Review Details

AB40 High Performance Soundbase

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on December 11, 2018):

It took me a while to get my expectations in check for my 'soundbar' hunt. I have an aged and bulky 5.1 system and didn't enjoy the wires and was looking to streamline the AV in the living room. Weak center channel presence plagued my surround sound enjoyment in the past.A strong vocal emphasis and clarity were important deciding factors for this unit over other bars/bases--in that regard, it hasn't disappointed. However listening for bright highs/realistic surround sound queues does cause some anxiety but I invariably find myself just enjoying the movie watching experience.To clarify expectations:This unit is not a surround sound unit. Don't expect that level of immersion. If that's what you're after, short of a dedicated home theater, don't stop for anything short of a bar + sub + rear speaker combo.This unit is not a soundbar + external sub setup. If you want bright highs and booming lows this unit is not for you.What to expect with the low-end: It lacks the boom (audibly and felt) in the low range of a lot of explosion type scenes that an external sub can produce. It does get low and will satisfy and impress in a lot of ways (low end bass included) but there will be scenes (1 or 2 per movie) where you wish this unit had an external sub. That said, I plan to use an rca to stereo jack from a blueray player as an input for an external sub with its own amp and crossover as an add-on sub for dvd watching. I'm not sure why this wasn't mentioned in other reviews (perhaps because it's source specific). However, if a dedicated home theater rig isn't your reference point/expectation, this will delight you as is and rarely miss an external sub.In regards to sound quality, sonically, I can't imagine your typical wall mount soundbar sounding as present/full across the dynamic range. Dialog is excellent and clear...too much so if you're expecting a surround sound experience....which is to say that it's not as bright and boomy as I've been accustomed too....I suspect this is why other reviewers wished (rightly?) for a basic treble/bass eq on the remote. The music I played sounded crystal clear w/ satisfactory low end for music like Bastille and Ed Sheeran but was really lacking /absent for the Drake a buddy was streaming (possibly a source material issue) and even some of the rap music that played in movie soundtracks.If you would at all benefit from this form factor (under the tv)/14' deep soundbase to put somewhere -- i.e. never a wall mount contender....this soundbase is for you. I have a contemporary entertainment center that can house a 65' tv. The soundbase form factor wasn't a problem for this setup...in fact, my 55' tv viewing angle/picture quality improved dramatically with the 4' height boost.Nitpicking/Other observations: [Watching a 2006 dvd Casino Royale had a strange ribbon printer noise all throughout and had trouble with some of the higher french horn sounds...and watching The Last Warrior from the redbox had a consistent high frequency static noise that sounded like a faulty tweeter. I can only assume it had to do with the source material recordings because listening to other movies/music in the past few days has been consistently flawless.In full disclosure, I was considering both this unit and the JBL Bar 3.1 for Black Friday. Despite the JBL going from $600 to $400 and this unit only going from $250 to $200 (I believe this is correct)...I chose and pulled the trigger on the Fluance. My dad had called and I explained that my moral dilemma was over (with hours left in Black Friday). An audio enthusiast himself, he consoled me with the proposition: 'Get both and I'll take the one you don't want'. The JBL Bar 3.1 is sitting at work. I'll update once I've had a chance to audition it as well.