TCL Q6310 Soundbar Evaluate: Strong Sound, Uninspiring

Swapping between the bar’s a number of inputs is barely extra intuitive, with a special LED coloration assigned to every enter: HDMI ARC glows magenta, optical is yellow, the analog enter is inexperienced, and the USB enter is cyan. This coloration coding has change into extra frequent in A/V gear of late, normally seen in lively/powered bookshelf audio system just like the KEF LSX II the place house is at a premium. Within the Q6310’s case, the bar’s center-channel speaker seemingly takes up the true property a standard digital show would possibly inhabit.

One other seemingly motive TCL punts on the visible show is that, as a Roku TV Prepared soundbar, the Q6310 is designed to assist you to management and alter some settings instantly from a Roku-powered sensible TV. That performance stems from a protracted partnership between the 2 manufacturers, with Roku taking the reins because the sensible interface in lots of TCL TVs (although TCL now appears to favor Google TV for its extra premium fashions).

{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata

In case you don’t have a Roku-powered TV, TCL’s app makes controlling the bar’s sound modes, quantity, and different settings a lot simpler by way of an iPhone or Android system. Different app settings embody a Night time Mode to maintain the dynamics in test when the household’s asleep, a Dialogue Improve characteristic, and digital encompass sound management.

There’s additionally a calibration characteristic, AI Sonic, which makes use of your telephone’s microphone to regulate the sound to your room, à la Sonos. That’s a powerful inclusion at this value, however the setup expertise is sort of loud and I couldn’t hear a lot of a distinction as soon as completed.

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{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata

My first thought once I began evaluating the Q6310 was that it doesn’t sound significantly better than a whole lot of high-end TVs I’ve auditioned this 12 months. The sound is obvious and ahead, particularly for dialogue, however there’s a brittle, metallic high quality to the midrange and treble registers that may really feel as skinny because the soundbar appears. To be honest, a whole lot of pricier TVs as of late are outfitted with a number of audio system like soundbars are, so evaluating the 2 isn’t as huge of a diss because it as soon as was.