JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Denon DHT-S517 Soundbar Comparison

JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Denon DHT-S517

JBL Bar 300MK2

5.0-channel | $450

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Denon DHT-S517

3.1.2-channel | $499

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JBL Bar 300MK2 vs Denon DHT-S517: the short answer

We can compare 13 features from the published specs. The JBL Bar 300MK2 is ahead on 3, the Denon DHT-S517 on 2, and 8 are ties. The biggest difference for movies is height: the Denon DHT-S517 has 2 ceiling-firing channels and the JBL Bar 300MK2 has none. Only the Denon DHT-S517 comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose JBL Bar 300MK2 over Denon DHT-S517

Rear speakers: Optional vs None
Room correction: Yes vs No
Streaming: Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect vs Bluetooth only

Reasons to choose Denon DHT-S517 over JBL Bar 300MK2

Height channels: 2 vs 0
Subwoofer: Included vs None

Side-by-Side Comparison

	JBL Bar 300MK2	Denon DHT-S517
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	5.0	3.1.2
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	1
Video pass-through	4K	4K
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	None	Included
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	Optional	None
Room correction	Yes	No
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Bluetooth only
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Google Assistant optional	No
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.13 in	2.31 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	37.06 in / 43-inch	41.31 in / 50-inch
Drivers in the bar	9	7
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	225 W	50 W
Weight	6.5 lbs	5.5 lbs
List price	$450	$499

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 Denon DHT-S517. 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.

Denon DHT-S517 Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: 1" Dome (3); Midrange: 2.625" Up-Firing (2); Woofers: 4.75"x1.625" Cone (2); Subwoofer: 5.25" Cone; Enclosure: Sealed (bar),Ported (sub)
Power (bar, total)	50 watts
Power (subwoofer)	100 watts
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Movie Mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.0b
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	3.5mm
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	No
Bluetooth	Yes
Voice control	No
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	41.31 x 2.31 x 3.81 in / 1049 x 59 x 97 mm
Weight	5.5 lbs / 2.49 kg
Subwoofer size	6.75 x 14.56 x 12.94 in (W x H x D), 9.5 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (no bracket supplied)
Warranty	2 Years parts, 2 Years labour
List price	$499

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

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