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Within the unhealthy outdated days of encompass sound, it took persistence, perspiration, and proficiency with sound methods to put in a house theater sound system. Fortunately, these days are lengthy gone as evidenced by TCL’s S Class 5.1 Channel Sound Bar system (mannequin S4510), one of many best methods to put in that we have ever examined. Higher nonetheless, it delivers a big sonic increase over what’s accessible from most TVs for simply $279.99 (lower than $200 in retail).
Touted as a complement to 55-inch or bigger TVs, the TCL S Class system handles Dolby Digital soundtracks (moderately than the extra superior Dolby Atmos) and provides DTS Digital: X assist. Each modes ship an immersive encompass sound expertise that film lovers and sports activities followers will recognize. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re seeking to fill a bigger front room with earsplitting sound results and need Dolby Atmos assist, you’ll have to spend extra to make the improve to a mannequin like Samsung’s $800 HW-Q800C Soundbar.
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Design and Setup
The TCL S Class sound bar is definitely a sound system. It features a 31.89-inch-wide, 2.44-inch excessive soundbar that sits beneath your TV, two rear satellite tv for pc audio system, and a floor-standing subwoofer. The 5.1 channel designation implies that there are three channels up entrance from the sound bar, the 2 rear satellite tv for pc channels, after which the subwoofer (the .1 channel). TCL charges the system for a complete of 300 watts of energy.
The hallmark of the TCL S Class sound system is its extremely simple setup. True, soundbars all the time declare to be simple to put in, however this mannequin was distinctive. Simply unbox it, plug the facility in, and join the middle bar to the TV’s HDMI eArc port, and presto, it will likely be pumping out sound in lower than 10 minutes. Additionally true to the TCL directions, simply plugging within the satellites to the subwoofer after which plugging the subwoofer into an influence outlet routinely made the wi-fi connection to the soundbar and introduced the satellites to life. Not precisely magic, however fairly darn shut. There was no awkward pairing course of, no calibration wanted, and no settings to regulate. The TCL S Class sound system labored straight out of the field.
As talked about, though the subwoofer is wi-fi, the satellite tv for pc audio system use cables to hook up with the subwoofer. Happily, these cables are over 26 toes lengthy every, which ought to supply loads of flexibility for many installations.
If you’re searching for extra audio choices, the TCL S Class sound system contains Bluetooth for wi-fi sound sources like a smartphone, an optical digital audio port for a stereo system, and a USB port for an MP3 participant or related gadget. There’s additionally an analog stereo enter. Loads of choices to deal with most households’ wants.
Audio efficiency
Given all these potential sound and music decisions, TCL contains a number of preset audio modes to match, together with a Music setting, Sports activities, Sport, Voice (for focusing in on dialog), Film, and Commonplace settings (for many broadcast applications). To change modes, you depress the encompass button on the equipped distant management, and a voice will inform you once you’ve switched modes.
Music mode, for instance, directs extra of the audio to come back from the middle of the soundbar, which tightens up the bass and provides it extra midrange. It additionally focuses the soundstage up entrance and diminishes the position of the satellite tv for pc audio system and the subwoofer. Nonetheless, when auditioning a video of Cream performing Born Underneath a Unhealthy Signal stay, the TCL S Sequence revealed an inexpensive dynamic vary and stable copy of Eric Clapton’s guitar. Alternatively, Jack Bruce’s fretless bass lacked focus, and the notes appeared free. Aha’s Take On Me confirmed the impression with steady excessive notes however a sloppy bass line.
Whereas watching streaming content material at night time, I incessantly examined the Voice mode. This setting noticeably reduces the amount of the facet/again channels and midrange notes. As an alternative, the Voice mode focuses on greater, midrange frequencies to emphasise typical dialogue and direct a lot of the sound to the TCL S Class soundbar’s middle channel. It is efficient, however some viewers should still resort to invoking subtitles (an ingrained behavior of youthful viewers).
Different modes render predictable sonic modifications. Sport mode focuses the sound up entrance and emphasizes the upper registers for first-person shooters with a extra rounded bass profile to provide explosions extra oomph from the subwoofer. Sports activities mode transfers nearly all the group noise up entrance and makes a university soccer sport sound, properly, extra energetic with little or no bass and minimal participation from the satellite tv for pc audio system. (In order for you extra from the satellites you’ll be able to increase these individually.)
Nevertheless, the true take a look at of a encompass sound system is an action-packed film, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 proved a worthy exercise for the TCL S Class sound system. Songs from the film’s soundtrack acquired the house rock remedy with a convincing encompass sound impact. Even higher, the S Class system proved very efficient at creating the feeling that rockets (and a few alien projectiles) had been coming at us from the facet and again. Sparks and explosions within the preliminary combat scene got here clearly from the left and proper whereas sustaining the wisecracking dialog squarely within the middle. All of this was enhanced by a better-than-average dynamic vary.
Even when you do not have a Dolby film soundtrack, the TCL S Class sound system may be switched to interact the DTS Digital:X mode to enliven any supply materials. Nevertheless, the DTS Digital:X mode may make some soundtracks appear synthetic and trigger listener fatigue. It is rather a lot a matter of non-public style.
However it doesn’t matter what mode you like, the TCL S Class will ship a particular increase to your cinematic expertise. In a medium-sized front room with few sound-reflecting surfaces, I pushed the amount as much as 80 dB with none considerable distortion. Consequently, most viewers will discover it delivers sufficient quantity for his or her Marvel film nights.
Distant management
Along with energy, supply, Bluetooth, and quantity buttons on the sound bar, TCL features a compact distant management with the sound system to handle quite a lot of settings. Its four-way directional pad is pretty easy however mastering its sequence of devoted buttons and counting on only a sequence of LEDs on the soundbar to convey the system’s standing could make it difficult to function.
For instance, after a protracted press of the Voice improve button, you then should press the up/down buttons to change from mute, default, and excessive enhancement ranges. A brief press after which touching the up/down buttons lets you regulate no matter present enhancement stage you’ve got chosen. Equally, a protracted press of the Bass Enhance button will allow or disable an evening mode (which reduces the bass output in order that the subwoofer’s rumbling would not wake everybody in the home). A brief press on the identical button reveals the present increase stage on the LEDs, after which you’ll be able to faucet to the up/down buttons to lift or decrease the quantity of bass output.
In different phrases, making finer changes on the TCL S Class with the distant management takes a little bit of apply.
The underside line
The TCL S Class Soundbar 5.1 sound system ($279.99, on sale for lower than $200) does what such upgrades are imagined to do: make the expertise of watching motion pictures, sporting occasions, and streaming sequence extra immersive and extra entertaining. The added bonus is that you do not have to sweat technical particulars or finicky settings to get all of it working. Positive, costlier sound bar methods will supply some options that the TCL S Class mannequin lacks, similar to compatibility with Apple Airplay and assist for Amazon’s Alexa assistant. However for lower than $200 retail, it is tough to argue towards the massive enchancment in sound the TCL S Class system provides for film nights and binge viewing.
[Image credit: John R. Quain/Techlicious]
John R. Quain has been masking science and know-how for over 20 years. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, PC Journal, Esquire, and U.S. Information & World Report. He was the on-air know-how contributor to the CBS Information As much as the Minute tv present for 17 years and is an everyday contributor to The New York Occasions.