JBL BAR 9.1 - Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar

[Destination Moon]

Dr

I suppose strictly speaking they could - 192kHz, 24 bit, 8 channel lossless audio needs around 33mbps and 12 channel around 55mbps. That’s before you add 4K video which needs say 25mbps. So lossless ATMOS and 4K from an app will need at least 80mbps per stream. The world and their internet connections aren’t ready for that I would suggest

downloading and playing offline over HDMI could work of course. Streaming though is a bridge too far for the infrastructure available to the vast majority of consumers. The streaming app providers wouldn’t be able to cope with the complaints about how their app won’t deliver the promised 4K and lossless ATMOS film. The fact the customer has a 25/10 internet connection that only works at full speed in off peak hours where they live, wouldn’t prevent said customers complaining....... it happens now with far lesser bandwidth requirements.......

So I'm taking this to mean that I can wire up my old ARC set exactly as a new eARC set and only forfeight streaming lossless ATMOS - which isn't available anyway? Doing this will let me ditch the HDMI switch running the input into the bar, and let me use the TV's input selector instead

 

[outoftheknow]

Dr



So I'm taking this to mean that I can wire up my old ARC set exactly as a new eARC set and only forfeight streaming lossless ATMOS - which isn't available anyway? Doing this will let me ditch the HDMI switch running the input into the bar, and let me use the TV's input selector instead

Yes.

just be aware that whilst connecting each device to the TV may gain video features line Dolby Vision that the soundbar can’t passthrough, it MAY introduce a delay in audio where it lags the video. If that happens there is no audio delay setting to fix it.

Just give it a go and if it all works with up to lossy ATMOS over DD+ and you are happy then all good.

Presumably though by connecting to the soundbar (through the HDMI switch) you will get lossless ATMOS from a device/app that delivers it? Connecting to the TV would lose that.....

 

[MattC777]

This is pretty much what I have done, I was getting the exact same result from streaming from the TV apps as I was from having a Fire Cube 4k plugged straight into the sound bar so I am ditching the cube.

Less wires and leaving an option to invest in a UHD bluray player in the future if I so wish.

 

[Drwdk]

Thats not really an answer from JBL advising not to us one of the functions designed into the bar...
I actually now have all sources plugged into the TV and the TV connected via ARC and still get the occasional click...

What type of output signal have you chosen for each of the sources? I have noticed that the click only happens, when the sound output is changing form bitstream to PCM. If all sources deliver bitstream, no clicking sound when changing sources

 

[Drwdk]

Are you guys talking about ARC or eARC? I thought the old ARC isn't capable of passing DD+

ARC, ARC can pass DD+ (lossy) but not losses signal

 

[MattC777]

What type of output signal have you chosen for each of the sources? I have noticed that the click only happens, when the sound output is changing form bitstream to PCM. If all sources deliver bitstream, no clicking sound when changing sources

The only sources that I have are the TV apps for Netflix, etc, and my Virgin V6 box that is plugged into the TV via HDMI. The TV is connected to the sound bar via ARC. TV output is ‘Auto 1’ which is something like output compressed audio for all sources’. The other options are ‘Auto 2’ which is compressed audio for multi channel audio and PCM for the rest, and PCM only.
I’m not sure what I can do with the V6 box output.
I can get the clicks even when changing TV apps...

 

[Drwdk]

The only sources that I have are the TV apps for Netflix, etc, and my Virgin V6 box that is plugged into the TV via HDMI. The TV is connected to the sound bar via ARC. TV output is ‘Auto 1’ which is something like output compressed audio for all sources’. The other options are ‘Auto 2’ which is compressed audio for multi channel audio and PCM for the rest, and PCM only.
I’m not sure what I can do with the V6 box output.
I can get the clicks even when changing TV apps...

Can you try changing the output for HDMI ARC from Auto to for example Bitstream? I think that what could happen, is that the TV sends different types of signal via ARC to the soundabr, depending on what is the video sources to TV. Try to see whether you can fix the ARC sound output to either Bitstream or PCM. Bitrstream will pass through the sound to soundbar and the sounbar will do the audio decoding. With PCM, TV will decode the sounde and send the decoded sound to SB.

