Major new information about Sonos’ much-rumored set-top streaming box has leaked via The Verge, and as a long-time Sonos user, I was borderline salivating at the promised features here – it sounds like the device I’d be dreaming of when thinking what I’d want a Sonos streaming box to be. In fact, it started sounding too good to be true, and then you get to the pricing and a reminder about the software behind it, and it starts falling apart. Let’s start with the great stuff. The box is said to be a small black square when seen from above, slightly thicker than a deck of cards – so quite similar to the Apple TV 4K. It will apparently connect to your TV, and will act as a wireless streaming hub for the best Sonos speakers, meaning that your lovely Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar wouldn’t have to be connected to your TV via a cable. We’re moving towards the era of wireless soundbars, and I’ve said before that if Sonos can’t find a way to make its soundbars go wireless with big-brand TVs, it’s doomed. But, wireless soundbar connectivity is the least interesting part of it. Apparently, Sonos will enable users to do what they’ve dreamed of for ages and have multiple wireless Sonos speakers in a separate surround configuration, with no soundbar required. The report says that Sonos is finalizing which speakers will be compatible, but basically the idea is that you could have a Sonos Era 300 to the left and right of your TV providing left and right channels as well as Dolby Atmos upfiring channels and you could have the same behind you for a 4.0.4 configuration, as an example. Add a Sonos Sub, and you’ve got meaty bass; hopefully, you could add something like a Sonos Ray as a center channel, too, because I’m not especially into these ‘virtual’ center configurations, such as the Sony Bravia Home Theater Quad offers when used with a non-Sony TV. The ability to use Sonos speakers as left and right channels is something that the hardcore users on the r/sonos subreddit ask for basically daily and Sonos has always gently resisted in response. But it sounds like we’re moving in that direction, and I would love for this to be as flexible as possible. Get ready fellas, your time to really shine is coming. (Image credit: Future) The streaming box, apparently codenamed Pinewood, is also said to offer multiple HDMI ports, which will pass video through to the TV so it acts as an HDMI switch. I love this idea as someone whose TV has only two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one of them is the HDMI eARC port, meaning that a soundbar is eating up my precious 4K 120Hz space. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. It’s such a clever way for this to stand out over the Apple TV 4K (2022) or Google TV Streamer and it is a genuinely useful and unique feature. You’ll get more HDMI ports by using this product, not losing one; it’s a great value proposition and solves real problems. The final dream offering is one that I’m far more skeptical about as a claim. Supposedly, the streaming interface will offer a truly unified search, recommendations, and control interface drawn from all the best streaming services, including Netflix. Netflix is a real prickly customer to work with in this regard. It doesn’t allow something like Apple’s TV app to pull in shows you’ve been watching and let you pick them back up because it doesn’t want you to use another app as your ‘home base.’ It doesn’t like its shows to appear in universal search tools. What it wants is for you to go to Netflix for everything, where it can recommend 100% Netflix shows and movies. Could Sonos be the company that finally persuades Netflix to play nice and not be the sole center of your streaming universe? It doesn’t feel likely, but it’s possible… for reasons that bring us to the first of the big flaws of this whole affair. Premium with Ads According to The Verge’s article, the streaming box has a “beautiful” interface design, but the whole thing has been developed with an ad-tech firm. So maybe Sonos has gotten Netflix on board for its fancy interface because it’s prepared to give the streamer better data about your habits, and Netflix will compromise in exchange for making more money by showing people better ads. That’s just speculation on my part, but something would have to change things for Netflix, and the whole ad element really weighs heavily over the whole project. If the Sonos interface is full of ads, or people feel like it’s hoovering up all their data, we’ve said before that the whole streaming box endeavor feels doomed – and while that was before we knew about the promised authentic wireless surround sound and the HDMI switching, it was also when we thought the price would be $150-$200. Now, let’s get to the real problem: the rumored price of $200-$400. This is a category where Apple – Apple! – keeps its offering under $150. And if the software is indeed designed around ads, a super-premium price just isn’t going to be accepted. The likes of Google TV and Amazon Fire TV are also designed around ads. Still, the devices they’re on are generally very inexpensive, so you actually feel like the ads are subsidizing you getting something for a great value. If the Sonos streaming box comes anywhere near the $400 mark, it will be for a niche audience only when it could be something far more popular. To be fair, adding a load of HDMI ports obviously adds expense and complexity, and apparently, Sonos will include cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 for the best performance. And I also have to note that the price of four $449 Sonos Era 300 speakers with a $400 streaming box would be $2,200, which is the exact same price as the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which would be a direct equivalent. So it’s not out of line compared to a like-for-like product at all. But it means that only the wealthier hardcore are going to be interested when otherwise, this could be so good for so many people. Here’s hoping that Sonos will bring the dream side of things that I want and will find a way to keep the price realistic – because if it can make things work, the best soundbars might be on notice from a Sonos streamer and surround combo. You might also like…
Tag: Television
If you let me near your TV, I will immediately adjust these 5 settings
As I’m writing this, I’m many miles away from my beloved LG G3 OLED TV. The reason? I’m staying at my cousin’s house while my apartment gets some work done on it. Y’know the first thing I did to his Sony Bravia KD-65XH505 when I was left alone with it? Tinker the hell out of its picture settings. Shameful, I know. But c’mon, he clearly hadn’t tweaked a slider since unboxing his Bravia back when he picked it up in 2020. I suspect most people are like my cuz when they buy a new TV. They plug it in, sign into some of the best streaming services and they’re done. Oh sure, they’ll flirt with the volume and press the power button a few times a day, but that’s probably all she wrote when it comes to their TV tinkering. Not me, though. As an AV obsessive, I rigorously tweak a plethora of picture settings after buying one of the best TVs. Below, you can find out the five settings I’d immediately either fiddle with or flat out turn off if I ever got my grubby mitts on your precious TV’s remote. I’ll turn off motion smoothing Sony’s Motionflow setup menu (Image credit: Future) Make no mistake: motion smoothing is the tool of the Devil. It’s a hideous feature that should be eliminated from every TV. As someone who suffers from crippling arachnophobia, I’d rather share my bed with a dozen tarantulas than turn on any form of motion smoothing. LG calls it TrueMotion, Sony Motionflow, while Samsung tries to woo your peepers with its Auto Motion Plus settings. Whatever these manufacturers call it, motion smoothing needs to get in the bin… then said bin needs to be promptly booted into the sea. Technically, motion smoothing can help making quick panning shots in some of the best Netflix movies look that little slicker, true. But the trade-off simply isn’t worth it. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Some of the best TVs have judder and blur reduction sliders that are almost acceptable at their lowest settings. Almost. Yet if you fully embrace maxed out motion smoothing, you’ll be instantly hit by the dreaded ‘soap opera effect’ – a galling visual experience that can make even the most cinematic silver screen masterpieces look like an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210.Artificially smoothing out frames, it’s a feature that gives me night terrors of watching that dreadful 48 frames per second version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Let me within 20 feet of your TV, and motion smoothing will immediately go bye-bye. Noise reduction will be nixed Noise reduction presets on TVs can end up eliminating picture detail (Image credit: Future) By default, most TVs will have noise reduction turned to Auto. Put me in the same room as your pride and joy, and that setting is getting switched off pronto. While noise cancelling can help reduce picture noise in older movies that were shot on traditional celluloid reels, the advent of digital filmmaking means most modern movies look very clean. How does this relate to noise cancelling on your TV? Unless you disable it, you’re going to lose key picture details in your favourite movies. There’s also a good chance on-screen motion will look blurrier if you engage this feature, too. So yeah, get this setting cancelled permanently. Sharpness settings on TVs can actually add noise to pictures (Image credit: Future) The only time I ever consider upping the picture sharpening settings on my LG G3 OLED is if I’m playing my Nintendo Switch OLED in Docked Mode, and even then it’s a reluctant decision. Sharpening the picture of a sub-1080p image on a giant 77-inch screen is one thing. Upping the sharpness of an already pin-sharp, utterly pristine 4K image while playing the best PC games is utterly unforgivable, though. If you’re watching the best 4K movies on Blu-ray or playing the best PS5 games on a 4K TV, slide that sharpening setting to zero. Otherwise, you’re just going to create unnecessary, artificial picture information. Say so long to sharpening Make your peace with my Vivid Mode obsession Filmmaker Mode is usually the most accurate picture preset on TVs, but it’s your TV, so you do you (Image credit: Future) Yes, yes. I’m a monster. Ever since I can remember, I’ve skipped straight past Standard Mode on the ludicrous number of OLED TVs I’ve owned down the years and instead opted for Vivid/Vibrant – depending on what the manufacturer calls it. Turns out, my eyes really like what many TV experts would consider an oversaturated picture. Judge me all you want. Vibrant/Vivid Mode is