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An in-depth Bestisan soundbar review is a rare find that will guide you through the world of budget sound equipment. This review looks at the features, usability, and sound quality of the Bestisan BYL S9920 soundbar.
The 40-inch Bestisan S9920 is a no-frills soundbar that should improve the sound that comes from your TV. Let’s see how well this budget soundbar from Bestisan does its job.
Bestisan soundbar review: Design and build
Bestisan’s S9920 soundbar looks like a 40-inch, triangular tube that runs along the length of your TV. The curved surfaces of the soundbar create interesting outlines and a sleek aesthetic.
This soundbar is a good fit if you have a widescreen TV that’s between 50 and 60 inches long. You should know that the soundbar is four inches high and may block the IR receiver of a screen with short TV legs.
Mesh fabric at the front of the soundbar adds texture to an otherwise plain chassis. However, the fabric will attract dust, so you’ll have to make an effort to keep the soundbar clean.
You’ll find a few controls on the right side of the Bestisan S9920. The back panel of the soundbar holds the input ports you need to connect different devices.
Ports and wireless connectivity
By today’s standards, the Bestisan S9920 40-inch soundbar only carries legacy ports. The exception is an optical input that supports lossless audio formats as well as compressed formats like Dolby Digital and DTS.
Here is the list of ports that you’ll find on the back panel of the S9920:
- One USB port
- RCA connector
- A pair of auxiliary L/R connectors
- Digital optical port
Notice how the soundbar lacks HDMI ports, an omission that limits the type and number of devices you can connect at the same time.
Wireless connectivity comes down to Bluetooth, which you can use to connect the TV or your mobile devices. The connection should remain stable for a distance of 30 feet, give or take.
Bestisan soundbar review: Setup and ease of use
Setup is as simple as connecting the BYL S9920 to an electrical outlet and the TV. At this point, you should see an LED light shine through the mesh fabric at the front of the soundbar.
This basic LED display is the soundbar’s user interface, and you’ll have to learn how to decode it. The general idea is that the LED colors change depending on the user command you send to the soundbar. You may need to make friends with the user guide that comes with the S9920.
Thankfully the manufacturer adds many useful shortcut buttons to the soundbar’s remote.
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Remote and ease of use
Using the Bestisan S9920 would be difficult without shortcut keys on the soundbar remote. In addition to the ON/OFF button, you can work the soundbar with:
- A navigation pad with play/pause and volume buttons
- Each input source (optical, RCA, USB, auxiliary, Bluetooth) gets its own dedicated button
- Dedicated buttons for each of the three audio presets (movie mode, standard mode, and dialog mode)
- A pair of controls to adjust the treble levels
- A second pair of buttons to adjust the bass level
The remote steps in where the cryptic LED display of the BYL S9920 cannot. It is the one soundbar accessory that you do not want to misplace.
Overall user experience
A lack of HDMI ports and a digital display take away from the overall user experience of the S9920. This is the type of tradeoff you expect to make with no-frills, budget soundbars.
Bestisan soundbar review: Hardware and sound quality
The 40-inch Bestisan BYL S9920 has a 2.0 channel configuration, meaning it has a left and right channel. This soundbar also attempts to create a virtual center channel as it simulates surround sound. Here are the drivers, tweeters, and bass elements that the BYL S9920 is working with:
Each channel has a pair of full-range drivers that cover treble and mid-range frequencies. The two full-range drivers get an assist from a tweeter that covers higher treble frequencies. A bass reflex tube completes each channel by executing bass frequencies.
This puts the total at four full-range drivers, two tweeters, and a pair of bass reflex tubes. What does the hardware mean in terms of sound quality?
Sound clarity
The sound stage of the S9920 is at least 40 inches long, which is enough space to create a blend of distinct audio elements. Each sound artifact stands out without drowning other audio elements of similar or adjacent frequency.
High volume and distortion
An electric saw can produce 105dB worth of noise, and so can the Bestisan S9920. Audio quality degrades slightly at peak volume, but this shouldn’t be an issue for most people.
Audio presets
The S9920 lacks an equalizer that you can tweak to your liking. Instead, you get three sound presets: movie mode, music mode, and dialog mode.
Music mode enhances different elements of your favorite song with great success. Movie mode leans on the bass hardware to create convincing sound effects, yet the result is no match for an actual subwoofer. Dialog mode creates the perfect balance between background sound and speech.
You can tweak the sound by adjusting the bass and treble levels, but the presets sound perfectly fine without adjustments.
Pros
- Affordable
- Solid build and attractive design
- The soundbar gets pretty loud
- Clear sound, even at reasonably high volumes
- Dialog mode sounds great
Cons
- Lack of HDMI ports
- A digital LED display would be nice
- There are limits to what the soundbar can deliver in terms of bass
Bestisan soundbar review: A cheap, easy way to upgrade your TV speakers
The Bestisan BYL S9920 is a compact, affordable soundbar that improves the sound coming out of your TV. If you’re in the market for a bare-bones audio device to compensate for weak TV speakers, the Bestisan 100-watt S9920 soundbar gets the job done.
This Bestisan soundbar review reveals a simple piece of audio equipment that delivers on sound quality. Click here to learn more about this soundbar.
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