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Orbitsound BAR A70 Sound Bar With Air sound (aptX Bluetooth)

£9.9£99Clearance
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The four speaker drivers at the front handle the bulk of the sound – speech, effects, music etc – while two spatial drivers located in the end panels ‘bounce’ sound around the room, theoretically resulting in a spacious, enveloping soundstage no matter where you sit. Inside the wireless subwoofer is a 6.5in bass driver and total power output is quoted as 300W. However, airSOUND is a more of an acquired taste when playing music. The side drivers tend to over-emphasise treble, which makes percussive instruments like hi-hats and tambourines a little too prominent – and you can’t turn it off either.

Setup is easy. Just place the soundbar on your TV stand, hook up the optical cable and away you go – just make sure your TV’s SPDIF output is set to ‘PCM’ and not bitstream. Connectivity is straightforward, with an optical and 3.5mm the only physical inputs. There are no HDMI inputs, but the optical connections work perfectly well plugged straight to your TV. But for greater flexibility, it’s worth noting that price rivals such as Yamaha YSP-1600 and Sony HT-RT5 offer HDMI connections. Verdict With its luxurious build quality, simple operation and big, enveloping sound, the M10 is a fine soundbar for the money. Its performance is dynamic without sounding brash, with lots of top-end detail and deep, punchy bass. It would have been nice to have a display on the front to show the input/mode currently in use. There are telltale lights on the top of the unit, but you need to be very close to see which one is lit.If only the quality of Orbitsound service was aligned with the quality of its products, it would be a best in class company. Unfortunately it is not. In practice there’s a decent sense of width and openess to the sound – you can hear it trying to fling sound effects far and wide. But, as with many processing technologies, don’t be fooled into thinking the M9 is any kind of substitute for proper surround sound. The M10 does a decent job with music, offering a nice balance across the frequency range, incisive high frequencies, natural-sounding voices and nimble bass work. In terms of drivers, two 2-inch midrange drivers flank a tweeter behind the central speaker grille with side-firing neodymium drivers at each end delivering spatial detail. They’re driven by digital amplifiers with a hi-fi analogue crossover, offering a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario, according to Orbitsound. Power output is quoted as 300W.

When you combine Bluetooth with NFC, streaming your music becomes easier than ever. Rather than having to pair your mobile device with the soundbar, you simply swipe it alongside. Once connected, you can stream music stored on your smartphone/tablet or stream your favourite music services, such as Spotify or Deezer. Spin some music over Bluetooth or through the auxiliary input and the speakers display a fine sense of rhythm and timing. Rihanna’s Don’t Stop the Music flows with pace and a decent sense of panache. The A70 is a decent step above Orbitsound’s previous efforts. There are rivals such as Yamaha that offer a bigger and better surround sound, but the A70’s punchy dynamics, solid presentation and crisp way with voices is exciting.

At the other end of the spectrum the M10 digs out lots of detail and conveys action effects with plenty of bite. There’s a crisp leading edge to rifle blasts and the delicate tinkle of shattering car windscreens is beautifully clear. The tone is easy on the ear, not sharp and abrasive like some soundbars, although when pushed to high volumes it’s not entirely comfortable with some the scene’s more aggressive effects. The overall effect is incredible. Standing to the side of the speakers produces clear audio and eliminates the need to stand in the ‘sweet spot’ in front of the speakers. In fact, you can see this in action, but turning off the side speakers using the switch on the rear and listening to the more muffled tone music takes when you’re not straight-on to the speakers. The side speakers are particularly good for parties, as you can easily fill a room with clear audio. Setting up the A70 couldn’t be easier, one of the benefits of a single-cable optical connection. The bar nestles nicely in front of our 55in set, although the size difference did look a little odd – aesthetically, it’s better suited to TVs between 32 and 42in. There’s a learning remote function, which allows you to control volume using your existing TV remote. Panasonic TVs aren’t currently supported but it works with Sony, LG and Samsung sets. Orbitsound A70 airSOUND Bar – Performance

The M10 is another impressive soundbar from the Orbitsound stable, boasting a delectable design, easy operation and room-filling sound.

My TV does not seem to have the right output

A couple of minor complaints to report – the unit hesitates briefly after remote commands and there’s no visual aid when tweaking the levels, apart from the LED flashing briefly. It’s all done by ear. Orbitsound M10 – Performance Already highly regarded for their Spatial Sound Technology (SST), the Orbitsound BAR A70 uses two 'spatial' drive units mounted at the sides and Airsound technology to reflect sound around the room. Unlike some other systems, everybody gets the best seat in the house with the BAR A70. In addition to this, a further speaker array in the centre provides crisp dialogue and fantastic detail. The buttons are responsive, and you can also tweak the bass and treble levels of the A70. Small dots on the right side of the bar show just how far up or down the tonal controls go. The display also shows which input you’re using (in very small letters).

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