Obviously the term ‘good enough’ is highly
subjective. For the most part, though, we’d
say that no, with a few honourable exceptions
the sound built into TVs isn’t good enough.
At least in the long term. Despite the quality of
TV sound improving gradually overall over the
past couple of years.
Getting good quality sound out of TVs has
been an issue ever since the industry moved to
LCD and OLED technologies. These flat screen
formats just don’t provide enough physical
room for the sort of large, spacious speaker
designs usually associated with good sound
quality. And nor, in most cases, do the speakers
in modern TVs face directly forward, giving
their sound a slightly swallowed, dislocated
effect. The move towards ever-bigger screen
sizes has given TV sound designers a bit more
space to work with. Unfortunately, though, as
pictures have got bigger and better, the relative
smallness has become more noticeable.
Innovations such as Sony’s Acoustic Surface
system, which uses the screen on its OLED TVs
as a forward-facing speaker and the external
speaker ‘bars’ on Philips’ high-end TVs ensure
there are a few premium TV options there that
AV fans may feel happy to stick with as one-box
solutions. Many TVs now boast Dolby Atmos
sound, too. We’ve heard plenty of evidence,
though, to show that carrying Dolby Atmos
decoding is not by any means an automatic sign
of great TV sound quality.
For most, even if they’re prepared to make do
with a new TV’s integrated sound system for a
while until their finances have recovered from
the TV hit, putting up with a lopsided picture
and sound experience will likely make adding a
soundbar or some other external audio solution
feel necessary sooner or later.IS BUILT-IN TV
SOUND GOOD
ENOUGH?
SONY XR-65A95K
The 6 5A95K is the world’s first Quantum Dot OLED TV, combining the self-emitting
pixels of OLED screens (with source light provided by blue phosphors) and the
potentially purer colours associated with layers of red and green Quantum Dots.
This approach avoids the white element normal OLEDs need, meaning bright colours
look more vibrant and natural. All while the self-emitting pixels simultaneously deliver
immaculate dark colours and detailing.
The 6 5A95K’s new capabilities are fully exploited by Sony’s Cognitive XR processor,
while the next-gen pictures are joined by impactful and well-rounded sound courtesy of
Sony’s Acoustic Surface technology, where the screen itself becomes a speaker system.
£3,799, sony.co.ukLG OLED77G2
Spending more gets you bigger screens, or better screens. Or, in the case of the dazzling
OLED77G2, both. LG’s G 2 OLED range for 2022 stands out from its 2021 predecessor
and this year’s step-down C2 models by including a heat sink in its design. This helps the
OLED77G 2 produce pictures that enjoy significantly more brightness.
The new brightness is achieved with no compromise to OLED’s beloved contrast and
black-level talents, either. In fact, film and gaming fans alike should be warned that the
experience of seeing this much picture precision and punch on a screen as big as a
77-inch one is so spectacular that you might never want to leave the house again.
£4,499.99, lg.com
JUNE 2022 T 3 37
TopTVs for everybudget