just my jam when it comes to picture presets. My corneas have been basking in the over-exaggerated colours and squint-inducing contrast for so long now, I simply can’t go back. If you’re watching one of the best Disney Plus movies and want to honour the true look of how a director intended their film to be experienced, you really should go for Filmmaker Mode. Colours are often warmer and more accurate with this preset, while post-processing will be disabled in order to preserve the director’s artistic vision. Many Hollywood helmers have given their endorsement to this preset and it’s increasingly easy to find. LG, Panasonic, Philips, Vizio and Hisense all have TVs on the market with a variation of this mode, and there’s now even a Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode for movies with Dolby Vision HDR. If you want the most accurate hues and don’t want to make Spielberg and Scorsese angrily shake their fists at the clouds, Filmmaker Mode is the way to go when watching movies. So once again, don’t let me within a country mile of your television, because I’ll kick Filmmaker to the curb to make my TV pop in the most unnatural way possible via Vivid Mode. Hey, don’t preset shame me. I’ll pummel your Power Saving settings Lights sensors and Eco mode settings typically end up darkening pictures and are unfortunately turned on by default on new TVs (Image credit: Future) This last one might not be good for your electricity bill, but your eyes will thank me. Eco modes and ambient light sensors may save you precious pennies, but they’ll massively diminish your viewing experience. What’s the point in owning one of the best OLED TVs – that can now almost get ‘QLED bright’ thanks to quantum dot and Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech – then obliterating said brightness by opting for energy saving settings? If you have sensitive eyes, I can understand wanting to dim your TV in a darkened room at night. Otherwise, say no to Power Saving Mode and make it up to the planet by recycling your rear end off. You might also like…
I spent a month testing the 11.4.6-channel Nakamichi Dragon, and it’s a Dolby Atmos soundbar on steroids
Nakamichi Dragon: Two minute review The Nakamichi Dragon is an 11.4.6-channel soundbar system that pushes the outer limits of what a soundbar is capable of. It’s more akin to an AV receiver in its design, features, and execution. Using it, I was frequently reminded of AV receivers by everything from the system’s heavily buttoned remote control to its extensive, detailed setup menu. The Dragon is not aimed at someone interested in simple plug-and-play sound (though it does provide basic setup options and is easy to get up and running) but rather users who like to dig in and painstakingly tweak settings. At $2,999.99 (around £2,400 / AU$4,750), the Nakamichi Dragon costs double what you’ll pay even for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on the market such as the Samsung HW-Q990D. That’s quite a lot to pay for a soundbar system, and it takes you into an AV receiver and separate speakers package price territory. But an important Dragon advantage is that it’s a wireless system, though one with the high channel count you’d get from a receiver-based home theater audio rig. The Dragon isn’t as feature-packed as expected given its relatively lofty price. There’s processing onboard for Dolby Atmos and the Pro version of DTS:X, and there are four HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC) that support 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through. The system comes with a full-scale remote control that provides quick access to a wide array of audio adjustments and it has Bluetooth aptX HD for wireless music streaming. There’s no AirPlay or Chromecast support for streaming over Wi-Fi, and the system’s control app is primarily used for system setup. Automatic setup and room EQ features, either the more basic ones you get in premium soundbars like the Sonos Arc Ultra, or advanced ones such as Audyssey or Dirac Live in AV receivers, are also nowhere to be found. Basic setup of the Dragon soundbar system is surprisingly easy, however. The Dragon system’s sound does its name justice. It can go incredibly loud and the dual subwoofers, each with two 8-inch opposing drivers, provide deep-reaching and very full-sounding bass. Having two subwoofers also helps to even out bass performance, which compensates to a degree for the lack of room EQ processing. (Two subs are provided with the system configuration I tested, but it supports up to four subs.) With six up-firing Atmos height drivers between the soundbar and the surround speakers, which also provide both side and rear surround channel driver arrays, the level of immersion provided by the Dragon system surpasses any other soundbar system I’ve heard. Not all is perfect with the Dragon’s sound, however: it can come across as aggressive and treble-forward with some content, favoring clarity and presence over subtlety. But if your main thing is action movies or gaming, there’s not too much here to complain about. At 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4 inches, the Dragon system’s soundbar is fairly huge – it just about fit my TV stand, which is designed to support TVs up to 75 inches. The soundbar’s stainless steel enclosure is superior to the plastic ones you get on budget models, and the system’s design strikes a nice balance between function and style. A large front panel LED display can be customized to show the names of sources (Blu-ray, Xbox, etc.) and it can also provide visual feedback beyond basic source and volume settings when you hit the Info button on the remote control. Paying $3,000 for a soundbar system might sound a bit outrageous, but the Nakamichi Dragon is no ordinary soundbar system. It delivers a level of performance that’s more like what you get from a traditional AV receiver-based home theater system from a big honkin’ soundbar with wireless subwoofers and surround speakers. If that all sounds appealing to you, you’ll find the Dragon to be a good value. At 58.1 inches wide, the Dragon requires a substantial TV stand for support (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Price & release date Released in October 2023 $2,999.99 (around £2,400 / AU$4,750) The Nakamichi Dragon soundbar system with two dual-opposing eight-inch subwoofers is listed at $3,999.99, but sells for $2,999.99. It is available in the US on Amazon, and can be purchased and shipped internationally through B&H Photo Video. Along with the base configuration reviewed here, the Dragon can also be purchased in configurations with two 12-inch subwoofers ($4,199) or four 12-inch subwoofers ($7,199). Dragon pricing is high compared to other premium soundbar systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990D and LG S95TR, both of which have a lower overall channel count and lower rated power. Nakamichi Dragon review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Dimensions (W x H x D) Soundbar: 58.1 x 4.4 x 7.7 inches (1476 x 112 x 196mm) Speaker channels 11.4.6 Connections: 4x HDMI 2.1 (1 w/eARC), optical digital audio input and output, 3.5mm Aux input and output, Bluetooth aptX HD Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Yes/Yes Sub included Yes (2) Rear speakers included Yes Features 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision HDMI pass-through The Dragon soundbar and surround speakers use matching 1.5-inch Air Motion tweeters. (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Features 11.4.6-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through Bluetooth aptX HD wireless streaming The Nakamichi Dragon combines a sizeable 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4-inch main soundbar unit (1476 x 112 x 196mm) featuring a stainless steel enclosure with two wireless subwoofers and wireless rear surround speakers. The soundbar provides processing for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro and features four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision pass-through along with optical digital audio and 3.5mm aux inputs and outputs. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi for streaming, but the Dragon soundbar does support Bluetooth aptX HD for streaming music. The soundbar’s speaker array consists of three 1.5-inch “Air Motion” folded ribbon-type tweeters, each flanked by a pair of 3-inch mid-range drivers for the left, center, and right channels. Two pairs of 3-inch height speakers are arrayed on the soundbar’s top surface, with the pairs angled at 10 and 20 degrees, respectively, to evenly distribute Atmos height effects from the front toward the back of the room. Along with these, 3-inch drivers are located on the soundbar’s side panels for an enhanced surround sound effect. Nakamichi’s tall, tower-like dual-opposing wireless subwoofers each house a pair of eight-inch drivers inside a ported cabinet. The system’s Omni-Motion Reference wireless surround speakers each contain side and rear surround speaker arrays consisting of a 1.5-inch Air Motion tweeter and three-inch mid-bass driver, with a three-inch height speaker mounted on top. A PerfectHeight adjustment on the Omni-Motion Reference’s top surface lets you rotate the height speaker up 180 degrees to optimize height effects for your specific room layout and installation. Unlike other premium soundbars on the market from brands like Samsung, LG, and Sonos, the Dragon has no automated setup or room EQ features. The system’s dual subwoofer configuration does help to evenly distribute bass in your room and compensate for room modes, however, and the extensive sound level and delay adjustments allow for a precise manual setup. Features score: 3.5 / 5 The Dragon’s dual subwoofers are fairly tall, but can be tucked unobtrusively into the corners of a room. (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Performance Powerful, immersive sound Deep, impactful bass Overly aggressive sound with some content The Dragon system sounded good out of the box but strongly benefitted from a manual calibration in the Advanced Sound Setup menu. Once that was done, I cracked open a new 4K Blu-ray disc of the recent Twisters remake that I had bought specifically for this test. On the Dragon system, the sound of violent tornadoes ripping through space in the Twisters soundtrack was potently rendered, providing an almost unnerving sense of being directly inside the path of destruction. Vehicles propelled through the air and crashing to earth had a powerful impact, so much so that I found myself dialing back the bass adjustment – conveniently located right next to the volume button on the system’s remote control. On Top Gun: Maverick, another movie that I regularly use to test soundbars, the sounds of jets in the first training scene