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JBL Bar 1000MK2 vs Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

JBLBar 1000MK2SennheiserAMBEO Soundbar Plus
Overview
ReleasedJune 20252022
Sound
TypeSoundbarSoundbar
Channels7.1.47.1.4 (virtual)
Dolby AtmosYesYes
DriversMain bar has six 44 × 80 mm racetrack drivers, two 25 mm tweeters and two 70 mm upward-firing drivers; rear pair has two 44 × 90 mm racetrack drivers and two 70 mm upward-firing drivers; subwoofer has one 260 mm driverNine drivers, with two 100 mm cellulose woofers and seven 50 mm aluminium full-range drivers; 7.1.4 is the virtualised presentation, rather than a set of discrete rear speakers
AmplifiersTotal 960 W maximum or 480 W RMS at 1% THD; maximum main bar 500 W, rear pair 2 × 80 W, subwoofer 300 W. The UK web table mislabels 960 W as RMS; the maker's PDF specifies 960 W maximum and 480 W RMSNine Class D amplifiers, total 400 W RMS
Frequency response33 Hz–20 kHz (-6 dB)38 Hz–20 kHz (-3 dB)
Audio formatsDolby Atmos and DTS:XDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio, multichannel LPCM, MPEG-H and Sony 360 Reality Audio
Room tuningAutomatic calibration, MultiBeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0 and SmartDetailsAMBEO self-calibration with four built-in microphones; stereo upmixing, adjustable presets and equaliser, Voice Enhancement and Night Mode
Connections
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
AirPlayYesYes
HDMI eARCYesYes
Voice assistantsNoneAlexa
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHzWi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz, 2 × 2 MIMO
BluetoothBluetooth 5.3, A2DP and AVRCPBluetooth 5.0 Classic/BLE with SBC and AAC audio; LC3 is used for the separate AMBEO Sub connection, not general Bluetooth music
PortsThree HDMI inputs, one eARC output, optical and USB-A service port; HDR10+ and Dolby Vision passthrough. What Hi-Fi confirms 4K passthrough is limited to 60 Hz; TechRadar confirms EthernetTwo HDMI 2.0a inputs with 4K 60 Hz and Dolby Vision passthrough; HDMI 2.1 eARC output, optical, stereo RCA input, Ethernet, mono RCA subwoofer output and USB-A for accessory power/service
StreamingAirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon ReadyAirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect with Dolby Atmos and UPnP
Multi-roomDetachable speakers support TV Broadcasting and rear-only Night Listening, with main bar and subwoofer muted; the maker's description controls What Hi-Fi's contrary Night mode wordingSupports up to four separately sold wireless AMBEO Sub units; additional rear speakers are not included
AppJBL One with equaliser and software updatesSennheiser Smart Control and browser interface for setup, codec display and sound controls
Design
Weight5.5 kg6.3 kg
Battery life detailDetachable speakers up to 10 hours each, depending on content and volume; 3.635 V, 6600 mAh. Dock to recharge or use USB-C power (TechRadar)–
ControlsRemote and JBL One; Google Assistant and Siri require an external compatible speaker, not a built-in voice assistantIncluded infrared remote, app, browser and soundbar controls
Microphones–Four far-field microphones for room calibration and voice features; Alexa built in where supported, Google Assistant via an external compatible device and Siri through Apple HomeKit; microphone can be switched off
MountingMain bar and rear wall brackets included–
SizeMain bar 854 × 52 × 128 mm, 1203 mm wide with rears attached; each rear 189 × 52 × 128 mm; subwoofer 325 × 400 × 325 mm (width × height × depth). Main weight is bar only; each rear 0.9 kg, subwoofer 9.1 kgApproximately 105.1 × 7.7 × 12.1 cm with feet, or 105.1 × 7.5 × 12.1 cm without feet (width × height × depth)
ColoursBlackBlack
In the boxMain bar, two detachable rear speakers, subwoofer, remote with batteries, power cords, HDMI cable, wall brackets and four side caps; June 2025 first release confirmed by TechRadarSoundbar, remote with lithium battery, HDMI cable, power cord and guides; external subwoofer sold separately

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