Soundbars / Compare
JBL Bar 500MK2 vs Polk Audio Signa S4
Product A: JBL
74 of 98 known
Change JBL Bar 500MK2
Product B: Polk Audio
50 of 98 known
Change Polk Audio Signa S4
59 of 90 fields differ
- 25 different values
- 34 known for one only
- 15 the same
- 16 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 69 soundbars.
- Standby powerLower is betterA: 1WB: 1.5WJBL is 0.5 W lower.
Weight
0 to 30,000 g
Soundbar weight
A2,900g
B2,900g
Package weight
A15,860g
B9,584g
All 98 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


Audio system
12 of 17 differ
System channel configuration
Physical drivers in the package
Physical drivers in the bar
Up-firing drivers in the package
Driver layout
AJBL Bar 500MK2
| Component | Driver type | Count | Diameter (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soundbar | 42 x 80 mm racetrack driver | 5 | Not available |
| Soundbar | Tweeter | 4 | 20 |
| Subwoofer | Woofer | 1 | 260 |
BPolk Audio Signa S4
| Component | Driver type | Count | Diameter (mm) | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundbar | Tweeter (left and right) | 2 | 25 | Front-firing |
| Soundbar | Racetrack midrange (left and right), 120 × 40 mm | 2 | Not available | Front-firing |
| Soundbar | Full-range center | 1 | 25 | Not available |
| Soundbar | Elevation (left and right) | 2 | 66 | Up-firing |
| Subwoofer | Woofer | 1 | 150 | Down-firing |
Separate subwoofer included
Included subwoofer connection
Included subwoofer driver diameter
Rear speakers included
Included rear speaker connection
Not available
Not available
Detachable rear speakers
Not available
Compatible optional subwoofers
Not available
Not available
Compatible optional rear speakers
Not available
Total RMS audio output power
Not available
Total peak audio output power
Not available
Published frequency response lower limit
Not available
Published frequency response upper limit
Not available
Audio formats
6 of 9 differ
Dolby Atmos
Supported audio formats
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, PCM3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Connect and surround sound sections explicitly discuss decoding this content. Partial proved list. Transport-specific TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus support is not inferred from eARC alone.12Retailer pagecrutchfield.com/p_109B500MK2/JBL-Bar-500MK2.htmlRead 8 October 2026Optical Digital Input section explicitly proves PCM decoding. Maker manual separately proves other listed formats. Partial verified list. Conflicting DTS claims for Bar 500MK2 and retailer Bluetooth errors are excluded.
Linear PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos3Owner's manualpolkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw3319e610/downloads/signa-s4-owners-manual-en.pdfRead 13 October 2026Specifications page: Linear PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos. No DTS format is listed.
Audio formats by connection
AJBL Bar 500MK2
| Connection | Format | Max input channels |
|---|---|---|
| Optical | PCM | 2 |
| Optical | Dolby Digital | 6 |
BPolk Audio Signa S4
| Connection | Format |
|---|---|
| HDMI eARC | Dolby Atmos |
Max wired audio sample rate
Not available
Max wired audio bit depth
Not available
Not available
Max music file bit depth
Not available
Not available
Connectivity
12 of 17 differ
Ports on the bar
AJBL Bar 500MK2
| Connector | Count | Role |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI | 1 | Audio and video input |
| HDMI | 1 | Video output and HDMI ARC/eARC audio input |
| Optical | 1 | Digital audio input |
| USB-A | 1 | Service and MP3 storage playback on US version |
| AC power | 1 | Power input |
BPolk Audio Signa S4
| Connector | Count | Version | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI | 1 | 2.1 | TV connection with eARC or ARC |
| Optical | 1 | Not available | Digital audio input |
| 3.5 mm audio | 1 | Not available | Analog AUX audio input |
| USB-A | 1 | Not available | Firmware updates |
| AC power | 1 | Not available | Soundbar power input |
HDMI ARC
HDMI eARC
HDMI-CEC
HDMI video passthrough
Video passthrough modes
AJBL Bar 500MK2
| Width (px) | Height (px) | Refresh rate (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| 3840 | 2160 | 60 |
BPolk Audio Signa S4
Not availableHDR passthrough formats
Not available
VRR passthrough
Not available
ALLM passthrough
Not available
HDCP version
Not available
Bluetooth audio input
Bluetooth version
Bluetooth audio codecs
Wi-Fi standard
Not available
Wi-Fi bands
Not available
Built-in Ethernet speed
Not available
Not available
Streaming and control
6 of 8 differ
Streaming protocols
AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Section 5.3 lists supported network streaming routes. Multiroom section 7.6 documents group playback with Google Cast and AirPlay. Format availability depends on route and service.8Reviewlesnumeriques.com/barre-de-son/jbl-bar-500mk2-p76735/test.htmlRead 8 October 2026Connectivity section names network protocols, explicitly AirPlay 2. Exact test firmware OneOS 3.0, JBL One 2.1.10. This is separate from Bluetooth codecs.
Not available
Voice assistants
Not available
Built-in microphone
Not available
Microphone mute control
Not available
Not available
Companion apps
Not available
Companion app platforms
Not available
Multiroom audio
Not available
Remote included
Sound processing
5 of 7 differ
Sound modes
Not available
Room calibration system
Not available
Dialogue enhancement
Night mode
Equalizer controls
7-band app equalizer, Subwoofer bass level1Maker product pagejbl.com/BAR-500MK2.htmlRead 8 October 2026Maker page proves app equalizer and manual proves five subwoofer bass levels. Band count is separately documented by the launch release or exact-model review.4Press releasenews.harman.com/releases/jbl-introduces-next-gen-bar-series-for-truly-immersive-entertainmentRead 8 October 2026June 9 announcement states seven-band EQ for every newly listed Bar model. Exact Bar 500MK2 is in this release. Manual documents five subwoofer bass levels.