 

[Destination Moon]

Yes.

just be aware that whilst connecting each device to the TV may gain video features line Dolby Vision that the soundbar can’t passthrough, it MAY introduce a delay in audio where it lags the video. If that happens there is no audio delay setting to fix it.

Just give it a go and if it all works with up to lossy ATMOS over DD+ and you are happy then all good.

Presumably though by connecting to the soundbar (through the HDMI switch) you will get lossless ATMOS from a device/app that delivers it? Connecting to the TV would lose that.....

Thanks again for all your help.

This opened up one more question. My plasma set won't benenfit from an HD video feed I don't think? But there has been speculation that netflix or Amazon won't hand down atmos to any screen below 4k. I'm wondering if instead of feeding both our TiVo (not atmos capable) directly to the TV and our Firstick 4k directly to the TV,
I feed the fire stick to the HDMI input on the bar, and use the bar's HDMI \ TV input selector - with the hope that the fire stick will send the atmos signal to the bar since it can't sense the native resolution of the screen?

 

[khl87]

Anybody here who’s experienced battery charging problems via micro usb?

I’ve always had the rears connected to a wall charger when in use. Then I took off the wall charger and forgot to plug it back in while in use. Got the low battery level indicator on the bar. Reconnected the wall charger. Now it seems like doesn’t charge via micro usb. The red light is lit, but the battery level indicator doesn’t increase.

When I dock the rears, that’s the only time the battery charge level indicator will increase.

 

[Destination Moon]

I suppose strictly speaking they could - 192kHz, 24 bit, 8 channel lossless audio needs around 33mbps and 12 channel around 55mbps. That’s before you add 4K video which needs say 25mbps. So lossless ATMOS and 4K from an app will need at least 80mbps per stream. The world and their internet connections aren’t ready for that I would suggest

downloading and playing offline over HDMI could work of course. Streaming though is a bridge too far for the infrastructure available to the vast majority of consumers. The streaming app providers wouldn’t be able to cope with the complaints about how their app won’t deliver the promised 4K and lossless ATMOS film. The fact the customer has a 25/10 internet connection that only works at full speed in off peak hours where they live, wouldn’t prevent said customers complaining....... it happens now with far lesser bandwidth requirements.......

I don't think the battery gauge is too accurate. It jumps in strange increments. It'll go from 100 to 90 to 80 to 60 but never has shown 70. I don't charge until it hits 60. Which is usually 2 nights viewing. But sometimes it's still showing 80 at the end of the 2nd night. Which I'm pretty sure is wrong. I think the best way to know if the battery is charging is to add a usb charge meter to one of your charging ports. They're about 12 bucks on Amazon. It'll tell you the voltage and current being drawn by the battery. A battery below 80 or 90 percent will pull 1.5A and taper as it gets closer to full charge.

I've tried measuring the voltage from the gold contacts at various charge states to see if I could measure the state of charge. But it doesn't work. The power supply for the speaker must be regulated as it always shows 3.3v which is too low for a fully charged Li cell

 

[MattC777]

Thanks again for all your help.

This opened up one more question. My plasma set won't benenfit from an HD video feed I don't think? But there has been speculation that netflix or Amazon won't hand down atmos to any screen below 4k. I'm wondering if instead of feeding both our TiVo (not atmos capable) directly to the TV and our Firstick 4k directly to the TV,
I feed the fire stick to the HDMI input on the bar, and use the bar's HDMI \ TV input selector - with the hope that the fire stick will send the atmos signal to the bar since it can't sense the native resolution of the screen?

When I did this with a Fire Cube 4K plugged into the bar, then the bar connected to my old 1080p TV, it recognised that my TV was not 4k so did not send Atmos for Amazon Prime or Apple TV, but DID send Atmos for Netflix...

 

[khl87]

I don't think the battery gauge is too accurate. It jumps in strange increments. It'll go from 100 to 90 to 80 to 60 but never has shown 70. I don't charge until it hits 60. Which is usually 2 nights viewing. But sometimes it's still showing 80 at the end of the 2nd night. Which I'm pretty sure is wrong. I think the best way to know if the battery is charging is to add a usb charge meter to one of your charging ports. They're about 12 bucks on Amazon. It'll tell you the voltage and current being drawn by the battery. A battery below 80 or 90 percent will pull 1.5A and taper as it gets closer to full charge.

