JBL Bar 1300XMK2 vs Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar Comparison

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 vs Marshall Heston 120

JBL Bar 1300XMK2

11.1.4-channel | $1,700

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Marshall Heston 120

5.1.2-channel | $1,300

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JBL Bar 1300XMK2 vs Marshall Heston 120: the short answer

We can compare 14 features from the published specs. The JBL Bar 1300XMK2 is ahead on 6, the Marshall Heston 120 on none, and 8 are ties. The biggest difference for movies is height: the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 has 4 ceiling-firing channels and the Marshall Heston 120 has 2. Only the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose JBL Bar 1300XMK2 over Marshall Heston 120

Channel layout: 11.1.4 vs 5.1.2
Height channels: 4 vs 2
HDMI inputs: 3 vs 1
Subwoofer: Included vs Optional
Rear speakers: Included vs None
Height: 2.38 in vs 3.13 in

Side-by-Side Comparison

	JBL Bar 1300XMK2	Marshall Heston 120
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	11.1.4	5.1.2
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	4	2
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	Yes	Yes
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	3	1
Video pass-through	4K	4K
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Included	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	Included	None
Room correction	Yes	Yes
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Google Assistant optional	Google Assistant optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.38 in	3.13 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	40.63 in / 50-inch	43.25 in / 50-inch
Drivers in the bar	19	9
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	—	320 W
Weight	13 lbs	15.52 lbs
List price	$1,700	$1,300

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the JBL Bar 1300XMK2, the dashed outline the Marshall Heston 120. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 Specifications

Sound
Channels	11.1.4
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: 1" Dome (7); Midrange: 3" Cone (4); Woofers: 2.0" x 2.75" Cone (8); Subwoofer: 12" Cone; Enclosure: Ported
Frequency response	32-20K Hz
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	Included
Virtual surround	MultiBeam 3.0
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	3
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.0
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ax
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	40.63 x 2.38 x 5.38 in / 1032 x 61 x 137 mm
Weight	13 lbs / 5.9 kg
Subwoofer size	15 x 18.94 x 16.75 in (W x H x D), 34 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,700

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Marshall Heston 120 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.8" Dome (2); Midrange: 2" Cone (5); Woofers: 3" Cone (2), 2" x 5" Cone; Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Power (bar, total)	320 watts
Frequency response	40-20k Hz
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Movie Mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	RCA
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Mono-RCA, Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ax
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	43.25 x 3.13 x 5.88 in / 1099 x 80 x 149 mm
Weight	15.52 lbs / 7.04 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,300

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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