Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 vs JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2 Soundbar Comparison

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 vs JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5

3.1-channel | $348

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JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2

2.0-channel | $220

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Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 vs JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2: the short answer

We can compare 13 features from the published specs. The Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 is ahead on 6, the JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2 on none, and 7 are ties. Only the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 over JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2

Channel layout: 3.1 vs 2.0
Dolby Atmos: Yes vs No
DTS:X: Yes vs No
HDMI to the TV: eARC vs ARC
Subwoofer: Included vs None
Dialogue enhancement: Yes vs No

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5	JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	3.1	2.0
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	0	0
Dolby Atmos	Yes	No
DTS:X	Yes	No
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	ARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	0	0
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Included	None
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	None	None
Room correction	No	No
Streaming	Bluetooth only	Bluetooth only
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	No	No
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	No
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.5 in	2.38 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	35.5 in / 43-inch	24.19 in / 32-inch
Drivers in the bar	3	2
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	—	40 W
Weight	6.7 lbs	3.5 lbs
List price	$348	$220

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 Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5, the dashed outline the JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.1
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Midrange: Racetrack Cone (3); Subwoofer: 5" Cone; Enclosure: Ported
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Vertical Surround Engine
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	0
HDMI version	2.0
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	No
Bluetooth	Yes
Voice control	No
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	35.5 x 2.5 x 4.38 in / 902 x 64 x 111 mm
Weight	6.7 lbs / 3.04 kg
Subwoofer size	7.63 x 15.31 x 16.5 in (W x H x D), 16.12 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (no bracket supplied)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$348

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

JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2 Specifications

Sound
Channels	2.0
Dolby Atmos	No
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Midrange: Oval Cone (2); Enclosure: Ported
Power (bar, total)	40 watts
Frequency response	70-20k Hz
Subwoofer	None
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Smart Mode
Dialogue enhancement	No
Night mode	No
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	ARC
HDMI inputs	0
HDMI version	1.4
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	No
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	No
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)	24.19 x 2.38 x 3.56 in / 614 x 61 x 90 mm
Weight	3.5 lbs / 1.59 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$220

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

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