I've tried measuring the voltage from the gold contacts at various charge states to see if I could measure the state of charge. But it doesn't work. The power supply for the speaker must be regulated as it always shows 3.3v which is too low for a fully charged Li cell

The battery gauge used to work and increases when charging via USB. Now it’s stuck at the same level, and will only increase when I dock the rears.

 

[Destination Moon]

Yes.

just be aware that whilst connecting each device to the TV may gain video features line Dolby Vision that the soundbar can’t passthrough, it MAY introduce a delay in audio where it lags the video. If that happens there is no audio delay setting to fix it.

Just give it a go and if it all works with up to lossy ATMOS over DD+ and you are happy then all good.

Presumably though by connecting to the soundbar (through the HDMI switch) you will get lossless ATMOS from a device/app that delivers it? Connecting to the TV would lose that.....

Well like so much of AV and HDMI, everything seems to have its own personality.

When I ran my sources tivo and fire stick 4k back to the bar via ARC,
the bar indicated PCM instead of DOLBY SURROUND like it did when the sources fed directly into the bar itself.

I had the fire stick audio set to DD+ only, but no sound was produced by the bar with this setting or DD only, via ARC. I had to set it to best available. That produced sound. It was surround sound, but it was not as good as when I was feeding the signal directly into the bar. The sparkle and depth was missing. Muddied somewhat.

So I'm back to using the bar itself for the sources and letting it push the video into the TV.....

 

[thepancakevan]

hey guys! I guess it was asked like a million times before but 2k messages to go through is a lot anyway, I got my bar like a month ago but managed to update firmware only yesterday. it is suppose to be quieter now? usually I had volume on 8, now I have to make it up to like 14. is there explanation for that? also, I have troubles with calibration. it asks to retry after calibration 1. it still sounds amazing but is there some way to troubleshoot just to make sure everything is running smoothly? will appreciate any help, have a good one!

 

[Destination Moon]

hey guys! I guess it was asked like a million times before but 2k messages to go through is a lot anyway, I got my bar like a month ago but managed to update firmware only yesterday. it is suppose to be quieter now? usually I had volume on 8, now I have to make it up to like 14. is there explanation for that? also, I have troubles with calibration. it asks to retry after calibration 1. it still sounds amazing but is there some way to troubleshoot just to make sure everything is running smoothly? will appreciate any help, have a good one!

I haven't updated mine yet but read that others have similar issues. Try resetting. It's done by pressing a couple buttons on the bar itself. Not sure which ones. Probably listed on the very first post on this thread. Let us know if it fixes your issues

 

[outoftheknow]

I had the fire stick audio set to DD+ only, but no sound was produced by the bar with this setting or DD only, via ARC. I had to set it to best available.

When going into and out of the TV you need to bear in mind the device sends both the video and audio set on the device to the TV HDMI socket (or the device thinks the TV can handle). The TV HDMI socket sends the video to the TV video stuff and the audio is handled according to settings in the TV - not the settings in the device connected.

You want the best possible audio to go straight from the HDMI input the device is on to the (e)ARC part of the HMDI socket the soundbar is connected to. The best will be audio that the TV doesn’t try to inspect, decode or code in any way. These settings are in the TV (e)ARC settings usually and often passthrough is the setting that sends it without interfering in any way.

So device sends DD+ and ATMOS metadata and is happy the TV input can handle that (best available on the device should do that if that is what the TV input says it can handle).

Then that DD+ and ATMOS metadata is handled according to the TV audio/(e)ARC settings as above. If passthrough is a setting it goes out the ARC as DD+ with ATMOS metadata. The soundbar plays lossy ATMOS.

So TV settings include “auto” which you would think means it takes the DD+ with ATMOS metadata and checks if the soundbar can handle that via ARC. It “should” have the same outcome as above. From what I have seen though some TVs don’t handle auto very well and see/send only DD+ or aometimes lesser channels and even PCM 2.0.

If the device setting is correct for the device to output best quality and something lesser comes out the soundbar connected via ARC, you need to follow the audio path and check settings starting at the TV HDMI input. If that input is telling the device the best is lesser yoh may need to start by setting the device audio to the highest quality manually selectable to avoid the negotiation with the TV HDMI input.

