I watched Avatar: Fireplace and Ash utilizing the Fandango at House app, and in a single scene, there’s an alarm chime throughout an assault sequence that fills the room. A foremost character is operating out of oxygen, and you may hear the warning beeps transfer from the facet to the middle. Even once I watched Crime 101 utilizing the Amazon Prime app, the droning synths and pounding drums sounded ultrarealistic, even in comparison with my very own floor-standing audio system. All good up to now, however I will likely be curious to get my fingers on the LG Sound Suite speakers, as a result of they’re the primary to assist Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which helps you to put audio system anyplace. With the soundbar, sub, entrance, and rear audio system, the LG system may very well be a prime decide for its distinctive function, simply because the Mu-so Hekla is for its one-box setup.
For motion pictures, the Mu-so Hekla may even change an AV receiver in case you are space-constrained. I hate operating speaker wire all over the place, so a stand-alone speaker does have a sure enchantment. In side-by-side testing, nevertheless, a full multiple-speaker setup is extra like a movie show.
Video games, Information, Sports activities, and All the things Else
Utilizing the DirecTV streaming app, I watched a hockey recreation, a information broadcast, and several other tv reveals. Throughout the NHL recreation, I may hear the announcers even with the group noise and blaring horns. A David Muir information broadcast on ABC was additionally clear and distinct. I used to be anxious the Hekla’s full-throttle bass would overwhelm these broadcasts, however it was extra subdued and made the primary middle vocals sound clear.
For video games, I felt Forza Horizon 5 was not as convincing for {surround} sound as the films and reveals. You’ll count on to listen to automobiles zooming by on the facet and rear channels because of the audio drivers, however it didn’t really feel like I used to be transported to the racetrack. My present gaming obsession, Crimson Desert, additionally didn’t blow me away with surround-sound audio, though the sweeping epic rating of that recreation sounded a lot better than the Sony Bravia Theater System 6 soundbar, particularly at full quantity.
Motion pictures are particularly designed for Dolby Atmos, although, so it’s not a shock that the video games I examined didn’t create a cocoon of {surround} sound. In truth, that’s the primary takeaway right here: The Mu-so Hekla soundbar is my prime decide for motion pictures and Atmos albums as a stand-alone speaker. The Cambridge Audio Evo One is a greater stand-alone speaker for music. For those who add a number of audio system and a sub to the Sonos Arc Extremely, the worth is roughly the identical because the Mu-so Hekla, and the Atmos {surround} sound is comparable in general high quality. For those who’re tight on area or need the absolute best Atmos expertise from one speaker, the Mu-so Hekla is the best choice.
Observe that this soundbar is presently solely out there via Focal sellers; you could possibly order it over the cellphone, however it’s higher to go to an area showroom and hear for your self.
