I was given a sneak peak of Orbitsound’s T9 Speaker bar this week. With the pedigree of what is currently the bestselling soundbar brand in the UK , the T9 Looks a lot like the T12v3 I reviewed recently but on a severe diet. The T9 again uses Orbitsound’s patented spatial sound system to deliver really compelling sound with no sweet-spot limitations. I was surprised just how close this box sounded to its bigger brother. It may be a few decibels quieter but its going to go loud enough for most conventional rooms – it was certainly more than loud enough in the room I heard it in
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In fact it may be even better than the T12 in one respect as, although it rolls off at a slightly higher frequency, the re-engineered subwoofer of the T9 system seemed to me on first listen to be a bit more refined than the T12. I had a very interesting discussion with the Orbitsound’s inventor Ted Fletcher’s son about the science of the Subwoofer – looking at the maths it shouldn’t work but it really does.
At sub £200 and around the size of some of the current leading iPod docks this is going to be a major competitor in that field.
Obviously an initial listen isn’t as good as spending time with a unit and we hope to have a longer term review shortly. Having said that even after the briefest listen this should be high up your audition list if you are looking for a replacement for your TV speakers or a very impressive iPhone dock.
Pricing & Availability
The T9 soundbar will be available from mid-July 2012 from John Lewis and selected independent retailers, priced £199.99.
Specifications
Sound Bar
Dimensions: 300x94x94mm
Speakers: 2×2.5″ mid-high drivers, 1×1″ tweeter, 2×1″ midrange spatial generators
Enclosure: Single enclosed infinite baffle arrangement
Power: 140W RMS. 80W Sub, 35W Main, 25W Spatial Crossover Frequencies: 160Hz/5KHz
Sub woofer
Dimensions: 230x139x344mm
Type: Tuned ported enclosure
Speakers: 1×6.5″ long throw subwoofer