early in the movie had a strong trajectory as they swooped from the front to the back of the room, and there was impressive verticality to the sound as they crisscrossed overhead. The drums and bass in The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again that plays in this scene came through with equal power, with Roger Daltrey’s yawps soaring along with the jets on the soundtrack. Dolby Atmos music streamed from Apple Music on my Apple TV 4K sounded equally vivid and exciting on the system, especially tracks like Kraftwerk’s Nummern / Computerwelt. This track sounded almost endlessly wide and immersive, showcasing the benefits of six separate height speakers for delivering Atmos mixes. The low-end on this track was powerful and deep but also well-integrated with the rest of the mix, the system’s dual subwoofers working together to energize my room with bass. With more subtle-sounding fare – Severance season 2 on Apple TV Plus, for instance – dialogue was very clear, and that was the case with most shows and movies I watched. As part of my initial setup, I selected the system’s Movie (Movie 1) sound preset (Music, Game, and Night modes are also available) and also dialed back the treble to the minimum setting. That’s because the Dragon system, while it has a considerable roar, can sound aggressive and even a bit harsh with some content. I’ve listened with multiple speakers that use the same Air Motion-type tweeter that’s found in Nakamichi’s system and those generally had a much more laid-back quality to the treble. This tells me that the Dragon was voiced to have a bold, even in-your-face sound that befits its name. Performance score: 4 / 5 The Dragon soundbar’s rear input ports include 4 HDMI 2.1 ports (1 w/ eARC) (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Design Large soundbar and subwoofers Soundbar height may block the TV image Solid overall build quality At 58.1 x 7.7 x 4.4 inches, the Dragon’s design is anything but subtle. This is a big soundbar, and its 4.4-inch height means the top edge will definitely obscure the screen bottom of some TVs. At 32 pounds (14.5kg), it’s also a heavy one – not surprising given its stainless steel enclosure. Nakamichi sells optional floor stands for the Dragon, which will allow it to be used with wall-mounted TVs and projectors. Aside from being massive, the Dragon soundbar has an appealing design, with top panel controls that light up when touched, angled front corners, and exposed Air Motion tweeters poking through the metal mesh front. The same design chops carry over to the Omni-Motion Reference wireless surround speakers, which also get optional stands. Nakamichi’s wireless subwoofers have a plainer, more utilitarian look, but their tall form factor lets them tuck fairly unobtrusively into the corners of a room. The Dragon soundbar’s front-panel alphanumeric LED display is a feature I fully expect to see in a soundbar at this price. While it’s welcome, I would have liked an option to dim the display or to shut it off entirely with the remote when viewing, which is a feature you get on some AV receivers. Design score: 4.5 / 5 The Dragon surround speakers have matching tweeter-woofer arrays on either side to deliver rear and side surround channel, and there’s an upward-firing driver on top for Atmos height channels. (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Setup & usability Easy wireless speaker setup Extensive manual sound adjustments Alphanumeric front panel LED display The basic setup of the Dragon system was incredibly easy. After positioning the soundbar on my TV stand, where it occupied nearly the stand’s full width with an inch to spare on each side, I located the subwoofers in the front corners of my room and the surround speakers at either side of my sofa. After plugging all speakers in, they made an automatic wireless connection to the soundbar, with a blue LED indicating that the system was up and running. After connecting my sources to the soundbar’s HDMI inputs, and my TV to the HDMI eARC port, I renamed the inputs in the setup menu so they would show up on the front panel display as “Blu-ray disc player, Xbox One X console, and Apple TV 4K.” I next made a Bluetooth link to my phone for music streaming by pressing the Bluetooth button on the remote control, which put the Dragon into wireless pairing mode. So much for the easy part – the next part of the setup was much more laborious. Nakamichi gives you an easy out by providing Small, Medium, and Large room options. (Guidance on which option is best for your particular room is provided in the detailed and well-organized PDF owner’s manual.) Sound with the Small option selected – the closest match for my room – was good out of the box, but for my test, I wanted to go through the full manual setup to see what difference it would make. Pulling out my tape measure and trusty old Radio Shack SPL meter, I manually entered the listening distance for each channel and also ran the pink noise output to adjust the sound level. With 11.2.6 total channels for the Dragon system I tested, we’re talking a lot of speakers to adjust! The effort was completely worth it, though, since sound clarity and bass evenness received an immediate boost. Nakamichi’s remote control is large, has an aluminum faceplate, and is packed with buttons to access a wide range of fine adjustments for things like individual speaker channel levels, including height and subwoofer channels. There’s also a Dragon control app that gives you many of the same adjustments. The only thing I didn’t like about the remote is that the keypad doesn’t have the same backlighting feature typically found in AV receiver remote controls offering the same level of granular adjustments. Another gripe I had with the Dragon was the setup menu, which requires you to jump out of any program you’re watching to make adjustments other than the ones with dedicated keypad controls on the remote. My annoyance with this was mainly during my initial setup and early use, however. Once I had dialed in my preferred settings for movies/TV and music, those adjustments could be stored in the two available Favorite Settings buttons on the remote for easy recall. Setup & usability score: 3.5 / 5 The Dragon’s full featured remote provides instant access to many adjustments for tweaking the system’s sound on the fly. (Image credit: Future) Nakamichi Dragon review: Value Unique value proposition Other premium soundbars available for much less Approaching AV receiver-based system price range The Nakamichi Dragon occupies a unique space in the home theater audio world, combining many of the functions of an AV receiver in a high channel-count soundbar plus wireless surround speakers and subwoofers package. At $3,000, you’re getting a lot for your money here, and there’s really nothing out there that parallels it. While not as elaborate or high-impact as the Dragon, other premium soundbar systems can provide a similarly satisfying and immersive home theater audio experience. For around $1,500, you can get the Samsung HW-Q990D, an 11.1.4-channel system that also has multiple HDMI inputs with 4K 120Hz passthrough. And for under $1,000, there’s the LG S95TR, a 9.1.5-channel system. Both of these soundbars support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and they offer unique audio processing features designed to work with Samsung and LG TVs. Another option is the Sony Bravia Theater Quad (around $2,200). This 4.1.4-channel wireless speaker system offers audio processing features designed specifically to work with Sony TVs, but it can also be used with any TV or projector setup. It’s a more compact and elegant alternative to soundbar-based systems, and with Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Mapping at work, it doesn’t skimp out on audio immersion. Finally, the Dragon’s $3,000 price is a threshold where you should also consider an AV receiver-based system. You can buy a 9.2-channel receiver such as the Onkyo TX-RZ50 for as little as $999, and then the sky is the limit when it comes to which speakers you add to your setup. The advantage to this option is that receivers offer extensive switching and control options, and they also provide automatic setup and room correction processing solutions such as Audyssey and Dirac Live. But going the AV receiver route means running wires – lots of them – plus a more complicated setup. Value score: 3.5 / 5 The Dragon soundbar’s top-panel control buttons (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Nakamichi Dragon? Swipe to scroll horizontally Section Notes Score Features Wireless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and 4K 120Hz pass-through but no auto-setup or Wi-Fi for music streaming 3.5 / 5 Performance Powerful and dynamic with vivid height effects on Atmos soundtracks, though sound can be too aggressive with some content 4 / 5 Design Solid, substantial build quality for a soundbar system and above-average looks 4.5 / 5 Setup & usability As long as you don’t mind making adjustments to an 11.4.6-channel system manually, everything you need is supplied 3.5 / 5 Value A unique value proposition occupying a middle ground between premium soundbars and AV receiver-plus-speakers-based systems 3.5 / 5 Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… Nakamichi Dragon review: Also consider How I tested the Nakamichi Dragon The Nakamichi Dragon with its two subs in my home. (Image credit: Future) Tested for over a month Served as my main system at home 4K Blu-ray discs, TV streaming apps, and Apple Music used as sources The Nakamichi Dragon arrives in a shipping container about the size of a coffin, so expect to enlist help when lifting it into your home. Once unboxed, I set it up in my near-3,000 cubic foot home theater room and connected TV, Apple TV 4K, Xbox Series X, and 4K Blu-ray sources via HDMI. For music testing, I listened to Dolby Atmos music streamed on the Apple Music app by the Apple TV 4K. I listened with the system for over a month, using it as my main system for casual TV watching, movies, and music. I performed an in-depth audio calibration, measuring the distance between all speaker channels and my listening seat, and then inputting that data in the Dragon’s setup menus. This also involved adjusting the sound level for each channel with pink noise generated by the soundbar that was measured with a sound pressure level (SPL) meter. I have 20-plus years of experience reviewing home theater speaker systems and components, including soundbar systems. Prior to testing the Dragon, I used Sony Bravia Theater Quad wireless speakers as my main home theater audio system, and before that an AV receiver-based 5.1.4-channel speaker system, so I have a good understanding of where the Nakamichi Dragon sits among its wireless and wired speaker competition.
