JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass 2.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer

not good for movies cant understand sound. not balanced volume

I’ve owned and used the JBL 2.1 sound bar for almost 3 months now and use it daily. I have various sound bars and home theater systems on all 5 of my tv’s. The JBL 2.1 is now on my main tv. Just plugged it in and it worked no complicated setup. Sound is great with adjustable bass levels and highs and mids that deliver clear dialogue. Nice and loud when you want it to be for those action movies. But can also be used for daily tv watching at normal levels. I also like that it turns on and off with the tv and there is no annoying indicator light that other bars have on all the time.

Bar 2.1 Deep Bass is a WONDERFUL PRODUCT!
Packaging: JBL continues to excel on creating a good first impression with their packaging.
Setup: The setup process is very easy and fast.
Sound Quality: This products sound is really clear and crisp and with the sub the bass really adds some theater like sound.
I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a good sounding sound bar!

First things first. BASS . That warm deep feeling i have been searching for quite some time now, my series and movies have a whole new meaning!! I have my tv bolted in the wall and got the bar underneath it, looks super slick with no wires, the bass box next to the couch!! Works just perfect for streaming music too. I have a vacation home and i actually use it like a portable speaker too, grab it and take it simple. Love this set!!!

This speaker system is impressive! JBL seems to have perfected the science of big sound from small speakers in the past decade and this system is no exception. The packaging is excellent as usual and it arrived in perfect condition a lot faster than I thought. Super easy to set up. It’s like “plugging in a toaster” easy! Within a couple minutes of arriving I had these babies fired up and booming. TV shows immediately took on new dynamics and presence, but the real test was just listening to my favorite music. Every measure including those with deeper bass were exceptionally vivid and played with ease even at higher volumes. I love how nicely this speaker system looks in this set up and love how the sources and volume is displayed through the grill. Very cool. I’ve listened to other speakers like these at Best Buy in much higher price ranges and for the money these need to be on the top of your list. I don’t anticipate any trouble with these speakers. I’ve used them every day for the last week and they’ve been flawless. My past purchases from JBL have always been outstanding but I did experience a problem with a small Bluetooth speaker a few years ago. Customer service was “Nordstrom’s” good so buy with confidence. My only complaint is That the instruction manuals could use a little more detailed information and should be printed large enough for most people to be able to read. That frustration slowly melted away as the music began to play.

This sound bar and subwoofer have great sound quaility at any volume. The system is easy to set up and use, the remote is clear and easy to oporate. I love the levels of bass options, they are appropriatly spaced in diffrence of bass. I also LOVE the bluetooth to connect my cell phone to!

I have been looking for a sound bar and wireless subwoofer to add on to our gaming room entertainment system for some time. I figured this would be a good option that was relatively simple and would meet that need. However, as I have come to find with JBL, all of their products continuously exceed my expectations. It packs a far better sound than I could have imagined considering its price range. Although it is not the smallest sound bar on the market, it has a really nice clean look that blends well under any TV. It also came with wall mounting brackets should I decide to hang it up down the road.

The wireless subwoofer throws really rich deep bass throughout our living room but it does not take up a lot of space. I tried placing the subwoofer in the furthest points in the room and it did not have any issues connecting. The best thing about this system aside from its impressive sound is that it just works without any problems. Other sound bars I have had in the past would intermittently lose connection with the wireless sub-woofer and this one works every time. The wireless Bluetooth works great too.

I was also surprised how clear the voice is. Other systems I had in the past required adjusting the voice volume and bass levels continuously while watching a TV show or movie. This one really has a nice balance at all times and I can focus more on relaxing versus adjusting volume levels. This was a huge pain for me in the past!

If you want a simple sound bar and wireless subwoofer that delivers great sound at a lower cost, this one is for you! It is simple to setup, easy to navigate the controls, throws great sound, and just works without any problems.

I made the switch to JBL a few years ago after having considerable trouble and continual disappointment with other big brand names. Of all the JBL products I have owned, I’ve had zero problems to date and I'm glad I made the switch! Of note, I did receive this as a free product to review. However, it was perfect timing as I was in the market for one anyway.

