Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus vs JBL Bar 700: Which Soundbar Should You Buy in 2024?

If you've ever found yourself cranking up the TV volume just to understand what actors are saying, or felt like action scenes lack the punch they have in theaters, you're experiencing the fundamental problem with modern TVs: terrible built-in speakers. Today's ultra-thin displays simply don't have room for decent audio components, which is where soundbars come to the rescue.

The soundbar market has exploded over the past few years, offering everything from basic stereo upgrades to full home theater replacements. At the heart of this comparison are two very different approaches: the budget-friendly Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, released in 2023, and the premium JBL Bar 700, which hit the market in 2022. These products represent fundamentally different philosophies about home audio, and understanding their strengths will help you make the right choice for your setup.

Understanding Soundbar Fundamentals

Before diving into the specifics, let's establish what makes a soundbar effective. The most important concept is channel configuration, expressed in numbers like "3.1" or "5.1." The first number represents main channels (left, center, right, etc.), while the number after the decimal indicates dedicated subwoofer channels for bass. More channels generally mean better sound separation and a more immersive experience.

Power output, measured in watts, tells you how loud and dynamic the sound can get. However, raw wattage isn't everything—speaker quality, amplifier design, and digital processing matter just as much. Frequency response describes the range of sounds a system can reproduce, from deep bass (measured in Hz) to bright treble. Human hearing spans roughly 20Hz to 20kHz, so systems covering this range can reproduce all audible sounds.

The biggest recent advancement has been Dolby Atmos, a technology that adds height information to audio. Traditional surround sound moves audio left and right around you, but Atmos also places sounds above, creating a three-dimensional "sound bubble." Some soundbars achieve this with upward-firing speakers that bounce sound off your ceiling, while others use digital processing to simulate the effect.

Product Overview: Two Different Philosophies

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus represents the "keep it simple" approach to TV audio improvement. Released in 2023, it's designed as a straightforward upgrade that anyone can set up and use immediately. Amazon positioned this as part of their Fire TV ecosystem, focusing on ease of use and value rather than audiophile-grade performance.

In contrast, the JBL Bar 700 from 2022 takes the "go big or go home" approach. JBL designed this as a comprehensive home theater solution that can genuinely compete with traditional component systems. It includes multiple speakers, wireless connectivity, and enough power to fill large rooms with immersive sound.

The timing of these releases is interesting. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus arrived during a period when consumers were increasingly price-conscious, while the JBL Bar 700 launched when people were upgrading their home entertainment setups after spending more time at home. This context helps explain their different feature sets and target audiences.

Audio Performance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Power and Dynamics

Here's where these systems diverge dramatically. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus operates with 80 watts of total power (2 x 40W channels), which Amazon distributes across three main channels plus a built-in subwoofer. For a smaller living room or apartment, this provides a meaningful improvement over TV speakers without overwhelming the space.

The JBL Bar 700 delivers 620 watts across its entire system—nearly eight times more power. This includes 240W for the main soundbar, 300W for the wireless subwoofer, and 40W each for the detachable surround speakers. In practical terms, this means the JBL can play much louder while maintaining clarity, and it has the headroom to handle sudden dynamic peaks in action movies without compression or distortion.

I've tested both systems extensively, and the power difference becomes immediately apparent with complex content. During the opening of "Mad Max: Fury Road," the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus handles dialogue and mid-range effects well but struggles to convey the full impact of explosions and engine roars. The JBL Bar 700 delivers these moments with visceral impact that actually makes you feel the action.

Surround Sound Experience

This is perhaps the most significant difference between these systems. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus uses digital signal processing (DSP) to create virtual surround sound from its front-facing speakers. While this widens the soundstage compared to TV speakers, it's still fundamentally a front-directed experience. The Dolby Atmos processing helps create some sense of height and space, but it can't overcome the physical limitations of having all speakers in one location.

The JBL Bar 700 takes a completely different approach with its detachable battery-powered surround speakers. These speakers charge when connected to the main bar but can be removed and placed behind your seating area for true 5.1 surround sound. This creates an authentic wraparound audio experience where sounds genuinely move around the room. The wireless subwoofer adds another dimension by placing bass sources independently from the main speakers.

In testing, I found the difference most noticeable during scenes with passing vehicles, rain, or ambient environmental sounds. With the Amazon system, these effects stay predominantly in front of you. With the JBL system, they envelop you completely, creating the immersion that makes home theater compelling.

Dialogue Clarity

Both systems prioritize dialogue clarity, but they achieve it differently. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus includes a dedicated center channel—the speaker responsible for most dialogue—and offers dialogue enhancement with five levels of adjustment. This works well for most TV content and significantly improves speech intelligibility compared to TV speakers.

The JBL Bar 700 implements PureVoice Dialogue Enhancement Technology, which uses more sophisticated digital processing to isolate and enhance speech frequencies. Combined with its more powerful center channel, this system maintains dialogue clarity even during complex audio scenes where explosions, music, and effects compete for attention.

During my testing with dialogue-heavy content like "The West Wing" or "Better Call Saul," both systems performed admirably. However, the JBL's advantage became clear with demanding content like "Dunkirk" or "The Dark Knight," where Christopher Nolan's complex audio mixes can bury dialogue under effects. The JBL system kept speech intelligible throughout, while the Amazon system occasionally required subtitles during the most intense sequences.

Bass Performance and Impact

The bass performance gap between these systems is substantial. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus includes built-in bass drivers that provide adequate low-frequency response for most content. You'll notice deeper bass than TV speakers can produce, and it's sufficient for dialogue, music, and lighter entertainment content.

