JBL Bar 500MK2 vs Marshall Heston 60

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Bar 500MK2 compared with Heston 60

	JBLBar 500MK2	MarshallHeston 60
Overview
Released
Released	June 2025	2025
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	5.1	5.1
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
Drivers
Drivers	Soundbar with five 42 × 80 mm racetrack drivers and four 20 mm tweeters; subwoofer with a 10-inch (260 mm) driver	Five 1.25-inch full-range drivers and two 3-inch woofers; virtual height effects, with no up-firing drivers (Expert Reviews)
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	750 W maximum in total (450 W soundbar, 300 W subwoofer, at 1% THD); 375 W RMS	Seven Class D amplifiers, listed as 2 × 25 W and 5 × 5 W; separately stated total output 56 W peak. These are different maker ratings, not additive system power.
Frequency response
Frequency response	40 Hz – 20 kHz (−6 dB)	45 Hz–20 kHz; maximum SPL 89 dB
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Atmos (virtual) and DTS Virtual:X (DTS Virtual:X added by software update in late 2025)	Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Room tuning
Room tuning	Room calibration; MultiBeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0 dialogue enhancement and SmartDetails; 7-band EQ in the JBL One app	Automatic calibration; Music, Movie, Night and Voice modes
Connections
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
AirPlay
AirPlay	Yes	Yes
HDMI eARC
HDMI eARC	Yes	Yes
Voice assistants
Voice assistants	None	None
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz	Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3; A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5	Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LC3; Auracast supported
Ports
Ports	HDMI in (4K Dolby Vision and HDR10+ passthrough, HDCP 2.3); HDMI out with eARC; optical in; USB-A (music playback on US models only, otherwise for service)	HDMI eARC, 3.5 mm analogue input, mono RCA subwoofer output and USB-C; no HDMI passthrough
Streaming
Streaming	AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and airable radio
Multi-room
Multi-room	–	Optional Heston Sub 200 sold separately
App
App	JBL One app	Marshall app
Design
Weight
Weight	2.9 kg	2.76 kg (better)
Controls
Controls	Remote control; works with separate Google Assistant or Siri speakers	Physical buttons and programmable preset; magnetic logo and reversible control panel for wall mounting. No dedicated remote supplied.
Microphones
Microphones	–	Two calibration microphones; no built-in voice assistant
Mounting
Mounting	Two L-shaped wall brackets for the soundbar in the box	Wall-mount grommets included
Size
Size	Soundbar 940 × 50.5 × 104 mm (W × H × D); subwoofer 325 × 400 × 325 mm, 8.1 kg	730 × 68 × 124 mm (width × height × depth)
Colours
Colours	Black, White	Black or Cream
In the box
In the box	Soundbar, wireless subwoofer, remote with two batteries, power cords, HDMI cable, two wall brackets, wall-mount template, quick start guide, safety instructions and warranty card	Soundbar, two wall-mount grommets, logo and control panel, mains lead, HDMI cable and guides