Hisense AX5125H Review: An Inexpensive Home Cinema Upgrade

When it comes to improving your TV’s sound quality, you have various options, including soundbars, wireless speakers, and full sound systems. The Hisense AX5125H is a budget-friendly sound system that offers a soundbar, subwoofer, and two satellite speakers for a complete surround sound experience without breaking the bank. But does it deliver the immersive audio experience that home cinema enthusiasts crave?

In this review, we’ll dive into the pros, cons, and key features of the Hisense AX5125H and determine whether it’s a worthwhile investment for your home theater setup.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Decent clarity and detail
• Supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks
• Simple to use
• HDMI input for additional connectivity

Cons:

• Subwoofer struggles with deep bass
• Immersive audio lacks height
• Lacks dynamism in certain scenes

Key Features

Dolby and DTS Support

The Hisense AX5125H supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive soundtracks, which are essential for creating a surround sound experience. It also decodes other Dolby formats like Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital+.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The system allows you to stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth, making it a versatile option for both movies and music.

Rear Speakers

The inclusion of satellite speakers helps create a more immersive surround sound experience, filling in the audio from behind your seating position.

Design

The design of the Hisense AX5125H is simple and unassuming. The soundbar, subwoofer, and satellite speakers all feature a black grille design, which is fairly standard for audio equipment. There’s a small LED display on the soundbar that’s easy to read from a distance, and the build quality is decent across all components.

The subwoofer is compact, featuring a 6.5-inch driver. It’s rear-ported, so you’ll want to place it against a wall to reinforce the bass frequencies. The satellite speakers are also compact and powered by mains, which means you’ll need to consider their placement carefully.

Features

Dolby and DTS Support

The Hisense AX5125H supports a 5.1.2 configuration, with two upfiring speakers in the soundbar for Dolby Atmos. While it offers 500W of power, which sounds promising on paper, the system doesn’t fully live up to its immersive sound potential—more on that later.

Connectivity

The sound system includes a variety of inputs and outputs, including HDMI eARC, a USB 2.0 port, optical digital output, and a 3.5mm input. The HDMI input is a nice touch, allowing you to connect an additional device directly to the soundbar.

However, there’s no Wi-Fi or app support, which means no firmware updates or wireless streaming services like Spotify Connect or AirPlay 2.

EQ Modes

The system offers seven EQ modes: Movie, Music, Sport, News, Game, Night, and AI mode. Additionally, you can adjust the treble and bass settings directly from the remote control.

Sound Quality

Immersive Audio

The Hisense AX5125H starts off strong with decent clarity and detail, especially in the mid and high frequencies. For example, in the opening of Blade Runner 2049, the subwoofer provides adequate low-frequency depth, but it struggles with deeper bass tones. The sound system also lacks the height and dynamism that you would expect from a Dolby Atmos setup.

In more action-packed scenes, like those in Top Gun: Maverick or Ford vs Ferrari, the satellite speakers do a good job of filling in the audio from behind. However, the upfiring speakers fail to deliver a convincing sense of height, which is crucial for an immersive experience.

Dialogue and Volume

Dialogue is generally clear, but there are moments where it sounds a bit distant, particularly in action-heavy scenes. The volume levels are also inconsistent, with some scenes sounding quieter than they should, even when you increase the overall volume.

Music Performance

Surprisingly, the Hisense AX5125H performs well with music. The bass is punchy, and the clarity is good, although the system can sound a bit sharp at higher volumes. However, the fact that the same sound is sent to all speakers can become fatiguing over time.

Final Thoughts

The Hisense AX5125H is a decent sound system, especially considering its low price point. It offers solid surround sound for casual home cinema enthusiasts, but it falls short in key areas like immersive height and consistent volume levels. The subwoofer also struggles with deep bass, which can be a dealbreaker for those who watch a lot of action-packed films.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly upgrade to your TV’s sound system and don’t mind the limitations, the Hisense AX5125H is worth considering. However, for those seeking a more immersive and consistent audio experience, you may want to explore more premium options like the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

Latest Deals

Looking for a budget-friendly soundbar with Dolby Atmos support? The Hisense AX5125H could be a great option for you. Check out the latest prices on Amazon.

FAQs

Does the Hisense AX5125H support DTS:X?

Yes, the Hisense AX5125H supports DTS:X. However, to get the full benefits of DTS support, it’s recommended to plug your device directly into the soundbar, especially if your TV doesn’t support DTS passthrough.

Full Specifications

• Manufacturer: Hisense
• Outputs: HDMI eARC, digital audio
• Inputs: HDMI, USB 2.0, optical, 3.5mm
• Audio Formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master, PCM, Multi-channel PCM, FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3
• Power Output: 500W
• Frequency Range: 40Hz – 20kHz
• Weight: 9.5kg
• Release Date: 2024