JBL Bar 1300

JBL Bar 1300

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The JBL Bar 1300 is a versatile system that could suit a range of applications, all while sounding bold and lively without veering into harshness.
A soundbar package is a great option for someone who wants serious movie sound but doesn’t want the fuss and expense of a system comprising an AVR plus speakers. Comparatively simple, sleek and affordable, a soundbar package usually consists of a bar, a subwoofer and two wireless surround speakers, and it’s in these surrounds that we see the most variation.

Design & build

The Bar 1300 measures just under 140cm in width with the rear speakers attached on either end.
The JBL bar and surrounds sport a matching exterior aesthetic, and while we think there are more attractive bars out there, it’s a fairly minimal design with tasteful matte surfaces that don’t distract from the on-screen action. Alongside visual and external similarities, the main bar and rear speakers share the same types of drivers. The main soundbar houses six 46 x 90mm racetrack drivers, five 20mm tweeters, and four 70mm upfiring full-range drivers.
The rear speakers feature three drivers of the same design as those included in the main bar, along with two rounded rectangle passive radiators. It is noteworthy to see the surround speakers sharing the same types of drivers as the main soundbar. Having matching drivers across the different components should increase the potential for an even and seamless surround experience.
However, we are slightly curious about the configuration of the drivers in the rear speakers. Of the three drivers, one is firing towards the listener, one is aiming upwards, and one is firing behind where the listener is seated. The lack of a driver firing along the side wall and back toward the soundbar has us wondering if this configuration might impact the system’s sense of width.
The subwoofer included with the package is a rounded cuboid shape and stands 44cm tall and around 31cm wide and deep, with four small feet and one downwards-firing 10-inch driver underneath. It’s a solid unit that matches the look and feel of the accompanying bar and rears.

Features

The soundbar features three simple buttons on its surface, controlling volume and input source. The rest of the system’s controls can be adjusted using the included remote or the JBL One app, and unusually for a soundbar, the remote does pretty much everything we need. The display on the bar is small, however it responds quickly to any changes to settings.
JBL is so confident in its remote design that the app features a visualizer displaying a virtual version of the remote on your screen. The app includes a few optional extras absent from the remote, such as a three-band equalizer and an audio sync control, but we do not find ourselves needing to use either and usually just go with the remote to make any changes.
Setting up the system is quick, and involves a few optional – but highly recommended – steps, such as connecting to wi-fi and two-step room calibration. We recommend using the app over the remote for the calibration process as it includes a handy visualization of where to place the rear speakers during both calibration stages. Completing both steps only takes a few minutes in total. Interestingly, the subwoofer is not involved in calibration, as the process instead seems to focus on trying to make sure the bar and rears perform in harmony.

Sound

We start things off with Blade Runner 2049, which features a number of scenes that will test any system’s capabilities in several different ways. One scene involves the main protagonist answering questions from an authoritative voice coming from behind a screen/camera. The exchange increases with intensity, and the JBL conveys the speech clearly and excitingly. Voices are direct, well-projected, and feel as if they are coming from the screen. Many soundbars end up sounding flat when it comes to dialogue.
A high-pitched whistling creeps in towards the end of this scene, which often tests how well a soundbar can handle high frequencies as it intensifies in volume. The Bar 1300 handles high frequencies admirably and manages to present this whistling clearly but without harshness.
The system does well with textures and incidental sounds that give scenes their atmosphere and subtlety. A tap on the shoulder or the crinkle of a leather jacket is audible.
When Considering the configuration of each rear speaker, which does not have a side-firing driver facing towards the screen. We are impressed by how seamless and three-dimensional the soundfield is with this JBL system. Even with the rear speakers disengaged, the bar is very capable of projecting audio with a sense of spaciousness.