If you just need to take your TV sound up a notch, then the AlphaBeat60 will easily do the job. In that respect, it is a resounding two thumbs up
If you’re in the market for a new budget soundbar, specifically in the under Rs 5,000 range, then there is a new player in the market that you must know about. Thomson has entered the audio market with not one, but two - AlphaBeat25 and AlphaBeat60 - soundbars.
Thomson, a French electronics company, has invested in a new manufacturing facility in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The soundbars are the first two launches under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
I’ve been using the AlphaBeat60 for a while now, and I think it’s quite a good offering in this price segment. Let’s get into it.
The AlphaBeat60 offers 60W power and it has a sleek subwoofer, something I didn’t expect in a very inexpensive speaker. There’s a 2.1 channel audio system. Furthermore, one of the unique features of this soundbar is that it comes with customisable RGB lighting. The metal mesh grill and the RGB lights make this seem quite a bit more premium than it is. It's safe to say that it’ll look elegant sitting underneath your TV. Saying that, the RGB lights can be distracting, especially if you’re watching an intense movie. So just be aware of that.
The design is sleek, compact, and very portable. Unbox the AlphaBeat60 and you get a power adapter, a 3.5mm cable (just in case you need it), the soundbar itself, a sub-woofer and even a remote control. The soundbar is just 16 inches in length (with 11 inches of RGB lighting). It’s got an upward-firing speaker, and a metal grill, as I mentioned above.
There are some buttons on the speaker, for changing the RGB lights, adjusting volume, changing input and muting the sound. There are all the necessary ports on the back. The soundbar can be connected via the HDMI port, Bluetooth, or AUX mode. There isn’t a battery in the AlphaBeat60 and therefore you can’t use the soundbar as a portable Bluetooth speaker.
There is a sound output of 60W, that is generally clean and distortion free, especially when watching live sports. The problem arises when you want to listen at loud volumes. The AlphaBeat60 doesn’t get really loud and sometimes you can miss a little of the background sounds. It’s definitely not premium quality, but for the price, it suffices. Thanks to the included sub-woofer, there is a good amount of bass, and listening to music videos on YouTube was a pleasantly good experience.
The AlphaBeat60 will any day be better than the in-built sound coming from your television. Saying that, if you need something more premium, or a fuller sound for your high-quality movies, then please look elsewhere.
Switching between input modes is fairly easy but provides one frustration. There is a voice command every time you want to switch between modes. The voice command will announce the mode you’re switching to, and it is set to a very high volume. So be careful when you’re switching.
The remote is a good addition but it does take a few extra clicks sometimes to get the desired result. There was one instance, where I was trying to mute the sound, and I had to press the button a few too many times. So much so that the TV muted and unmuted itself a few times, albeit with a lag. One thing the remote lacks is a button to change the RGB lights.
If you just need to take your TV sound up a notch, then the AlphaBeat60 will easily do the job. In that respect, it is a resounding two thumbs up.
The speaker is elegantly designed with a clean and minimalist look. The RGB lights can be distracting but that’s my only complaint from a design standpoint.
What you need to consider is the pricing is just Rs 3,599. And for that, I commend the Thomson team for getting into the soundbar space. It’s a basic budget soundbar with the addition of a sub-woofer. It’s a plus over the bult-in TV speakers but that’s about that. Just remember never to go above 80 percent volume.