JBL Bar 1300 11.1.4-channel surround sound

Product Information

A few days ago we praised JBL’s Bar 1000 and how good it sounded compared to JBL’s previous flagship, the Bar 9.1. Well, we will reserve judgement until we try out a few more of the latest 2023 flagships but for now the JBL Bar 1300X is definitely the new King.

The two detachable speakers are battery-powered, and in a very cool feature, they can be paired on their own or in stereo with a Bluetooth device such as a smartphone. This soundbar sits somewhere between a traditional soundbar and a full-fat speaker system. That's because the Dragon isn't just a soundbar: it's actually a huge soundbar, a pair of rear surround speakers, and two subwoofers. More often than not these days, soundbars only come with a single HDMI ARC/eARC connection, assuming you’ll be doing most of your viewing via the streaming services built into a smart TV or routing any additional sources through the TV’s inputs. As for the single LED status indicator, this also shows various functions of the soundbar like network status and updating. But its placement is not very practical and not of much use anyway. Streaming Max Richter’s Tranquility II and III from SLEEP: Tranquility Base, the pipe organ and keyboards had a smooth and natural presentation that was easy on the ears, and the system’s subwoofer did an excellent job of reproducing the lowest organ notes. The vocals soared above all of this in an impressive way, with the JBL soundbar creating an almost cathedral-like sense of space.

10” bezdrôtový subwoofer

The one thing that would detract from the Bar 1300X’s value is the fact that, at this price level, buying one of the best AV receivers and pairing it with an Atmos-ready speaker system becomes another option to consider, and one that could result in even better and more dynamic sound. But then again, the JBL Bar 1300X’s wireless subwoofer and surround speakers provide a more elegant and easy to set up option than a receiver and speakers, and for many users its sound quality will be more than good enough. Unfortunately, while they do come with a LED indicator that flashes when battery is low you really do not have an indication how low the battery is in general. So our recommendation is to fully charge them after each use. Just to be on the safe side. In addition, the two surround speakers can act as stand-alone Bluetooth speakers. That’s handy for playing music in different rooms of the house when you’re not using the whole system to watch a movie. JBL Bar 1300: conclusion

With a 12-inch driver powered by 650 watts, the JBL system's subwoofer is a true bass beast. (Image credit: Future) JBL Bar 1300X soundbar review: Design The second, much-less-secret weapon is the 1300X’s mini-fridge of a subwoofer, which sports a 12-inch woofer that matches or exceeds every other competitor. You’re just not going to get this kind of authoritative sound displacement with smaller drivers, and you will absolutely feel the ground-shaking, shelf-rattling difference. The sub is also fast and musical enough to keep up with rhythmic effects, matching well with its soundbar counterpart. We are therefore in the presence of an 11.1.4 channel home theater system, with truly wireless surround speakers. These speakers are equipped with a battery offering up to ten hours of autonomy. The amplification totals 1,170 watts of power: 650 watts for the soundbar, 300 watts for the subwoofer and 110 watts for each of the surround speakers. The JBL Bar 1300 is a genuine 11.1.4 channel home theater system with a total amplification power of 1,170 watts, with 650 watts to power the soundbar’s 15 drivers.This is probably one area where we felt the soundbar was a small letdown. While with other flagships, namely the Samsung HW-Q990B, we could hardly reach their max volume this was not the case here. Don’t get us wrong, the Bar 1300X can get loud, satisfyingly loud. It was just not to the extremes you would expect from such a flagship.