The high-end JBL Bar 9.1 delivers superb sound in a wide soundstage, making it an excellent-sounding living room audio system for movies and music. While it may be expensive, audiophiles will find it worth the price.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is the brand’s flagship offering in the consumer-grade soundbar space, which was first launched in 2020, and it delivers an exceptionally balanced sound profile even at high volumes for home theater setups.
Similar to the top-rated speakers in the industry, this model boasts Dolby Atmos and DTS: X support for delivering a wide sound stage on supported media.
This soundbar sports one HDMI in (ARC), a USB 2.0 port, and an optical audio jack, and it has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and Chromecast built-in for wireless streaming.
Furthermore, this model boasts a total system power of 820 watts along with a 10-inch 300-watt wireless subwoofer, which is up there with some of the highest-rated soundbars available today.
However, if you live in an apartment and don’t want a subwoofer, explore our JBL Link Bar review. And if you don’t need DTS decoding and are looking for better bass, check out our Klipsch Cinema 1200 review.
Consensus
our Verdict
The JBL Bar 9.1 offers a balanced sound profile with excellent frequency response, amazing surround sound, and good bass, making it great for watching movies and immersive music listening.
It also gets loud, and its wide sound stage, facilitated by its support for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, helps provide a room-filling experience. This is something it shares with the best-rated soundbars for projectors.
Wireless connectivity is great, with support for Bluetooth, WiFi, Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay streaming.
Its super low tested 53ms (ARC) and 47ms (Optical) latency is superb for those sensitive to audio delay, and its port selection consists of an Optical Audio In, a Full HDMI In, and an Ethernet port.
Overall, the JBL Bar 9.1 offers well-calibrated sound in a compact package.
Reason to Buy
Exceptionally balanced sound profile
The soundbar can get extremely loud
An excellent immersive experience with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X
Fantastic bass output
Wireless modules are extremely easy to set up
Reason to Avoid
The auto-calibrating tool can be a bit hit or miss
Limited equalizer options and only three presets
It lacks a comprehensive GUI and an app for easy navigation
No support for voice assistants
The HDMI pass-through is limited to only HDMI 2.0
JBL Bar 9.1 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
4.7"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
Yes
Energy Star Certified
No
HDMI ARC
Yes
Height
2.4"
Subwoofer
Included
Surround Sound Supported
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
Voice Assistant
Amazon Alexa
Wall Mountable
Yes
Weight
8 lbs
Width
34.8"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
Yes
Works With
Amazon Alexa, Remote Control, Siri
All Specs
Test Results
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The JBL Bar 9.1 is the brand’s flagship offering in the consumer-grade soundbar space, which was first launched in 2020, and it delivers an exceptionally…
The JBL Bar 9.1 is the brand’s flagship offering in the consumer-grade soundbar space, which was first launched in 2020, and it delivers an exceptionally balanced sound profile even at high volumes for home theater setups.
Similar to the top-rated speakers in the industry, this model boasts Dolby Atmos and DTS: X support for delivering a wide sound stage on supported media.
This soundbar sports one HDMI in (ARC), a USB 2.0 port, and an optical audio jack, and it has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and Chromecast built-in for wireless streaming.
Furthermore, this model boasts a total system power of 820 watts along with a 10-inch 300-watt wireless subwoofer, which is up there with some of the highest-rated soundbars available today.
However, if you live in an apartment and don’t want a subwoofer, explore our JBL Link Bar review. And if you don’t need DTS decoding and are looking for better bass, check out our Klipsch Cinema 1200 review.
While the JBL Bar 5.1 lacks satellite speaker modules, the JBL Bar 9.1 has better directionality and sound stage, thanks to its two additional wireless…
While the JBL Bar 5.1 lacks satellite speaker modules, the JBL Bar 9.1 has better directionality and sound stage, thanks to its two additional wireless detachable satellite speakers. The JBL Bar 9.1 also supports Dolby Atmos, DTS: X, and eARC for delivering excellent surround sound, which the JBL Bar 5.1 doesn’t have.
Thanks to its much wider 11.1.4 channel setup and multitudes of different sound enhancement options (e.g., treble, dialogue, and bass enhancement), the Samsung HW-Q950A blows…
Thanks to its much wider 11.1.4 channel setup and multitudes of different sound enhancement options (e.g., treble, dialogue, and bass enhancement), the Samsung HW-Q950A blows the JBL Bar 9.1 (5.1.4 channel) out of the water when it comes to sound stage. Samsung’s model also features a comprehensive GUI (Graphical User Interface) along with seven EQ presets.
Right out of the box, the JBL Bar 9.1 provides better surround sound performance and deeper low-frequency bass compared to the Bose Smart Soundbar 900,…
Right out of the box, the JBL Bar 9.1 provides better surround sound performance and deeper low-frequency bass compared to the Bose Smart Soundbar 900, as the Bose’s model lacks a subwoofer. But unlike JBL’s model, the Bose soundbar features a built-in microphone and supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
–
Yes
Yes
Depth
4.7"
–
5.4"
4.21"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
Yes
–
Yes
Yes
Energy Star Certified
No
–
No
No
HDMI ARC
Yes
–
Yes
Yes
Height
2.4"
–
2.7"
2.29"
Subwoofer
Included
–
Included
Optional (sold separately)
Surround Sound Supported
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
–
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS:X
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD
