Flat-panel TVs have been the rage for a couple of years now, and even if the larger sets are still beyond most budgets, speaker manufacturers are falling over themselves to offer the latest flat-panel-friendly model. Thin is definitely in.
|
But the Achilles heel of the all-flat motif continues to be the electronics. Regardless of how thin the speakers get, they still need to be powered by a capable amplifier. And any flat TV and surround system would feel naked without a good DVD player. Sharp aims to clear this hurdle with the SD-HX500, a sleek, wall-mountable system comprising a DVD player/control center and a power amplifier.
These days the home theater market is driven as much by design considerations as by function. And in the design department, this baby will turn heads. The combination of the aluminum finish and transparent acrylic trim can hold its own against any flat-TV/speaker combo, while the dimmable discreet blue LEDs add sexy accents.
The brawn of the outfit is the amplifier, which provides banana-plug-compatible binding posts for the five basic main-channel speakers and a line-level subwoofer output. The brains reside in what Sharp calls the Main Unit, which houses an AM/FM tuner, a universal DVD player, and a surround sound processor offering a choice of Dolby Digital, DTS, or Dolby Pro Logic II (DPL II) playback. The two units are connected via a proprietary cable, and only the amplifier has to be plugged into an outlet.
Sharp clearly designed this system for the bedroom and other areas where full integration with other components isn’t expected, as evidenced by the lack of video inputs (see “key features”). An optical digital audio output is provided along with component-, composite-, and S-video outputs for the DVD player.
Installation was straightforward and offered no surprises. The units cry out to be mounted directly below a sleek flat-panel TV using the supplied wall brackets, but in my house I had to settle for the slightly less cool table stands.
All the beauty in the world is for naught if she ain’t got it where it counts — performance. The amplifier uses Sharp’s patented 1-bit digital amplification technology, which samples audio signals at a rate of 5.6 MHz, 128 times faster than a CD. This is claimed to provide a wider dynamic range and more accurate audio reproduction than traditional amplification technologies, and it unquestionably does so with much greater energy efficiency, which is why a 1-bit amp can be much smaller than a traditional amp rated for the same power output.
After carefully matching levels, I did a lot of A-B comparing between the Sharp and my regular rig — a THX Ultra-certified receiver that costs more than twice as much as the Sharp system and a pair of high-end three-way tower speakers. Although I listened to DVDs and other multichannel sources, for my critical audio evaluation I ran both systems in stereo, with the left/right front speakers set as “large” and my subwoofer off.
PDF: Format Compatibility
Sound quality was very good, producing a silky, laid-back stereo image that was easy on the ears. The volume range is fairly narrow, so I found myself listening near the maximum setting most of the time. Ultimately, I preferred the sound using my regular receiver. It offered more presence and noticeably more guts in the low end. However, on bright recordings, the receiver tended to sound brash and sibilant, while the Sharp seemed butter smooth. Paired with a decent powered subwoofer, this amplifier should be able to drive just about any speaker system to loud — not ear-splitting — volumes in the kind of small spaces it’s meant for.
Several music and surround modes are available, including Music1, Music 2, Standard, Movie1, Movie2, and the requisite, overly reverberant Hall and Stadium. Unfortunately, none of the DPL II-Music adjustments you get with some receivers (Panorama, Center Width, Dimension) are available with the Sharp.
Video quality was good overall, but the player’s progressive-scan component-video output produced the best image. For example, some titles in DVD menus twittered noticeably when I used the component-video output in interlaced mode. But when I switched to progressive-scan, the image was more stable, and there weren’t any jaggies. Since this system will likely be paired with a plasma or LCD TV, all of which can display at least 480p (progressive-scan), the sub-par interlaced performance shouldn’t be a concern.
|
I have one minor complaint about the vertical disc-loading system — even though the front panel hinges out and the disc is raised slightly, it’s difficult to remove it without touching the playing surface. Also, disc-load times and layer changes were unusually long, even for a universal player.
Sharp is no stranger to the flat-TV game. In fact, it’s a worldwide leader in LCD technologies. The statement $15,000 1-bit stereo amplifier it introduced a few years ago was a bold leap into the audio world, and now the company is porting that technology into a sleek, stylish package that offers a lot of bang for the buck. If you’ve been looking for a clutter-free way to drive audio for your flat panel, Sharp’s SD-HX500 definitely deserves consideration.