Most of us would buy a soundbar for our flat screen tv, why, because of the speakers on the tv are just rubbish, they are small, sometimes face down or even face backwards. This is to be expected if we want thinner, lighter and larger TV’s, at some point TV’s, will never have speakers included and you will have no other option but to purchase some sort of speaker system.
So for this review, I am looking at a budget soundbar for those people that simply can not afford much. The Alfawise BT- 200 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Soundbar comes in at only £33.66 at a site call Gearbest. Now if you are going to purchase this soundbar after reading the review please note that delivery can take 15 to 28 days as they are a Hong Kong Bases company.
This is what Gearbest say about themselves
At GearBest, our vision is simple: to become the premier online electronics seller by providing an unparalleled selection of the very best gadgets, an unbeatable shopping experience, prompt shipping and exceptional customer service that exceeds expectations. For us, the customer is always king. Our total commitment to customers empowers us to work closely together with every customer. When you buy from us, the sale is not complete when we ship your order, it is complete when you are totally satisfied.
GearBest specializes in consumer electronics, gadgets, and men’s fashion. Our online catalog is constantly expanding with the very latest and the coolest gadgets added every day to ensure you get your tech fix.
Below are the specs
Functions:
- 4 full range high-quality speaker complete your home theatre system and bring the great bass
- Two channels of 3.5mm external AUX audio input
- LED indicator light and sensitive button are much easier for users to operate
- Wireless Bluetooth 4.1 connection is convenient
- Exquisite design with engineering plastic shell
- Fashion and portable design for savoring your stereo music good time everywhere
- Supports TF card (up to 32G) player (not included)
Parameters:
- Bluetooth version: 4.1
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20KHz
- Transmission power: 1.49mW
- Transmission frequency: 2.4GHz
- Bluetooth distance: 8 – 10m
- Charging time: 2 – 3 hours
- Standby time: 240 hours
- Bluetooth profiles supported: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP and HF
- Battery: 3.7V / 2000mAh ( included )
- SNR: 80dB
- Output power: 5W x 4
- Charging plug: Micro USB
- Charging voltage: DC 5V / 1A – 2A
Now when it arrived, it was in perfect condition, which is great since the distance it travelled and all the horror stories you hear online about packages arriving damaged, broken or simply going missing thanks to our amazing UK postal service. On the box, it has a full view of what the soundbar looks like, basic specs and connections available. Opening it up, inside you get the soundbar obviously, a micro USB Charging Cable but no charger itself, so that’s an added cost if you do not have a mobile phone or another device that has a way to charge off a USB connection. There is also an AUX 3.5mm Audio jack and a remote control.
I already have a Goodmans Bass Unit which is AMAZING but not cheap, and the sound from it is astounding, watching movies, listening to music, even general TV everything sounds 100x better than my TV outputs and when the bass is turned to max, the room is bouncing. Every Friday we have a movie night and friends from around the neighbourhood pop over to watch the latest movie, have a takeaway and scoff down a load of junk food. So when I got this soundbar it was about enhancing the sound experience, so does it actually do it?
First I tested the Bluetooth Connection, the site stats the connection will be ok up to 8 to 10 meters, I got to about 5 meters, which is my kitchen with the door open and the connection started to fail, I was playing music through Spotify via my Samsung S9 and you could clearly hear stuttering, as I moved closer the connection was perfect. I then hooked the soundbar up my TV and there was a slight delay from what the people were saying on the screen to what you could hear from the speaker. The Delay is noticeable. When using a 3.5mm audio jack to AUX there is no delay, however, you can not put your speaker anywhere in the room as the cable that comes with the soundbar is only approx 1 meter.
I then tested the Micro SDcard slot with some music I had downloaded (I own), The speaker was turned off when I inputted the card and when I turned the speaker on it automatically switch to Music Play Mode and managed to play all the music I had stored as MP3 on the card. Connecting up to the TV is also easy, put the 3.5mm audio connection into the speaker and connect the RCA plugs to the TV, as with the MicroSD Card connection the speaker will automatically switch the TV Mode when turned on, if not then just click the mode button. You can control everything on the speaker or with the remote control that is supplied. You can also use the speaker to listen to FM Radio, if you still listen to radio, I know my folks do so maybe you do.
Now the main questions, first one how does it look? it looks great, well designed, small, simplistic, will not look out of place. The actual size is 55cm in length by 5cm in width and 5cm in depth making it pretty small for a soundbar. The soundbar has 4 drivers (Speakers) two on either side of the control panel and reflex ports on either side as well to help produce bass.
So how does it sound, well for one when it comes to Bass music, not good, it sounds hollow as the soundbar produces more highs and mids than lows, even when it came to movies and tv shows with bass and huge explosions the speaker failed to recreate. But when it came to general listening without any heavy bass sequences the speaker performed OK, not great just OK. Everything did not sound realistic it seems to miss the deep undertones you hear within everyday life from a person’s voice to a car starting up, it just was not there. But I wonder if a speaker of this size could produce better bass, and my honest answer to this would be no, but it could produce a better overall experience.
When combining this speaker with my Goodmans Bass Unit, the sound is great as the soundbar produces the highs and the bass unit produces everything in between. So would I recommend this speaker, the answer is based on budget, as this is a budget speaker you not going to get much for the price so yes I can recommend, if you are not on a budget and can afford more, then its a simple NO I can not recommend as there are much better soundbars on the market. The speaker does offer many connections from Bluetooth, RCA and MicroSD Card and the soundbar can also be run off its internal battery so allows you to place anywhere in your living space. If you are in need of a soundbar due to your TV speaker being so terrible then this is for you, its also for people on a tight budget, everyone else, look elsewhere.
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