JBL Bar 5.1, the flagship speaker in the JBL BAR series, was unveiled at the IFA consumer technology tradeshow in Berlin today.
Out of the box, the JBL Bar 5.1 looks pretty similar to the plethora of other soundbars on the market right now.
However, the JBL Bar 5.1 has a pretty impressive party trick.
The soundbar has two battery-powered, wireless speakers that detach from each end of the speaker.
These can be placed around the room to create a fully-wireless true surround sound experience.
When detached from the JBL Bar 5.1, each individual speaker is good for 10 hours or so before it needs to be recharged.
That’s just about enough to make it through the Lord of Rings trilogy.
In total, JBL Bar 5.1 boasts 510W of total system power, thanks in no small part to the 10” wireless subwoofer.
Elsewhere, the JBL Bar 5.1 comes with three 4K HDMI pass-through inputs to connect additional devices like Blu-Ray players, game consoles and more.
Each JBL soundbar is programmed to respond to the TV remote, eliminating the need for multiple controllers.
And for those who love the second screen experience, JBL Bar 5.1 comes equipped with JBL SoundShift technology, which lets users instantly swap between audio sources.
“The JBL BAR series is made for every type of user and listener, and perfectly suited to be placed on a consult or mounted on a wall,” said Dave Rogers, GM of Consumer Audio at Harman.
“With looks as great as the signature sound, this series re-defines the soundbar, creating a supreme home theatre experience to suit today’s larger-size TVs.”
JBL Bar 5.1 will be coming to the UK from October 2017. The flagship in the JBL Bar range will retail for £649.99.
The JBL Bar series also includes JBL Bar Studio at £149.99 with 30W of total system power, JBL Bar 2.1 at £299.99 with 300W, and JBL Bar 3.1 at £399.99 with 450W and Real 4K-HDCP 2.2.
JBL also used its media event at IFA to announce the LINK series – a portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker powered by Google Assistant.