(Image credit: Future)
I've tested $3,000 soundbars. I've tested $67 soundbars. And I've tested pretty much every level in between. At some point, the price-vs-performance ratio must plateau, right? Yes, kind of. Once you're looking at more than around $2,000, I'd forget a soundbar and get either floor-standers, built-ins, or buy each piece individually. You'd probably get a better overall sound.But if you want an all-in-one, JBL's finally got the answer for you: the JBL Bar 1300XMK2. I tested the original last year and loved it, so I was incredibly relieved when the upgraded version blew me away, too.The Bar 1300XMK2 has a ton of features that make it one of the best all-in-one soundbars, but the painless calibration, fantastic width and height, and ease of use make it unbeatable. Here's why the JBL Bar 1300X MK2 is now my favorite soundbar for a true movie theater experience.Home movie theater in 3, 2, 1...
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has 23 drivers. Yep. 23 drivers. There are 19 drivers in the soundbar itself, one in each rear, and two 8-inch woofers in the sub. This is an incredible amount of speaker power. You're looking at an 11.1.4 channel configuration. In real terms, this means you've got upfiring sound, side-firing sound, and front-firing sound. And in real, real terms, this means you get truly immersive Dolby Atmos, powerful bass, and crystal-clear dialogue.In my 4.5-star review, I wrote, "Every flying scene [in "Top Gun: Maverick"] was particularly outstanding." When Maverick flies in hypersonic, the bass "rumbled through the subwoofer with immense energy and depth." But it wasn't just the low-end: "Each siren blare and alarm was clear over the pounding bass. Equally, the Bar 1300XMK2 balanced high-frequency diegetic sounds like rustling papers and ticking clocks with similarly diegetic dialogue perfectly."In short, this is a soundbar to end all soundbars. If I could take one soundbar home forever, it'd be the Bar 1300XMK2.Power-per-penny math