Oh - and of course the device (capabilities) isn’t the actual audio source and you need to be sure the app or whatever it is using is sending what you think it is before diving into any settings from the device onwards. If the app is sending PCM 2.0 that is what the device will send when set in best available. HDMI must send PCM 2.0 so that can’t be changed at any point in settings on any device. Auto will work and the soundbar will play whatever you set for a PCM 2.0 input.

 

[Destination Moon]

Thanks for that Outterknow.
My system is plain old ARC. I don't see any of the options you mention in my menus.

Maybe I'm missing something but here's a shot of the TV ARC menu

 

[outoftheknow]

Thanks for that Outterknow.
My system is plain old ARC. I don't see any of the options you mention in my menus.

Maybe I'm missing something but here's a shot of the TV ARC menu

Ah - those are only HDMI settings and the audio settings are elsewhere ARC and optical are usually the same thing in audio settings. In there you set what happens to TV audio it might be called SPDIF or digital out or ARC in audio settings - almost always the same thing.

 

[Destination Moon]

Ah - those are only HDMI settings and the audio settings are elsewhere ARC and optical are usually the same thing in audio settings. In there you set what happens to TV audio it might be called SPDIF or digital out or ARC in audio settings - almost always the same thing.

Lol, I had a feeling I missed something and was just about to edit my last response.

Under Advanced Audio - each individual HDMI input has a toggle between :
DIGITAL or COMP\VIDEO

All of them are set to digital currently

 

[outoftheknow]

All of them are set to digital currently

That is setting what comes in to each HDMI input on the TV. Digital would be correct so the sockets each accept digital audio and video.

now you need to find theTV audio out settings

 

[Destination Moon]

That is setting what comes in to each HDMI input on the TV. Digital would be correct so the sockets each accept digital audio and video.

now you need to find theTV audio out settings

I've been into all the menus. There aren't any more applicable settings. My set has a 2012 build date. I'm thinking it only has the CEC or whatever it's called to power up and down attached electronics. The audio return is there but it's PCM only and limited to stereo maybe (I heard surround sound from the bar but that could have been it's processor converting it to SS).

In any case, thanks so much for your input and assist!!

 

[vdawg5]

So I just got this bar yesterday and already have an issue.

I have it connected to my Sony X90H TV via eARC and yesterday it was working fine. However, at the end of the day yesterday when I was working out, I connected my iPhone to the soundbar via BT to stream some music. Which worked fine.

But this morning when I turned on the TV, there was no sound and using my TV's remote didn't adjust the soundbar's volume anymore. I messed around with it and only when I pressed the BT button and it went to bluetooth mode did the sound from the TV start up again.

So it's bizzare - it will only play sound from the TV when it's in bluetooth mode. And it's in bluetooth mode SIMULTANEOUSLY - I can play music from my phone while it is playing sound from the TV. And if I press the TV button on the remote there is no sound. So what the hell is going on here?

Also, where can I download the latest firmware for this thing? I can't find it on the JBL site....

 

[Destination Moon]

So I just got this bar yesterday and already have an issue.

I have it connected to my Sony X90H TV via eARC and yesterday it was working fine. However, at the end of the day yesterday when I was working out, I connected my iPhone to the soundbar via BT to stream some music. Which worked fine.

But this morning when I turned on the TV, there was no sound and using my TV's remote didn't adjust the soundbar's volume anymore. I messed around with it and only when I pressed the BT button and it went to bluetooth mode did the sound from the TV start up again.

So it's bizzare - it will only play sound from the TV when it's in bluetooth mode. And it's in bluetooth mode SIMULTANEOUSLY - I can play music from my phone while it is playing sound from the TV. And if I press the TV button on the remote there is no sound. So what the hell is going on here?

Also, where can I download the latest firmware for this thing? I can't find it on the JBL site....

Push the hdmi button?

 

[vdawg5]

Push the hdmi button?

This doesn't fix the issue. No sound unless I press BT.

 

[vdawg5]

Push the hdmi button?

OK I was losing my mind earlier.

It's not connected to BT and eARC simultaneously - when I go to BT mode, the TV speakers kick in so that's why I'm confused.

It completely stopped playing sound via eARC though. I've tried disconnecting the HDMI and pressing all the buttons and everything. No sound.