The catch
Sonos Beam Ultra
It has no HDMI source input. Adapters for analog and optical are extra, and Sonos excludes CCFL-backlit TVs made in 2004 to 2012.
Side by side
Sonos Beam Ultra vs JBL Bar 300 MK2: JBL brings an HDMI source input, while a turntable goes on Beam
Quick verdict
The Beam Ultra adds a wired turntable route through an optional adapter, and the JBL adds one HDMI source input. If records and TV share the same audio system and the required adapter and preamp fit your plan, choose the Beam. If a source needs its own HDMI connection or the lower two-inch cabinet matters, choose the JBL. The Beam is narrower, though its physical height speakers need suitable top clearance. External rears and a sub are not part of either package.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Choosing for a record player and for a crowded TV leads to opposite answers
Two unrelated input problems can exist in the same living room. A record player needs an analog music route, while a console or streaming box needs a spare TV connection. Beam Ultra deals with the first through an optional Sonos adapter, a cable and any phono preamp that is needed. JBL deals with the second through one HDMI source input. Neither fixes both directly. Before picking the bar that looks tidier, write down which connection you are really missing. If the TV has enough suitable inputs already, Beam’s analog route can settle it. If your records already play through another system that works, JBL’s spare HDMI input may be the more useful addition.
Where this comes from
Different supported source types, set against two devices sharing one room. This is a conclusion about input count. It does not guarantee every HDMI video mode, or analog-source compatibility without the preamp.
The catch
JBL Bar 300 MK2
It lacks an analog line-in. Its US USB port plays supported MP3 files from storage and cannot serve as a turntable input.
Sonos Beam Ultra
- Why pick it
- A record-player input right on the soundbar is what you want, using the optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
- Your surface has room for a 29.53-inch cabinet, and compatible Sonos expansion suits the household. Check the TV and top-clearance requirements.
- The catch
- It has no HDMI source input. Adapters for analog and optical are extra, and Sonos excludes CCFL-backlit TVs made in 2004 to 2012.
JBL Bar 300 MK2
- Why pick it
- A player needs a direct HDMI source input, once its exact video and audio modes have been checked.
- The 37-inch cabinet fits, and its two-inch height stays below a low screen that Beam’s 2.56 inches would block.
- The catch
- It lacks an analog line-in. Its US USB port plays supported MP3 files from storage and cannot serve as a turntable input.
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What this page compares
Beam Ultra against JBL Bar 300 MK2 for a record player, crowded TV ports and low screen clearance. Compare the complete connections before you commit to a single bar.
Each is a current standalone Wi-Fi TV bar, and neither comes with an external bass box. Someone after a tidy all-in-one system can cross-shop them, though the extra source connections each offers deal with different problems.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
An analog input at the bar is what the record player needs
Beam gets there with the optional adapter. JBL has no analog input.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- JBL Bar 300 MK2
- Not suitable
A direct soundbar connection is needed for one HDMI source
One source input is on the JBL. Verify the exact video and audio modes of the device.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Not suitable
- JBL Bar 300 MK2
- Better fit
The gap at the screen measures 2.3 inches, and width is enough
The cabinets stand 2.56 inches and two inches tall. The sensor and installation space need checking too.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Not suitable
- JBL Bar 300 MK2
- Better fit
You can use a surface that is 32 inches wide
Beam measures 29.53 inches across and JBL measures 37 inches, excluding connections and clearances.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- JBL Bar 300 MK2
- Not suitable
In practice
Differences you will notice
Choosing for a record player and for a crowded TV leads to opposite answers
Two unrelated input problems can exist in the same living room. A record player needs an analog music route, while a console or streaming box needs a spare TV connection. Beam Ultra deals with the first through an optional Sonos adapter, a cable and any phono preamp that is needed. JBL deals with the second through one HDMI source input. Neither fixes both directly. Before picking the bar that looks tidier, write down which connection you are really missing. If the TV has enough suitable inputs already, Beam’s analog route can settle it. If your records already play through another system that works, JBL’s spare HDMI input may be the more useful addition.
How we worked this out
Different supported source types, set against two devices sharing one room. This is a conclusion about input count. It does not guarantee every HDMI video mode, or analog-source compatibility without the preamp.
For a low TV, the narrower bar can still be the wrong choice
Beam Ultra saves 7.47 inches of width, which helps when a console or router shares the TV unit. JBL stands 0.56 inch lower, and that can count for more if the TV sits on low original feet. With a gap between two and 2.56 inches, Beam’s cabinet is ruled out at that position, however good its smaller width looks. Beam also has a separate overhead-clearance requirement for physical height output. Decide using both measurements and not a general label like compact. Keep the TV sensor clear, put the bar on a stable open surface and leave the connection and ventilation space each manufacturer requires.
