To build the SoloCinema XTR, Definitive took the winning concept of its XTR-50 on-wall speaker and morphed it into an active soundbar. The slim bar incorporates eight 25-watt amplifiers, a true 5.1-channel speaker array, and decoding of not only garden-variety DTS and Dolby Digital, but even the advanced, lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD formats. Dolby Volume and SRS TruSurround are built in, too.
The driver array includes full-range drivers for left and right surround; a woofer and tweeter each for left and right front channels; and two woofers and one tweeter for the center. The wireless sub incorporates a 250-watt RMS amp and an 8-inch driver. Three HDMI inputs are included, and the unit can be controlled through an onscreen display.
Of all the soundbars I heard at the Expo, the SoloCinema XTR created the most convincing surround-sound effect, probably because it combines digital surround format decoding, the added surround speakers, SRS, and crosstalk cancellation. But at $1,999, it’s one of the most expensive active soundbars I’ve encountered.