I tested a 24-inch Roku TV, and the slick smart TV software is its killer feature
RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV: review If you’re looking for a small smart TV for your kitchen or bedroom, the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV will likely slot into your space with ease. This model harnesses Roku’s Smart TV interface, meaning you’ll get access to all the big streaming platforms – think Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus – as well as apps like YouTube and on-demand services including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. It has a £125 RRP, which is undoubtedly on the cheaper side of things, but still, it’s worth asking: is the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV worth the money? Well, first of all, I have to hand it to RCA and Roku – this TV is nice and easy to set up. It comes with two plastic feet that are simple to screw on, as well as two AAA batteries for the included remote – something that’s not always a given (ridiculous, I know). After firing the TV up, you have to update its software and sign in using a Roku account on your phone, but this doesn’t take too long and enables you to pre-install any extra apps you want – pretty handy. It’s worth noting, though, that you can download apps at any point using the Roku Store, which is a basic, although easy-to-use, digital storefront. It’s also nice and responsive – as is the Roku user interface more generally. Scrolling through menus isn’t perfectly sharp, but it doesn’t feel frustratingly laggy or slow. I would say, however, that the Roku interface is visually unappealing. It looks outdated and uses a pretty rudimentary-looking menu on startup. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but the best small TVs usually have a sleeker, more modern interface in my experience. (Image credit: Future) But although a neat interface is nice to have, you’re probably more interested in how good this TV looks. First of all, it’s worth breaking down what ‘HD’ really means here. This TV has a resolution of 720p, so you won’t be able to enjoy full HD (1080p) or 4K content. As a result, this set isn’t really primed for a lot of modern video content and if you want to get the best out of platforms like Amazon Prime Video or formats like Blu-ray, for instance, you’ll likely be left wanting more. With that out of the way, I’d argue that picture quality can be described as adequate. When watching Spider-Man: Homecoming, I skipped forward to a fight scene between the eponymous hero and a gang of bank robbers. The picture was decently clear and motion was totally passable. Spidey’s acrobatics weren’t overly judder-y as he flung across the screen, but the colour of his suit didn’t look particularly accurate. There was a bit too much warmth, leaving the reds and blues appearing slightly less contrasted than I’d like. This TV, like many LED models, also struggles a fair bit with black levels and dark details. When watching the admittedly very dingy The Batman, details on the title character’s suit were quite challenging to make out and facial features were a little blurred. Elements like sweat droplets, lines on faces and stitching on clothing weren’t very defined and given that much of the film takes place in the shadows, the result was a fairly muddy overall picture. (Image credit: Future) But again, you really can’t expect too much in terms of picture quality here due to the RCA Roku HD TV’s technical restrictions. To give this model its due, the vast majority of video content was clear enough for me to enjoy on-screen action. Studio Ghibli’s excellent The Boy and the Heron may not have been replicated with top-tier colour accuracy, but the display was quite vibrant in Standard mode without looking oversaturated or artificial. This TV also won’t wow you with amazing brightness, but it’s OK for its size, with peak brightness on a 10% window test pattern coming in at 177 nits and 167 nits in Standard and Movie mode respectively. If you’re not quite happy with how the picture looks, however, rest assured that there are plenty of ways to customise it. There are expert settings, such as dynamic contrast and colour temperature adjustment, as well as the typical picture modes, including: Roku Smart Picture (which auto-selects the best mode based on what you’re watching); Film; Low-Power; Sports; Standard and Vivid. (Image credit: Future) Similarly, there are different sound modes, such as Music, Speech and Theatre. I used the latter for much of my testing to get the most cinematic sound possible. Having said that, you’re not going to get great sound out of this TV, no matter what setting you choose. For instance, I watched the movie Smile and although the dialogue was clear enough during a conversation between two characters, it sounded pretty harsh at higher volumes. During one horror-filled scene, imposing bass is meant to heighten tensions. And sure, bass was audible, but it was no more than that, leaving quite an underwhelming impression. That’s largely to be expected from a tiny 24-inch model, though, and I’d recommend investing in one of the best soundbars if you’re looking to take audio to the next level for movie nights. (Image credit: Future) Another area that won’t impress is gaming performance. Once more, this is down to the technical limitations of the RCA Roku HD TV. When gaming on the Xbox Series X, motion and picture were once again fine, but no better. Of course, you won’t be able to access current-gen features like 4K, 120fps gameplay, but if you just want a functional display for your favourite titles, this TV will get the job done. You can plug your games console into one of the three HDMI ports situated on the reverse side of the RCA Roku HD TV. Personally, I was very pleased to see that there were three HDMI slots here – that’s pretty generous for a TV of this size and price. One can be used for ARC if you’d like to connect up a soundbar too, which is another big positive. Beyond this, the TV’s design and build quality is pretty unimpressive, though. It’s very plasticky – almost toy-like in its construction – and it’s on the bulkier side for a modern TV. I will say, however, that I liked the included remote, which has a textured finish and all the useful shortcuts for streaming services and the like. All in all, the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV does what it says on the tin. It’s a very basic smart TV with totally functional, although unimpressive, performance across the board. You’re going to get flawed, albeit passable picture and sound quality, a basic design and little in the way of fancy features. But if you want a cheap, easy-to-use small TV for watching broadcast TV or streaming, this will provide just that. If you have a bit more room, however, there are superior options in terms of value – you can get a 1080p resolution, better colour accuracy and HDR for less than £150 with TVs like the 32-inch Toshiba 32LF2F53DB. (Image credit: Future) RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: price & release date £125 RRP Available now The RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV, also known as the RK24HF1, has a RRP of £125 and is available right now in the UK. It’s worth noting, however, that this model can often be found for a considerable chunk less. I’ve seen this TV go for less than £110 in the past and at the time of writing, Amazon are selling it for less than £120, so keep your eye out for discounts. Of course, this places the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV firmly in the budget category, meaning it faces tough competition from the likes of JVC, TCL and Toshiba. If you’d like to weigh your options before pulling the trigger on a purchase, why not check out some strong alternatives in the ‘Also Consider’ section of this review. RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Screen type LED Refresh rate 60Hz HDR No Audio Dolby Audio Smart TV Roku HDMI ports 3x, including 1x ARC Should I buy the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV? Swipe to scroll horizontally Attributes Notes Rating Features Offering three HDMI ports is welcome, includes solid picture and sound settings too. 4/5 Picture quality Decently bright display but lacks detail and crispness due to technical limitations. 2.5/5 Sound quality Narrow audio with thin bass but dialogue is usually clear enough. 2.5/5 Design Very plasticky build, slightly chunky, but remote is pretty neat. 2/5 Smart TV & menus Roku TV platform isn’t pretty but it’s responsive and easy-to-use. 3.5/5 Gaming No next-gen features or anything but performance is passable. 2.5/5 Value Better options exist in the 32-inch category for a tad more but this is still a cheap TV. 3/5 Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV review: Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell – Column 0 RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV TCL 32S5400 LG 32LQ6300 Price £125 £179 £249 Screen type LED LED LED Refresh rate 60Hz 60Hz 50/60Hz HDR No HDR10, HLG HDR10, HLG Smart TV Roku Android TV webOS 22 HDMI ports 3x, including 1x ARC 2x HDMI 1.4 2x HDMI 1.4 How I tested the RCA Roku 24-inch HD TV (Image credit: Future) Tested at Future Labs TV testing room in various lighting conditions Measurements taken using Portrait Displays’ Calman software Tested with a variety of video content I used a variety of sources and apps to test picture quality on the RCA Roku 24-inch. I predominantly watched content via streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, ensuring I tested out the various picture and sound modes along the way. I also played on the Xbox Series X to cover gaming performance. When watching the TV, I selected video content that would expose its specific strengths and weaknesses of the TV. For instance, I tuned into The Batman to judge aspects such as colour fidelity, contrast and black-levels. But I also watched Smile and Sky News to assess competence in the audio department. Lastly, I took measurements with the help of Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software. I measured peak brightness on a 10% window and 100% window, recorded the Delta-E values (which demonstrate the margin of error between the test pattern and what is displayed) for colour accuracy, grayscale and gamma. For all tests, I used the Murideo Six 8K test pattern generator. You can read all about how we test TVs at that link. First reviewed: January 2025 Read more about how we test
I tested the Epson QB1000, and this stunning, super-bright projector is perfect for gaming
Epson’s latest projector is even better value thanks to boosted brightness and performance.
