Ratings
Plus
·
Compact
·
Equally adept at music and movies
·
Coaxial and optical digital inputs
Minus
·
Fiddly remote and lack of display make operation
challenging
·
iPod dock outdated
·
Subwoofer connected by wires
·
Build: 9 stars
·
Setup: 7 stars
·
Performance: 10 stars
·
Features: 7 stars
·
Value: 9 stars
·
Overall: 84%
Orbitsound
T12V3
Orbitsound isn’t in a hurry to join the
wire-free revolution that’s allowing mobile devices to connect to docks, and
subwoofers to hook up to sound bars. The T12v3 obstinately clings to the idea
of using speaker wire, low-end spring-clip terminals and a physical iPod dock.
Nonetheless there are plenty of compelling reasons to consider buying the T12v3
including an upgraded passive subwoofer.
Aesthetically it’s quite a treat for the
eyes, with a design that’s both elegant and cutting-edge. The sub mini-tower is
especially attractive and deserves to be on show.
Coaxial and optical digital audio inputs
are complemented by stereo phono and a 3.5mm line-in. Plus there are composite
video outputs for watching movies from an iPod dock, albeit in very poor
quality on a TV. Automatic switching of inputs aside, controlling the T12v3 is
more challenging than any of the others thanks to a cramped remote control and
the vaguest of information provided by a solitary LED light behind the fascia’s
grille. The remote lets you adjust treble, bass, volume and control an iPod
depending on the latter’s operating system.
The imperfections of dealing with the T12v3
do nothing to distract from its excellent performance. Band of Brothers is
convincingly handled, dialogue is strong and clear with excellent imaging of
controlled mortar explosions, bullets that seem to fly around the room and
tanks that rumble in the distance and sound so effortlessly genuine.
Likewise with music, Mozart’s violin
concerto is lively and precise whilst Life During Wartime, with the bass pegged
back a tad, is exquisitely handled. The challenging sonic brutality of Twilight
illustrates how well the tight bass response from the subwoofer blends with the
visceral agility of the main unit. Despite drawing only 9W peak power the
system delivers terrific impact that belies its dimensions.
Roth Sub Zero
Ratings
Plus
·
Affordable price tag
·
Powerful, enveloping sound
·
Nicely designed remote
Minus
·
Indistinct display window
·
Bass requires tweaking, especially with music
·
Build: 8 stars
·
Setup: 8 stars
·
Performance: 8 stars
·
Features: 7 stars
·
Value: 10 stars
·
Overall: 82%
Roth
Sub Zero
Unsurprisingly for the price, the Roth Sub
Zero doesn’t come with a separate subwoofer, instead low frequency duties are
handled by dual ‘Ultra Bass’ drivers. These complement six other drive units
including two vector firing side drivers, designed for an enhanced stereo
effect. A newly developed 64W class HD amp provides power, with more efficiency
than class D types, and proprietary Fractal Expansion sound processing, is on
hand to deliver a more room-filling sound field.
Looks-wire this isn’t the most alluring of
models, and the unit’s dimensions dictate that it will need a full width shelf
on an open stand, although wall-mounts are provided. Connections area decent
for the money with a digital optical input, 3.5mm line input and stereo AV
phonos and the unit automatically switches input if one source is switched off.
There’s a display window on the fascia but you need bionic implants to
understand precisely what the array of bright white LED lights is telling you.
At least the remote is nicely designed, and with no DSP modes it allows you to
control the bass and engage the so-called surround sound mode as well as other
rudimentary controls.
Performance-wise the Sub Zero delivers a
powerful sound with tight, convincing bass. At 19W max power consumption, the
crashes and smashes of Twilight are meaty and forceful whilst dialogue from Mad
Men’s Don Draper resonates effortlessly. Disparate effects from Wall.E’s richly
orchestrated soundtrack ping out forcefully.
The Sub Zero is not so agile with music
though, losing a bit of top-end with Mozart’s violin concerto and requiring a
fair bit of bass adjustment on Life During Wartime to allow David Byrne’s
vocals the right amount of breathing room. That said, Richard Burton’s voice on
Jeff Wayne’s War of The Worlds SACD is sublime and the chilling string section
fills the room, remaining distortion free.
