The catch
JBL Bar 700MK2
One HDMI source input is all it has, and it lacks physical upward-firing drivers. The Atmos label on it doesn’t mean the same speaker arrangement as 1000MK2.
Side by side
JBL Bar 700MK2 vs 1000MK2: Rear runtime is unchanged, and 1000 adds source inputs and height drivers
Quick verdict
The Bar 700MK2 is the one to pick when detachable rears and close-up late-night listening solve your main problem and a single HDMI source input is enough. The Bar 1000MK2 is for you if you can use its upward-firing drivers or want three players connected directly to the bar. Undocked, both need the same 33.6-inch central space, but the 1000MK2 takes up more room once its rear speakers go back to charge. Neither promises more than the same conditional ten-hour rear-speaker runtime.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Measure the cabinet for when you’re done watching
If children or pets share the room, you may put the rears away after every film. While the rears are by the sofa, both central bars take up 854 mm. Docking them adds 309 mm on 700MK2 and 349 mm on 1000MK2. A cabinet that holds the bar comfortably during a film may be too narrow for the routine you planned afterward. When the docked width is awkward, USB-C charging offers another route, but pick a stable place for each speaker and keep cables out of walkways. Sort that out before paying for either system.
Where this comes from
The increases are 1163 − 854 = 309 mm and 1203 − 854 = 349 mm in total width. They do not describe extra space needed on each side. Support, access and cable clearance come on top.
The catch
JBL Bar 1000MK2
Placement determines how well its extra drivers work, and three inputs alone don’t establish a 4K120 gaming route.
JBL Bar 700MK2
- Why pick it
- Included battery rears and Night Listening appeal to you, you have one direct HDMI player, and the current complete offer comes out better.
- The spot where you charge the rears has room for 45.8 inches, while the 1000MK2’s 47.4-inch docked width would be an awkward fit.
- The catch
- One HDMI source input is all it has, and it lacks physical upward-firing drivers. The Atmos label on it doesn’t mean the same speaker arrangement as 1000MK2.
JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Why pick it
- You have three compatible HDMI players and want them connected directly, with no swapping cables back and forth.
- The top drivers can stay unobstructed, and your ceiling and rear-speaker positions suit physical height effects.
- The catch
- Placement determines how well its extra drivers work, and three inputs alone don’t establish a 4K120 gaming route.
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What this page compares
JBL 700MK2 against 1000MK2 for a shared living room, a narrow TV cabinet and several HDMI players. Find out which upgrade you would really use.
A subwoofer and battery-powered rear speakers come with both systems. The practical question is whether four upward-firing drivers and two extra HDMI inputs justify stepping up, given that the portable-rear benefits are already shared.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Surround you set up as needed and one directly connected player
The battery rears already come with 700MK2. Compare complete offers before you pay for extras you won’t use.
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Better fit
- JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Similar
Three compatible players and a TV that is hard to reach
Two direct inputs are added by 1000MK2, subject to each source’s video format.
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Caution
- JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Better fit
Listening up close once the others have gone to bed
In Night Listening, both mute the main bar and sub, but neither is silent.
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Similar
- JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Similar
A closed-in shelf sitting over the upward-firing drivers
A central reason to buy 1000MK2 is undermined if the top drivers are blocked.
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Similar
- JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Caution
In practice
Differences you will notice
Measure the cabinet for when you’re done watching
If children or pets share the room, you may put the rears away after every film. While the rears are by the sofa, both central bars take up 854 mm. Docking them adds 309 mm on 700MK2 and 349 mm on 1000MK2. A cabinet that holds the bar comfortably during a film may be too narrow for the routine you planned afterward. When the docked width is awkward, USB-C charging offers another route, but pick a stable place for each speaker and keep cables out of walkways. Sort that out before paying for either system.
How we worked this out
The increases are 1163 − 854 = 309 mm and 1203 − 854 = 349 mm in total width. They do not describe extra space needed on each side. Support, access and cable clearance come on top.
On a crowded TV, the HDMI upgrade can matter more than the Atmos upgrade
With a streaming box, disc player and compatible console, all three can connect directly to 1000MK2. On 700MK2, two of them need suitable TV sockets or another connection arrangement. That matters if a wall-mounted TV is hard to reach, or if its audio passthrough is the weak link. Even so, a high-refresh console’s exact video format still needs checking. The three-input count alone is no reason to route 4K120 gaming through the bar. Connect a demanding source directly to a compatible TV when that is the verified route.
How we worked this out
On 700MK2, three assumed HDMI sources minus one input leaves two sources that need another path. 1000MK2 provides three inputs. This is a count of connections, and it infers nothing about video bandwidth or TV audio compatibility.
Late viewing once the household is in bed is no reason to buy the larger model
With Night Listening, both systems can bring playback close to your seat and mute the main bar and subwoofer. If you regularly drop room-filling sound once others go to bed, 700MK2 already gives you that change in listening arrangement. Pick 1000MK2 for its daytime height-speaker or connection benefits instead. Nearby speakers are still audible, and neither system guarantees that a sleeping child or neighbor won’t be disturbed. Both also share the same up-to-ten-hour runtime limit, so the upgrade doesn’t spare you the next charging session.
