LG is a company that has proved to be quite the favorite among
consumers. Its range of TVs are generally very good, its smart phones are
considered to be some of the best available and of course, its audio visual
units are pretty amazing too. So this, low-budget soundbar, the LG NB3530A,
naturally makes a very good first impression.
This is a 2.1-channel soundbar that has the 42" TV in mind
with its design and delivers a decent 300W total power output. The bar itself
features two 80W speakers, with the wireless subwoofer delivering a further
140W; a USB port on the front panel along with an LCD readout detailing the
audio input source; and a row of touch-sensitive controls for play, stop, input
selection and volume adjustment.
The LG NB3530A soundbar and subwoofer
Around the back you'll find two optical digital inputs and a 3.5mm
jack - no HDMI unfortunately. However, the selling point here is the wireless
connectivity that this soundbar offers. The sub is wireless, which makes it a
little easier to place in a living room, and the soundbar itself offers
Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream music from your phone/tablet to it,
and thanks to the LG Sound Sync feature, you can also connect this soundbar
wirelessly to a compatible LG TV. All in all, for the overall price of the
soundbar, these are pretty good features and in truth not a bad selling point
at all.
The included remote is surprisingly good too, as most soundbar
remotes are often left feeling more like a forgotten, last-minute addition as
opposed to being an actual part of the design. With this, playback through the
soundbar was extremely easy and presented nothing too complicated.
Sound quality was good and there was no obvious lack in depth or
performance from being wireless. However, listening to an action movie with the
bass turned up through an optical digital cable was admittedly better than the
wireless - a more crisp sound experience - but that's to be expected really.
Suffice to say, since this soundbar and sub are designed for a
medium sized living room, you'd be hard pressed to actually notice the
difference
Also, it's worth mentioning that thanks to the wireless
connectivity of this unit, there's no reason why you can't pair it up with a
Bluetooth-enabled gaming PC. We did, and the result was a level of audio that
our poor PC had never experienced.
The featured LG 3D Surround Processor does an excellent job of
reproducing that all- encompassing theatre sound model and together with audio
delay, bass boost, upscaler and numerous other sound effect profiles, the
overall effect is really quite stunning.
Without the sub, the soundbar lacks any real depth, to the point
where, although still crisp, it feels like you're listening through the
standard TV speakers, only slightly louder. It's a little too tinny to be
honest, but again, considering the sub is wireless, there's little excuse not
to include it in the setup.
On the whole, this is an excellent soundbar setup and for a
reasonable price too. LG has done sterling work here; we certainly weren't
disappointed.
Details ·
Price:
$417.26 ·
Manufacturer:
LG Electronics ·
Required
Spec: Optical digital port/cable, Bluetooth adapter
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