TVs today are eye-candies. They have high resolution, high frame-rate, great contrast, vivid colors – it’s this luscious beauty that makes you forget about other aspects of the viewing experience, particularly the sound. I’ve seen it in many homes already. They have big TVs in the sala or in the bedroom but have no dedicated speakers for it.
As expected, they watch great shows in sharp 4K quality but at the expense of thin audio. Explosions sound thin, voices of the actors are not authentic due to lack of bass, almost non-existent left and right channels, and in complicated scenes where there’s a lot of voices needed to be heard, they will fight for prioritization. So when my mom gave me a 65-inch TV recently, I knew I had to get a soundbar.
What I got is this – the JBL Bar 2.0. It’s a 2-channel soundbar measuring around 24-inches in width and has a subdued look making it perfect to be placed under your TV. Included in the box is a manual, warranty card, an HDMI-Arc cable, and several power cables and adapters so you can choose the one best for you.
Just in case you’re wondering, this is not a sponsored post by JBL. I bought this with my own money and I chose them simply because they have better pricing compared to their rival during a Lazada sale.
Anyway, the difference is night and day compared to my pre-soundbar experience with the TV. There’s a bass port at the back that helps provide warm bass response. That means better explosions, voices are authentic (crucial for deep voice talents), and mood music is heard better. It lacks the ‘kick’ you’d expect from a JBL Charge for example, but that’s why they have an optional combo with a subwoofer. I just opted not to have that due to space constraints.
Other audio improvements given by the JBL Bar are clear separation of left and right audio channels, better soundstage resulting in better dialogues, and you will hear more sounds per scene. It also has a great dynamic range that even if you turn up the volume, it doesn’t really distort (unless consecutive explosions are involved).
My favorite part of this soundbar is the included HDMI-Arc cable. It allows audio from your TV to go straight to the speaker, instead of using a dedicated audio cable. The advantage of that is, you can adjust the soundbar’s volume with the TV’s remote. You don’t have to fumble with two remotes beside you every time.
The P10,999 SRP might put some people off since it’s “only” a speaker and I understand that. That’s the reason why I waited for a sale before I bought it. All in all, the change in your viewing pleasure will be significant. You’ll appreciate the sound design of the shows and films you’ve watched that you’ll be enticed to re-watch some of them. For those with a huge screen like mine, having this soundbar will put you closer to a cinema experience.