I saw Philips’ new elite OLED TV with Bowers & Wilkins speakers, and it’s a serious one-box home theatre option
Philips has just unveiled its 2025 range of OLED TVs, and one of its top two models (known as the OLED+ range) is the Philips OLED+910. This is a high-end OLED TV (using the new-generation META 3.0 OLED panel from LG Display) with a powerful built-in Bowers & Wilkins speaker system at the bottom. The idea is that it offers an easy single-unit option for people who want premium sound and visuals, but don’t want to deal with the extra boxes of soundbars or an actual home theatre system. Take this out of the box, mount it on the wall – it looks good and fills the room with sound. Easy. Of course, it actually has to deliver on this promise, but I had a demo with both music and movie audio at Philips’ launch event, and it looks extremely promising. One of the Philips OLED+910’s three forward speaker arrays. (Image credit: Future) The speaker setup is a 3.1 system, but there are 10 speakers in total to give it real depth and power. Across the front of the TV at the bottom, hidden behind some Kvadrat acoustic cloth, are left, centre and right speaker arrays. Each of these arrays consists of two racetrack mid-range drivers, and a tweeter, all independently suspended so their vibrations won’t interfere with each other. On the back of the TV is a subwoofer – but there’s also a subwoofer out, for wiring up a dedicated sub, and it’s important to know that my demo used a small Bowers & Wilkins sub throughout the session. The bass driver with two reflex ports, which goes on the rear of the TV. (Image credit: Future) The TV comes in 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch sizes, and the same speakers are used on all sizes, but are tuned for the particular size, to make sure that sound is aligned to the action on-screen. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. You can definitely feel the width of the speaker setup when watching a movie, and the system impresses with ambient sounds especially. Watching the start of A Quiet Place: Day One, the sounds of the city around the on-screen characters and their dialogue feels detached from the action, in a good way – speech comes centrally from the screen, but the traffic sounds and other noise feel beyond and behind the TV. There’s no virtual surround effect to speak of that I noticed, it’s more just about the width and height in front of you, and I’d be perfectly happy with that. Speaking of height, while again it’s not trying to put Dolby Atmos sounds above you, it did reveal some impressive vertical motion when someone gets plucked upward from the street in the movie. The speaker arrays of the Philips OLED+910 TV in the right positions… just, y’know, they’d normally go inside. (Image credit: Future) There was good dynamic attack for when things get suddenly loud, though when a big explosion hit in the movie, I felt like maybe the speaker was pushing to its limit there – I’d need to test more to find out if it’s the same in other movies. It’s the same with dialogue; I was expecting a little more clarity than we got, considering it has a strong centre channel, but it might have just been this movie’s mix. With music, there’s impressive fidelity and a nice warm, rich tone. There’s great separation of different elements in the mix, with crisp mid-range vocals that feel well-textured, and treble percussion could shimmer around the screen nicely. The bass was broad, pervasive and full – but remember, it was coming from a dedicated sub in my demo, so more testing will be needed there. What about the picture and features? As for the picture, the new META 3.0 panel with four-stack Primary RGB Tandem construction continues to impress, after seeing it in the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B TV at all sizes, and the 83-inch version of the Samsung S95F – it’s going to appear a lot in our list of the best OLED TVs, no question. There’s better fullscreen brightness, which Philips says should hit 350 nits (but this may depend on the mode), and this seems to help with bolder colors in overall bright scenes (though the panel overall has improved color range), and the bright peak HDR brightness produces cleaner white tones. I’ve also been impressed by Philips’ new adaptive AI color gamut enhancement tech in the demos so far, which is designed to shift the color gamut of what you’re watching closer to the native gamut of the panel, to provide rich colors – but it’s designed to handle skin tones separately, keeping those as neutral and natural as possible. This will be available on all of its 2025 OLED TVs, happily. (Image credit: Future) The OLED+910 has 4K 144Hz support with VRR for gaming, and some new features in Philips’ Game Bar software for customizing the picture based on your game. However, there are still only two HDMI 2.1 ports (out of four) for gaming in 4K 120Hz/144Hz. Notably, Philips has upgraded its budget OLED TV, the OLED760, to include four HDMI 2.1 ports – but the company told me that it had to choose between a larger and more powerful chip for picture processing that only supports 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, or a less powerful chip with 4x HDMI 2.1 ports. For the OLED810, OLED+910 and OLED+950, it chose the more powerful chips to prioritise picture. Still, at least with the built-in B&W sound, you won’t sacrifice one of those ports to one of the best soundbars over HDMI eARC. On top of all this, it comes with Philips’ four-sided Ambilight tech. I’m a total convert to Ambilight – it makes the picture feel much bigger than it is, which is probably ideal for a TV like this that aims to bring a solid home theater experience to people who don’t want the scale of gadgets and installation that a more complex setup requires. We rated 2024’s version of this TV, the Philips OLED+909, very highly – and with the new panel, new processing, and re-engineering of the sound system with its own better processing, I think this looks like a strong contender if you want one of the best TVs for sound. We’ll see how it holds up in testing, relying on its own sub, around the time of its June launch. There’s no confirmed pricing yet, but last year’s model started at £1,999 for the 55-inch. You might also like…
Epson’s super-bright new ultra short throw 4K projectors promise easy elite home theater pictures up to 160 inches
3-LCD short throw laser projectors with 4K UHD and HDR10/10+ Available in the UK; no details of US or Australian availability £4,500 Epson has launched two new “4K Pro-UHD” short-throw laser projectors, the EH-QS100W and the EH-QS100B. Similar to the Epson LS12000, our top pick among the best 4K projectors, the new projectors use Epson’s triple-LCD laser technology, which has separate red, green and blue panels. Epson says that delivers better colour brightness compared to one-chip DLP projectors, and both projectors are definitely bright: they’re capable of up to 4,500 lumens and can project images up to 160 inches in size. The models are identical apart from their colors: the W is white and the B is black. (Image credit: Epson) Epson EH-QS100W and EH-QS100B: key features and pricing The projectors are powered by Epson’s 4K Pro-UHD processing system and have a 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for deep blacks and better shadow detail. The processing also includes frame interpolation and the projectors support HDR10/10+ and have dynamic tone mapping. The laser source has a claimed lifetime of 20,000 hours and Epson says it delivers “near-instant” warm-up and cool-down times to reduce energy use. One of the key features here is full IP control, which enables you to control the projector with related systems such as lighting and sound setups for a seamless home entertainment experience. It is compatible with systems including Crestron and Control4, and there are RS232 and Ethernet connectors. Both models are available now in the UK for £4,500 (about $5,601 / AU$8,958) but there’s no word of a US or Australian launch date. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. You might also like
Hisense’s mini 4K projector changes my mind about the laser TV revolution in 2 key ways
