When you move home, there are lots of things to consider and changes you can make. For me, when I set up the JBL Cinema SB 450 4K Ultra-HD Soundbar in summer studio sublet apartment in Philadelphia, one of the things I wanted was a new sound system that could launch my tunes around the open plan area for myself and friends that come to hang out. After all, I chose the best location in the city so friends come and go as we prepare for plenty of nights out. A 20-something gentleman like myself and my friends like to have some drinks, listen to good music, or Youtube videos to get ourselves ready for the never ending night. I could use my JBL Charge 3 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker but I am going for a more powerful experience. At the heart of such systems is the JBL Cinema SB 450 4K Ultra-HD Soundbar provided to me to try out and provide some feedback to the Aspiring Gentleman readers.
Photo via JBL.
What is a sound bar?
If you are new to the idea of a sound bar, let me start by providing a small introduction. Sound bars came into existence with flat panel TVs. These TV’s had came with far better picture quality but the tiny built in speakers just weren’t that impressive, especially for big sound effects you expect while watching movies or dialogue on some TV shows. Other problems with regular TV speakers is that they are often under-powered and usually pointing in the wrong direction – out either side of the TV.
So, the sound bar was created – a device that is designed to add to the sound produced by the TV or other devices that use quality speakers and point out into the room, rather than at walls like TV speakers do. The other advantage of sound bars over classic speaker systems is that they are compact, don’t need a lot of room and can be the basis for a modern style surround sound system spread across the room or the whole apartment, as in my case.
The JBL Cinema SB 450
When I knew the move to Philadelphia for the summer was imminent, I reached out to JBL to use a sound bar because it had the features that I wanted within the budget I had set for the project. The cost is currently $399.95 USD reduced from $499.95 at the time of this writing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=PFurRXdIO-s
The first thing I noticed is that the JBL Cinema SB 450 is fully compatible with the newest 4K Ultra-HD TVs. I don’t have one yet myself but it is on the upgrade list for this year so I know immediately that the speaker will work with the extra capacity.
An excellent feature for your man cave is the eight inche 200W wireless subwoofer that adds serious deep bass to the sound and has its own volume control to avoid irritating the neighbors too much.
The soundbar has three HDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2 video inputs that also make it ideal as a hub for a full system. It is also Bluetooth enabled to allow the device to connect to any other Bluetooth devices so there are no cable requirements.
The JBL Cinema SB 450 fortunately uses an exclusive SoundShift system created by JBL to allow you switch between the sound from your TV or from your phone or tablet and there is a TV remote control with the sound bar to allow easy operation from wherever you are.
General Specifications
Total Cinema SB450 Amplifier Power440W
Max SPL103dB
Frequency Response40Hz-20kHz
HDMI Video Inputs3
HDMI version2.0a
Max Bluetooth Range32 ft (10m)
Optical cable5 ft (1500 mm)
HDMI cable3 ft (1000 mm)
The Soundbar Verdict
The specifications of the The JBL Cinema SB 450 sound bar are impressive and fit my needs for a small studio apartment in the city. What I like most has been using it as a standalone device or paired with others for that full room sound system that always impresses the company I have over. When I finally settle into something more permanent, whether in Philadelphia, Florida where I am currently based, or abroad in a city like Bogota it’s one of the few things I will pack with me.
Photo via JBL.
JBL provided the Cinema SB 450 to Aspiring Gentleman for review purposes. All opinions above are our own.
