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 grow to be 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 conventional digital show would possibly inhabit.
One other seemingly motive TCL punts on the visible show is that, as a Roku TV Ready soundbar, the Q6310 is designed to mean you can management and modify some settings instantly from a Roku-powered sensible TV. That performance stems from an extended 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 the event 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 through an iPhone or Android machine. Different app settings embody a Evening Mode to maintain the dynamics in examine 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 cellphone’s microphone to regulate the sound to your room, à la Sonos. That’s a powerful inclusion at this worth, however the setup expertise is kind of loud and I couldn’t hear a lot of a distinction as soon as completed.
Aluminum Punch
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
My first thought once I began evaluating the Q6310 was that it doesn’t sound a lot better than quite a lot of high-end TVs I’ve auditioned this yr. 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, quite a lot of pricier TVs today are outfitted with a number of audio system like soundbars are, so evaluating the 2 isn’t as large of a diss because it as soon as was.
