The TCL Alto 8i is a 2.1 setup advertised as Roku TV Ready, so it should be easy to pair it with your Roku TV. You can use it to play Dolby Atmos content, and it gets pretty loud, although there are some compression artifacts present at max volume. While it has dual subwoofers integrated into the bar, it lacks low-bass, which might disappoint fans of bass-heavy music genres. Fortunately, it offers a few sound customization features, including three EQ presets and bass/treble adjustments.
Our Verdict
The TCL Alto 8i is okay for mixed usage. Its sound profile is a bit dark and boomy due to the extra warmth in the bass and the recessed treble. Vocals and lead instruments still reproduce pretty clearly, making this soundbar suitable for most types of content. While it supports many different audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital, it has to downmix them into stereo for playback, which doesn't sound very immersive.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Three EQ presets.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Poor surrounds performance.
The TCL Alto 8i is fair for vocal-centric content like TV shows. It's a 2.1 bar, so you don't have a discrete center channel to improve vocal clarity. Still, you don't have any trouble following along with the action on screen, thanks to its balanced mids. While there's no dialogue enhancement feature, the manufacturer recommends using 'TV mode' when watching dialogue-heavy content to make voices more clear in the mix.
- Bluetooth-compatible.
- No dialogue enhancement feature.
The TCL Alto 8i 2.1 is decent for music. It's a budget-friendly bar with a slightly uneven sound profile out-of-the-box, but you can always use bass and treble adjustments to customize its performance. As a result, voices and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix, making it suitable for listening to most music genres. That said, as with most standalone bars, it can't reproduce the deep rumble in the bass found in bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Three EQ presets.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Some compression artifacts at max volume.
The TCL Alto 8i 2.1 is alright for movies. Dialogue is clear and present in the mix, so you don't have trouble following the action on screen. Also, it supports many of the audio formats commonly found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays, including Dolby Digital. Unlike many 2.1 setups, it even supports Dolby Atmos content. However, it has to downmix multi-channel formats into stereo to play them, resulting in a performance that isn't very immersive-sounding. As a standalone bar, you don't feel the deep rumble in the bass during action-heavy scenes, either.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Three EQ presets.
- Poor surrounds performance.
- Some compression artifacts at max volume.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 24, 2024: We've added a comparison between this soundbar and the TCL S55H in Sound Enhancement Features.
- Updated Apr 06, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Apr 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Dec 15, 2022: Thanks to user feedback, we've become aware of an audio delay issue experienced by some soundbar users. A note was added to the Stereo Frequency Response box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The TCL Alto 8i 2.1 comes in 'Black'. It's also known as the TS8111. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another variant of the TCL Alto 8i, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The TCL Alto 8i is a 2.1 soundbar with dual built-in subwoofers. Unlike many other 2.1 setups, it supports Dolby Atmos content, though its performance is poor. It's advertised as Roku TV Ready, so you should be able to easily connect it to your Roku TV. However, it lacks a lot of low-bass, and its uneven sound profile may not be suitable for all listeners.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars under $200, and the best budget soundbars.
The TCL Alto 9+ is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 8i. The 9+ is a 3.1 setup with a dedicated subwoofer, and its default sound profile is better balanced. It also has more wireless playback options and a better center channel performance. However, the 2.1 8i has a better soundstage.
The TCL Alto 8+ and the TCL Alto 8i have similar overall performances, and depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The 8+ is better for dialogue-centric content because it has a dialogue enhancement feature. It also offers built-in access to the Amazon Fire TV player. However, the 8i is better built and better for movies because it supports Dolby Atmos content. The 8i also supports 4k passthrough.
The Sony HT-X8500 and the TCL Alto 8i are both 2.1 soundbars that support Dolby Atmos, but the Sony has a better performance. The Sony has a more balanced sound profile, and its center, surrounds, and height channels perform better. It also comes with a dialogue enhancement feature and supports DTS content, unlike the TCL. However, the TCL has a better soundstage performance.
The Vizio V Series V21-H8 is a bit better for mixed usage than the TCL Alto 8i. The Vizio has a dedicated subwoofer that can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It also comes with more sound enhancement features, like dialogue enhancement. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content like the TCL. Some listeners may also prefer the TCL's standalone design.
Test Results