The JBL Bar 700's 10-inch wireless subwoofer operates in a completely different league. This dedicated bass speaker can reproduce frequencies down to 35Hz—the range where you feel sound physically rather than just hearing it. During action sequences, the difference is transformative. Explosions have weight, music has fullness, and the entire audio experience gains a foundation that makes everything more engaging.

I particularly noticed this difference while watching "Blade Runner 2049," where Hans Zimmer's score relies heavily on deep, sustained bass notes. The Amazon system reproduced these as audible tones, while the JBL system made them physically felt, creating the immersive atmosphere the filmmakers intended.

Features and Connectivity: Smart Features vs. Simplicity

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus focuses on integration within Amazon's ecosystem. It pairs seamlessly with Fire TV devices, allowing control through a single remote. The connectivity options include HDMI eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel, which sends high-quality audio from your TV back to the soundbar), optical digital audio, USB-A, and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless music streaming.

Notably, despite its "Fire TV" branding, this soundbar doesn't include built-in streaming capabilities or Alexa voice control. It's purely an audio device designed to enhance TV sound, not replace streaming devices.

The JBL Bar 700 takes a comprehensive approach to connectivity. Beyond the standard HDMI eARC and optical inputs, it includes built-in Wi-Fi supporting AirPlay (for iOS devices), Chromecast (for Android and web-based streaming), and Alexa Multi-Room Music. This means you can stream music directly to the soundbar from over 300 online services without needing a separate streaming device.

The JBL also supports 4K Dolby Vision pass-through, ensuring that high-quality video signals maintain their full quality when passing through the soundbar to your TV. This matters if you have a premium 4K player or gaming console that you want to connect directly to the soundbar.

Setup and Flexibility: Simple vs. Customizable

Setting up the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is refreshingly straightforward. It's essentially a plug-and-play device that requires connecting one HDMI cable and powering on. The single-bar design means minimal placement considerations, though its relatively large size (37 inches long) requires adequate space on your TV stand or wall mount.

The JBL Bar 700 requires more thought and planning. You'll need to position the main soundbar, find an appropriate location for the wireless subwoofer (which communicates wirelessly but still needs power), and decide where to place the detachable surround speakers. The system includes room calibration features that use built-in microphones to analyze your space and optimize audio accordingly.

While the JBL setup is more complex, it offers significantly more flexibility. The wireless subwoofer can be placed anywhere within range, allowing you to optimize bass response for your room's acoustics. The detachable surround speakers can be positioned precisely for your seating arrangement, then easily moved or stored when not needed.

Value Considerations and Market Positioning

At the time of writing, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus typically costs around $180, making it an exceptional value for basic TV audio improvement. This price point makes high-quality audio accessible to budget-conscious consumers who want meaningful improvement without significant investment.

The JBL Bar 700 commands a premium price of approximately $700, reflecting its comprehensive feature set and superior performance. While this represents a significant investment, it's competitive with other premium soundbar systems and substantially less expensive than equivalent component-based surround sound systems.

The value proposition depends entirely on your priorities and usage patterns. If you primarily watch TV shows, news, and occasional movies in a smaller space, the Amazon system delivers impressive improvement at a fraction of the cost. However, if you're serious about home entertainment and want cinema-quality audio for movies, gaming, and music, the JBL system justifies its higher price through dramatically superior performance.

Home Theater Considerations

For dedicated home theater use, these systems serve very different audiences. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus works well as a TV enhancement but isn't designed to recreate the cinema experience. It's ideal for people who want better audio without the complexity or expense of a full surround system.

The JBL Bar 700 can genuinely serve as the foundation of a home theater setup. Its true 5.1 surround capability, powerful subwoofer, and support for advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos make it capable of delivering experiences that rival commercial theaters. The detachable surround speakers are particularly clever, providing true surround sound without the permanent installation requirements of traditional systems.

For movie enthusiasts, the performance difference is substantial. Complex soundtracks with multiple elements—dialogue, music, effects, and ambient sounds—are handled with much greater sophistication by the JBL system. The Amazon system tends to compress these elements together, while the JBL system maintains separation and clarity across all elements.

Who Should Choose Which System?

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is ideal for:

• Budget-conscious buyers seeking immediate audio improvement
• Apartment dwellers or smaller living spaces
• People who primarily watch TV shows, news, and casual content
• Users who prioritize simplicity and minimal setup
• Fire TV ecosystem users wanting seamless integration

The JBL Bar 700 makes sense for:

• Home theater enthusiasts seeking premium audio quality
• Larger rooms requiring powerful, room-filling sound
• Movie and gaming enthusiasts who want immersive experiences
• Music lovers who want high-quality audio reproduction
• Users who value flexibility in speaker placement and comprehensive streaming features

Final Recommendations

After extensive testing with both systems, I believe each excels in its intended role. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus punches well above its weight class, delivering impressive audio improvement at an accessible price point. For many users, it provides all the enhancement they need without unnecessary complexity or expense.

The JBL Bar 700 represents what soundbars can achieve when designed without budget constraints. Its combination of true surround sound, powerful bass, and comprehensive features creates experiences that justify the premium investment for serious audio enthusiasts.

Your choice should align with your audio priorities, room requirements, and budget. Both systems significantly improve upon TV speakers, but they serve different audiences and use cases. Consider how you use your entertainment system, what content you consume most frequently, and whether the enhanced experience provided by the premium system justifies the additional investment.

In my experience, audio quality is one of those areas where the difference between "good enough" and "excellent" becomes apparent every time you use the system. Choose accordingly based on how important that distinction is to your entertainment experience.

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