoding supply greater envelopment. Sound effects pan all around the room with convincing accuracy.
Single-body Sonos soundbars rely on simulated virtual effects that feel more constrained. You don‘t get the "bubble of sound" immersion standing out on certain JBL models like the Bar 9.1 with its awesome wireless rears.
Winner: JBL
For maximum immersion that makes movies and games feel cinematic, JBL is king. Surround effects sound more natural instead of "forced." But Sonos models still create a fairly wide, engaging front soundstage.
Casual TV watchers will get by fine with Sonos. Home theater enthusiasts wanting the best sound for movies absolutely should go JBL.
Pricing & Overall Value
Soundbars from both brands span a wide pricing spectrum from budget-friendly to costly luxury models:
| JBL | Sonos | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level | $250 – $500 | $279 – $449 |
| Mid-Range | $500 – $1000 | $499 – $899 |
| High-End | $1000+ | $899+ |
Across classes, JBL rates as the value leader. Their aggressive pricing supplies superior audio performance and features than competitors at each price tier.
However, Sonos justify higher costs with excellent sound quality matched by seamless wireless connectivity. Expandability via Sonos‘ wider product ecosystem adds value too.
Just know JBL gives you more bang for your buck if staying within budget ranks high on your priorities.
Winner: JBL
Room Size Support
Larger spaces strain even premium soundbars. Yet JBL and Sonos bars shine when factoring room size limitations:
Sonos‘ Trueplay tuning gives them the edge for unusual room shapes or expansive spaces. Sound automatically adjusts so you get great coverage for larger gatherings.
But JBL competes strongly too for room filling capacity. Their louder volumes and better surround effects make movie nights captivating even in big living rooms or media dens.
For cavernous spaces exceeding 3,500 cubic feet, neither brand can sufficiently fill the entire area without added wireless surrounds or front speakers. Yet both work wonders for typical medium-sized apartments and houses.
Winner: Sonos
Final Verdict: JBL vs Sonos Soundbars
We‘ve conducted an intensive JBL versus Sonos soundbar showdown spanning all critical factors. So which one reigns supreme?
The final verdict:
JBL is best suited for movie lovers wanting powerful audio and immersive surround capabilities on a budget. Performance goes unmatched for the price with thunderous bass and lively dynamics ideal for Hollywood action flicks.
Sonos better suits those seeking a premium listening experience for music and clearer TV/speech programming. Their gorgeous looks and leading wireless connectivity justify higher prices for buyers valuing convenience and versatility too.
Ultimately both brands make fantastic soundbars sure to boost enjoyment of all A/V content. Carefully weigh their respective strengths against your needs and room considerations before deciding on which lineup to buy into.
To recap key discussion points:
- JBL Wins: Value, bass impact, surround immersion
- Sonos Wins: Stylish contemporary design, connectivity & wireless integration, balanced audio quality
- Both Excellent At: Voice assistant support, room-filling capacity
Hoping this comparison has given you clarity in choosing the superior soundbar brand for your home theater or living space. Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below!
