JOE got our hands on the Toshiba mini 3D soundbar, plugged in and sat back to enjoy some quality sound
We're more than willing to admit that for some reason, we really want a sound bar to improve the quality of ear noise that we get from our TV.
As fancy tellies get slimmer and slimmer, the quality of speakers that can be built in also suffers, in particular if you have a small screen or a second TV somewhere in the house, maybe for gaming or watching the sports when the boss or other half has control of the remote.
With the Toshiba SBM 1W, more catchily named as the mini 3D soundbar, we had exactly the device we were looking for, and at just under €120, the price was most certainly right.
Out of the box, it comes with everything except an optical cable, but we happened to have one lying around the house from our mini disc days (that's what the kids thought was the next big thing in between CDs and Mp3s, in case you don't remember) and hooked it up to our TV, although we could also have put it straight into the Blu-ray player without need for the optical cable.
We sat down to watch the first
Star Trek again before catching
Into Darkness, and figured a big action sci-fi movie was going to be the best place to give this new gadget a test run. It didn't disappoint. It was loud, the bass was powerful and the 3D sound option gave a pretty decent effect of spreading around the room, which was impressive for the fact that this machine is not big by any stretch of the imagination.
That in itself was a plus point, seeing as you will more than likely be trying to fit this in next to or under your TV, and it was more than handy for that.
What we particularly liked about it was the fact that it was also had Bluetooth, which made a massive difference. We've said it before and we'll say it again, anything that can remove wires from our lives is pretty fantastic, and we're happy to recommend it almost on that basis alone.
This added bonus did allow us to take it up to our room, and switch straight from what we were listening to on our smartphones for the journey home from work, to having it effortlessly play to the soundbar once we got in the door. This meant we could sort ourselves out, cook our dinner or do whatever we needed, and still keep up with all our podcasts or music. It also comes with a pretty handy remote so you can flick it off or adjust the volume if you're lying in bed listening to some tunes on it without having to get up.
Overall, between value for money, size, and functionality, we loved this little box, and if you're looking to give your home cinema system a boost without emptying your bank account, this is the perfect option.