I should start this review by stating that I have a personal bias against sound bars, even though I owned one prior to receiving the Bar 2.1 DB. I'm more of a 5.1 system, big-ish speaker lover. Getting that out of the way, I think this thing is really good for what the intended audience is. It looks unobtrusive, but very complimentary of my bedroom TV, where I tested it, with the dark gray finish. To my ears, it sounded really good, with very clear dialogue during most TV programs. Dialogue was again good with movies, and the compact sub actually seems to punch well above its weight class, while being very clean and tight. Now to the downside... If you want to listen to very much music from your system, this is probably not your best choice. While the bass module is actually capable of reproducing music pretty well, the bar is Really Bright when it comes to music from a variety of sources, and ear fatigue happens quickly, even dialing down the highs with eq. I noticed it early, so played it for several hours while i was away to make sure it was broken in before trying again, without much change. If you're a heavy music listener, and short on space, you're much better off with a pair of JBL's excellent bookshelf speakers of similar pricing. But as I stated earlier, if pulling dialogue from TV and movies is your primary need, along with some nice explosions and surprising bass response, then this sleek and unobtrusive setup might just be perfect.

This sound bar is priced quite reasonably. In it you get the sound bar and subwoofer. It was relatively straightforward to hook up to my tv. It produces a good quality sound that fills the room. My review is based off a short period of use, but so far no complaints.

I really love this sound bar with the sub. The bluetooth connection for playing music on my phone is really nice. Wireless sub is nice because I can place it where its most convenient and it sounds awesome. It is well balanced with a good kick but not muddy or distorted. The bar sound is pretty solid. It might be a little lacking in the mid section. The whole system makes normal TV shows sound so much better.

(if your bluetooth source i.e. phone is paired to more than one thing at a time like a watch, It might decrease the sound quality

I like that the sound bar has hdmi and optical. I can crank the volume and the sound will not distort, unlike other soundbars I've had. I would like to see present equalizers or a way to set bass, mids, and highs. The Bluetooth is a great feature. I would have given the soundbar 5 stars but it lacked the adjustment capability. But the sound that comes from this product is 5 stars. I would recommend the JBL 2.1 deep bass sound bar for your home theater

WOW: A Wall of Great Sound
I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated music through a good a sound system, so I’ve been seriously unhappy with the non-dimensional stereo and muddled middle frequencies coming from my flat-screen TV. When I came across the JBL 2.1 Deep Bass soundbar and subwoofer, I jumped at the chance to revitalize my listening experience.
When the five-foot box arrived, I pulled out my camera and documented all the box dents and box punctures in the case damage had been done to the equipment. But the soundbar and woofer were safely boxed in their point-of-sales box and well protected from the harm the outer box received in shipment. Happy after unpacking, I checked and found I had all the items and pieces listed in the guide. Now it was time to connect it up and fire it up.
I then found that my 10-year-old TV was of the vintage that did not provide a HDMI sound output, so the HDMI cable provided with the sound bar was of no value to me. The only sound output connection solution from my TV was a digital optical cable solution, so I was very happy and surprised to find a digital optical input on the sound bar. The ONE disappointment was that JBL did NOT provide a digital optical cable, so I had to purchase one.
With the arrival of the digital optical cable, it was time to do the JBL soundbar install. The sound bar requires AC connection and the TV wired sound connection. With the connections made, I loaded the batteries (included) into the soundbar remote, listened to my TV for few minutes without the soundbar, turned off the TV sound and turned the soundbar on with the remote provided. Like magic, I was hearing dimensional stereo sound again! I heard frequencies and dimensions that had been lost for a decade when watching TV! I was more than pleasantly surprised with the performance of the sound bar – even without subwoofer installed yet! So, it was now time to add the subwoofer to the sound system. Another AC power point was needed, and the power connection was made. The Bluetooth subwoofer paired itself the soundbar and began to add the deep bass sound frequencies.
I find the fairly priced 2.1 Deep Bass adds high quality, dimensional sound to match the image quality of a picture-perfect flat screen. In my initial evaluation out of the box without tweaking the sound settings of the TV: I find excellent sound clarity throughout the volume range. The dimensions of the sound are multi-directional and capable of creating a “balanced virtually sound wall.” And the subwoofer (not overpowering) perfectly supports the bass frequencies.
Strengths: Quality, Pricing, Sound, Pairing
Weakness: Lack of Optical cable (for older TVs), power-on light indicator, Quick Start Guide, remote button readability

