3 reasons why I'd buy the JBL Bar 1000 for my living room

Four new soundbars have just been added to JBL's lineup - the JBL Bar 1000, the Bar 800, the Bar 500 and the Bar 300. 

Out of all of them, it's their top-tier flagship device that has really got us talking because it isn't just a standard soundbar paired with a subwoofer, it actually delivers a whole home cinema-like experience without any fussy setup or tricky mounting. 

If you're hunting for one of the best soundbars of the year then the JBL Bar 1000 could well be worth a look, although it will cost you a pretty penny with prices starting at $1,150 in the US and £1,000 in the UK when it goes on sale later in 2022. 

I've been lucky enough to take a look at the JBL Bar 1000 up close during a hands-on event in London, and I've come away thinking that actually if it were in my budget I would look to buy this soundbar. Here's why. 

There are two detachable surround sound speakers

What makes the JBL Bar 1000 really exciting is that you can use it as one huge soundbar or you can remove the two battery-powered speakers from each end to create an even more immersive home cinema. You just slot them out of place and pop them somewhere behind you for wall-to-wall sound. 

It'll be really handy for those who don't want the hassle of mounting extra surround sound kit or for those who plan to use the soundbar as a home speaker as well. 

Each speaker will last about 15 hours of use and will take about 4 hours to charge up again. You can also keep them plugged in away from the soundbar if you prefer and they can also be wall mounted if you did prefer to keep them like that.

The sound is seriously powerful

Naturally, one of the most important aspects of any soundbar is the actual audio quality. The JBL Bar 1000 doesn't disappoint in that area thanks to its four up-firing drivers with a separate 10" subwoofer, helped along by Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound.

I watched a clip from The Batman and I could feel each explosion distinctly, while smaller noises like glass shattering was able to cut through precisely above those more overbearing sounds. 

We all know the feeling of watching a TV show and not being able to hear what's being said, PureVoice technology comes built into all new JBL soundbars as well, and it should go some way to improving that. It uses an algorithm to optimise voice clarity which should ultimately make the on-screen content much easier to follow. 

What I took away was that the audio is remarkably three-dimensional so you feel as though you've been dropped right in the middle of the action, and it's powerful enough to shake the walls which certainly helps.

Simple to set up

Like almost every other JBL device I've tried out over the years, the JBL Bar 1000 sounds really easy to set up. From what I can tell, it's pretty much a plug-it-in and start-watching sort of scenario. 

The surround sound speakers get automatically hooked up and calibrated when you take them off the main body of the device, and you can easily tweak the audio using an equaliser in the adjoining smartphone app if you want to. There are a couple of buttons across the top of the soundbar which let you switch between inputs and adjust the volume, while a small screen of LEDs sits behind the grille to let you know what you've chosen. 

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