Samsung HW-B650
Score: 68/100
JBL Bar 500
Score: 81/100Rankings
The JBL Bar 500 delivers a compelling 5.1-channel experience with Dolby Atmos, strong total power and a wireless subwoofer, while offering a wide range of streaming and smart-home integrations. Its sleek design and app-driven setup make it user-friendly, though the lack of true rear speakers and occasional firmware issues may deter audiophiles.
The Samsung HW-B650 is a 3.1 soundbar with a wireless subwoofer and dedicated center speaker, offering strong dialogue clarity and virtual surround. It integrates well with Samsung TVs via HDMI-ARC but lacks Wi-Fi, 4K HDR pass-through and rear-speaker support, positioning it as a value-focused option for TV owners.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
430 W | 590 Wbest | |
— | 35 Hzbest | |
— | 20,000 Hzbest | |
1best | 1best | |
1best | — | |
— | 5best | |
| ↓ lower better | 8.209 kgbest | 12.8 kg |
12 monthsbest | 12 monthsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Connectivity(1) | ||
Wi‑Fi Support | false | true |
Build & Design(1) | ||
Overall Weight (kg) | 8.209 kg | 12.8 kg |
Power & Energy(1) | ||
Standby Power Consumption (W) | 0.5 W | 2.0 W |
Audio(3) | ||
Channel Configuration | 3.1 | 5.1 |
Supported Audio Formats | Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Virtual:X, DTS 5.1, AAC, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA, LPCM (2ch) | Dolby Atmos |
Total Power Output (W) | 430 W | 590 W |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers view the HW-B650 as a strong value proposition for Samsung TV owners, highlighting its dedicated center channel, virtual surround processing and convenient HDMI-ARC integration. While they commend its bass performance and gaming features, they note the absence of Wi-Fi, 4K HDR pass-through and rear-speaker support as notable shortcomings.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the soundbar for crystal-clear dialogue, deep bass and easy setup with Samsung TVs. Gaming enthusiasts appreciate the low-latency Game Mode, while many express disappointment over missing smart connectivity, lack of HDR support and the non-backlit remote.
Professional reviewers praise the Bar 500 for its effective MultiBeam virtualization, deep bass from the 10" subwoofer, and hassle-free integration with AirPlay 2, Chromecast and voice assistants, while noting that virtual surround cannot fully replace true discrete rear speakers and HDMI eARC can be temperamental on some TVs.
Everyday users appreciate the powerful sound, strong bass and easy app-driven setup, highlighting the wireless subwoofer and broad streaming options as major strengths, but complain about the missing AUX input, Bluetooth latency and occasional firmware-related shutdowns.
“Dialogue is crystal clear”
“Bass is powerful”
“Easy setup with Samsung TV”