Arrives in a super weird looking box! once everything is unwrapped, the initial set-up is really easy. Just to test sound, I went with bluetooth and fired up my phone (Google Pixel 3) for music. Pairing was easy and fast. The sound completely fills the room. Nice wide dynamic range, quiet and loud music is defined and clear. When it comes to the sub-woofer, I wish that it had more settings than "low, mid, high". Maybe a range of 1-10 would be more flexible? Volume goes from 1-30 which is plenty loud. You could use this for your main music system if you wanted. The quality from JBL is always top notch and this one is no exception. If you need a compact sound system for the TV or just general listening, you can't go wrong with this one. And it doesn't take up much space. They include a 2 point wall mounting system for the sound bar and the remote.

I am an audio guy. Through the years I have owned everything from audiophile home stereo to massive PA gear and everything in-between. Most of it JBL. As a commissioning agent, my job is to make sure equipment performs for the customer the way the manufacturer says it will perform. (Full disclosure, I do not currently commission audio systems) When JBL sent me the Bar 2.1 Deep Bass to evaluate I decided to conduct my evaluation as I would at a commissioning.
The Bar 2.1 arrived at my lab in a shipping box. The product is packed in a relatively small chair shaped box. It all unpacks easily with a minimum of packing material.
Once out of the box the two units, the sound bar and the subwoofer, were actually heavier than I expected. The sound bar is well constructed, aesthetically pleasing and elegantly understated. The bar is made of plastic with a matte dark gray metal grill that completely covers the front. They did not put a logo on the front of the bar furthering its ability to disappear into ones décor. The subwoofer is actually quite pretty. I cannot verify the construction material, but it feels solid with a downward firing woofer and a gloss black rear facing port...quite stunning. Connections on the sub are as simple as it gets...power. Plug the supplied AC power cord in and it is ready to go. The sound bar connections are almost as simple, Power in, USB, HDMI In and Out and Optical Digital out.
Being anxious to listen to this new wonder I temporarily set it up in my rehearsal room with the sound bar sitting atop a row of 18" subs in the midst of a sizeable PA. I attached the power cords, plugged them in and the system was ready for input. I set my tablet and with a touch of the provided remotes’ Bluetooth button, I was connected! SUPER SIMPLE!
For years JBL has touted its “100 hour torture test” running each driver at rated output for 100 hours. I ran program music, at 75% volume for 8 hours. The volume was really quite impressive. Clear, articulate, loud yet expressive with deep rich bass capable of subtle nuance and chest thumping thunder. At a couple of points throughout the day visitors stopped, looked inquisitively and asked, “is that the PA playing?”.
Of course this is a small unit that cannot match the output of a concert PA but the fact that the sound of the 2.1 Deep Bass with 300 watts of total power is powerful enough to elicit the question from audio veterans in a large room speaks highly to the power and clarity of this unit.
After eight hours the unit showed no signs of wear or audible audio degradation.
The next day I set it up in a living room environment. I set the sub in the corner 3’ from the sound bar 4” from the wall as directed in the provided quick start guide. The sound bar was placed on a table in front of the TV. Running a variety of programs, it was obviously better sounding than the TVs’ speakers. Amazingly articulate with plenty of bass for musical interludes and of course, explosions. I was a little put off because there was a noticeable spike in the mid frequencies. Understandable, since its primary duty is to reproduce spoken content. After a day of listening I decided to mount the sound bar to the wall. Using the supplied mounting hardware, it was very easy. The supplied blocks mount the sound bar about an inch away from the wall. In my situation mounting the sound bar above the TV worked out best. THE SOUND WAS AMAZING! No doubt in my mind, for this application mounting the sound bar turned TV into a truly exciting audio event. I watched everything from game shows to action movies and the sound was superb. Using the HDMI ARC cable offers some features depending on your TV. I went out and purchased a Digital audio cable. On my TV it gave me some listening options but to my ears, the sound was the same as with HDMI. With a newer model TV I think one could connect without wire at all.
I am still a bit of an audio snob so this unit will not replace anything in my audio arsenal rather, a pleasant addition. It is simple to use, looks good and sounds great. Exactly what one would expect from JBL.

