JBL Bar 500MK2 vs Sonos Beam Ultra

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Bar 500MK2 compared with Beam Ultra

	JBLBar 500MK2	SonosBeam Ultra
Overview
Released
Released	June 2025	September 2026
Sound
Type
Type	Soundbar	Soundbar
Channels
Channels	5.1	7.1.2
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 tweeters (one forward-firing centre, two side-firing horn-loaded and two upward-firing directional horn tweeters); four low-profile woofers
Amplifiers
Amplifiers	750 W maximum in total (450 W soundbar, 300 W subwoofer, at 1% THD); 375 W RMS	Nine Class-D digital amplifiers
Frequency response
Frequency response	40 Hz – 20 kHz (−6 dB)	–
Audio formats
Audio formats	Dolby Atmos (virtual) and DTS Virtual:X (DTS Virtual:X added by software update in late 2025)	Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Atmos over Dolby Digital Plus; Dolby TrueHD, Atmos over TrueHD and multichannel PCM require eARC. Maker lists DTS Digital Surround with a note that this does not indicate a licensed decoder; no DTS:X (What Hi-Fi and TechRadar)
Room tuning
Room tuning	Room calibration; MultiBeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0 dialogue enhancement and SmartDetails; 7-band EQ in the JBL One app	Trueplay room calibration compatible with iOS and Android; four levels of AI Speech Enhancement, Night Sound, adjustable bass/treble/loudness and simulated overhead sound for obstructed top placement
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	Sonos Voice Control
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2.4 and 5 GHz	Wi-Fi 6; 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax on 2.4 or 5 GHz
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3; A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5	Bluetooth 5.3 audio streaming
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/ARC; USB-C supports line-in with Sonos Line-In Adapter or line-in and Ethernet with Sonos Combo Adapter; adapters sold separately. Optical adapter sold separately
Streaming
Streaming	AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready	Sonos app services, Spotify and TIDAL direct control, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos Music
Multi-room
Multi-room	–	Sonos multi-room playback; optional compatible subwoofer and rear surrounds, including pairs of Sonos Play or Move 2; TV Audio Swap to compatible Sonos headphones
App
App	JBL One app	Sonos app; Wi-Fi internet connection and mains power required
Design
Weight
Weight	2.9 kg	2.88 kg (better)
Controls
Controls	Remote control; works with separate Google Assistant or Siri speakers	Capacitive playback, volume, voice and grouping controls; Bluetooth pairing button; physical microphone-power switch; compatible TV remote control
Microphones
Microphones	–	Far-field array with beamforming and multichannel echo cancellation for voice control, Trueplay and portable-surround setup
Mounting
Mounting	Two L-shaped wall brackets for the soundbar in the box	Furniture placement or optional Beam Ultra Wall Mount; maker lists M5 × 0.8 mm thread pitch, L6.5 mm
Size
Size	Soundbar 940 × 50.5 × 104 mm (W × H × D); subwoofer 325 × 400 × 325 mm, 8.1 kg	65 mm high, 750 mm wide, 105 mm deep
Colours
Colours	Black, White	Black, White
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	Beam Ultra, 2 m power cable, 1.5 m HDMI cable, setup and warranty documentation