JVC TH-BA1 & TH-SB100

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For those of us that don’t have the room for a complete set of surround sound speakers but still want to be able to enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by our entertainment audio, there are systems on the market today making use of a technology being called “virtual surround sound”. Most of these systems come in the form of a long, narrow bar that basically combines five speakers (two front, two rear, and a center channel) into one neat little package. If you’re looking for even more options in your sound bar selection, JVC has just announced the release of two new 4.1-channel home theater audio systems, the TH-BA1 and TH-SB100 with Blu-ray player.

The main idea behind the sound bar audio system is convenience. If you don’t want to deal with wires running all over your living room or you live in one of the world’s spacious studio apartments, they are the perfect solution. The sound bar itself is designed to fit either under your television or mounted on the wall behind it. Either way, it doesn’t take up that much space. As with other systems of this ilk, the JVC TH-BA1 and TH-SB100 eliminate the need for rear speakers.

JVC uses their front surround technology to fool your ears into thinking that you have rear speakers. If you haven’t actually experienced it, it’s pretty wild. The 220W black speaker sports four speakers, an amplifier and a sound processor. As for sound formats, it also has integrated Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS decoding.

Set-up for the new systems is a no-brainer. You basically hook a single cable from the sound bar to the source (cable or satellite receiver, Blu-ray player, etc.). The bar has two digital optical audio inputs and a single analog. Each system features the same 2.GHz wireless 100W subwoofer with 6.83-in (8-cm) driver and sound bar while the TH-SB100 also comes with a separate JVC Blu-ray player. Both systems also feature a remote control.

The JVC TH-BA1 and TH-SB100 home theater sound bar systems are expected to hit store shelves later this month for $399.99 and $699.99, respectively.