I was impressed how simple the set up was! The overall quality of speakers and the wireless subwoofer is typical JBL, impressive!!

Overall good soundbar. On itself, the soundbar is just plain. Sound is high toned and high pitched but when the bass module is turned on, it’s like a whole new system.

PROS: Great sound, easy plug and play, convenient remote control or on bar controls, cinema quality sound, quick and easy bluetooth pairing.

CONS: Short power cords (5 1/2 feet-approximately), only 1 hdmi cord included (considering there’s 2 ports hdmi in/hdmi out), no fiber optic cord included (available for purchase anywhere).

This sound bar and sub is amazing, I'm enjoying it immensely. My video games and movies sound incredible.

I was pleased with the Sound Bar 2.1 Deep Bass right out of the box. The diagrams made it easy to connect to the TV and the gaming system. I could have used a diagram for connection with the cable box. The sound was crisp and clean, and the Deep Bass made sporting events feel like being in the stadium!! the blue tooth made it easy to move the sub to different locations in the room. I highly reccomend it!

I got this last week set it up and watched Star Wars it created a whole new experience watching it with the sound coming out of the speaker an bass box. Would buy this item again and put on my other tv’s sound fills the room

Fantastic sound out of a little package! This kit is a straight plug-n-play setup and took me about 10 minutes maybe less to install. The sound bar interacts with your TV's volume controls so you don't' have to used 2 remotes plus with the duel HTMI inserts and the Fiber opt input you're golden.
Also I love the Bluetooth setup.. my phone auto connects from the car to the house so I don't miss a beat! Hands down the best bang for your buck if you're on a budget or if you just want that Movie theater feel from you couch.

Another Great product from JBL!

I hated the sound from just the TV speakers and really wanted better sound and bass. Getting a receiver and speakers was not an option as I just wanted something simple and clean for my living room. A sound bar fixed that issue and this thing sounds AMAZING!

Setup was a breeze two plugs and a connection to the TV and it was setup and running. I did try using HDMI arc but did not have success and the picture was cutting out. I think this was more my TV's setting needing to be adjusted but not sure as I just went to using an optical cable instead. The sound bar is great in that once you turn on the TV it automatically turns on so need to separately power it on. The soundbar does have a display that is easy to read, nicer than others that only display dots and you have to guess what input or setting you are at.

The sound produced by this sound bar is very robust and loud. I turned it almost to max and the sound was clear and not distorted at all. This sound bar will fill a very large room with sound (might even be to loud for smaller rooms). I tested the sound bar in three different settings TV, Movie, and Music. Watching TV voices sounded clear and easy to hear. Using for Movies is amazing and I really like that the surround sound doesn't sound gimmicky like other sound bars. If you mostly listen to music this sound bar is perfect and one of the best I have heard. You can really crank up the sound and have it come in clear with deep bass. Perfect for parties, or turn on some easy listening and have it fill the house but not be over powering.

The Sub is downward firing which I like better than rear firing. This sub hits hard, clear, and no distortion with lots of bass. With Music and Movies on a louder volume the SUB will shake the house. The Deep Bass is not a gimmick, I was honestly blown away at how great it sounds and feels (like being at the theater). The SUB does have three settings on the remote low, medium, and high. I usually leave it on high (I like bass) but even the low setting still produces great sound without being to much. The box for the sub is larger than other 6.5 inch ones. This wasn't an issue for me but it does take up more space than other ones.

Overall I'm very happy with this sound bar and felt it was worth every penny. It looks great and is super easy to use. This soundbar made my 4k tv even better!

We had the JBL SB250 in our bedroom before we got the Bar 2.1 Deep Bass. They are very similar in a lot of ways, but the Bar 2.1 Deep Bass has the edge in overall clarity. It’s slightly longer than the SB250 and the sub enclosure is a little larger.