TV speaker integration
Not available
Not available
Power
4 of 6 differ
Published operating power
Not available
Published standby power
Published networked standby power
Not available
Power supply
Sound bar: AC 100 to 240 V, 50/60 Hz. The wireless subwoofer has its own power cord, AC 100 to 240 V, 50/60 Hz.3Owner's manualpolkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw3319e610/downloads/signa-s4-owners-manual-en.pdfRead 13 October 2026
Detachable rear battery life
Not available
Not available
Detachable rear charge time
Not available
Not available
Measured
1 of 8 differ
Low-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
High-frequency extension (measured)
Not available
Not available
Max sound pressure (measured)
Not available
Not available
Frequency response deviation (measured)
Not available
Not available
Measured latency
BPolk Audio Signa S4
Not availableOperating power (measured)
Not available
Not available
Standby power (measured)
Not available
Not available
Soundbar weight (measured)
Not available
Not available
Dimensions and weight
4 of 6 differ
Soundbar dimensions
Width940Height50.5Depth104mm(37 × 2 × 4.1 in)3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Product Specifications, printed pages 19. Bare main bar W x H x D in normal tabletop orientation. Detachable ends are excluded.
Soundbar weight
Component dimensions and weight
AJBL Bar 500MK2
| Component | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Depth (mm) | Weight (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subwoofer | 325 | 400 | 325 | 8,100 |
BPolk Audio Signa S4
| Component | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Depth (mm) | Weight (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subwoofer | 200 | 280 | 328 | 4,100 |
Package dimensions
Width1,020Height395Depth490mm(40.2 × 15.6 × 19.3 in)3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Product Specifications, printed pages 19. Packaging W x H x D. Not the product enclosure.
Width1,117.6Height263.7Depth441.5mm(44 × 10.4 × 17.4 in)7Retailer pagegreentoe.com/product/Polk_Audio_Signa_S4_3-1-2-Channel_Dolby_Atmos_Soundbar_System_300443-01-00-101Read 13 October 2026Retailer table lists box dimensions (LxWxH) as 44 x 17.38 x 10.38 in. Mapped to width, depth and height in that order. Inches converted exactly to mm and rounded to 0.1 mm.
Package weight
Wall mountable
Yes1Maker product pagepolkaudio.com/en-us/product/sound-bars/signa-s4/300443.htmlRead 13 October 2026Page copy describes a low-profile, wall-mountable design. Wall mount template and spacers are supplied. Screws are not listed.3Owner's manualpolkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw3319e610/downloads/signa-s4-owners-manual-en.pdfRead 13 October 2026Section Hanging the sound bar on a wall describes two keyholes and the supplied template and spacers.
In the box
3 of 4 differ
In the box
Main soundbar, Wireless subwoofer, Remote control with two AAA batteries, Power cords, 1.2 m HDMI cable, Soundbar wall-mount kit, Product information and wall-mount template3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Box contents page 5. Power-cord quantity and plugs vary by region, so no guessed count. No optional accessory is described as supplied.
Sound bar, Subwoofer, Remote control, Sound bar power cord, Subwoofer power cord, HDMI cable, Optical cable, 2 AAA batteries, Quick start guide, Registration card, Safety card, Wall mount template, Wall mount spacers1Maker product pagepolkaudio.com/en-us/product/sound-bars/signa-s4/300443.htmlRead 13 October 2026Specifications tab What's in the Box. The infosheet lists one power cord. The page lists sound bar and subwoofer power cords.
Wall mount hardware included
Not available
HDMI cable included
Optical cable included
General
5 of 7 differ
Series
Model numbers
GTIN / EAN
Status
Predecessor
Not available
Not available
Successor
Not available
Not available
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Not available
Markets
US, EU1Maker product pagepolkaudio.com/en-us/product/sound-bars/signa-s4/300443.htmlRead 13 October 2026US page lists the US SKU and US pricing. The EU market comes from the German launch report.6Press articleareadvd.de/news/polk-audio-stellt-neues-dolby-atmos-soundbar-system-vorRead 13 October 2026
Links
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
www.jbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dw22eaa746/pdfs/JBL_BAR_500MK2_Black_Specsheet_EN.pdf2Maker spec sheet (PDF)jbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dw22eaa746/pdfs/JBL_BAR_500MK2_Black_Specsheet_EN.pdfRead 8 October 2026Two-page English maker datasheet for Bar 500MK2.
www.polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw0ff899e4/downloads/signa-s4-infosheet-en.pdf2Maker spec sheet (PDF)polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw0ff899e4/downloads/signa-s4-infosheet-en.pdfRead 13 October 2026
Manual
www.jbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdf3Owner's manualjbl.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Harman/default/dwe0f52f01/pdfs/HA_JBL_Bar%20500MK2_OM_Global_EN_V7.pdfRead 8 October 2026Exact Bar 500MK2 Owner's Manual. Global-labelled 1000/500 manuals explicitly distinguish US USB playback from other regions.
www.polkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw3319e610/downloads/signa-s4-owners-manual-en.pdf3Owner's manualpolkaudio.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-polk_northamerica_shared/default/dw3319e610/downloads/signa-s4-owners-manual-en.pdfRead 13 October 2026
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
1 of 1 differ
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Not available
Both are also in the API. Back to all soundbars.


















