JBL – BAR 1000 7.1.4-channel soundbar with detachable surround speakers, MultiBeam, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X – Black

The JBL BAR 1000 offers great sound and audio quality. I have a high end sound system and TV in my living room to compare the audio with. The JBL 1000 was installed in my master bedroom which I equipped also with a high end TV.
Unboxing was easy and straight forward. Nothing special.
Setup was quick and great. Plug in the sound bar’s power cord and plug an HDMI cable to the sound bar and TV with each port supporting ARC. Plug in your subwoofer. Next, the left and right speakers attach via magnets which is very satisfying when the click in. Attach to have one giant beam if you don’t want rear speakers or attach to charge them as rear speakers when the batteries are low. I wanted to use the detachable speakers as wireless so I charged them and detached them and placed where they would be prior to performing the initial start up. You have the option to plug in each rear speaker with a usb c cable to charge or to keep plugged in. I prefer to have them wireless and charge them while needed. Easy for me to do and so far they seemed like they need to be charged once a week with my usage. I just magnet them in during the day that way when I go to bed they are ready to go for an ultimate dolby atmos experience when watching tv in bed. Charging seems like it just takes a few hours and not drastically long. They display a red light through the speaker grill while charging and then switch to white when fully charged. There are also covers for each side of the bar and rear speakers to cover up where they charge and connect that way they look flushed. They are super easy to remove and add back on. Really good idea and help make the system look great. The initial setup was also very quick once everything is powered on and ready, download the JBL One app and connect your system. Then setup a calibration which only takes a minute and actually adjusts your equalizer perfectly to your room. The app allows you to do so much like increase the rear speaker volume, access an in-app remote, adjust the equalizer manually, audio sync adjustment. You can also setup inapp music like amazon music or tune in and more, however a big flaw is that it does not pair with Apple Music which what I use. Luckily you can stream via wifi to the JBL 1000 which I prefer to do anyway. Setup really was quick other than waiting for a full charge on the rear speakers.
One super cool feature: If you have multiple wifi audio systems like I do you can stream to multiple different systems at the same time. I have an iPhone 14 pro and I am sure this also has to do with having a newer phone so it may not work for everyone. However, I had the whole house jamming using one device.
Now for the main part….the audio…..
Dolby Atmos is definitely there and is strong. The up firing speakers located in the bar and rear speakers create a 3D experience. The first action packed movie I watched (with Atmos support) made it feel like the fight was in arms reach. So Cool! BASS is there and if it’s not well jump on that app and crank it up. While not as brain bashing as my other high end system (reminder the sub was almost as much as the entire JBL system) it sounds awesome. The sub is large and tall but worth it to create that 3D immersive sound. The sound bar is clear and crisp. I can watch shows and movies in confidence that I will hear every moment. The best part is I have had no trouble with audio distortion or lip sync problems. Everything was perfect right from the start.
Music sounds awesome. Although I am on the younger side, I listen to the Oldies and wow do they sound great. Clear, crisp, full, immersive, are words that come to mind to describe this system when playing music.
Key note: My TV and streaming (equipped with audio controls) remotes can control the sound bar without any additional setup. The TV controls the JBL’s volume so it’s perfect if that is your pet peeve like it is for me. Easy and great.

This review is based on using the JBL Bar 1000 in a 20′ x 35′ room with a projector for the past week. Overall I’m pleasantly surprised at how well the sound bar fills the entire room, enhanced further by the detachable surround speakers.
In the box is the sound bar with power cord, subwoofer with power cord, 2 surround speakers that are standalone or attach to the sound bar, remote control, HDMI cable, mounting hardware for the surround speakers and sound bar, side caps (when surround speakers are detached), and quick start guide. The sound bar has the following ports – ethernet, optical, USB, HDMI ARC and HDMI (x3), in addition to bluetooth and wifi connectivity, allowing for multiple input options. Setup is a simple plug and play, however you get more functionality by using the JBL One app, which also interfaces with Alexa or Chromecast to stream music directly from a mobile device. Through the app you can set up wifi, manage software updates, set equalizer, control rear speaker volume, calibrate, sync audio, and create a “moment” which is the ability to select a playlist / station, time to play, volume, and auto-off time.
For positioning there are options to calibrate sound, which I use frequently, as the teens like the move the speakers. They prefer attached to the sound bar for gaming, and moved behind them when watching movies. The bar can either rest on a surface or mount to the wall, using included template and mounting hardware. While the detachable speakers are held in place fairly securely via magnets, I would recommend making sure they do not hang off a surface, as they could disconnect from the sound bar if bumped. This sound bar has a ton of flexibility for movement and placement, the subwoofer is wireless, as are the surround sound speakers, which are also USB-C rechargeable battery powered, so you aren’t constrained by finding a wall outlet for surround sound.
As far as sound, the sound bar fills the 700 sq ft area seamlessly with rich music, fantastic surround sound, and clear dialogue, no matter the setting. For testing the teens wanted to watch their favorite dinosaur movies, I found that the surround sound is immersive and significantly enhances the experience as compared to a lower powered surround system we had been using. As for power, this system feels like it was designed for 700 sq ft, boasting 880W output, 10″ subwoofer, and MultiBeam technology which is a speaker array method that improves surround sound coverage. Overall this is a very solid sound package, it performs well, has the right sound balance for everything from gaming to high effect movies, and has significant perks with regards to speaker placement and coverage optimization.