Pro’s: Display on the front (vol +/-, mode)
More than 1 HDMI input
Good overall sound & range

Con’s: Lacking some midrange (normal for soundbars I’ve experienced)
Sound bar size may be too large for some set ups
Lacks Harman Sound & Surround (SB250 has both)

Overall, it’s a great sound bar and fits well in its price range. I’d definitely recommend it as it has great sound, and like the SB250, actually sounds better at higher volumes (music/movies).

Replaced 7 year old "other brand" with this. Sounds great, lots of bass...room filling. Subwoofer takes up less space than previous. However, smaller remote with less functions. I wish the bass would stay on high setting, when turned off and back on. Must reselect every time. Also would like to see auto ON function, as soon as gets signal from TV. I would really like more options/functions on remote, but very satisfied with this soundbar.

I was super impressed with the sound quality and how crisp and full it sounded. I was more impressed with the bass aspect, of course, and how it filled the room rather than sounding like an add-on. It rather added to the "hit" of the treble beats for music, and added a much needed bass tone to voices for tv shows. The highs and mids didn't sound tinny in any way, nor did they feel overpowering. EDM, Hip-hop, and even vocals all sound amazing on this. I am a music snob when it comes to *my* music and how it sounds (EDM) and this soundbar does an amazing job at recreating it perfectly. I doubt anyone would have any problems using this just for TV shows, and proves itself when at low volumes you can still hear the most minute detail.
Setup was the most simplest thing ever, three cables max. One HDMI for the TV to the sound bar, and one power cord to both the sound bar and subwoofer.
The only probably I have is with the build of the soundbar and the adjuster for the bass. The bass only has a "low", "mid", and "high" setting and doesn't allow any advanced tweaking. The plastic on the soundbar also doesnt strike the best of confidence, but it makes up in the quality of the plastic and tough feeling, but I'd rather have some metal.

SETUP:
Pulled this thing out of the box, plugged it in, turned it on, and it was ready to go! Took me ten seconds to connect it via bluetooth to my Apple TV. Yeah, that's right, NO HDMI or optical cables. IT'S ALL WIRELESS. I can't imagine an easier setup. The sub site on the floor, but the sound bar can be installed anywhere, it just needs power.

APPEARANCE:
I really like the look of the sound bar. It's very sleek and clean looking. I would have no issue installing this on the wall in the fanciest of living rooms. I also really like the digital lettering on the front. You only see lights/digital-ness when you need to, like switching the source or changing the volume, otherwise, it's just a clean looking speaker with no ugly screens on the front.

SOUND:
The sound quality is brilliant, as with all JBL products I own. This is the perfect thing for a humble home theater setup. It has PLENTY of volume, and the sub pushes a crazy amount of bass. I watched a few modern horror movies on it with the volume cranked, and my whole house was shaking, but don't be mistaken, this is very clean low end like you'd hear with any high quality sound system. There's nothing worse than an underpowered sub being pushed past it's limit to distorted sound, but this does not happen on the JBL--clean, bottomless bass is all that comes out of this thing.

From my own experience, no matter how nice your TV is, the TV speakers are never good enough because they just cannot pack enough bass into a flat screen TV. This is why you need at least a soundbar and a sub. The JBL 2.1 soundbar offers a wireless subwoofer so you can place it anywhere in the room which gives you a clean setup without too many hanging cables.
Setup was a breeze. Since the TV was already wall mounted, I've decided to mount the soundbar as well. The package comes with a wall-mounting kit. To mount the soundbar you'll need to drill 2 small holes that are 27.5 inches apart and use the included kit to complete the setup.
The soundbar came with an HDMI cable but since my TV does not have an HDMI out I ended up using my own Optical cable.
Plugged in the power cord and Optical cable and change the input to PCM to use the Optical connection, hit the pair button on the back of the sub and it was good to go. I particularly like the remote. It has some weight to it and just feels right in your hand.
The JBL 2.1 soundbar gives you clean sound and deep bass you dont get from your TV speakers.