How we worked this out
The same Night Listening routing is described in both exact-model manuals. Both manufacturers rate rear playback at up to ten hours, with conditions on content and volume. No decibel reduction, hearing benefit or sleep outcome is calculated.
Plug in your numbers
Is there room for the soundbar under your TV?
Measure the clear space under your TV. Count only the devices you will plug into the soundbar. Leave out the ones already connected to the TV. The numbers below are placeholders until you enter yours.
JBL Bar 700MK2
Check this one yourselfA cabinet measurement or your chosen connection is not confirmed for this exact model.
JBL Bar 1000MK2
Check this one yourselfA cabinet measurement or your chosen connection is not confirmed for this exact model.
Measure the top of an open shelf. This check does not cover enclosed cubbies. Detachable speakers count toward the docked width. Leave extra depth for cables and the TV stand. This checks size and port count only. Dolby Atmos, 4K/120Hz passthrough and the audio formats your TV supports are outside it.
Option A
JBL, JBLBAR700M2BLKAM
Bar 700MK2
Included battery rears and Night Listening appeal to you, you have one direct HDMI player, and the current complete offer comes out better.
- Best for
- Included battery rears and Night Listening appeal to you, you have one direct HDMI player, and the current complete offer comes out better.
Facts we checked
- Included room equipment: Bar, two battery rears and 10-inch subwoofer
- Height-speaker hardware: No upward-firing drivers in the documented array
- Direct source inputs: One HDMI input
- Bar with rears detached: 854 mm wide, 52 mm high
Option B
JBL, JBLBAR1000M2BLKAM
Bar 1000MK2
You have three compatible HDMI players and want them connected directly, with no swapping cables back and forth.
- Best for
- You have three compatible HDMI players and want them connected directly, with no swapping cables back and forth.
Facts we checked
- Included room equipment: Bar, two battery rears and 10-inch subwoofer
- Height-speaker hardware: Four upward-firing drivers across bar and rears
- Direct source inputs: Three HDMI inputs
- Bar with rears detached: 854 mm wide, 52 mm high
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | JBL Bar 700MK2 | JBL Bar 1000MK2 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Included room equipment | Bar, two battery rears and 10-inch subwoofer | Bar, two battery rears and 10-inch subwoofer | With either, the standard package already completes the rear-speaker purchase. |
| Height-speaker hardware | No upward-firing drivers in the documented array | Four upward-firing drivers across bar and rears | The room has to let the drivers work, but 1000MK2 does have a real hardware distinction. |
| Direct source inputs | One HDMI input | Three HDMI inputs | Two additional compatible players can stay attached to the bar with 1000MK2. |
| Bar with rears detached | 854 mm wide, 52 mm high | 854 mm wide, 52 mm high | At the listening position, the footprint has the same width and height. |
| Bar with rears docked | 1163 mm wide, about 45.8 inches | 1203 mm wide, about 47.4 inches | Charging this way, 1000MK2 takes another 40 mm of overall width. |
| Late-night and battery limits | Night Listening mutes bar and sub, up to ten-hour rear playback | Night Listening mutes bar and sub, up to ten-hour rear playback | Both have these conveniences. Runtime depends on volume and content. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With JBL Bar 700MK2
- The bar grows from 33.6 to 45.8 inches once the rear speakers are docked. Charging separately over USB-C needs its own convenient location.
With JBL Bar 1000MK2
- Width reaches 47.4 inches when docked. Spending more doesn’t remove charging or lengthen the published maximum rear-speaker runtime.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
The main attraction is battery rears and Night Listening
Go with JBL Bar 700MK2. Both come with 700MK2, which has a narrower docked body and one source input.
Either three direct players or usable physical height drivers count
Go with JBL Bar 1000MK2. Those capabilities come with 1000MK2 and no wider central bar.
The plan relies on 4K120 passthrough being proven
Neither model fits. Nothing here verifies that route. Check it yourself or use compatible TV inputs.
Decision guide
Before you buy
Movie-night surround is the goal, without a room cluttered with equipment, yet the pricier system still calls for charging space and a suitable ceiling.
What this page can’t tell you
- The page claims no winner on measured sound, dialogue, room size or battery life.
- On the US web page for the 700MK2, the inch conversion for the central bar is wrong. The American manual confirms that 854 mm is 33.6 inches.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the soundbars we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| JBL Bar 700MK2 |
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| JBL Bar 1000MK2 |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
JBL Bar 700MK2
Included battery rears and Night Listening appeal to you, you have one direct HDMI player, and the current complete offer comes out better.
The spot where you charge the rears has room for 45.8 inches, while the 1000MK2’s 47.4-inch docked width would be an awkward fit.
See price & reviews on AmazonJBL Bar 1000MK2
You have three compatible HDMI players and want them connected directly, with no swapping cables back and forth.
The top drivers can stay unobstructed, and your ceiling and rear-speaker positions suit physical height effects.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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