Atlantic Technology FS-7.0 Soundbar w/Subwoofer

Everyone knows that sound bars are great audio systems and that their only flaw is the lack of complete 5.1 surround sound. The FS-7.0 sound bar is the first 7.1 channel system of its kind. With a simple speaker, you should now get the complete effect usually offered by top of the line surround systems. Let’s see exactly what the FS-7.0 is all about.

Design
The design of this unit is quite stylish. The system is all black and you will certainly notice that thee people from Atlantic Technology really tried to offer high quality materials. The FS-7.0 is 37 pounds heavy, which is a lot more than the weight of most sound bars out there. The main unit is 40 inches wide, 4.75 inches high and 5.25 inches deep. Make sure that the sound bar won’t block the image of your TV set before you decide where to place it. If you have a glass TV cabinet, you should first see if it can support the weight of both units.

Mounting the FS-7.0 on the wall is not an easy task. You won’t get a wall mount kit from Atlantic Technology and you can’t even buy one specifically made for the system’s weight. You can start searching for a kit which fits the size of your sound bar or consider hiring a professional to do the job for you. This system is said to work best when mounted on the wall, but getting it up there will take a while.

The FS-7.0 contains two dual voice coil woofers which measure 4×6 inches each and three tweeters which measure 1 inch each. If you take a look at the side of this sound bar, you will see one 3.25 inches triple voice coil driver. Both of these drivers will direct sound to the back wall which will be reflected to your ears and create an interesting surround sound effect. This means that you will have to place the system next to a wall if you plan on getting the best results from this system. This might be a problem to some and getting the perfect sound from the FS-7.0 is not exactly easy.

Setting up the FS-7.0
If you take a look at the manual, you will see a few tips regarding the manual speaker setup process. If you place volume of the left, right and center channels at -3 dB and the rest of the channels at 0 dB, you should get the perfect experience. All speakers should be set on Small if you don’t own a subwoofer. This along with setting the crossover at 60Hz for the left, right and center channel and at 100Hz for the rest of the channels should make the sound better, even without a woofer. There are other settings which have to be done, but the process won’t take long.

Sound quality
Without a subwoofer, the quality of the sound is considerably lower than what most people expect. However, if you plan on making this addition, you will get some impressive results. The FS-7.0 can be compared to most 5.1 channel systems after you buy a sub. The one recommended by Atlantic Technology is the SB-800 and this unit will surely rise up to your expectations. You will get the surround sound effect you were searching for and you won’t be disappointed by it, especially if you like high definition movies. This 100 watt subwoofer comes with an 8 inch woofer which can offer you up to 103 dB, so you will get a lot more than what you’re paying for. The SB-800 comes at only $300 and the FS-7.0 will cost you $800.

If you don’t have ideal conditions, you might not receive the effects you are looking for. Setting up the FS-7.0 is not easy and you will have to play with the numbers for a while until you find something you like.

When listening to music, the system is perfect. You can increase the volume as much as you want and the quality of the sound won’t be lowered. The problem with watching movies is the lack of surround sound in some points. However, you will enjoy action movies because the FS-7.0 is great at explosions and chase scenes; you won’t lose track of the dialog and everything will happen right next to you.

Pros and cons
The good part about the FS-7.0 is the sound quality. Even without listening to surround sound, you will see that this unit packs a punch and it will deliver great sound at all times. You can listen to live concerts, any type of music and even sports and you will feel like you are in a different place. The quality of the system is certainly reflected in its price, but if you can spend $800 on a sound bar, this is certainly one of the best on the market.

For most people, the worst part about the FS-7.0 is the fact that this system is passive. You will have to buy a separate AV receiver if you don’t have one already and a lot of cables will be lying around your room. Another wire will come from the separate subwoofer, if you choose to buy one. If you take the system as it is, you have a high quality sound system, but you will notice the lack of a subwoofer and the fact that the surround sound is not always perfect.

Conclusion
The FS-7.0 is the perfect system for those who own or plan on buying an AV receiver and a subwoofer. These components are crucial if you want to enjoy the full potential of this sound bar. The surround system is great, but some people expected more from the first 7.1 channel sound bar in the world.

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