The JBL Bar 9.1 is great for mixed use. It has a balanced sound profile right out-of-the-box with just a touch of extra bass, thanks to its subwoofer. Its detachable satellites also help to create a more immersive listening experience, whether you're listening to music or movies. While it can get loud enough for a large or crowded room, there's some compression at max volume. Still, it can reproduce dialogue clearly and accurately, and you can stream podcasts or audiobooks directly to the bar via a variety of wireless connections.
On sale for $1049.99CDN at most retailers (BestBuy.ca / Amazon.ca etc.) I was actually able to price match at eflc.ca to save an extra $50. Good luck! :)