I'm asked this question all the time: "Are there any great-sounding TV speakers?"
People want "something good," but they don't want hassles, and they sure as hell don't want to decipher techno-babble setup instructions. Nowadays there are plenty of single speaker systems to choose from, but most of them don't sound all that good, and setup--while way better than a bona fide multichannel system--is still more complicated than it ought to be.
(Credit:
CNET)
Enter the Zvox Z-Base 550 Low-Profile Single Cabinet Surround Sound System ($500). From the front, it looks like just another sound bar; viewed from the side, it's not. The Z-Base 550 is 26 inches wide by 3.6 inches high by 14.5 inches deep. The Z-Base is a TV stand/base!
That extra dimension--depth, and the built-in 5.5-inch subwoofer--allow the Z-Base 550 to produce a fuller, bass-rich sound than any super svelte sound bar on the planet. Yes, you can hook up a powered sub, but you don't have to.
In keeping with Zvox's no-brainer, keep it simple mantra, the Z-Base 550 doesn't have any buttons or controls at all on its front or rear panels; you access volume and other controls via the small credit card-style remote. Connectivity covers just the bare basics: two stereo RCA analog inputs and a subwoofer output. That's it.
It's a solid performer--the "Mission Impossible III" Blu-ray instantly sounded like a slam-dunk win for the Z-Base 550. Not much surround, but dialog was impressively natural, and over the long run, that's crucial. More technically ambitious (and much more expensive) sound bars, such as Yamaha YSP models, aren't as clear.
(Credit:
Polk Audio)
We first saw the Polk Audio SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2008, where we chose it as one of only three home audio finalists for Best of CES. While it ultimately didn't take the crown, we were still looking forward to the final product. However, the product was pushed back from its April release date, and didn't end up arriving until the autumn of 2008. Looking at it now, more than a year after its coming out party, the built-in DVD seems a bit quaint--most of the home theater systems in the Polk's price range that we saw at CES 2009 had built-in Blu-ray.
That said, the SurroundBar 360 delivers on its three main goals: it's compact (just a single speaker bar and a small DVD/amplifier unit), it's easy to setup (as few as 3 cables--including the power cord--will do the job), and it sounds great (it even delivers enough bass to go subwoofer-free). Yes, we're hoping Polk Audio revisits the product, with either Blu-ray onboard, or with a host of HDMI inputs so you can add your own HD video player. In the meantime, those who don't mind sticking with DVD will find the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater to be a superior and easy-to-use all-in-one single-speaker system.
Read the CNET review of the Polk Audio SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater.
Matthew Polk (left) poses with The Audiophiliac.
(Credit: Adam Sohmer)Mr. Polk Audio himself, Matthew Polk, was in town last week at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan to demo his newest creation, the SurroundBar 360 DVD Theater ($1,200).
I reviewed Polk's SurroundBar 50 in June and liked it well enough, and while the SurroundBar 360 doesn't replace the older model it's more highly evolved. First off, it's a powered system so there's no need to buy an A/V receiver to use it. And as you might have judged by its name, the new one is a two-piece, speaker and console/DVD player system. Just add a display and you're good to go.
Oh, and one more thing--you won't have to add a subwoofer--the SurroundBar 360 makes a fair amount of bass on its own. When Polk played the system I assumed there was a sub somewhere in the hotel room, but in fact the skinny speaker produced a big, fat bass sound all by itself.
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An early rendering of what the new faux-surround system will look like.
(Credit: Vizio)Back in January at CES we'd heard that Vizio, which is known for its bargain-price TVs, was looking to make a play in the home audio arena--and soon it will. Slated for a September release, the company is putting out a faux-surround system that includes a slim sound bar and wireless subwoofer for $299.
While its features don't quite match those of the Samsung HT-X810T that we recently reviewed, Vizio is pointing to that product as an indication of how good a deal its sound bar will be. The Samsung, which has a built-in DVD player and stereo Bluetooth along with a wireless sub, carries a list price of $699, though Buy.com has it for $582.94 with shipping. In other words, the Vizio is almost half its price.
The big question, of course, is whether Vizio's sound bar is any good (we haven't heard it yet). If it is, you can expect to see increased pricing pressure in the hot single-speaker (or 1.1 if you count the sub) surround category. For better or worse, a lot people these days simply don't want to go to the trouble of setting up a multi-speaker system that delivers true surround sound.
The Yamaha YSP-3050 boasts a small--but important--upgrade to the YSP-3000
(Credit: Yamaaha)When CNET reviewed the Yamaha YSP-3000 Digital Sound Projector, we singled out its "limited video capabilities" as one of the main shortfalls of the virtual surround speaker system.
Yamaha must have listened, because the company has just unveiled an upgraded version that addresses that very issue. The YSP-3050 adds to the mix the conversion of analog to digital video, but it's essentially otherwise identical to its predecessor. That's not a bad thing, either: we've found that the Yamaha YSP line remains the best choice for delivering convincing virtual surround-effects from a single speaker, and its all-in-one design precludes the need to purchase a separate AV receiver.
According to the specs page on Yamaha's site, the YSP-3050 has a component and composite video input, in addition to its two HDMI ins.
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $754.00 - $1,199.99
View the latest prices for Yamaha YSP-3050
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