Main trade-off
JBL Bar 500 MK2
The standard package has no rear speakers. Optional Cove expansion needs two matching compatible speakers and the required firmware.
Head-to-head
JBL Bar 500MK2 vs 700MK2: 700 includes rechargeable rears, 500 can add supported rear speakers later
The short answer
Choose 700MK2 if you will use rear speakers now but cannot leave power cables behind the sofa. Its included battery rears also provide close-up Night Listening. Choose 500MK2 if you want a simpler bar-and-subwoofer setup or prefer to decide on rear speakers later. The current 500MK2 can add a separately purchased matching Cove pair with supported firmware. It is not permanently closed to rear expansion.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
A playroom by day makes the charging routine part of the purchase
If children spread toys behind the sofa or a dog runs through that area, permanent speaker stands and power leads may be awkward. The 700MK2 rears can come out for a film and return afterward. That is useful only if there are stable temporary positions and an easy place to recharge them. If setting out two speakers would be skipped most nights, 500MK2’s standard package leaves less equipment to manage. Its optional Cove route keeps a later change possible when the room arrangement settles.
What this is based on
700MK2 includes battery-powered detachable rears. 500MK2 includes no rears but current firmware supports a separately bought matching Cove pair. This is a placement and handling inference, not a childproofing or pet-safety certification.
Main trade-off
JBL Bar 700MK2
The detachable rears still need stable positions and charging. They are easy to move, not maintenance-free.
JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Choose it for
- You want the standard bar-and-sub setup now, without two more speakers to charge and move.
- You prefer to add a supported matching Cove pair later, accounting for the extra purchase and placement needs.
- Main trade-off
- The standard package has no rear speakers. Optional Cove expansion needs two matching compatible speakers and the required firmware.
JBL Bar 700MK2
- Choose it for
- You want included battery rears for film nights, with safe temporary positions and a charging routine.
- You would use Night Listening to bring audio near your seat while muting the bar and subwoofer.
- Main trade-off
- The detachable rears still need stable positions and charging. They are easy to move, not maintenance-free.
About this comparison
JBL 500MK2 or 700MK2 for a living room that doubles as a playroom? Compare included rears, charging space, quiet viewing and the current Cove upgrade route.
These adjacent JBL systems share a bar-and-subwoofer approach, while 700MK2 adds included detachable rears. A buyer choosing between them needs to decide whether surround speakers will be used, stored and charged often enough to justify the larger package.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Bar-and-sub setup with no rear-speaker routine
500MK2 avoids included equipment you do not plan to place or charge.
- JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Better fit
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Similar
Occasional rear effects without permanent power behind the sofa
700MK2 includes battery rears. Safe support and regular charging remain necessary.
- JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Caution
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Better fit
An established place for a future matching Cove pair
500MK2 has a verified upgrade route. Compare the complete cost rather than the bar alone.
- JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Better fit
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Similar
Close-up late viewing with the main subwoofer muted
This is documented for the included 700MK2 detached speakers.
- JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Caution
- JBL Bar 700MK2
- Better fit
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
A playroom by day makes the charging routine part of the purchase
If children spread toys behind the sofa or a dog runs through that area, permanent speaker stands and power leads may be awkward. The 700MK2 rears can come out for a film and return afterward. That is useful only if there are stable temporary positions and an easy place to recharge them. If setting out two speakers would be skipped most nights, 500MK2’s standard package leaves less equipment to manage. Its optional Cove route keeps a later change possible when the room arrangement settles.
How we reached this conclusion
700MK2 includes battery-powered detachable rears. 500MK2 includes no rears but current firmware supports a separately bought matching Cove pair. This is a placement and handling inference, not a childproofing or pet-safety certification.
The smaller-looking bar may need more cabinet space after the film
With the rears detached, 700MK2 is 86 mm narrower than 500MK2. Dock them and it becomes 223 mm wider. This reverses the apparent space advantage in a small apartment where the cabinet also holds books or a game console. Measure the position you will use every day, not only the attractive detached arrangement in the photograph. Separate USB-C charging can preserve the shorter bar, but shifts the speakers and charging cables somewhere else.
How we reached this conclusion
940 − 854 = 86 mm. 1163 − 940 = 223 mm. Dimensions refer to the actual bars, not shipping boxes. Support and cable clearance are additional.
A mixed bedtime household can use the rears for more than surround
The 700MK2 rears can sit close to the person still watching while Night Listening mutes the main bar and subwoofer. That gives the included speakers a job even on nights when full surround would be inappropriate. It is a stronger reason to choose 700MK2 than an assumption that its larger model number means clearer dialogue. If everyone watches together at similar hours, this benefit may go unused and 500MK2 becomes easier to justify. No close-up speaker arrangement guarantees silence in adjacent rooms.
