Onkyo LS-B50, LS-T10, and LS3100 Envision Cinema Series Preview

Compact speaker systems and soundbars are all the rage these days, and it makes sense. The soundbar market has seen tremendous growth year after year and consumers constantly seem to be draw to small and simple systems. Just think of all of the speaker companies who primarily make compact speaker systems sold on the promises of small size, big sound, and simple setup, Bose being the most obvious example.

This time, Onkyo is jumping in with two soundbars and a compact 2.1 system. The LS-B50 and LS-T10 soundbars both offer Bluetooth and AuraSphere surround simulation, but the similarities top there. The LS3100 is a compact 2.1 system that includes a class D amp to power the speakers, eliminating the need for a full-fledged AV receiver. Below we cover each product in more detail

LS-B50: $699

The LS-B50 is a pretty straight forward soundbar that hands off low frequencies to the included wireless subwoofer.  It sports a 6 channel amplifier which powers two tweeters and four midrange drivers.  There is a single driver on each end of the soundbar for a total of 6 woofers, but they appear to just be passive radiators, although I can’t be certain. Onkyo does not provide any specifics on the drivers used, but the arrangement is a little peculiar with the tweeters on the inside of the midrange units in a PR-M-M-T----T-M-M-PR (PR=passive radiator) configuration.  The soundbar only weighs 8.6 lbs and measures 35.8" W x 3.76" H x 3.5" D.

Onkyo  LS-B50

Inputs consist of a single 3.5mm jack and one optical input. For music listening the LS-B50 supports Bluetooth and has a USB port for pulling music files off a flash drive. It’s controlled via the included remote or your TV remote, and comes with an IR flasher for IR passthough. The subwoofer has a “big” 6.5 driver in a ported enclosure and is rated down to play down to 40Hz. It weighs in at 12.8lbs.

LS-T10: $499

The LS-T10 is a very different animal from the LS-B50. First off, it’s a pedestal style soundbar, so it sits under the TV instead of in front of it. It’s a pretty small unit at only 27 9/16" W x 4 1/8" H x 13 3/4" D, which would make it a good companion of a 40” and under TV. At the same time, its small size also means it can be used as a music system sans any TV in the room. In fact, this is how it was pitched to us at CEDIA, as an executive sound system for use in any room in the home where you want big sound in a discrete form factor. With Bluetooth and USB connectivity, in addition to 3.5mm analog and optical inputs, the LS-T10 is certainly outfitted for use as a standalone music system.

Onkyo LS-T10

The driver compliment is five “Full-Range” 3.75" cone drivers, a 5” down-firing subwoofer and two tweeters.  Onkyo generously rates the unit to play down to 20Hz with a 150Hz crossover between the midrange drivers and subwoofer. Like the LS-B50, it's controlled via your existing TV remote or the included remote, and includes an IR flasher.

LS3100: $499

Soundbars are great, but only so much can be done to fool the ear into thinking you are listening to something larger than you really are. The LS3100 is made for people who still want much of what a soundbar offers in the way of convenience but desire a little larger soundstage. It comes packaged with two acoustic suspension speakers incorporating twin 2" drivers. They can be hung on the wall or set on a tabletop in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. Bass is provided by a wireless subwoofer featuring a 6.5” driver in a ported enclosure. The sub is rated to play down to 40Hz.

Onkyo LS3100

All connections are made on the back of a small control center. The control center powers the two included speakers with a 20wpc amplifier and has opical, digital coax, and 3.5mm inputs (one of each).  It also features built-in Bluetooth for music streaming, but lacks the USB port found in the LS-T10.  Control options are the same as the LS-B50 and LS-T10.

Conclusion

We weren’t able to listen to any of these units at CEDIA, but they were on display and looked great. A subwoofer output on the LS-T10 would be nice and the subwoofers included with the LS-B50 and LS3100 look a little wimpy. Overall, nothing here is particularly ground breaking, but each of the three systems in Onkyo’s Envision Cinema lineup looks to be able to hold its own against the competition.

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Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.