Not everyone has the space or the budget (or both) for a full-blown surround sound system, complete with A/V receiver and five or more different speakers. Frankly, some people really don't need it. However, that doesn't make using those teeny, tinny TV speakers right. Instead, there are plenty of soundbars out there from which to choose.
A well-designed soundbar can pack respectable sound into a much smaller, simpler (and often less expensive) package. Boston Acoustics has offered a few soundbar solutions over the years. One of the latest, as well as the least expensive, in the company's TVee line is the TVee Model 25.
The Model 25 is currently the entry-level model of the TVee line, with the TVee Model 30 being the higher-end unit. With an MSRP of $349.99, the TVee Model 25 offers a simple way to deliver better sound than what your TV can provide. Even better, it adds in bass via a wireless subwoofer. Whether you need an extra boost in the bedroom, basement, or even the living room, this is a pretty easy way to get it.
Meet the Model 25
At just 5 pounds, the TVee Model 25's soundbar is pretty lightweight. Inside, the unit features two 1.5-by-6-inch drivers. Despite the promise of 150 watts of power, it doesn't have the same girth as a full speaker setup, or even some of the soundbars we've seen. However, it does make for a pain-free setup, in more ways than one.
The front of the bar is clean, with a single Boston Acoustics logo in the center and six buttons on the right. Each button offers a single control feature. There are separate buttons for volume up and down, as well as mute and power. There's also another button to switch inputs, with the last allowing the listener to flip between music and movie modes.
The view around back is equally straightforward. There's the power input and a power switch, as well as analog audio inputs and three toggle switches. One sets the soundbar's location, for table or wall mounting. The second selects the "channel" to match the soundbar up with the wireless subwfoofer's signal. The last is the Trim Level, which allows you to adjust the input sensitivity. Besides the power, the most important item on the back of this unit is the optical input, which is tucked away on the side of the recessed area where the rest of the inputs are located. As a nice bonus, Boston Acoustics has included the optical cable, so you can opt for this high quality digital audio connection right out of the box.
That optical connector is the way to go, for all of your Dolby Digital needs. Forget about DTS, though; this soundbar doesn't offer support for that audio format, even though it's found in some flavor on most new Blu-ray releases. Of course, there are options to get sound from DTS soundtracks on DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. You can use the analog outputs of your player or you can set your player to output DTS soundtracks in two-channel surround encoded PCM sound. It won't be discrete surround, but then, this is a soundbar, after all; not a discrete 5.1 channel solution. For regular TV viewing, you'll be fine using either the optical or the analog inputs.
If all of your sources -- your cable box, Blu-ray or DVD player, etc. -- have HDMI outputs, then the simplest way to hook it all up will be to connect them all to your TV using HDMI cables, then connect your TV's fiberoptic digital output to the soundbar. The TV will automatically output a PCM 2.0 digital signal, which is fully compatible with the soundbar. Some TVs even allow Dolby Digital 5.1 pass-through so you can preserve that original bitstream all the way through to the soundbar (check your TV's manual or setup menus for details).
Now, just one more little thing about that front grille. It seems a bit flimsy, like it could snap off if you push one of the control buttons too hard. That is a distinct possibility, too, particularly if you don't read our "Where's the Remote?" section below and you assume that you need to use those front-panel buttons for everything. The slightly cheesy grille doesn't alter the soundbar's performance in any way, but it does seem out of character for a piece of BA gear (particularly once you hear the sound). That grille also makes those same buttons seem more flush than they should be.
To provide low end oomph, the TVee Model 25 also includes a wireless powered subwoofer which sports a 6-inch downward-firing bass driver. Packing in BassTrac circuitry, this unit makes having a subwoofer a no-brainer. Don't want the sub near the rest of your gear? No problem! This little guy is wireless (except the power cord, of course). He's also compact enough to stuff into most spaces. The back has a volume control and a power switch. Match up the aforementioned wireless channel on the soundbar, plug the thing in, and you should be ready to rock -- with bass!
