One of the problems with most TVs these days is that even if the picture looks great, due to their physical thinness, there isn’t enough room to incorporate a good-sounding speaker system. As a result, it’s strongly suggested that consumers budget for the added cost of an external audio system.
In our article How to Improve Your TV’s Sound, we discuss several options, but by far the most popular is a soundbar. Of course, soundbars come in several styles, and prices range from below $100 to several thousand dollars, and just like TVs, quality varies. However, even if you have a small space or low-priced TV, even a modestly-priced soundbar can help.
One company that offers a solution that might work is Ultimea. At $79.99, this soundbar doesn’t have higher-end features like Dolby Atmos, built-in streaming, or support for voice assistants (such as Alexa, Google, or Siri), but it does provide some physical connection flexibility (HDMI-ARC, Digital Optical, Analog Audio) as well as Bluetooth for wireless music playback from compatible devices such as smartphones.
In addition, the S40 also has a “split personality.” Let’s dig a little further.
Product Design
The Apollo S40 is a basic 2.2-channel soundbar that is approximately 32-inches wide but also has a little something extra – You can split it into two separate speakers.
This means you have the choice of placing the S40 below your TV’s screen or wall mounted as a traditional soundbar, or you can use it as two speakers that can be placed on the left and right side of the TV either on provided stands or wall mounted on the left and right side of the TV.
Tip: The stands feature a 7-degree upward tilt to better support room-filling sound.
Speaker Complement
The Apollo S40 has the following speaker complement:
- 2 x 2.5-inch Tweeters
- 2 x 2.5-inch Woofers
- 2 Enhanced Inverter Tubes (extends low-frequency response)
Sound Modes
The S40 provides the following sound modes that help to optimize your listening experience depending on provided content.
- Movie
- Music
- Night
- News/Dialogue
- Hi-Fi
- Dynamic
Connections
- 1 Power Receptacle
- 1 HDMI (ARC)
- 1 Digital Optical
- 1 Analog (3.5 stereo mini-jack)
- 1 USB (Type A, Supports MP3, APE, FLAC, WMA, and maximum 64GB memory)
- 1 Subwoofer Output
- 1 Pair RCA to RCA Cable Output (to connect both soundbar halves together)
- 1 Pair RCA to RCA Cable Input (to connect both soundbar halves together)
- Bluetooth 5.0 (MP3)
Control
The S40 comes with wireless remote control for easy operation as well as including control buttons for Volume, Source, and Power on the soundbar.
Specifications
- Frequency Range: 60Hz to 18kHz
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): >86dB
- Max Sound Pressure Level (SPL): >88dB
- Distortion: <0.8%
- Dimensions (LDH): 31.9 x 3.9 x 2.8-inches (811 x 98 x 70 mm)
- Weight: 5.0 lbs (2.27 kg)
Included Accessories
In addition to the S40 soundbar and remote control, here is what else you get:
- 1 Power Adapter
- 1 HDMI Cable (for ARC)
- 1 Digital Optical Cable
- 1 Stereo RCA to 3.5mm cable
- 1 Stereo RCA Cable (100mm – for soundbar operation)
- 1 Stereo RCA Cable (2.5 m – for twin speaker operation)
- 2 Bases for twin speaker setup.
- 2 Wall Mount Screws
- 2 Wall Brackets
- 1 Quick Start Guide
From Mark Reese, Head of Industrial Design at Ultimea: “We worked incredibly hard to design the Apollo S40 as the perfect soundbar for people on a budget and working with small spaces…We designed the soundbar to provide an immersive experience that is perfect for modern media without breaking the bank. And the detachable design makes it a great option for saving space for people who have limited room to work with.“
Availability and Pricing
The Ultimea Apollo S40 soundbar is available now for $79.99 at Amazon.
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