Quick Verdict: Pick Based on Dialogue and Bass Control
If you are choosing between the Samsung HW-Q800F and JBL Bar 500 MK2 for a small apartment or shared-wall living room, the safer pick is usually the Samsung HW-Q800F. It is the better fit for low-volume TV watching, clearer dialogue priorities, and people who want real height drivers without buying rear speakers.
The JBL Bar 500 MK2 is still a strong choice if you want a fuller, bigger sound from a simple bar-and-sub setup. Its larger 10-inch wireless subwoofer and 750W claimed system power make it more exciting for movies and music, but that extra low-end energy can be harder to tame in an apartment if you mostly watch late at night.
Why This Comparison Is Tricky
On paper, these two soundbars look close because both are compact soundbar systems with wireless subwoofers, Dolby Atmos support, and no separate rear speakers. In actual use, they are built around different strengths.
The Samsung HW-Q800F is a 5.1.2-channel Q-Series soundbar. The important part is the .2: it has up-firing height channels for Atmos effects. It also includes Samsung features like Q-Symphony for compatible Samsung TVs and SpaceFit Sound Pro room tuning. If your goal is a clean front soundstage with some real vertical effects, the Samsung has the more direct hardware approach.
The JBL Bar 500 MK2 is a 5.1-channel soundbar system with Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X, MultiBeam 3.0, PureVoice 2.0, SmartDetails, and a 10-inch wireless subwoofer. It leans into spacious processing and big-room punch from a single bar plus sub. That is fun, but it is not the same as having physical up-firing height drivers.
Low-Volume Dialogue: Samsung Has the Edge
For late-night TV, dialogue is the deciding factor. At low volume, you want voices to stay centered and intelligible without turning the whole system up. The Samsung HW-Q800F is the one I would choose for that use case because its channel layout is more focused around movie and TV clarity: a dedicated center channel, side channels, and height drivers give it a more precise front presentation.
The JBL Bar 500 MK2 has PureVoice 2.0, which is designed to improve speech clarity, so it is not weak for dialogue. The concern is balance. A more powerful system with a larger sub can sound fuller, but fullness is not always what you want when someone is sleeping in the next room. If you regularly watch at quiet-to-moderate levels, a slightly leaner, clearer presentation is usually easier to live with.
Atmos Without Rear Speakers
Neither system will replace a true surround setup with rear speakers. That matters if you expect sound to move behind your head. Without physical rear speakers, you are mostly buying a wider front stage, some side reflection, and height cues.
For Atmos specifically, the Samsung HW-Q800F is the better bet. Its 5.1.2 layout gives it physical up-firing drivers, which should make rain, aircraft, and overhead effects more convincing from the front of the room. The JBL uses virtual height processing through Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X. That can be impressive in the right room, but it depends more on room shape, walls, listening position, and volume.
Bass in an Apartment
This is where the JBL can be either the more exciting buy or the wrong buy. A 10-inch wireless subwoofer can make movies feel larger, and the JBL Bar 500 MK2 is the system I would choose if you care more about punch, music energy, and a cinematic feel from a two-piece setup.
For apartments, though, bass control matters more than bass size. Low frequencies travel through walls and floors easily. The Samsung HW-Q800F's smaller subwoofer is less likely to become the main problem in a shared building, and it should still be enough for normal TV, streaming, and gaming. You can always raise bass a little when it is appropriate; it is harder to make an oversized sub disappear if the room amplifies it.
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the Samsung HW-Q800F if you want clearer low-volume dialogue, more believable front Atmos height, a less risky subwoofer for shared walls, or you own a compatible Samsung TV and can use Q-Symphony. At the same price, it is the more practical apartment soundbar.
Buy the JBL Bar 500 MK2 if you want a bigger, warmer, more powerful sound and you are comfortable lowering the subwoofer at night. It is especially appealing for people who split time between movies and music and want the system to feel larger than its footprint.
My final call: at roughly $400 for either one, I would pick the Samsung HW-Q800F for a small apartment, low-volume watching, and dialogue-first use. I would pick the JBL Bar 500 MK2 only if bass impact and room-filling sound matter more than neighbor-friendly control.