Comparisons
Make and model: Bose Solo TV Sound
System
·
Price: $525
·
Channels: 2
·
Total output (Watts RMS claimed): n/a
·
Subwoofer included: no
·
Wireless subwoofer: -
·
Surround modes: none
·
Auto volume leveling: no
·
iPod dock: no
·
FM radio tuner: no
·
Networking: no
·
Bluetooth compatible: no
·
USB playback: no
·
HDMI: no
·
Optical S/PDIF: 1 input
·
Coaxial S/PDIF: 1 input
·
Stereo phonos: 1 input
·
3.5mm jack: no
·
Wall mountable: no
·
Rating (%): 78
Make and model: LLG NB3520A
·
Price: $375
·
Channels: 2.1
·
Total output (Watts RMS claimed): Bar 160W,
subwoofer 140W
·
Subwoofer included: yes
·
Wireless subwoofer: yes
·
Surround modes: 3D, natural, bypass, bass, clear
voice, game, night, up-scaler, loudness
·
Auto volume leveling: no
·
iPod dock: no
·
FM radio tuner: no
·
Networking: no
·
Bluetooth compatible: yes
·
USB playback: yes
·
HDMI: no
·
Optical S/PDIF: 2 inputs
·
Coaxial S/PDIF: no
·
Stereo phonos: no
·
3.5mm jack: yes
·
Wall mountable: yes
·
Rating (%): 80
Make and model: Orbitsound T12V3
·
Price: $448.5
·
Channels: 2.1
·
Total output (Watts RMS claimed): Bar 160W,
subwoofer 90W
·
Subwoofer included: yes
·
Wireless subwoofer: no
·
Surround modes: none
·
Auto volume leveling: no
·
iPod dock: yes
·
FM radio tuner: no
·
Networking: no
·
Bluetooth compatible: no
·
USB playback: no
·
HDMI: no
·
Optical S/PDIF: 1 input
·
Coaxial S/PDIF: no
·
Stereo phonos: yes
·
3.5mm jack: yes
·
Wall mountable: no
·
Rating (%): 84
Make and model: Roth Sub Zero
·
Price: $223.5
·
Channels: 2
·
Total output (Watts RMS claimed): 64W
·
Subwoofer included: no
·
Wireless subwoofer: -
·
Surround modes: surround mode
·
Auto volume leveling: no
·
iPod dock: no
·
FM radio tuner: no
·
Networking: no
·
Bluetooth compatible: no
·
USB playback: no
·
HDMI: no
·
Optical S/PDIF: 1 input
·
Coaxial S/PDIF: no
·
Stereo phonos: yes
·
3.5mm jack: yes
·
Wall mountable: yes
·
Rating (%): 82
The winner: Orbitsound T12V3
All of these sound bars deliver decent
sonic performances with TV and movie soundtracks, and some even have
respectable capabilities with music sources too. Choosing between them arguably
comes down to personal preference concerning features, design and price. The
Bose Solo TV Sound System takes an unorthodox approach, both in terms of its
almost square shape and by minimizing the amount of adjusting at the user’s
disposal. Cleverly, it lets you plonk your TV on its top surface but even for
screens with stands small enough to fit on the Solo the overall aesthetic seems
a little unsatisfactory. We’d have liked the option of switching between inputs
rather than being told to choose one and stick to it.
The
winner is Orbitsound T12V3
Aided by a decent remote control and an ability
to effortlessly connect with numerous sources, the LG NB3520A successfully
combines a wide array of features with impressive ease of use. It would
certainly look the part mounted on a wall, just beneath a large screen, from
where it can make wireless contact with its subwoofer, it does a great job with
dramatic soundtracks but music tends to feel artificial.
Only the Orbitsound T12v3 here offers an
iPod dock, but it’s an accessory that’s in danger of being usurped by AirPlay
and Bluetooth, both of which are much more convenient to mobile phone and
tablet users. It’s also the only model with a wired subwoofer and is the most
compact of all the sound bars. It’s a bit of a faff to operate but its
performance is exceptionally good.
Its dimensions pretty much mean that the
Roth Sub Zero will need a wide open shelf to rest on (or else be wall mounted)
and looks-wise it’s rather the plain Jane of the bunch. But its connections are
reasonable and despite an inscrutable display are fairly easy to operate, plus
it serves up a mightily powerful sound that’s clear and balanced.
Verdict
There’s little to choose between them but
top spot goes to the Orbitsound T12v3. It boasts an appealing, compact design
and despite the somewhat quaint use of wires to connect to its subwoofer it has
enough sonic superiority over the bargain-priced Roth Sub Zero for us to deem
it the overall winner.
