Customer reviews from jbl.com
JBL - BAR300MK2 5.0 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos - Black
Average customer rating
4.6
(18 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 18 reviews
5 Stars
13
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
1
1 Star
0
100%of customers recommend this product.
(
17 out of
17)
Customer Reviews for JBL - BAR300MK2 5.0 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos - Black
Customer Rating
3
Underwhelmed but surprised
on June 11, 2025
Posted by: General_Skelly
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I had high hopes for this sound bar, with a name like the Mk 2 you would hope it blows your expectations out of the water. Sadly, I can't say that with this sound bar.
Starting off with the physical aspects of the sound bar, it's overall a great package and size. The foot print of this won't interfere with most TV's. One thing that I really appreciate is the mounting hardware that comes in the box. It might be a bit rudimentary, but it does achieve that 'floating' look most people are after.
On top of that it also has an HDMI pass through, so if you want to connect a DVD player or something akin you can cut down on the cables by having it run into the sound bar instead of the TV.
On top of that it also has an HDMI pass through, so if you want to connect a DVD player or something akin you can cut down on the cables by having it run into the sound bar instead of the TV.
Now, let's talk about that sound quality. For the sound bar itself, it gets the job done. As the title describes, I was hoping for a more 'fuller sound' and a bit more bass. However, for such a small package it is a 'jack of all trades' yet 'Master of none'.
One thing that stands out is the bass. Don't get me wrong, it's more than present but it feels subdued. The best way to describe it is as if you were to condense the bass, essentially neutering it and it being a former version of itself. It's not punchy and you're definitely not going to be slamming those insane bass drops. I will say, it gets the job done in that regard though.
One thing that stands out is the bass. Don't get me wrong, it's more than present but it feels subdued. The best way to describe it is as if you were to condense the bass, essentially neutering it and it being a former version of itself. It's not punchy and you're definitely not going to be slamming those insane bass drops. I will say, it gets the job done in that regard though.
The mid is also a trouble child. The highs are present which most people will make up the difference in their head and will say that it sounds fine. But the problem you come across is that voices - whether singing or speaking - sound constricted and semi-flat. It's as you sucked out the 'umph' you typically hear when hearing a voice.
Conclusion, is this sound bar worth it? Ironically yes. This is well suited for the avid TV watcher you doesn't care about setting things up or being fancy. It's a simple plug and play system, and hey if you want to EQ a little bit the option is there!
Music is subjective, this isn't to my taste of quality. However, for most people this will get the job done if this is sitting in your living room and you want to pump some tunes.
Music is subjective, this isn't to my taste of quality. However, for most people this will get the job done if this is sitting in your living room and you want to pump some tunes.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from jbl.comBy Customer Support, June 18, 2025
Thank you for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review of the JBL Bar 300MK2. We truly appreciate you taking the time to outline your experience.
We're glad to hear you found the compact size, included mounting hardware, and the convenient HDMI pass-through to be positive features.
Regarding the sound, we understand your desire for a fuller experience with more punchy bass and dynamic mids. Your specific feedback on the bass feeling subdued and voices sounding constricted is incredibly valuable to our team as we develop future products.
It's great that you still see the value in the soundbar as a simple, plug-and-play solution for avid TV watchers and that the EQ option is a welcome feature. Your comprehensive review is very helpful as we continuously strive to improve our products.
We're glad to hear you found the compact size, included mounting hardware, and the convenient HDMI pass-through to be positive features.
Regarding the sound, we understand your desire for a fuller experience with more punchy bass and dynamic mids. Your specific feedback on the bass feeling subdued and voices sounding constricted is incredibly valuable to our team as we develop future products.
It's great that you still see the value in the soundbar as a simple, plug-and-play solution for avid TV watchers and that the EQ option is a welcome feature. Your comprehensive review is very helpful as we continuously strive to improve our products.
