JBL Bar 500

“Hmmm I don't think the JBL 500 is the same league as the Arc. It maybe able to process Atmos but without height speakers it is at a disadvantage to the Arc. The JBL 1000 is definitely comparable since it has height speakers like the Arc. Could even be better than the Arc since it has surround that you could use. I don't own the Arc or the JBL 1000 but I do have the JBL Bar 9.1 and I think it is good but not great. Bass is solid and it's atmos performance is great in my environment which sounds similar to yours. The cons for me is that the front soundstage to me sounds narrow when I detach those surround speakers. It doesn't allow as much customization of sound. I believe the newer 1000 alleviates this issue with side fire drivers on the bar, and an app that allow you to make more detailed changes. The JBL bar also allows hdmi passthrough and blue tooth which could be useful to you. For context I currently own Samsung q990c, Samsung q910b, Sony ht a7000 with sw5 sub, and JBL Bar 9.1. Samsung is the value to performance king for me if you score their products with a good sale. In the end the JBL 1000 could be a solid option for you if you want value in terms of price to performance with a short term view, but the Sonos also delivers value in terms of upgrade potential. You could continue to add or upgrade certain components making a sonos a good value in the long term. In terms of sound quality you will have to buy and try unfortunately. It's tricky to shop for technology that is used for art. Numbers and price could look solid but you could try it and not like it for any reason. Hope this helps a little.”