JBL Bar 500MK2 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The JBL Bar 500MK2 is the better pick for movie and game nights in a larger room: a true 5.1 setup with a wireless 10-inch subwoofer and 750W of rated power gives it bass and scale the Beam cannot match. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the better pick for a small-to-mid room, a clean wall-mounted TV and voice control, with Alexa and Google Assistant built in and a much larger owner base behind its rating. Build-wise the JBL is a plastic bar plus a heavy separate sub; the Sonos is a compact, solid single bar. Owners of both praise dialogue clarity and easy setup; the common JBL complaint is subwoofer boom in small rooms, and the common Sonos complaint is limited bass without adding a Sonos sub.

• Choose the JBL Bar 500MK2 if you want real 5.1 surround with a separate 10-inch subwoofer for movies, games and loud music in a medium or large room.
• Choose the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) if you want a compact one-bar setup with Dolby Atmos, Alexa and Google Assistant, and room to add Sonos rear speakers or a sub later.