The TCL Alto 5+ is a sub-par performing soundbar that has a very bass-heavy and dark sound profile. It doesn’t get as loud as other models but should be fine for casual listening sessions at a normal volume. This 2.1 configuration has a very small wireless sub and the bar is quite small, too, which results in a small soundstage. On the upside, its frequency response is decent and fans of bass might like its overall sound signature.
Our Verdict
Sub-par for mixed usage. The TCL Alto 5+ has a very bass-heavy and dark sounding audio reproduction. This won’t be ideal for dialogue-oriented content and most music genres. However, it can be a decent option for bass-heavy music and for action movies with lots of bass. The bar is well-built, but its overall performance is lackluster. It doesn’t get as loud as some other bars but should be fine for most casual listening sessions. This bar won’t be a good option for having a surround experience as it's a 2.1 setup, lacks height channels and doesn’t support Atmos.
- Good build quality.
- Small and fits between legs of TV stands.
- No DTS support.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Bass-heavy sound profile.
Sub-par for Dialogue and TV shows. The TCL Alto 5+ has an okay stereo frequency response, which is bass-heavy, resulting in a slightly muddy sound. On the upside, the mid-range, responsible for speech is accurate and fairly well-balanced. There’s also a dialogue enhancement feature to help make dialogue a bit clearer and more understandable, even at lower volumes. You’ll also be able to stream content like audiobooks and podcasts via Bluetooth on this soundbar.
Okay for music. The TCL Alto 5+ has a very bass-heavy sound profile, so it might not be ideal for a wide variety of genres. On the upside, it will get decently loud for a casual listening session or for a slightly crowded room. Also, it performs quite well at max volume and you should get a clean sound reproduction. Unfortunately, there’s no way of EQ’ing the soundbar sound to your liking and its stereo soundstage is pretty narrow.
Sub-par for movies. The TCL Alto 5+ sounds very dark and bass-heavy, which can be good for action movies with many explosions. However, it's a 2.1 soundbar setup, meaning that it will downmix 5.1 content and it doesn’t support Atmos for a very immersive experience. It also doesn’t have any virtual surround feature. The soundstage isn’t very wide and objects will feel like coming from in front of you.
Changelog
- Updated Apr 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 27, 2019: Review published.
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Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The TCL Alto 5+ is a very small and compact soundbar that comes with a small subwoofer. It sounds noticeably darker than similar soundbars, but bass fans may prefer this. Due to its size, it doesn't get very loud when compared to other models, but it's still an okay option if you're looking for a soundbar to listen to bass-heavy music. See our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars with subwoofer.
The Yamaha YAS-207 is better than the TCL Alto 5+ in pretty much every test. It sounds better, gets louder, and has better overall performance with center and surround contents. It also has more inputs thanks to HDMI ARC and Full HDMI In ports and supports DTS. However, the TCL is slightly better-built but the difference in performance is too big, making the Yamaha an obviously better choice.
The Yamaha YAS-408 is a better option than the TCL Alto 5+. It has a very neutral audio reproduction which is great with stereo content. Although it's a 2.1 system, it still has a great center performance even without a dedicated channel, making voices and dialog clear and easy to understand. It also has more connectivity options and supports DTS, which the TCL doesn't do. Overall, the Yamaha is simply an obvious choice over the TCL.
The Samsung HW-R550 is a better 2.1 soundbar than the TCL Alto 5+. It sounds better, has more sound enhancement features that let you slightly customize the way it sounds to your preference, has more inputs, and supports DTS. If you're looking for a budget soundbar, the price difference between these two won't be high enough to make the TCL a better option; the Samsung is a better overall soundbar.
The TCL Alto 7+ is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 5+. They're quite similar in design, although the 7+ is a bit bigger. Even if the Alto 5+ has a smaller sub, it gives you a lot of bass, resulting in a more dark sound profile than the 7+. The 7+ also gets louder, but compresses a lot at max volume, which the 5+ doesn't do. The Alto 7+ has an HDMI ARC port, which the 5+ lacks.
Test Results
