A soundbar can provide excellent sound quality and add some life to a party or a living room. Here, we evaluate three particular products, the Sony G700, Samsung Q800A, and JBL Bar 5.1, which are offered by reputable brands and are generally found in a similar price range.
If you enjoy watching movies with friends, the Sony G700 is the right bar for you. If high-quality sound output is your thing, then the Samsung Q800A is your best bet. If you want to connect several wireless playback options to your speaker, the JBL Bar 5.1 has what you need.
But before you make your final decision, let’s discuss some more differences and figure out who wins in the Sony G700 vs. Samsung Q800A vs. JBL 5.1 debate.
~~~ Check Price: Sony HT-G700 ~~~
~~~ Check Price: Samsung Q800A ~~~
~~~ Check Price: JBL Bar 5.1 ~~~
Design
Design is the first thing we’ll look at, as all three soundbars have features that set them apart. While the bars have the same general shape, the subwoofer and sizes are quite different.
Sony HT-G700
The Sony HT-G700 has a sleek build when it lays flat on its side. The bar will not block your TV picture unless a stand does not support the television.
The subwoofer is around 15 in tall, allowing it to fit most spaces around your TV entertainment system. It comes with an HDMI cord over a meter long, making it suitable for mounted TVs.
Samsung Q800A
Thanks to its wide design, the Samsung Q800A will have to lay slightly in front of your TV if it has legs. Besides those minor differences, the soundbar design is similar to the Sony HT-G700 but much different than the JBL 5.1.
However, one key difference it holds from the Sony soundbar is that the ports and connections reside on the underside of the device. Luckily, it comes with an HDMI cord that is long enough for that discrepancy not to matter.
JBL 5.1
The JBL 5.1’s subwoofer is much bigger and bulkier than the other two speakers. Therefore, it may be challenging for you to fit inside your entertainment studio. The Sony and Samsung subwoofers are 15 inches in height, but the JBL stands over 17 inches.
Much like the Samsung soundbar, its connection ports sit on the underside of the device. But, unlike the other two packages, its HDMI cables are shorter.
Biggest Design Differences
Regarding dimensional design, Samsung and Sony are very similar in height, width, and length. The JBL 5.1’s subwoofer is much bigger in all three dimensions than the other options.
The other key difference is the JBL subwoofer, which has four short legs supporting it, whereas the other two devices do not. Note that the JBL and Samsung soundbars come with wall mounting brackets, while the Sony does not.
Connection/Ports
Now let’s discuss the connection ports so you can have a good idea of what devices you can connect and what adapter you may want to buy.
Sony HT-G700
As far as connectivity, the Sony HT G700 has some excellent features. It supports all standard audio formats, like Dolby Atmos, and has HDMI and HDMI arc ports.
You can also use HDMI cords to connect separate devices, like your TV and gaming system, and play the sound through the soundbar. However, the only wireless connection it can create is with Bluetooth devices.
Samsung Q800A
The Samsung Q800A is a superb choice for a connection hub. It has HDMI In ports and a designated HDMI Out channel that shares connectivity with HDMI ARC.
The wireless connection between the subwoofer and the bar is a great feature that all three soundbars share. The only knock on this soundbar’s connectivity is its lack of 3.5 mm auxiliary cord compatibility.
JBL 5.1
The JBL 5.1 has a few physical inputs, like a USB playback feature if you have the United States version of the speaker. It has an HDMI ARC port that can support Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus.
Biggest Connection Differences
Comparing the Sony G700 vs. Samsung Q800a vs. JBL 5.1, the Sony is great for extracting audio from two different devices and playing it through the speaker. However, it falls short of the wireless connectivity of Samsung and JBL.
Samsung speaker has multiple ports that can support all the standard audio outputs, but it cannot support older phones that require a 3.5 mm aux connection while the others can.
The JBL features multiple ports that can be hooked up to your television but do not have some audio formats that the others include. However, it does have auxiliary cord connection capabilities, allowing you to play music from your cellular device.
Sound Quality
The sound may be the most important metric we discuss as it is the main detail most people want to know about their brand new Soundbar speaker system.
