JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Bose Smart Soundbar Soundbar Comparison

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Bose Smart Soundbar

JBL Bar 300MK2

5.0-channel | $450

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Bose Smart Soundbar

3.0.2-channel | $549

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JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Bose Smart Soundbar: the short answer

We can compare 12 features from the published specs. The JBL Bar 300MK2 is ahead on 3, the Bose Smart Soundbar on 3, and 6 are ties. The biggest difference for movies is height: the Bose Smart Soundbar has 2 ceiling-firing channels and the JBL Bar 300MK2 has none.

Reasons to choose JBL Bar 300MK2 over Bose Smart Soundbar

HDMI inputs: 1 vs 0
Room correction: Yes vs No
Dialogue enhancement: Yes vs No

Reasons to choose Bose Smart Soundbar over JBL Bar 300MK2

Height channels: 2 vs 0
Subwoofer: Optional vs None
Voice assistant: Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional vs Google Assistant optional

Side-by-Side Comparison

	JBL Bar 300MK2	Bose Smart Soundbar
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	5.0	3.0.2
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	0	2
Dolby Atmos	—	Yes
DTS:X	No	No
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.	1	0
Video pass-through	4K	—
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	None	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	Optional	Optional
Room correction	Yes	No
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	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	No
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.13 in	2.19 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	37.06 in / 43-inch	27.38 in / 32-inch
Drivers in the bar	9	5
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	225 W	—
Weight	6.5 lbs	6.9 lbs
List price	$450	$549

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 300MK2, the dashed outline the Bose Smart Soundbar. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

JBL Bar 300MK2 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.0
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.75" Dome (4); Woofers: 1.625" x 3.1875" Cone (5); Enclosure: Ported
Power (bar, total)	225 watts
Frequency response	50-20K Hz
Subwoofer	None
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	MultiBeam 3.0
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	No
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.0
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	No
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)	37.06 x 2.13 x 4.94 in / 941 x 54 x 126 mm
Weight	6.5 lbs / 2.95 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$450

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

Bose Smart Soundbar Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.0.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: Dome (1); Midrange: Cone (4); Enclosure: Ported
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	TrueSpace
Dialogue enhancement	No
Night mode	No
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	0
HDMI version	2.0b
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	3.5mm (Proprietary)
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn
Voice control	Alexa built-in, Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	27.38 x 2.19 x 4.63 in / 696 x 56 x 118 mm
Weight	6.9 lbs / 3.13 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$549

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

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