One of the coolest things I saw at CES 2025 was Hisense’s mini laser TV projector, which is an interesting prototype that’s not like the many other mini options among the best portable projectors we’ve seen recently. I got to see it away from the CES show floor during a trip to Hisense’s headquarters recently, and to speak to the team about it – and it’s winning me over to the idea of having a laser TV in my home instead of a regular TV. I’m a huge fan of seeing movies at the theater, and so obviously I’m a big home theater advocate – but my own home doesn’t have the space to go all out on a huge screen and speakers, and I’m far from alone there. It’s one reason why Hisense has been pushing the idea of its laser TVs, which are basically ultra-short throw projectors with streaming tech built in, that come with a matching ambient light-rejecting screen packaged. But I haven’t been convinced that this will work for me because they’re big units that still need to sit some distance from the wall – it just didn’t seem like enough of a trade up. @techradar ♬ original sound – TechRadar The Hisense mini projector is so much smaller, and so the surface it needs to sit on can be much smaller, making the UST projector-and-screen combo way more tempting as something that won’t stick a way out into the room. Now I can imagine not only going for a laser TV as my main way of watching, but it’s also making me think I can swap one of the best soundbars for something more meaty at the same time. The Hisense mini laser TV is basically the specs of a Hisense PX3-Pro UST projector packed into a way smaller body, thanks to a next-gen laser projection tech platform, but still hits over 100 inches. We rate this model as the best ultra-short throw projector, and you can read our Hisense PX3-Pro review for why – but the main things are that it’s bright, colorful and natural. Hisense says that this projector beamed onto the company’s new-gen ambient light rejection screen should be capable of creating an image that can hit around 750 nits of peak brightness at 100 inches when you’re actually watching, putting it in line with budget options among the best OLED TVs for brightness. When I originally saw the mini projector at Hisense’s HQ, it was listed as projecting 2,100 lumens, though at CES Hisense said it should match the PX3-Pro’s specs, putting it at 3,000 lumens. Either one is far beyond the small 4K projector competition – the LG CineBeam Q is 500 lumens, for example… And not only is it bright, but it’s 4K and it’s ultra short throw, which other small projectors generally are not. (Image credit: Future) The small size doesn’t just tempt me because the whole setup can stick less far out from the wall (which is essential for me), but the much smaller design leaves more space for other things… such as proper speakers. I can far more easily imagine connecting a pair of Kanto Ren speakers, or Technics’ very cool new active speakers, in a setup like this – the small projector leaves more space and a gap between it and the screen that the speakers would fit in perfectly. It is ideal for moving away from the limited acoustic of the best soundbars and into big, meaty left and right power. What are the downsides? Well, as you might have guessed from the fact that I haven’t mentioned this thing’s name, it’s really a prototype right now, so there’s no price or release date – though the tech inside fully exists, so it’s probably just a matter of time. (Image credit: Future) However, I can tell you that the current version is also notably loud. Those who saw it on the CES show floor would have no idea, but seeing it in a separate showcase, that fan was really working hard. It’s not a surprise – that’s a lot of heat for a small box, and if I commit to my beefy speakers next to it, they’ll probably manage to drown it out. But I would definitely need to see how any real product handles that before I committed to going for something like this. Still, this is the first projector that got me thinking excitedly about the idea of switching to a projector in my current home, rather than the best projectors being just something for something closer to real home theater that I want one day. It feels like a small game-changer, in that way. You might also like…
I test soundbars for a living, and these 4 affordable models are a great audio upgrade for your Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl LIX is set to air on Sunday, February 9, 2025, and while you may have your TV ready for your viewing party, is your audio also covered? The audio quality on many TVs is limited by a lack of power and inefficient positioning of the built-in speakers. That lacking sound quality could affect your Super Bowl experience, but there’s a solution: a soundbar. Don’t get me wrong; even the best TVs could benefit from a soundbar. The LG C4, one of the best OLED TVs we’ve tested here at TechRadar, excelled in every area, but we still found its sound lacking. One of the best soundbars can easily fix that issue. While the very best soundbars, such as the Samsung HW-Q990D, have a premium price, there are plenty of affordable models that will significantly upgrade your TV’s audio. This is because soundbars bring the sound from the rear of the TV (where most built-in TV speakers are positioned) to the front, which will let you more directly hear the sounds of the stadium and the commentary during the big game. Below, I’ve picked four of the most affordable soundbars we’ve tested. While they won’t beat the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars, they will give your TV an audio upgrade without breaking the bank. 1. Amazon Fire TV soundbar (Image credit: Future) Amazon’s first soundbar, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, is a cheap, no-frills model that delivers “surprisingly good sound for the cost” as we noted in our Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review. It’s light on features but does offer Bluetooth streaming and an HDMI ARC connection to your TV. We found in our testing that its main plus point is clear speech, which will be perfect for hearing commentary during the game. We also found that it delivers decent spatial processing for a compact soundbar, providing a greater sense of immersion than the built-in speakers on most TVs. At $119 / £119, it is one of the cheaper soundbars you can buy without making too many compromises. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. 2. Sony HT-S2000 (Image credit: Future) The Sony HT-S2000 has impressive sound quality for a compact, all-in-one soundbar and is incredibly affordable for what it delivers. Plus, it’s packed with features such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support and a virtual surround engine for improved spatial processing of both movies and music. We found in our testing that the HT-S2000’s dedicated center channel produces clean dialogue and commentary. Pushed to higher volumes, it doesn’t falter, meaning even in a crowded Super Bowl party, the sounds of the game will be clear. Also, as we noted in our Sony HT-S2000 review, the soundbar’s great virtual processing creates a “satisfying level of immersion.” At $399 / £299, the HT-S2000 is a step up in price over cheaper models like the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, but you’re getting a more powerful, dynamic and immersive experience. 3. Hisense AX5125H (Image credit: Future) If you’re looking for a cheaper soundbar that delivers even better immersion, you may want to expand to one with multiple units (soundbar, subwoofer and satellite surround speakers). With the Hisense AX5125H, which delivers 5.1.2 channels of ‘real’ surround sound, you don’t have to spend a fortune to do this. As I noted in my Hisense AX5125H review, the AX5125H is “impressive, providing plenty of punch, clarity and immersion” for both movies and music. It’s easily one of the best budget Dolby Atmos soundbar systems and is sure to take your Super Bowl party to another level. At its normal price of $349 / £499, the Hisense AX5125H is good value, but you’ll regularly find it for as low as $299 / £249, which is exceptional value for a 5.1.2-channel system. Once you’re done with the Super Bowl, the AX5125H will more than satisfy for movie viewing, too. 4. Sonos Beam (Gen 2) (Image credit: Future) Another all-in-one soundbar, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a great all-rounder for both movies and music. As a bonus, it can be expanded with the best Sonos speakers, including the Sonos Era 100 or Sonos Era 300 and a Sonos Sub (Gen 3 or the latest Gen 4). But how does it perform on its own? In our Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review, we noted that for a compact all-in-one soundbar, it had a wide soundstage, convincing bass and clear dialogue. It’s also excellent for music playback, meaning you’re covered for both the Super Bowl and the party that follows. At $459 / £449, the Beam is the most premium of these affordable soundbars, but for what it delivers, it’s great value.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: the best Fire TV yet, and a solid option for sports and gaming
Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Two minute review The new Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED enters a seriously competitive mini-LED TV market, taking on Samsung, Hisense, TCL and Roku. It doesn’t stand out in this crowded arena, but it is a solid all-around TV for the price. The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED’s picture quality is pretty good overall compared to the best TVs. Colors are vibrant, textures and details are lifelike and contrast is well-balanced. Motion handling is good for both sports and movies. Unfortunately, it suffers from crushed black levels in some picture modes, resulting in a loss of shadow detail. Audio quality is a mixed bag on the Omni Mini-LED. Sound is accurately placed with a good sense of direction, speech is clear and there’s generally good bass. While the sound can go beyond the borders of the screen, it feels narrow and contained, especially with Dolby Atmos effects. For those wanting a full home theater experience, I’d recommend one of the best soundbars. The Omni Mini-LED has a good stock of gaming features including 4K 144Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is included) and ALLM support. Performance is smooth and while it won’t beat the best gaming TVs from LG and Samsung, it provides a good mid-range alternative, though its graphics could be better. Amazon’s Fire TV smart TV platform performs well enough and has a good number of picture settings for those who like to experiment. While Fire TV can be on the cluttered side, and there’s occasional stutter, it’s a perfectly decent smart TV platform. With a similar price to its main competitor, the Hisense U7N, the Omni Mini-LED’s real value comes down to what sort of prices it can hit during Prime Day and Black Friday. Discounts are already appearing, so it has the chance to seriously up its value when the sales begin. Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Prices & release date (Image credit: Future) Release date: November 2024 55-inch: $819.99 / £849.99 (about AU$1,316) 65-inch: $1,089.99 / £1,149.99 (about AU$1,750) 75-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,599.99 (about AU$2,409) 85-inch: $2,099.99 / N/A (about AU$3,373) The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series is the latest entry in Amazon’s Fire TV range, following the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED. It is the first Fire TV to feature a panel with a mini-LED backlight and is available in 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch (US-only for the 85-inch) sizes. Its launch prices are strikingly similar to the Hisense U7N, one of the best mini-LED TVs on the market. The U7N has seen major discounts since its release in April 2024, especially during Black Friday, and the Amazon Mini-LED is already following suit. Despite a relatively recent release, the 55-inch Mini-LED (the size I tested) is already down to $699.99 / £749.99 (about AU$1,122) and the 65-inch is down to $959.99 / £949.99. I expect these prices will drop even further during peak trading events in 2025 such as Amazon’s own Prime Day and Black Friday. Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Screen type QLED with mini-LED Refresh rate 120Hz (up to 144Hz) HDR support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG Audio support Dolby Atmos Smart TV Fire TV HDMI ports 4 (2x HDMI 2.1) Built-in tuner ATSC 1.0 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Benchmark results Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Features The Amazon Omni Mini-LED features two HDMI 2.1 ports, a first for an Amazon Fire TV (Image credit: Future) First mini-LED panel in Amazon’s TV range 4K 144Hz support for gaming Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ high dynamic range The Amazon Omni Mini-LED is the first set in Amazon’s Fire TV range to feature a display panel with a mini-LED backlight, a step-up feature from its LED and QLED TVs. The Omni Mini-LED features 512 dimming zones and supports both Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ high dynamic range. Gaming support on the Omni Mini-LED includes 4K 144Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium), ALLM and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ gaming. A game mode provides optimal picture settings for gaming but does not feature a game bar, a useful feature in gaming TVs from brands like LG, Samsung, Hisense and Panasonic. It also only features two HDMI 2.1 ports. (One HDMI-related issue occurred during my testing. When switching a source from HDMI 2 to HDMI 1, the TV kept switching back to HDMI 2. I found that turning the TV off at the wall fixed the problem, which is something to bear in mind should this issue happen to you.) The Omni Mini-LED has a 2.1-channel speaker array with Dolby Atmos support plus several preset audio modes including Standard, Movie and Sport. The Omni Mini-LED uses Amazon’s own Fire TV as its smart TV platform. Fire TV supports all major streaming services such as Prime Video, Netflix and Disney Plus as well as UK-based streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX. It also has an Ambient Experience, where photos and artwork can be displayed on the screen when the TV is idle and it supports hands-free Alexa voice control. Features score: 4.5 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Picture quality The Amazon Omni Mini-LED demonstrates very good detail (Image credit: Future) Bold color and accurate detail Better than expected contrast Black crush in darker scenes The Omni Mini-LED’s peak HDR brightness as measured on a 10% white window pattern was 845 nits in the Standard picture preset and 973 nits in Filmmaker Mode. These results were with out-of-the-box settings for both picture modes, where the backlight was set to 80 and 70, respectively, and are roughly in the range of the Hisense U7N, which hit 807 nits in Standard mode and 1,074 nits in Filmmaker Mode. Raising the backlight to 100 for both modes, the Omni Mini-LED hit 1,081 nits in Standard mode and 1,333 nits in Filmmaker Mode. While the higher backlight settings resulted in much higher brightness levels, I found it made highlights look blown out when watching movies. Measuring fullscreen HDR brightness on a 100% white window pattern, again with out-of-the-box settings, the Omni Mini-LED hit 431 nits in Standard mode and 481 nits in Filmmaker Mode. When bumping up the backlight to 100 in picture settings in those modes, the Omni mini-LED hit 538 and 633 nits, respectively. For picture testing and measurements, I used the Omni Mini-LED’s out-of-the-box settings. When measuring color and grayscale in Filmmaker mode (with local dimming set to Medium), it averaged 2.9 for color accuracy and 4.8 for grayscale accuracy. However, I did find that the Omni Mini-LED has potential for those who want its picture calibrated. After using the TV’s calibration tools in Filmmaker Mode (SDR), it averaged 1.7 and 2.5 for color and grayscale accuracy, respectively, which are notable improvements. Watching an HD stream of Fight Club via Disney Plus, the Omni Mini-LED did a solid job of upscaling, with both textures and contrast improved. It also did a good job of displaying the movie’s murky, dark color palette. Color on the Omni mini-LED was very good overall. A 4K Dolby Vision stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus showcased vivid reds during the throne room fight scene. They verged on oversaturation but were still pleasing to the eye. A 4K Blu-ray of La La Land also demonstrated stunning color reproduction, with Mia’s yellow dress given a dynamic punch. Measuring the Omni Mini-LED’s HDR color gamut coverage, it yielded results of 70.3% for BT.2020 and 94.9% for UHDA-P3 – both good results that are comparable to the Samsung QN85D and Hisense U7N. The Amazon Omni Mini-LED delivers solid contrast (Image credit: Future) Contrast was generally strong, with the Omni mini-LED displaying a good balance between light and dark tones, something that could be seen in the opening crime scene and aerial shots of the city when watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman. I found that Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode was the best overall picture preset, though setting local dimming to Medium in the picture settings resulted in the best contrast. Also, when watching the black-and-white scenes in Oppenheimer, there was a good range of gray tones throughout. Black levels and shadow detail were a mixed bag on the Omni Mini-LED. The contrast was solid and it demonstrated decent backlight control, but I found it would crush black tones in darker scenes, resulting in a loss of shadow detail. For example, in the same opening crime scene of The Batman, with local dimming set to Medium in Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, the detail in clothing was lost. Brighter picture modes such as Dolby Vision IQ or Dolby Vision Bright rectified this, but contrast also looked less accurate in those modes. Textures were generally very good on the Omni Mini-LED, with facial features and details in a wide range of movies including The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and Oppenheimer all looking accurate and true-to-life. Pictures could occasionally look on the soft side compared to more premium mini-LED TVs, but they were still solid for a mid-range model. Motion in Sports TV mode was accurate out-of-the-box. When watching an HD stream of a soccer game, I found that setting Smoothness (judder reduction) at 4 and Clarity (blur reduction) at 10 were the optimal adjustments. For viewing sports, I found the Omini Mini-LED to be better than both the Hisense U6N and U7N, which required a lot more setup. Motion was also good for movies, with the Omni Mini-LED easily handling the intense, fast-moving flight sequences in Top Gun: Maverick. Interestingly, I found I couldn’t alter the Natural Cinema motion setting in Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, but it did not seem to make a noticeable difference when tested on other picture modes. Picture quality score: 4 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Sound quality The Omni mini-LED has average built-in sound quality, so movies such as La La Land could benefit from a soundbar (Image credit: Future) 2.1-channel speakers Good accuracy and placement Sound is narrow and contained The Omni Mini-LED has a 2.1-channel speaker system totaling 24W of power. It supports Dolby Atmos and comes with several sound modes targeted towards different types of content such as Movie, Sports, and Music. In my testing, I generally found Movie to be the best sound preset. Watching the Batmobile freeway chase sequence in The Batman, the Omni mini-LED demonstrated good sound placement and accuracy – as cars swerved across the screen, the sound of the screeching tires also swept across the screen. Bass was decent, with a good level of rumble stemming from the Batmobile’s engine. When watching Top Gun: Maverick, the sound exceeded the confines of the screen during flight sequences, giving it an expansive quality, and the dialogue was clear throughout my viewing. Even so, in both The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, Dolby Atmos effects were so faint as to be unnoticeable, with the rain in The Batman and height channels in the Mach 10 scene in Top Gun: Maverick never hitting – something to be expected from a TV with basic, 2.1-channel built-in speakers. For those using the Omni Mini-LED mainly for watching movies, I’d recommend adding a soundbar. Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Design The Amazon Omni Mini-LED’s tall feet allow plenty of space for a soundbar (Image credit: Future) Tall feet allow space for a soundbar Hand-free voice control Bland design for the price One of the Omni Mini-LED’s best design features is its supplied feet. They are tall enough to easily fit a soundbar without the soundbar obscuring the bottom of the screen, a common issue with many TVs. Otherwise, the Omni Mini-LED’s design is very uninspired, with a rather generic and slightly bulky appearance compared with mini-LED rivals from Hisense, Samsung and TCL. I expected a slimmer depth at this price. The Omni Mini-LED comes with Amazon’s latest generation Alexa Voice remote, which still feels a little cheap and flimsy compared to remotes from other brands. Hands-free Alexa voice control is available via the TV’s built-in microphone – a welcome feature that can also be turned off in the settings. Design score: 4 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Smart TV & menus Fire TV has access to plenty of apps but its home screen is taken up by a large banner ad (Image credit: Future) Fire TV smart TV platform Sometimes stuttering performance Advanced picture setup options The Omni Mini-LED uses Amazon’s Fire TV smart TV platform, which is featured on the Amazon Fire TV Stick range as well as TVs from other brands. Fire TV’s home screen provides a good number of movie and TV recommendations (especially for Prime Video) based on your viewing history and lets you easily jump back into programs you’ve previously been watching. It also has a large, revolving banner ad at the top that takes up roughly one-third of the screen. Performance-wise, Fire TV is generally responsive when navigating though there were occasional stutters and freeze-ups during my testing. Menus, while fairly easy to get around, could be a little more user-friendly. There are plenty of settings to tailor the picture to your taste and even 2-point, 11-point and Color Grading calibration tools for those who want advanced fine-tuning. While Fire TV gives preference on its home screen to Prime Video movies and TV shows, it does provide access to a wide array of streaming services including Netflix and Disney Plus. Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Gaming The Amazon Omni Mini-LED, shown here with Battlefield V, has a good stock of gaming features and performs well (Image credit: Future) 4K 144Hz and Dolby Vision gaming 13.4ms input lag time Only two HDMI 2.1 ports The Omni Mini-LED is well-equipped with gaming features, including support for 4K 144Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It is the first of Amazon’s FireTVs to feature 120Hz support, but only features two HDMI 2.1 ports, which is currently the case for all TVs not made by LG or Samsung. The Omni Mini-LED performs well, even at higher frame rates. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, I found chaotic battle sequences, quick targeting and panning shots all ran smoothly and showed quick response times. When I measured the input lag time, it hit 13.4ms, which is similar to TVs from Hisense, TCL, and Sony, but doesn’t quite beat the best gaming TVs from Samsung and LG. Still, it sits below the 15ms threshold gamers look for. For picture quality during gaming, the Omni Mini-LED delivers good detail and dazzling colors along with solid contrast, again shown in desert and night missions in Battlefield V. I did find that textures took on a soft, muddy tone in some cases, which detracted from the experience a bit, but overall the Omni mini-LED is a solid gaming TV. Gaming score: 4 / 5 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV review: Value The Amazon Omni Mini-LED is supplied with the Alexa Voice remote (Image credit: Future) Extremely competitive mini-LED TV market Closely matches rivals’ prices Potential for discounts The Omni Mini-LED enters a highly competitive mini-LED TV market dominated by Samsung, Hisense and TCL, and also competes with budget models from Roku. Its primary rival is arguably the Hisense U7N, which delivers similar features and performance and has very similar prices. For the 55-inch model I tested, we’ve seen the U7N average about $598.99 / £699.99, and it has gone as low as $480 in Black Friday sales. But the Omni Mini-LED has already hit $699.99 / £749.99 only months after release, and as an Amazon product, it has the potential to drop lower during Prime Day and Black Friday. The Omni Mini-LED is a solid TV for the money, offering good performance and many features that will please most TV buyers. It doesn’t quite beat the Hisense U7N in terms of value, but that could all change come Prime Day. Value score: 4 / 5 Should you buy the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV? (Image credit: Future) Swipe to scroll horizontally Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV Attributes Notes Rating Features A good range of features for gaming, with good overall picture quality 4.5/5 Picture quality Colorful, detailed and with surprisngly good contrast, but suffers with dark tones – even in the most accurate picture mode 4/5 Sound quality Accurate placement and sense of direction, but feels narrow and limited 3.5/5 Design High feet allow space for soundbar, but design is very standard-issue 4/5 Smart TV and menus Fire TV runs mostly smoothly but with some stutter. Plenty of customization available in picture settings 4/5 Gaming Good stock of gaming features such as 4K 120Hz, VRR and Dolby Vision gaming with solid performance 4.5/5 Value Competitive mini-LED market, but well priced and lots of potential for discounts 3/5 Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… Also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 Amazon Omni Mini-LED Hisense U7N Amazon Omni QLED Samsung QN90D Price (55-inch) $699/£749/about AU$1,110 $599/£699/AU$1,195 $439/£549/about AU$699 $1,199 / £1,099 / AU$2,995 Screen type Mini-LED Mini-LED QLED Mini-LED Refresh rate 144Hz 144Hz 60Hz 144Hz HDR support Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG HDR10+/HDR10/HLG Smart TV Fire TV Google TV (US/Aus) VIDAA (UK) Fire TV Tizen HDMI ports 4 (2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0) 4x HDMI 2.1 4x HDMI 2.0 4x HDMI 2.1 How I tested the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV Tested in light light-controlled environment Used SDR and HDR sources for testing picture quality Measurements were taken using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software (Image credit: Future) To test the Amazon Omni Mini-LED, I first conducted casual viewing to establish the TV’s most accurate picture mode. In this case, it was Filmmaker Mode, which I used to carry out both subjective and objective testing. For subjective testing, I used reference scenes from both SDR sources, such as HD streaming and broadcast TV, as well as 4K Blu-ray and streaming HDR sources. I tested the Omni Mini-LED’s color, contrast, detail, motion handling, and black levels. Some of the same reference scenes were also used to test the Omni Mini-LED’s built-in audio quality. I also tested the Omni Mini-LED’s gaming features and performance using an Xbox Series X. For objective testing, I took measurements of the Omni Mini-LED’s brightness, color and grayscale accuracy, and HDR color gamut coverage. The measurements were taken using a colorimeter, test pattern generator and Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. Brightness measurements were taken using both SDR and HDR white window patterns, ranging in size from 1-100% with a focus on 10% (peak brightness) and 100% (fullscreen brightness). Color and grayscale accuracy were taken in SDR, using Delta E values, looking for a score below 3. HDR color gamut coverage was measured for the BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces. For input lag testing, measured in milliseconds, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester.