TCL A65K soundbar review: Small size, big sound

But overall power output isn’t bad. In Maggie Rogers’ “Want Want”, I was affected by the annoying guttural sound thanks to the sub. On Ex-Vöid’s “So Neurotic,” I was expecting complete mush when the guitars cross, but it’s loud, clear, and clear. “Spangled” by Fust had a bone-crunching bass sound coming through the sub as well.

Games, sports and news

Photo: John Brandon

For video games, the lack of room-filling surround sound becomes even more noticeable. Similar to movies and shows, the game Forza Horizon 6 It’s supposed to blast you with engine and exhaust sounds, but it seemed too thin and not wide enough. Granted, this game doesn’t take advantage of Dolby Atmos enough, but I wasn’t a fan of it overall Gravity.

That is until I tested it Aura: Endless. Laser blasts, screaming aliens, and loud explosions seem to come from at least a few different corners of the room. I still miss the cacophony of Atmos-powered sound coming from high-end speakers like the Sonos Arc.

I turned to sports for a while, watching the NBA playoffs using the YouTube TV app. The announcers were easy to hear, but the crowd noise was more like a low hum, almost like a noise generator was being used. What you want is to feel like you are at the match and can hear people screaming and screaming during the live stream. However, the news program on my local Fox station sounded clear and distinct. This isn’t surprising since the A65K certainly has enough power and outstanding audio drivers, even if the surround sound is average.

In the end, I felt the TCL A65K lived up to my expectations. It’s small enough to place on the kitchen counter or near a smaller TV. Its price is much lower than high-end models that already provide room-filling home theater surround sound. Many of the music tracks I played to test sounded pleasant enough if not thunderous and room-filling. If your goal is to save space and not break the bank, the TCL A65K is a compact, feature-rich option.