Mark Craven finds this Cambridge Audio soundbase speaker plotting a clever path between bass heft and detailed highs
Soundbase speakers are such an obvious idea it's remarkable they haven't been around for longer. Take the TV audio-boosting notion of a soundbar, throw in some sizable bass drivers, build it all into a rugged but discreet enclosure, and park a flatscreen on top of it. I wish I'd thought of it myself.
Cambridge Audio's TV5 is the company's biggest and best model. Measuring 72.5cm wide and 34cm deep, its top plate is roomy enough to support the stands of all but the most largescale flatscreens, but doesn't look like overkill supporting a 32in set either. The composite wood cabinet seems sturdy, and overall build is fine.
Lift up the TV5 and you come face-to-face with a pair of 6.5in down-firing bass drivers. Remove the cloth grille from the front panel and you'll find another pair of drivers, in this instance 2.25in BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) units that promise good off-axis performance thanks to wide dispersion characteristics. Powering this 2.1 configuration is a 100W amplifier, which in the numbers game isn't the highest figure around. But it's not what you've got but what you do with it that counts.
Bonus features are few and far between, but that's par for the soundbase course. The TV5 offers optical digital audio, stereo analogue and 3.5mm inputs, plus aptX Bluetooth streaming. There's no NFC connection, but that's not going to keep me awake at night.
The supplied handset is slinky in a way the soundbase itself isn't. It's very responsive and lemon squeasy to use, but I'd recommend setting your TV's handset to control the TV5 (a quick process achieved by pushing some buttons hidden behind the front grille), too, for total system integration.
Don't mind me...
Finding something to criticise about the Cambridge Audio's performance is difficult. This soundbase does its job with such consummate ease, such unruffled panache, that it's immediately likeable. I can't imagine anyone forking out £300 for it and being unimpressed.
There's a fantastically balanced soundfield on offer here. From bass notes through mid-range details and high-frequency effects, the TV5 favours none over the other. Some products seek to persuade buyers that a booming bass presence equals home cinema heaven, but it's no use if it comes at a detriment to the rest of the frequency range. With 2012's thrillingly demented sci-fi reboot Total Recall (Blu-ray), lower frequencies have body and depth without being bloated. The stylised bass throbs that accompany much of the action atop The Fall at the film's climax are taut and genuinely impressive, exciting the air and bringing a cinematic sense to proceedings. Meanwhile, robot footsteps, cracking glass, machine-gun fire and hissing rain – there's plenty of detail in the soundmix and this soundbase ekes it all out. Effects generally hit fast and hard.
The barked orders of Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston) and Lori (Kate Beckinsale) are extremely clear. Dialogue has real presence, and this mid-range strength is an obvious bonus when using the TV5 for everyday TV fare, or for music playback. The alto vocals and electric guitar licks of soaring track Madness by Muse (CD) are cleanly conveyed.
The soundfield here is resolutely stereo, but those BMR drivers do work well to reach the shell-likes of those sitting away from the traditional sweetspot. Add in the potent bass drivers and you have a sound that offers plenty of scale.
If you're stepping down from a budget all-in-one system to the Cambridge Audio you will immediately notice the absence of surround channel tricks and HDMI connectivity. But you certainly won't miss the metres of plastic speaker wire and the afternoon spent unboxing everything.
DSP headscratcher
My only real gripe is with the TV5's DSP modes. Cambridge Audio provides four presets, selected via the handset – Voice, Music, Film and TV. In truth, there are only subtle differences between the latter three (Film appears to add a minor bass boost), while Voice is unappealing in the way it trims both high and low frequencies to push the mid-range forward. The result is boxysounding and unnatural, and best ignored. And, with no visual indication as to what DSP mode is selected – the soundbase's glowing LED is limited to highlighting status changes and input selection – you won't know which you're using. Unless it's Voice, obviously. I ended up opting for Film and left it there.
This niggle is easy to overlook, however. On the whole, Cambridge Audio's TV5 is quick to install, pleasant to look at and great to listen to. Highly recommended.
Specifications
DRIVERS: 2 x 2.25in BMR drivers; 2 x 6.5in bass drivers
AMPLIFICATION: 100W
CONNECTIONS: Optical digital audio input; 3.5mm minijack input; stereo analogue audio input
DOLBY TRUEHD/DTS-HD MA: No/No
SEPARATE SUB: No
REMOTE CONTROL: Yes
DIMENSIONS: 725(w) x 100(h) x 340(d)mm
WEIGHT: 11kg (packaged)
FEATURES: aptx Bluetooth; Film, Music, Voice and TV presets; learning remote; 0.5W standby power consumption; supplied optical cable