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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Erin Bashford

I tested JBL’s newest flagship soundbar — and it’s proof you don’t need to spend $2k on a full home theater setup

JBL Tom Guide Dolby Atmos Netflix NOWTV Samsung
The jbl bar 1300xmk2 in black photographed against the blue tom's guide background.

The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has a lot to live up to. Its predecessor completely blew me away with its movie-theater-accurate sound and unbeatable ease of use. So is the MK2 enough to be one of the best soundbars?

If you couldn’t tell from the 4.5-star rating, yes. Yes it is. This is the easiest (and, arguably, the most affordable) way to achieve cinematic Dolby Atmos at home. Dialogue is crystal-clear, even in bombastic action scenes, and high-frequency detail sounds aren’t swallowed by bass. The sound is just unbeatable at this price.

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