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Compact Amazing Sound
on June 17, 2025
Posted by: EFMF
from Colorado
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Super easy to set up turned my film viewing experience into a whole different realm. Seriously this thing sounds so great watching your favorite films and I connected the Bluetooth to my phone. Listen to some of my music through it And it sounds like a gigantic freaking stereo system. Excuse my language, but it is incredible for such a small unit. It really pumps out the sound Low’s the mids and the high’s simply incredible.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
2
Surprise, surprise, surprise….
on June 17, 2025
Posted by: Subman
from St. Louis Metropolitan Area
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] So, a couple days ago I received a JBL Bar 300 MK2. It came well packaged without any damage at all. Needless to say, I immediately opened my newest jewel (see video) and hooked it up to my main entertainment system. Truth be told, I have always used a full-blown surround system, so I was somewhat skeptical of a sound bar.
The setup was quick and easy and within two minutes I was up and running. At first, the sound was good and clear with a nice tight crispness to it, but seriously lacking in any kind of bottom end.
So, being experienced with sound systems and the importance of proper speaker placement for both imaging and bass response and noting that I had the unit close to the rear wall, I moved the system from the back of the shelf to the front… a distance of about seventeen inches from the wall (previously it was six inches away)… the difference was staggering! Nice tight bottom end (not subwoofer level but quite impressive nonetheless) and the balance between the highs and lows seemed pretty even across the soundstage. Sounds great on normal TV as well as with movies.. I’m sold…ha! The DOLBY ATMOS is definitely a plus as well.
However, I was not as impressed with the high end on blue tooth streaming. The bottom was fine but the high end seemed to be lacking somewhat ( NOTE… I am not a fan of music streaming in the first place… also did not try any options from my phone setup to possibly compensate tonality).
As I grow older, my hearing isn’t as good as it once was. Even with a complete surround rig, I have trouble hearing low level voice conversations without really cranking the center channel and/or the whole system (Not to mention I am tired of replacing windows due to SPL settings😎).
This was not a problem with the MK2! The voicing is incredible!
One other issue I am running into at the moment is the fact that my current sub is not blue tooth so as of this writing,it is not connected… sigh. I am sure I will figure something out…
But…. my wife is smiling….she HATES the sub.
This is a pretty cool piece of technology that can be used with great enjoyment. It has plenty of clean amplifier power as well ( my wife is NOT smiling)!
Especially for the price!
The setup was quick and easy and within two minutes I was up and running. At first, the sound was good and clear with a nice tight crispness to it, but seriously lacking in any kind of bottom end.
So, being experienced with sound systems and the importance of proper speaker placement for both imaging and bass response and noting that I had the unit close to the rear wall, I moved the system from the back of the shelf to the front… a distance of about seventeen inches from the wall (previously it was six inches away)… the difference was staggering! Nice tight bottom end (not subwoofer level but quite impressive nonetheless) and the balance between the highs and lows seemed pretty even across the soundstage. Sounds great on normal TV as well as with movies.. I’m sold…ha! The DOLBY ATMOS is definitely a plus as well.
However, I was not as impressed with the high end on blue tooth streaming. The bottom was fine but the high end seemed to be lacking somewhat ( NOTE… I am not a fan of music streaming in the first place… also did not try any options from my phone setup to possibly compensate tonality).
As I grow older, my hearing isn’t as good as it once was. Even with a complete surround rig, I have trouble hearing low level voice conversations without really cranking the center channel and/or the whole system (Not to mention I am tired of replacing windows due to SPL settings😎).
This was not a problem with the MK2! The voicing is incredible!
One other issue I am running into at the moment is the fact that my current sub is not blue tooth so as of this writing,it is not connected… sigh. I am sure I will figure something out…
But…. my wife is smiling….she HATES the sub.
This is a pretty cool piece of technology that can be used with great enjoyment. It has plenty of clean amplifier power as well ( my wife is NOT smiling)!
Especially for the price!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from jbl.comBy Customer Support, June 19, 2025
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a wonderfully detailed review of your new JBL Bar 300! We are thrilled to hear that the setup was quick and that you're enjoying the impressive sound quality for TV and movies.
Your feedback on speaker placement is an excellent pro tip for any soundbar user. Moving the unit away from the wall to enhance bass response is a fantastic insight, and we appreciate you sharing that discovery.
We are especially delighted that the voice clarity has been a game-changer for you, making dialogue easier to hear without cranking the volume.
Regarding Bluetooth streaming, you are correct that the source quality can affect the final output. Should you wish to experiment, the JBL One app offers EQ adjustments that might help you tune the sound to your preference. For the subwoofer, we understand the desire to integrate existing equipment. But it's already built-in.
We truly enjoyed reading your review, especially the part about your wife's mixed reactions! Welcome to the JBL family. We hope you continue to have a great experience.
Your feedback on speaker placement is an excellent pro tip for any soundbar user. Moving the unit away from the wall to enhance bass response is a fantastic insight, and we appreciate you sharing that discovery.
We are especially delighted that the voice clarity has been a game-changer for you, making dialogue easier to hear without cranking the volume.
Regarding Bluetooth streaming, you are correct that the source quality can affect the final output. Should you wish to experiment, the JBL One app offers EQ adjustments that might help you tune the sound to your preference. For the subwoofer, we understand the desire to integrate existing equipment. But it's already built-in.
We truly enjoyed reading your review, especially the part about your wife's mixed reactions! Welcome to the JBL family. We hope you continue to have a great experience.
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
4
Immersive surround sound
on June 19, 2025
Posted by: Drbll
from Two Rivers, WI
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First impression unboxing this soundbar, it is a very sleek, solid unit built with high quality materials. I really like the new true black coloring, matches my setup a bit better than the old charcoal color. Very easy to setup with my streaming stick and TV, I use the HDMI pass-thru connection. The JBL One app connected to the soundbar quickly and without any fuss. The app does add some features for this soundbar, relaxing "moment" sounds are new. This a nice feature if you want a little background noise, my cat loved the chirping birds. The streaming in app music didn't seem to provide full sound that I would expect, seemed a little flat, but that may be a streaming issue. My first test was David Gilmour's 5AM, WOW! this sounds amazing! The crisp clean sound was very impressive. Then I tried Pixar's Planes intro, the surround sound was very good, but it seemed to lack the punch of bass you get with a subwoofer. Dialog scenes are very clear and the 5 speaker output provides very good imaging. All in all, this a wonderful soundbar for a space limited setup, looks great and sounds fantastic.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Crisp sound and extremely easy setup
on June 7, 2025
Posted by: Eddie32
from Orange County, CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I cant get over how easy it was to connect and use this soundbar. 1 HDMI cable to the HDMIarc and I was ready to go! The calibration button is on the remote, simple click, some funky sounds later and done. I immediately noticed how crisp the dialogue and mid range sounds. The bass is controlled from the remote and the sound is more than enough to add to the experience; it wont rattle the walls but amount of bass that comes out of this soundbar is impressive! Overall, the ease of use, setup and audio quality makes me really love this soundbar!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Superb sound quality. Simple setup.
on June 10, 2025
Posted by: ProlDJ
from Wall, NJ
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] New TVs look great but sound like garbage. This soundbar changes that. It's not just making it louder, which it's very capable of, but the quality of the sound is exponentially better. The setup was simple. Even with doing updates, I was done in a few minutes. It includes mounts if you are hanging it but I set mine right on the TV console and it looks great. My only complaint is now I can't watch my other TVs that don't have this soundbar.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Punch above it’s class
on June 12, 2025
Posted by: taro
from Sacramento CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have the original BAR-300, the BAR-500, and a Yamaha X bar 50A for comparison. This MkII's main sound channel remains clean audio quality and punchy bass, even when it doesn't support additional subwoofer. It continues supports eARC connection via HDMI and dot matrix display; it offers a rich soundstage that can fill a 14x16 room. The remote control is fairly basic, primarily used for calibration purposes, while the TV remote is used for adjusting the soundbar's volume.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com
Customer Rating
5
Small footprint with big sound. Easy to connect
on June 16, 2025
Posted by: Soundman23
from Denver, CO
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I needed a compact sound system for my basement wet bar TV to watch sports, play music and occasionally a movie and the JBL BAR 300MK2 checks all the boxes. This soundbar comes without a separate subwoofer but hits a deep sound above its weight. The soundbar can be wall mounted with the included rack and hardware. Thanks to the small footprint the soundbar fits perfectly on my shelf and is connected to the TV with the built-in Bluetooth technology saving me a cable and keeps the connection clean. The MK2 delivers a crisp sound, deep base and clear vocals in a compact package. The TV Bluetooth connection was a breeze. If you need a soundbar for your TV with quality sound but also want to keep your entertainment area clean you will love the JBL BAR 300MK2!!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting jbl.com