So you just bought a new TV, and the picture is great, but the sound is terrible. You don’t want a bunch of gear clutter, so what do you do? You could buy a soundbar, but even those usually include a subwoofer to handle the low end. Fluance’s new AB40 High-Performance Soundbase, on the other hand, packs everything you need into a single unit.
The beauty of a soundbase is that you can place your TV on top of it, meaning a soundbase often takes up even less space than a soundbar would. For the AB40, Fluance chose a MDF wood cabinet design, and the subdued all-black color scheme should mean that it fits in well with your TV, no matter what brand or model you happen to own. The cabinet is designed to allow airflow in and around the drivers, so you shouldn’t need to worry about the weight of your TV altering the sound, and with a maximum weight allowance of 150 pounds, most TVs shouldn’t have a problem sitting on top.
Inside, Fluance has packed a total of six drivers powered by an integrated class D amplifier offering 60 watts per channel of continuous power across two channels. The AB40 features dual 1-inch silk dome tweeters, backed by four 3-inch aluminum drivers, two of which are placed on the sides of the cabinet and angled outward for a wider perceived soundfield. Despite the lack of a subwoofer, Fluance says the AB40 can dish up frequencies as low as 30Hz.
This comes as part of Fluance’s 3D Sound, which the company says boosts bass using psychoacoustics to calculate harmonics relative to the sound being played, which can virtually reproduce the lows. We have yet to hear this model for ourselves, but given our experience with other Fluance products and the company’s accumulated years of audio expertise, the idea sounds promising.
To connect to your TV, the AB40 features both an optical digital audio input, and a standard 3.5mm stereo auxiliary input. Bluetooth with aptX is also available, letting you play music from your mobile devices or computer through the AB40 without needing to worry about plugging a cable in.
The Fluance AB40 High-Performance Soundbase is available now and retails for $250. For more information on the AB40 or to find out how you can get your hands on one, see the company’s website.