Sony HT-G700
The Sony HT G700 has numerous equalizer presets, like movie presetting, that allow you to set the sound quality in a flash. Its center audio channel produces high-quality bass and treble.
Its stereo has a high maximum volume, making it perfect for larger rooms and huge get-togethers. However, its surround sound quality is lacking due to the left and right speakers using a downmixing feature as their primary function.
Samsung Q800A
Like Sony, the Samsung Q800A has tremendous center speaker sound output. The bass and treble equalizer have adjustable presets, giving you complete control over how clear the audio playback comes through.
It has a room correction feature, but only if the sound comes from a Samsung television. Unfortunately, its surround speakers are subpar due to the up-firing speakers bouncing the sound off the ceiling instead of down-firing speakers, which reflects it off the floor.
JBL 5.1
Unlike its two counterparts, there is a model of the JBL 5.1 that has surround speakers that you can place at various points in your entertainment setup. It also features the best Left-Right speaker quality of the three candidates.
This pick also has a dedicated room correction feature that will adjust for the room’s ambient background noise. The only part lacking from this speaker is the height performance offered by the other two options.
Biggest Sound Differences
The JBL has quality features many people like, such as the surround speakers. The EQ has only two settings, smart mode, and standard. It also has a room correction that adjusts to ambient noise and room size.
While the Samsung speaker has room correction capabilities when paired with a Samsung TV, it is not universal, making it unreliable. It also has up-firing speakers, which are supposed to add to the immersive quality, but can actually detract from the experience depending on the height of the ceiling.
The Sony is similar to the Samsung speaker in many ways. However, it does not offer bass and treble adjustment but features the most EQ pre-settings of the three options.
Software
Software is another important metric that tells you how well something will work within your space by assessing its compatibilities and pairing capabilities
Sony HT-G700
As mentioned, the Sony HT-G700 features Bluetooth connectivity and has very little playback latency. Its 4K frequency output capabilities make it especially useful for gamers trying to get the best experience possible.
It can support numerous HDMI audio formats like Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos, making it a fantastic option for Blu-ray disc playback.
Samsung Q800A
Samsung Q800A has more wireless connectivity and is compatible with many standard audio output formats. It would make a perfect hub between two external devices, for example your television and a video game console, since it has a high passthrough bandwidth.
It also has eArc functionality, giving you more options if you have a TV with that audio format.
JBL 5.1
The JBL 5.1 has all the wireless connection features anyone could want in a speaker. Whether it’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple Airplay, you’ll be able to play it through the speaker.
With the app, you can complete the surround sounds connectivity by pairing it with your Wi-Fi after following the instructions.
Biggest Software Differences
The Sony HT-G700 has the worst wireless software functionality of the three candidates. However, universal compatibility saves it by letting you enjoy numerous audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and Digital.
Samsung has better wireless software features than Sony and can support all the same audio formats. The latency is the best of all three options, making it the number one choice for watching videos.
The JBL comes with an app and has the most wireless connection options of all three soundbars. Unfortunately, it features the worst latency in the bunch.
Special Features
Let’s end with the unique features each of the speakers has to offer.
Sony HT-G700
The Sony HT-G700 features a small LED screen that tells you the format and the current input. It comes with a standby power-saving mode that will conserve battery and electricity.
Samsung Q800A
This speaker comes with an app, unlike the Sony, making it easier to set up and use. It also includes voice control features thanks to its Alexa compatibility.
JBL 5.1
JBL features the most basic remote of the bunch, giving you a simple device to control the speaker and subwoofer. After 10 minutes of non-use, the JBL speaker will go into standby mode.
Biggest Feature Differences
The Sony’s remote has multiple buttons that allow you to control each aspect of the soundbar, but it does not have universal remote functionality.
Samsung has Alexa voice control features and comes with a convenient app that allows you to control settings. It also has an auto-off function that will save you money in the long run.
The JBL speaker features the most basic remote and app setup design.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we hope you can pick the best option in the Sony G700 vs. Samsung Q800A vs. JBL Bar 5.1 battle. Each speaker has its merits and can be a fine addition to your home sound system.
~~~ Check Price: Sony HT-G700 ~~~