How we worked this out
37 minus 29.53 = 7.47 inches. 2.56 minus 2 = 0.56 inch. This is a conditional geometric screen based on body dimensions. It does not account for full installation clearance and is not an instruction to enclose either product.
Match the USB socket to the source and not only to the cable
If your home has a USB record player or a collection of music files, check what each USB port is designed to do. The US socket on the JBL plays supported MP3 files from a storage device. It is not the analog input that a conventional record player needs. Beam Ultra’s USB-C route takes analog line-level audio by way of a specified Sonos adapter. Having USB-C does not turn it into a general computer-audio input or establish direct support for a USB turntable. For records, use the documented analog output, preamp and adapter path. For a simple collection of MP3 files on storage, JBL has the documented playback function and you need no other conversion step.
How we worked this out
US-specific USB file playback compared with Sonos adapter-based analog conversion, set against keeping existing music sources. Nothing is inferred about USB host/device roles, class-compliant audio or converter compatibility from the shape of a connector.
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.
Sonos Beam Ultra
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
JBL Bar 300 MK2
Passes these checksIt measures 37 inches wide and 2 inches high, with 1 separate HDMI source input and 11.0 inches of total width to spare.
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
Sonos, BMULTUS1BLK
Sonos Beam Ultra
A record-player input right on the soundbar is what you want, using the optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
- Best for
- A record-player input right on the soundbar is what you want, using the optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
Facts we checked
- Extra source connection: Analog line-in through a separately sold Sonos adapter
- Cabinet fit: 29.53 × 2.56 × 4.13 inches
- USB purpose: USB-C accepts the specified Sonos line-in or Combo Adapter
- Height presentation: Physical upward tweeters, with simulated mode when top space is restricted
Option B
JBL, Bar 300MK2
JBL Bar 300 MK2
A player needs a direct HDMI source input, once its exact video and audio modes have been checked.
- Best for
- A player needs a direct HDMI source input, once its exact video and audio modes have been checked.
Facts we checked
- Extra source connection: One separate HDMI source input
- Cabinet fit: 37 × 2 × 4.1 inches
- USB purpose: US USB Type A plays supported MP3 files from storage
- Height presentation: Virtual Dolby Atmos presentation
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Sonos Beam Ultra | JBL Bar 300 MK2 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra source connection | Analog line-in through a separately sold Sonos adapter | One separate HDMI source input | The music source and the TV source push the connection choice in different directions. |
| Cabinet fit | 29.53 × 2.56 × 4.13 inches | 37 × 2 × 4.1 inches | Beam is narrower by 7.47 inches, while JBL is lower by 0.56 inch. |
| USB purpose | USB-C accepts the specified Sonos line-in or Combo Adapter | US USB Type A plays supported MP3 files from storage | Do not assume that either socket will accept just any USB record player or computer audio output. |
| Height presentation | Physical upward tweeters, with simulated mode when top space is restricted | Virtual Dolby Atmos presentation | A suitable upward path is needed for the Beam feature. Placement is not settled by the badge alone. |
| Basic daily control | TV remote, touch controls and Sonos app | Included handheld remote, TV control and JBL One app | A separate physical controller comes with the JBL. Beam works through the TV control arrangement and the app. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Sonos Beam Ultra
- The documented guidance for upward output is four inches of top clearance. With less than that, use simulated overhead and keep ventilation clear.
With JBL Bar 300 MK2
- An extra HDMI socket is no guarantee of the high-refresh video mode you want. Check the entire path from source to TV.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
What you are missing is a connection for analog music from a turntable
Go with Sonos Beam Ultra. Beam offers a documented route, using the specified equipment bought separately.
Either an HDMI source is the missing connection or the screen is too low for Beam
Go with JBL Bar 300 MK2. JBL has one extra HDMI input and a lower cabinet.
Decision guide
Before you buy
An unobtrusive single bar is what you want, but either the record player or the crowded TV needs a connection that the other model lacks.
What this page can’t tell you
- There is no measured sound-quality winner and no universal high-refresh HDMI claim. The USB function on the US JBL does not establish the same feature in other regions. On both systems, optional surrounds are separate purchases.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonos Beam Ultra |
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| JBL Bar 300 MK2 |
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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.
Sonos Beam Ultra
A record-player input right on the soundbar is what you want, using the optional Sonos adapter and any phono preamp that is required.
Your surface has room for a 29.53-inch cabinet, and compatible Sonos expansion suits the household. Check the TV and top-clearance requirements.
See price & reviews on AmazonJBL Bar 300 MK2
A player needs a direct HDMI source input, once its exact video and audio modes have been checked.
The 37-inch cabinet fits, and its two-inch height stays below a low screen that Beam’s 2.56 inches would block.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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