Thin speakers, thin sound
HT-SL75 Sound Bar audio system by Sharp Electronics Corp.
$248 at Walmart.com
Even first-rate television sets generally feature lousy speakers. That’s why lots of us spring for a separate home theater audio system with surround sound. These often require placing speakers in odd corners of the room; if that’s too much trouble, Sharp has a sleek and simple alternative.
The Sound Bar system features a couple of thin speakers that fil nicely just below a large-screen TV, though they can also be mounted on a wall, or held upright on a pair of metal stands. These speakers are plugged into an amplifier which also contains a subwoofer for deep bass audio.
Assembly isn’t too difficult. But the Sound Bar’s audio quality has a thin, insubstantial quality, even with the subwoofer helping out. The system’s effort to simulate full-fledged surround sound fell far short. Besides, these days, you can find full surround sound kits for about the same price. It’ll take more time and effort to set up those extra speakers, but you’ll get far more satisfying results than the Sound Bar delivers.
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