Study the image above. What do you see. Yes, it’s a comfortable and contemporary living space, or at least an art director’s impression of one. But what else is there? Do you see the hi-fidelity surround sound system? No, it’s not what’s missing – it’s right there, disguised quite cunningly as a television stand.
Do you see it now? That unassuming box is a soundbase – for those who can’t quite fit in a soundbar. Or simply don’t want to! The soundbase is the cousin of the ever popular soundbar, and is taking both the hi-fi and lifestyle market by storm (yet another product to cleverly blur the lines between the two!), but this isn’t any ordinary soundbase. It’s Onkyo’s very first, and it’s very special indeed.
Let’s take a closer look.
See? There is is. Designed to support the weight – and output – of larger (up to 60kg and 70″) televisions, this sleek base comes in both silver and black. High-fidelity sound is achieved with Onkyo’s clever use four 6.5 cm precision drivers and a down-firing 16 cm subwoofer outputting 25 W of pure bass power, all of which automatically adjust according to which listening mode’ you have selected. What are these modes, I hear you cry? Well, we have:
– Surround employs advanced algorithms to pick out spatial cues from movie and game soundtracks
– Stereo Mode for clear and involving music reproduction
– Voice Mode to elevate dialogue in news, comedy shows, and TV dramas
– Standard Mode for those who prefer balanced and relaxed presentation.
The LS-T30 also supports 48 kHz Dolby Digital audio commonly encoded in HDTV broadcasts, online video streams, and disc-based media. It’s a pretty nifty all-in-one, and it can even adjust according to the IR code of the television brand – most of which are preprogrammed, but there’s a ‘learning mode’ for those that aren’t – which means the sound is automatically adjusted to compliment it. Pretty cool huh?
It’s pretty heavy duty – as Onkyo products often are – but it’s wonderfully elegant to behold. Easy to operate and even easier to enjoy. Onkyo have been watching this particular type of product for some time, before offering up their own. They wanted to make sure the customer’s needs were fully adhered to, in both terms of usability, build and sound. And have they succeeded? Well, we wouldn’t be bringing it to your attention if they hadn’t.
And there is it, without its disguise. Smart, understated and sophisticated, and packing one hell of a punch in the sound department, particularly in the base – something which soundbases are (slightly ironically) known to lack a little in. And at our price of £349, it’s a bit of a steal too.
Soundbases and soundbars have done something quite special: they’ve opened up the possibility of home cinema-style surround sound to a market that, but a few years ago, wouldn’t have got a look in, due to space or financial constraints. Technology and innovative approaches by brands such as Onkyo is slowly remedying that, and making high-fidelity something we can all enjoy. We’re all about the base. But will it ever surpass the soundbar? Only time will tell.