Where's the Remote?
It seems like every piece of electronics comes with its own remote these days. Not the TVee Model 25. Boston Acoustics believes that you don't need another dedicated remote cluttering up the coffee table. While we can certainly agree, we sort of missed having that extra control option when it wasn't an option.
That also means that before you do anything, you're going to want to disable your TV's speakers. Otherwise, you're going to drive yourself completely bananas by cranking the soundbar and those (presumably) crappy TV speakers -- the ones you're trying to get away from, remember?
Boston Acoustics allows you to use your existing TV or set-top box remote in place of having yet another remote clog in between the couch cushions. The process is simple enough: Simultaneously push the power and volume up buttons on the speaker until you see the orange light. From there, push the volume up button on your TV, cable or satellite remote until that speaker light goes green. Repeat for other buttons, such as volume down, mute, and more.
Sounds simple enough, right? Not exactly. Programming volume up was absolutely a breeze. When it came to volume down and mute, we just couldn't get that orange light to come back. It got to the point where we were getting the button imprint in our thumb. This was slightly frustrating, to say the least. After a quick web search, we found that the manual wasn't exactly clear. You must push that volume up button every time, even when programming down, mute, or whatever. The second button-push is when you pick the one you're programming. Aha!
The Wow Factor
As soon as the TVee Model 25 was set up, we got a huge burst of sound. It was quite impressive, and seemed to cover a lot of our living room. In fact, we had to check some of our wall-mounted speakers, just to make sure that they weren't plugged in; the soundfield actually seemed that wide.
To start off our testing, we popped in the recent Blu-ray release of The Lion King and chose the soundbar's Movie Mode. The opening "Circle of Life" number sounded quite thunderous. The instruments were bold and there was a strong bass presence. That said, the vocals seemed to get a little drowned out. We went back and played the same scene using the Music Mode, with similar results. "Hakuna Matata" faired much better, though, probably because the vocals are more of a main focus in the song. We were also pleasantly surprised at how well the soundbar delivered some of the more action-packed scenes, as well as the deep vocals of Jeremy Irons' evil Scar.
Next, we popped in a few CDs. First up was Nirvana's Unplugged in New York. The instruments and vocals were noticably flatter than we've experienced with a full set of speakers. That said, we were still impressed. Next, we enjoyed rocking out to Rush. Um, who doesn't? (Don't answer that.) We tried Johnny Cash, the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and even some George Clinton for good measure. The soundbar kept our modest room filled with sound throughout an afternoon cleaning session, and beyond. Without a doubt, the TVee Model 25 can pump out some pretty full sound -- at least as full as we'd expect from a one-speaker setup. Even the floor was shaking, with some decent bass effects.
Finally, we flipped back over to our DISH Network ViP722k HD DVR. Regular TV viewing is really where the TVee Model 25 excelled. It provided a nice soundtrack for sports, movies, and the news. It's an easy, obvious upgrade over what our Panasonic plasma TV typically provides. Without a doubt, the TVee Model 25 delivers, as advertised. Isn't it nice when that happens?
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Final Thoughts
If you're looking for fully discrete 5.1 channel surround sound, you won't find it with the TVee Model 25 -- or really any other one-piece soundbar, for that matter. Sorry folks, but all of the manufacturer claims in the AV world aren't going to make the soundbar category into something that magical. That said, the TVee Model 25 is certainly a nice step up for people wanting a better overall viewing experience, whether in the living room, basement, bedroom, or all of the above. Wherever you decide to stuff it, this model is probably best suited for smaller installations. There are soundbars that can pack in a bigger, better sound, but good luck finding such a mythical beast at this price.
Manufacturer's Specs:
Manufacturer's Contact Information:
D & M Holdings/Boston Acoustics
300 Jubilee Drive
Peabody, MA 01960
Phone: 800-288-6148
Website: www.bostonacoustics.com
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