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There are some basic controls on the top for power, source and volume up/down. There also a proper LED display that clearly shows useful information such as the source, volume, audio format and sound mode. It makes a refreshing change from no display at all or a complex combinations of lights that has you reaching for the manual in frustration. The bar is small but perfectly formed and a big step up from your TV’s audio output when it comes to detail, mid-range positivity and crisp articulation of higher frequencies. The accompanying subwoofer, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally, delivers a hearty low-end punch while remaining controlled and rhythmically astute. Dialogue is particularly well-handled, with voices proving characterful and nuanced even during the most hectic on-screen action. Connectivity is decent too, with Bluetooth support in addition to a pleasing number of physical options, including HDMI (ARC). The downward-firing subwoofer sits on sturdy rubber feet that provide a good degree of support and isolation, and at the rear there’s a bass port for added low-end impact. The sub’s design mirrors the soundbar, and the two should pair automatically when you first set them up. If they don’t, there’s a pairing button at the rear of the sub. The Dolby Atmos decoding is often impressive, placing effects around the front of the room with an exacting precision. The disembodied voices at the start of Mad Max: Fury Road are particularly effective, floating in a definable three dimensional sound field. The upward-firing drivers certainly work, bouncing sounds off the ceiling and creating the illusion there are speakers above you. Watching the start of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, there’s a palpable thud as massive spaceships break through the atmosphere above your head.
If you don't care about Dolby Atmos at all, we'd suggest the cheaper Sonos Beam as your starting point, and you can add two Sonos One SL speakers as rear speakers for surround when you're ready. While we weren’t blown away by the HTB490’s overall sonic performance, its wireless subwoofer delivers the best bass response of any cheap soundbar we’ve tested. Low-end frequencies are handled with precision and there’s plenty of power too, with the sub putting out 160W in addition to the 80W amplification for each of the soundbar’s full-range drivers. Cinematic action sequences benefit tremendously from the subwoofer’s impressive impact and this is particularly evident at higher volumes, at which the HTB490 is very capable of filling a medium-sized room.The Sharp HT-SBW800 delivers an enjoyably expansive soundstage that extends above and either side of your TV. The bigger your screen, the more effective the performance feels, although anyone looking to beef up their TV audio is sure to be pleased by this capable soundbar system. Sound quality is impressive too, with virtual surround sound reasonably effective given the limitations of a 2.0-channel setup and plenty of ways to customise your audio experience. That customisation extends to the Katana SE’s LED lighting too, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but is an essential inclusion for some gamers. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that, with the port stuffed, this is one of the best-sounding soundbars I’ve ever heard at this price. It’s musical and very detailed, and there’s plenty of scale. Even the bar’s virtual surround-sound mode, designed to add width to non-surround-sound material, works quite well, adding a sense of space and depth that wasn’t there before. Should I buy the Sharp HT-SBW460? There’s no DTS support, though; instead, when this type of signal is detected the soundbar switches into PCM audio mode and downmixes the signal to stereo. The other two sound modes are less impressive, but useful nonetheless. The processing-free Pure setting delivers audio as intended by its creator, while Night mode decreases the dynamic range to improve low-volume listening. There are also three dialogue enhancement options available, all of which successfully accentuate speech.
The subwoofer sits on large rubber feet, and sports a downward-firing driver with a bass port for more low-end effect. The overall design mirrors that of the soundbar, and the two should pair automatically when you first set them up. If not, there’s a pairing button at the rear of the sub. Sharp HT-SBW800 features – Home theatre in a box The Sharp HT-SBW460 might be small but it’s surprisingly well equipped when it comes to physical connectivity. On the rear in a small cubby hole are three HDMI ports – two inputs and one ARC-enabled output, all 4K enabled – plus an optical S/PDIF input, a USB-A port and one analogue 3.5mm AUX input.
Equalizer for different Sound Modes
Still, this does at least make it super easy to set up the Sharp HT-SBW460. Once you’ve hooked up your HDMI inputs and outputs, and positioned the subwoofer, there’s no further setup required. Although the bar supports a fair few surround-sound standards – including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital – you don’t need to do anything to enable them. The bar will simply switch into the most appropriate mode automatically, indicating which type of connection it’s using clearly on the LED display. While these new soundbars aren’t quite the cheapest out there, they are among the more affordable available, especially when you consider some of the higher end options on the market.
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