Face it. TV speakers suck. Fortunately, soundbars have come a long way over the years. Now, Atlantic Technology wants to take the category a step further with the H-PAS PowerBar 235.
Designed to be a true one-box solution, this soundbar doesn't really need a companion subwoofer. Instead, the two-channel powered soundbar uses something called H-PAS bass technology to deliver bass response down to 47 Hz at -3dB. What does this mean to you? Great sound from your TV, with excellent bass extension, without the need to buy a receiver, or even a separate subwoofer. The H-PAS technology, amplification and digital surround processing are all completely contained inside this single 42-by-5.25-by-5.75-inch cabinet.
Like most soundbars, the H-PAS PowerBar 235 can be wall-mounted right under an HDTV or inverted for shelf or stand mounting. To make placement even easier, the control panel display can be electronically rotated for correct view in either configuration. Alternate display labels are also provided for both orientations.
That H-PAS bass technology is the result of a collaborative effort between Atlantic Technology and Phil Clements of Solus/Clements Loudspeakers. Promising a deep bass response with low distortion, Atlantic is planning to license the H-PAS bass technology to other manufacturers in the near future. For now, it's in the company's AT-1 floorstanding speaker, which is now available. Atlantic Technology also expects to ship a smaller AT-2 bookshelf speaker this fall, with the H-PAS PowerBar 235 coming before the end of the year.
At an exclusive press event at the CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis this week, Atlantic Technology's president Peter Tribeman said that the PowerBar 235 will be available for somewhere between $500 and $600 under the Atlantic Technology brand before the end of the year. It will also be available under the Outlaw Audio and Solus/Clements brands. Other manufacturers may soon be offering similar products.
"The H-PAS PowerBar 235 is the first sound bar where the subwoofer is truly optional," said Tribeman. "The high levels of exceptionally clean bass emanating from such a small cabinet are almost disconcerting until you get used to it. With its built-in digital amp and DSP surround processor, it sounds great as a stereo or theater system in a bedroom, dorm or small apartment."
Our editor, Chris Boylan, heard a prototype of the Powerbar 235 at the CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis and said that it produced some impressive bass, as well as nice depth and a well-defined image with excellent vocal clarity. The current version includes both an analog and digital input (fiberoptic), with decoding for Dolby Digital and PCM on the digital input. The company is considering adding a second digital audio input as well as DTS decoding before the product makes it into production.
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