How we reached this conclusion
700MK2 documents rear-only Night Listening. No equivalent feature is asserted or ruled out for separately purchased Cove configurations. The recommendation concerns the two standard Amazon packages verified here.
Try your real numbers
Will the soundbar fit under your TV?
Measure the clear space in front of your TV. Count devices you want to plug into the soundbar, not devices already connected to the TV. The numbers below are examples until you enter yours.
JBL Bar 500 MK2
Meets these checks37 inches wide and 2 inches high, with 1 separate HDMI source input. It leaves 11.0 inches of total spare width.
JBL Bar 700MK2
Needs a manual checkA cabinet dimension or the selected connection is not confirmed for this exact model.
Use an open top surface, not an enclosed cubby. Detachable speakers are counted in the docked width. Allow extra depth for cables and the TV stand. This checks physical dimensions and port counts, not Dolby Atmos, 4K/120Hz passthrough or your TV’s audio-format support.
Choice A
JBL, Bar 500MK2
JBL Bar 500 MK2
You want the standard bar-and-sub setup now, without two more speakers to charge and move.
- Best matched use
- You want the standard bar-and-sub setup now, without two more speakers to charge and move.
Checked facts
- Standard package: Main bar and 10-inch subwoofer
- Rear upgrade later: Supported matching Cove pair, purchased separately
- Rear power during playback: No rears in the standard package
- Everyday bar width: 940 mm, about 37 inches
Choice B
JBL, JBLBAR700M2BLKAM
Bar 700MK2
You want included battery rears for film nights, with safe temporary positions and a charging routine.
- Best matched use
- You want included battery rears for film nights, with safe temporary positions and a charging routine.
Checked facts
- Standard package: Main bar, 10-inch subwoofer and two battery rears
- Rear upgrade later: Detachable rears already included
- Rear power during playback: Battery operation, up to ten hours with conditions
- Everyday bar width: 854 mm detached, 1163 mm docked
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | JBL Bar 500 MK2 | JBL Bar 700MK2 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard package | Main bar and 10-inch subwoofer | Main bar, 10-inch subwoofer and two battery rears | 700MK2 buys the full rear-speaker arrangement immediately. |
| Rear upgrade later | Supported matching Cove pair, purchased separately | Detachable rears already included | 500MK2 can be expanded, but compare the complete future shopping list. |
| Rear power during playback | No rears in the standard package | Battery operation, up to ten hours with conditions | 700MK2 avoids a permanent rear power connection while charged. |
| Everyday bar width | 940 mm, about 37 inches | 854 mm detached, 1163 mm docked | 700MK2 is narrower only while its rears are elsewhere. |
| Subwoofer floor space | 325 by 325 mm body footprint | 325 by 325 mm body footprint | Choosing 500MK2 does not reduce the listed subwoofer footprint. |
| Direct HDMI players | One input plus eARC output | One input plus eARC output | The upgrade does not create another direct source connection. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose JBL Bar 500 MK2
- Include the cost and power arrangements of both optional Cove speakers when comparing a future complete system.
If you choose JBL Bar 700MK2
- The bar grows from 33.6 to 45.8 inches when the rears are docked. USB-C charging can avoid that position but needs another place.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Extra speakers would mostly stay unused
Choose JBL Bar 500 MK2. Start with the simpler package and retain the supported Cove option.
Movable rears and close-up Night Listening have a regular job
Choose JBL Bar 700MK2. 700MK2 includes the necessary rear speakers and battery arrangement.
You need two direct HDMI players without another route
Choose neither. Both bars have one HDMI source input.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want rear effects on film night and a clear living room the next morning, without buying speakers that become another thing to put away.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No measured bass, dialogue or overall sound winner is inferred from wattage or model number.
- Cove expansion is optional and is not included in the standard 500MK2 offer. No undocumented Cove Night Listening behavior is assumed.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current soundbars comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| JBL Bar 500 MK2 |
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| JBL Bar 700MK2 |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
JBL Bar 500 MK2
You want the standard bar-and-sub setup now, without two more speakers to charge and move.
You prefer to add a supported matching Cove pair later, accounting for the extra purchase and placement needs.
See price & reviews on AmazonJBL Bar 700MK2
You want included battery rears for film nights, with safe temporary positions and a charging routine.
You would use Night Listening to bring audio near your seat while muting the bar and subwoofer.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.