Testing the compact TCL A65K, I found plenty of volume and clear audio—especially with bass and action-heavy scenes. But when it came to spacious, room-filling surround sound, it didn’t fully measure up to higher-end Dolby Atmos soundbars.
I set the TCL A65K up expecting a tradeoff: a small soundbar wouldn’t be able to pull off the kind of room-filling theater effect you get from pricier systems. It turns out that expectation wasn’t wrong—just incomplete.
On music, the bass did the heavy lifting. On “Want Want” by Maggie Rogers, the sound impressed me with a grungy, guttural edge thanks to the sub. When the band Ex-Vöid hit “So Neurotic. ” I was ready for the guitars to smear together. but it came out loud. jangly. and clear. Fust’s “Spangled” brought bone-crunching bass through the sub as well.
Then I turned to video games, and the difference showed up fast. Forza Horizon 6 is supposed to blast you with engine sounds and exhaust. but the audio felt too thin and not spacious enough—less like a surround experience and more like sound coming from one place. The game doesn’t take advantage of Dolby Atmos enough. but the bigger issue for me was the overall lack of oomph.
Halo: Infinite changed the picture. Laser blasts, screeching aliens, and loud explosions seemed to come from different angles in the room. I still missed the higher-end Atmos-powered soundbars—like the Sonos Arc—when it came to the extra layer of wide, enveloping chaos.
Sports and news were a mixed bag, and the contrast was clear. Using the YouTube TV app to watch the NBA playoffs. the broadcasters were easy to hear. but the crowd noise landed as a low murmur—almost like it was set through a noise generator. What I want from a live game is the feeling that the arena is right there with you. with people actually screaming and shouting during the broadcast. A news program on my local Fox station, though, sounded clear and distinct.
That brings me to the simplest part of the test: the TCL A65K is built to be compact. It’s small enough to fit on a kitchen counter or near a smaller television, and it’s priced much lower than high-end models that are meant to deliver room-filling home theater surround sound.
After playing music and running through games. sports. and news. the verdict landed where it needed to: the TCL A65K matched my expectations. Many of the tracks I used sounded pleasing enough, if not thunderous and fully room-filling. If your priority is saving space without paying an exorbitant sum. the TCL A65K comes off as a compact. feature-rich option—with the sub doing much of the talking.
TCL A65K soundbar review compact soundbar subwoofer bass Dolby Atmos gaming audio Halo Infinite Forza Horizon 6 NBA playoffs YouTube TV news audio Sonos Arc
So it’s loud but not like that surround “magic” thing? Kinda seems pointless then.
I don’t get why people expect Atmos room-filling from a small bar. It’s on a kitchen counter not a cinema. Bass doing the heavy lifting is at least something.
Wait… doesn’t “Dolby Atmos” automatically make everything come from different directions? Like if it’s not spacious then it’s not really Atmos, right? Maybe my TV settings are different but this sounds like marketing.
YouTube TV NBA playoffs and the crowd noise being low murmur?? That’s literally how TV sports always sound to me, so maybe this is normal. Also Halo: Infinite “different angles”?? I mean it’s a game, not a recording, so I’m skeptical. If it’s cheaper and small, sure, but I’ll stick to my older soundbar I guess.