JBL home theater
Pick the system that fits your room — not the one with the longest spec sheet.
Quick answer
The JBL Bar 300 is the best refurbished JBL soundbar for smaller rooms and a clean single-bar setup. Step up to the Bar 500 for a dedicated subwoofer and real movie impact, the Bar 700 when detachable rear speakers matter, and the Bar 1300X when you want a genuinely immersive, Dolby Atmos system and have the room for it.
The practical answer
Soundbars scale in one direction: more boxes, more channels, more low end, more setup. The Bar 300 is a single bar that plugs into one HDMI port and instantly beats a TV's built-in speakers, which is genuinely all most rooms need. Everything above it is solving a specific problem — thin bass, missing surround channels, or wanting height effects for Atmos content — rather than being a straightforward upgrade over the last model.
That distinction matters more with refurbished units than new ones, because a soundbar system is really a bundle: the bar itself, a wireless subwoofer, sometimes detachable satellite speakers, a remote, and cables. A refurbished Bar 700 missing its rear speakers isn't really a Bar 700 anymore — it's a smaller system at the wrong price. Confirm every piece that's supposed to ship in the box before you buy, not after.
Our picks, model by model
- Best for small rooms — JBL Bar 300. A single all-in-one bar with no separate subwoofer to place — the easiest upgrade from TV speakers if your room is a bedroom or a small apartment living room.
- Best all-around — JBL Bar 500. Adds a wireless subwoofer for real low end without the footprint of a full surround setup — the pick for most living rooms.
- Best for flexible surround — JBL Bar 700. Detachable, battery-powered rear speakers pop off the bar for true surround sound, then reattach to recharge — useful if your seating doesn't line up with a wired setup.
- Best premium and immersive — JBL Bar 1300X (or the Bar 1000, while it's in stock). Up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos height effects and the most channels in the lineup — built for a dedicated media room, not a quick TV upgrade.
How the JBL soundbars compare
The right bar depends on your room and whether you actually want a full surround setup or just better TV sound. Here's the shape of each system:
How Verdi reduces the risk
Every refurbished JBL soundbar on Verdi is tested for HDMI ARC/eARC handshake, subwoofer pairing, and remote function before it's listed, and the product page names exactly what ships in the box — bar, sub, surrounds, remote, and cables. See how Verdi's certified refurbished process works → It's also worth checking current shipping and return terms → before you buy, since a multi-piece system is exactly the kind of purchase where a real return window earns its keep.
Frequently asked
Does a refurbished JBL soundbar come with the subwoofer and surround speakers?
It should, if the model is supposed to include them — confirm on the listing itself. A Bar 500, 700, 1000, or 1300X without its subwoofer is a much weaker purchase than the complete system.
Will an older JBL soundbar work with a newer TV over HDMI ARC or eARC?
Almost always, though eARC-only features like uncompressed Atmos passthrough need an eARC port on both ends. Check your TV's HDMI spec against the soundbar's listed connections before assuming full compatibility.
Do I need Dolby Atmos content to benefit from the Bar 1000 or 1300X's height channels?
You'll notice the biggest difference on Atmos-mastered movies and shows, common on major streaming services. Non-Atmos content still sounds good — you're just not using every channel these bars are built for.
Is the JBL Bar 300 upgradeable if I later want a subwoofer or surrounds?
No — JBL's bar lineup isn't modular, so each model ships as a fixed set. If there's a real chance you'll want a subwoofer or rear speakers later, it's simpler to buy that configuration now than replace the whole bar afterward.