Panasonic Soundbar SC-HTB1

The Panasoninc SC-HTB1 Soundbar is the company’s first audio theater system, designed as a slim, single bar-type speaker system with integrated subwoofer, and rightfully announced this during CES 2010.

It took five years for Panasonic to take soundbars seriously since Yamaha YSP-1 won a CNET Next Big Thing nomination back in the year 2005 during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2005).

The company’s press release promised that the new SC-HTB1 delivers crisp, clear and easy to understand dialogs with the Clear-Mode Dialogue technology. It claims that this technology makes the sound “seem like it is coming from the center of the TV display. With more precise linking of the picture and the sound, the result is clean sound for dialogue voices on video and vocals on music.”

Will the major manufacturer of home-theatre-in-a-box (HTIB) system live up to its promises with this first entry?

Panasonic promises that SC-HTB1 gives a rich sound experience within the stylish, slim soundbar with the Advanced Bamboo Cone Speakers. These cone speakers are supposed to complement the Clear-Mode Dialogue technology to make sounds more responsive with vocals. Panasonic also does not forget to integrate a subwoofer to deliver the rich bass tones, and it promises minimal noise by cancelling unwanted vibrations with two speaker units reversely facing each other.

Setting up the system should be a breeze, thanks to its compatibility with Audio Return Channel (ARC). Users are supposed to simply place it in front of the tv and connect it to the tv with just one HDMI cable. It uses a HDMI 1.4 return channel technology.

The pricing and availability of this system has yet to be released, but if it does deliver the promises with a reasonable price, users may well be delighted with the elimination of a subwoofer unit, as a great solution to a cramped space that could do better with maybe a larger screen for more realistic visual experience.

To read the original press release, please see http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/611766.html