SOUNDBARS/SOUNDBASES
NOT A BAD SHOUT AT
ALL
JBL Boost TV £170 FOR Compact build; engaging dynamics; tonally balanced
AGAINST Rivals have more bass; not very expansive
Nowadays there’s no excuse for having dire TV sound. If you don’t have the room for a surround-sound package, you simply look to a soundbar (or soundbase) solution. But what if you can’t accommodate a bulky box or external subwoofer? Before now, we might have shrugged our shoulders and said ‘tough’. But then here comes this über-compact JBL, 38cm wide, fitting comfortably inside the waistband of a 32in telly.
While the dual bass ports bookending the chassis are handy for picking it up, their primary purpose is to lend a helping hand to the bass drivers.
Backed in black Essentially, it’s a soundbar-cum-wireless speaker, with optical and 3.5mm inputs (cables for both are included) and Bluetooth connectivity. But while JBL has downsized and scaled back on price here, it hasn’t reined in the features. There’s SoundShift technology, which automatically takes over music playback when it detects a Bluetooth-paired device, so you can get your fix without switching inputs. JBL Connect lets it pair with another Boost TV or a Flip 3, Pulse 2 or Xtreme wireless speaker too. In keeping with JBL’s design language, it’s essentially an elongated, capsuleshaped version of the Flip 3, solidly built and wrapped in tightly woven material. Unlike other JBL products, this one comes only in black.
Beyond its dimensions It might be obvious from its diminutive size, but the Boost TV will hardly knock your socks off beneath a big telly or in a sizable room. When it comes to spread of sound and bass levels, it would be the runt in most soundbar circles. But the JBL does its best to push sound beyond its puny dimensions, and it shows, its soundfield readily exceeding the physical parameters of the 42in screen we pair it with. Just be aware that in sonically dense scenes – rowdy crowds or battle scenes, say – the JBL’s soundfield can sound a bit congested. Its low end is hardly timid: there’s clunk behind iron doors, texture to chugging jeeps, and an assured presence to the soundtrack’s drubbing drums. Playing Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, the Edifier CineSound B7 shows it can catapult sound much further, and its external sub gets under the ape’s stomps and the thud of collapsing buildings more convincingly too. The JBL compensates elsewhere: tonal balance, for one (goodbye tinny sound),
★★ ★ ★ ★ KEY FEATURES
BLUETOOTH
INPUTS: OPTICAL, 3.5mm
DIMENSIONS: 8 X 38 X 12cm
dynamics another. It has the range and elasticity to communicate the peaks and troughs of the fiery, pounding instrumentals, and the drive and agility to keep them charging vividly alongside the on-screen action. Mids are crisp and clear, with gunshots and chimps’ cries dense yet piercing. At higher volumes the Boost TV can feel the pressure, though, hardening up a little. Voices don’t need any encouragement, all confidently projected with clarity and insight. There’s conviction in Caesar’s voice, reassurance in our protagonist’s, and echo to Gary Oldman’s delivery as he speaks through the PA. While the JBL Boost TV’s expanse of sound and low-end power are second best to a lot of larger budget soundbar rivals, it offers a considerable improvement over many when it comes to dynamics, detail and clarity – and for that, £170 seems reasonable. If you’re tight on space or have a compact set-up, this soundbar isn’t a bad shout at all.
says
RATING ★★ ★★ ★ SOUND FEATURES
The Boost TV is a capsule-shaped version of JBL’s Flip 3, but this one comes only in black
38 www.whathifi.com
BUILD
VERDICT The JBL Boost TV is a talented soundbar-cum-wireless speaker that will suit anyone short on space and budget