Monoprice SB-600 soundbar review: True Dolby Atmos for less
Our Verdict
The Monoprice SB-600 delivers true 5.i.two Dolby Atmos surroundings audio at a groovy price, but lacks polish.
For
- True Atmos surround sound
- Impressive bass
- Affordable
Against
- No app
- Few sound adjustment options
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Monoprice SB-600 delivers true 5.ane.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound at a corking toll, merely lacks shine.
Pros
- +
True Atmos surround sound
- +
Impressive bass
- +
Affordable
Cons
- -
No app
- -
Few sound adjustment options
The Monoprice SB-600 is immediately notable for one affair: its price. Monoprice, which started every bit a cheap identify to buy cables, now makes just about every kind of tech production and sells direct from its ain website. That helps it to keep prices low — including on its soundbars and speakers.
Monoprice SB-600 specs
Speakers: half dozen x subwoofer drivers, 2 x subwoofer tweeters, 1 10 subwoofer, ii ten satellite speakers
Ports: three.5mm aux in, optical in, coaxial in, USB in, HDMI eARC, 2 x HDMI
Wi-Fi: N/A
Size: four.3 ten 40.half-dozen x 3 inches (soundbar), xvi.5 ten 9.iv x 9.4 inches (subwoofer), 5.ix x 4.three x 2.eight inches (satellite speakers)
Weight: 8.8 pounds (soundbar), 13.2 pounds (subwoofer), 1.ane pounds (satellite speakers)
At merely $449, the SB-600 is the just Dolby Atmos soundbar in this price range that includes upfiring speakers and carve up surround speakers — two things that are essential for a great Atmos listening feel. But to get to that price, it skimps on a few things, such every bit ways to adjust the audio to your liking. Does the cost make it worth the compromises? Read our Monoprice SB-600 review to find out.
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Monoprice SB-600 review: Cost and Availability
Released in February 2021, the SB-600 sells for $449 on Monoprice.com. Information technology's too available through Walmart for $473.
Monoprice SB-600 review: Design
At twoscore.six x 4.3 x 3.0 inches, the SB-600'south master soundbar is long and a flake taller than many soundbars today. The soundbar is encased in a sturdy perforated grille — which helps account for its eight.8-pound weight. The wireless sub is as well very tall at 16.5 10 ix.4 x 9.4 inches. The wireless surrounds are fairly tiny at 5.9 x 4.three x 2.8 inches.
The SB-600 has one HDMI eARC output, which y'all tin can utilize for 1-cablevision connection to your TV. Or yous can connect via optical digital, coaxial digital or 3.5mm inputs. Information technology also has two HDMI inputs for a gaming system, settop box or other video source. The unit of measurement supports Bluetooth for wireless audio, just doesn't do Wi-Fi, so at that place's no congenital-in streaming services or digital administration.
The SB-600 features an LED brandish on the front that shows the current input. The display switches if you change the volume or sound mode, just goes dorsum to showing the input later a few seconds. It can't be turned off, which can be annoying in a dark room watching a movie. The soundbar's perforated grille makes the brandish hard to read when you're off center.
The remote is packed with buttons: in addition to power, volume and inputs, you can switch sound modes, adjust treble and bass or change the surround volume. Monoprice included an pick on the remote to adjust the AV sync, which isn't something y'all should need to exercise very oft, only since there is no app for the soundbar, it's improve to have it on the remote than to not have it at all. There's also a push button for "vertical surround," which engages the peak speakers even when in that location's no Atmos point.
If you connect via HDMI eARC (or ARC, which is also uniform with the eARC port), you tin too apply your TV remote to control the volume.
Monoprice SB-600 review: Operation
The SB-600 has very proficient overall sound, with articulate voices and rich bass. It fills a room with sound, improving the experience of watching a movie or Tv show. And its Atmos functioning is also pretty impressive, especially for the cost.
While watching the 4K Blu-ray version of Fellowship of the Ring, Cate Blanchett'south opening voiceover was crisp and easy to understand, but lacked the deep resonance that other systems will commonly produce. Equally Sam soars across the screen dodging missiles during the opening scene of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the explosions sounded huge and the environs speakers made information technology experience similar the Falcon was zooming through the room. When Thor unleashed his lightning in Avengers: Infinity War, the subwoofer rumbled tightly without sounding muddy.
Dolby's "Astonish" and "Leaf" demo videos showed off the potential of the summit and surround speakers, with audio filling the room and moving effectually me. Simply the system lacks software for adjusting the sound to the room or whatever way to modify the volume level of the height speakers, which could lessen the effectiveness of the height speakers depending on your ceiling height.
The SB-600 is average for listening to music. The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" showed off the organization's strong low-end, but his vocals were depression in the mix. On Black Pumas' "Fire," the drums and bass had excellent oomph, but the horns lacked brightness and were over again depression in the mix. There's no option for turning off the surround speakers while listening to music, which contributed to the unbalanced mixes coming out of the system.
The SB-600 gets plenty loud for any size room. I measured it at 93 decibels at max book, though it distorted a bit at that level. Here's an odd quirk with the system: If you have the volume above 8 and y'all turn it off, it volition remember the volume level when you plow it dorsum on. Only if you are listening at less than 8, information technology will reset to 8 the adjacent time you lot power it upwardly — an example of some rough edges in the design of the soundbar.
Monoprice SB-600 review: Setup
I connected the SB-600 to my TV via HDMI ARC; information technology was unproblematic and quick. The soundbar powered up when I turned on the Tv.
The wireless surrounds require i to exist plugged in for power; you then connect a three.5mm cord betwixt the ii surrounds. You'll desire to carefully place those surrounds because, while you lot tin adjust the level, you can't practice information technology separately for the left and right speakers — information technology'due south the aforementioned level for both.
Since the SB-600 lacks an app or any room correction function, in that location isn't much yous can do to accommodate the audio. While you can tweak treble and bass, you lot can't modify the subwoofer level or boost any levels on the main soundbar. The lack of ways to finesse the sound prevents the arrangement from achieving its total potential.
The SB-600 has four audio modes: Movie, Music, Voice and Sports. Moving picture features the most bass; Phonation boosts the dialog at the expense of bass and midrange. Overall I found piddling difference among the modes.
Monoprice SB-600 review: Verdict
If y'all're looking for an Atmos soundbar with upfiring speakers and wireless surrounds, and you don't want to spend more than than $450, the Monoprice SB-600 is the soundbar for y'all. Literally, because it's the only one in the toll range. Across the toll, it'southward a solid overall performer, with articulate dialog and impressive bass; and you'll certainly enjoy the sound space created by a total Atmos system.
But the system's lack of polish may cause you to interruption. Whether it's the limited audio adjustments, the e'er-on and difficult-to-read display or the lack of an app, the SB-600 doesn't have the extra touches that many soundbars exercise today.
If your budget is $500 or less, yous could become with an Atmos soundbar that doesn't have upfiring speakers, such equally the Vizio M51a-H6 (which is actually cheaper than the SB-600), or skip Atmos and pick a v.1 environs soundbar similar the JBL Bar v.one Surroundings. Just then you'd miss out on the fun of hearing the full potential of Atmos. I expect more than soundbars near this price to compete with SB-600 in the future, but if you can't wait, your choice is clear.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/monoprice-sb-600-soundbar-review-true-dolby-atmos-for-less
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