Superficially very exciting to listen to, but the JBL is a lot of sound and fury without enough substance

Big, bassy sound with plenty of height to it; Modular design allows genuine surround-sound; Well made and finished;

Not dynamic; One-note bass; Lacks effects definition ;

JBL offers plenty of soundbars—we've reviewed many of them—and the Bar 9.1 sits at the very top, both in terms of performance and price. It's JBL's first soundbar with Dolby Atmos built-in, and in addition to a subwoofer, it comes with two small wireless speakers that charge by attaching to the left and right ends of the bar. When removed, they become the rear left and right speakers, no cables required. It's a clever design, and the audio performance is powerful and exciting. Watching movies is definitely the main reason to spring for the $999.99 JBL Bar 9.1, but music also sounds excellent through its drivers—though there are some subwoofer settings that will need to be changed depending on the genre.Design The Bar 9.1 measures 2.4 by 48.4 by 4.7 inches (HWD) with the rechargeable speakers magnetically docked, and frankly, that's the most important measurement, because even if it measures 2.4 by 34.8 by 4.7 inches when they're not attached, you'll need to plan for that space—6.8...

The JBL Bar 9.1 soundbar might be expensive, but it delivers powerful, thunderous audio with detachable rear channels for an immersive listening experience.

Powerful audio with thunderous bass depth; Dolby Atmos drivers; Wireless rear channel speakers; Easy setup

Expensive; Large; Could use more precise EQ controls

The JBL’s detachable speakers provide proper surround sound and are a big selling point, but its rivals are sonically superior

Room-filling Atmos sound, Lots of bass, Reasonably detailed

Lacking dynamic appeal, Imprecise effect placement, Not punchy enough

The JBL Bar 9.1 is among the most impressive Dolby Atmos soundbars around, in some ways. But once you’re over the initial shock and awe, its modus operandi gets a little wearing.

Thoughtful modular design, Authentic width and height to sound, Plenty of flexibility in terms of inputs

From the ‘everything louder than everything else’ school, Monotonal subwoofer, Short of dynamism and definition

This 5.1.4-channel soundbar features a fully immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X experience thanks to upward-firing speakers and a pair of detachable and rechargeable wireless rears. It's good value, with few compromises.

Full immersion, Powerful and well-integrated bass, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, Detachable rear speakers, EARC support, Automated audio calibration, Proper display and decent remote

Front soundstage could be wider, No HLG/HDR10+ passthrough, Only one HDMI input, No dedicated remote app

We've only spent the briefest of times with the JBL Bar 9.1 – but so far, we're impressed with this powerful Dolby Atmos soundbar, thanks to innovative design, great sound, and good connectivity.

Innovative design, Immersive Dolby Atmos sound, 4K and Dolby Vision compatibility

Small 'sweet spot'

When is a soundbar not a soundbar? When it's JBL's Bar 9.1. On the face of it, this is a premium soundbar/subwoofer system with Dolby Atmos capability, but with its front left/right enclosures able to be removed and used as discrete surrounds/Atmos units, you get a 5.1.4 setup with minimal fuss.

Look ma, no wires!

With movie theaters still closed in most places, the home theater experience is more important than ever. A spiffy Atmos surround sound system can take your viewing experience to the next level, but maybe you don't want to run wires or have speakers permanently installed around your room.

Audio Overall excellent sound for all media types., Detachable satellites The speakers can remain docked for stereo content and detached for surround., Google integration Appears in the Home app and as a Chromecast target., Design The Bar 9.1 looks understated and slick—it should go with any decor.

No display Just a simple dot-matrix screen on the front that makes accessing settings rather difficult., Batteries The satellites need to be recharged daily., Price The $1,000 price tag is more than most people should pay when there are cheaper but less elegant options available.

If you’re a gamer or movie aficionado looking to upgrade to a Dolby Atmos system that’s easy to set up and sounds great, the JBL Bar 9.1 is an excellent choice. While an actual five or nine-speaker setup with a subwoofer may sound better, this solution from JBL is easier to set up and more...

Compact design, Fantastic sound, Easy setup, Google Home, AirPlay, Bluetooth support, Comes with wall-mounting hardware, Decent battery life on detachable speakers

Only one HDMI input, Subwoofer connection status indicator on back, End caps only available in some regions, MP3 playback only available in U.S., Limited EQ/sound settings