The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is a disappointing 2.0-channel soundbar. It has a compact design that feels fairly well-built but has a dull, boxy sound profile that isn't very versatile. While it can play pretty loudly without compressing, it's not the soundbar you'll want to pull out at a party or during a movie - it lacks not only thump and rumble, but detail and clarity too. It also has limited connectivity options, and only supports playback of PCM surround formats, which is rather restrictive. All things considered, this soundbar isn't recommended unless you're sold on the small form factor.
Our Verdict
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is a poor soundbar for most uses. While its compact design is practical, it has a dull, boxy sound profile that lends itself poorly to not only movies, but TV shows and music too. The soundstage is also quite small and there are no virtual surround effects to help with this. Surround support is also limited since it only supports PCM formats and doesn't have any HDMI ports.
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Compact design.
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Decent build quality.
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Very good stereo dynamics.
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Dull, boxy sound profile.
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Very few sound enhancement features.
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Small soundstage.
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Limited connectivity options.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is inadequate for dialogue and TV shows. It has a balanced reproduction of frequencies in the mid-range but lacks fullness in the bass and detail in the treble, which makes voices sound thin. The boxy sound profile could work for audiobooks or podcasts but isn't ideal, and there are no dialogue enhancement options to help.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is disappointing for music, even on the 'Music' EQ preset. Its bass performance is quite bad - not only since it lacks a subwoofer, but it just struggles to deliver good thump and kick in general. It also performs poorly in the treble range, with poor detail and clarity which results in a dull, boxy sound profile that isn't very versatile.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is bad for movies. Since there's no subwoofer, it can't deliver the deep thump and rumble essential to a good action movie, and struggles with the rest of the bass range. The lack of treble also makes movies sound dull and boxy, which isn't ideal. It can get quite loud without compressing very much, which is good, but the lack of support of common surround formats like Dolby Digital means that even at max volume, you won't get a very movie theater-like listening experience.
- Mixed Usage
- Dialogue/TV Shows
- Music
- Movies
- Updated Apr 06, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 23, 2020: The Dynamics tests have been reconducted due to a value input bug.
- Updated Mar 26, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Mar 20, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Mar 20, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Mar 17, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Mar 16, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Soundbars
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is a disappointing soundbar overall, especially compared to other 2.0 channel models on the market. While its compact design will please those looking for something that can fit in a tight spot, other small soundbars perform better overall. See our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best small soundbars, and the best soundbars under $200.
The BOMAKER Odine II is a better 2.0 budget soundbar for dialogue and TV shows than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. The BOMAKER has a dialogue enhancement feature which can help improve vocal clarity, it can get much louder than the TaoTronics, and it also has a virtual surround feature. Although both soundbars downsample into PCM 2.0, the BOMAKER is able to do this over its HDMI ARC port, which the TaoTronics lack. That said, the TaoTronics has a more neutral and even sound profile as it can deliver somewhat more bass, and it feels better built.
The TaoTronics TT-SK026 is a slightly better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. The TT-SK026 has an integrated subwoofer with a more balanced sound profile and a text display interface. However, while the TT-SK023 is a 2.0 soundbar, it has a more sturdy build.
The Vizio SB3220n-F6 is a much better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. It has a significantly better-balanced sound profile, a much wider stereo soundstage, and many more sound enhancement features. While neither bar supports HDMI, the Vizio can at least play Dolby Digital surround content over optical. That said, the TaoTronics has an even more compact design, which some listeners may prefer if they're tight on space.
The Bose Solo 5 is a much better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. The Bose has a much more neutral, balanced sound with better bass for music. It also supports Dolby Digital content over optical, feels better-built, and has a power-saving mode. The TaoTronics, however, has a couple of EQ presets, which the Bose is lacking, as well as a display to show you which settings you're on.
The Sony HT-S100F is a much better soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. While both soundbars lack bass and detail in the treble range, the Sony still sounds better balanced overall. It's missing EQ presets but has dialogue enhancement and virtual surround effects, and it also supports Dolby Digital over HDMI. The TaoTronics has a more compact design, though, which some may prefer.
The 7.1.4 channel Samsung HW-Q90R is a much better soundbar setup than the 2.0 TaoTronics TT-SK023 standalone bar. The Samsung costs a lot more money, but sounds much better-balanced, can play surround sound, has HDMI ports, and a more premium design. The TaoTronics is worth considering if you're tight on money or space since it's a lot cheaper and more compact, but if you have the resources, the Samsung, is the better overall choice.
Both the AmazonBasics 2.1 Channel Bluetooth and the TaoTronics TT-SK023 are pretty bad soundbars. Neither has a very versatile sound profile - the AmazonBasics sounds more dark and boomy while the TaoTronics is dull and boxy. Both soundbars have limited connectivity options but at least the AmazonBasics supports Dolby Digital over optical. The TaoTronics, however, compresses much less at max volume and feels better-built, too.
The Vizio SB3820-C6 is a better overall 2.0 soundbar than the TaoTronics TT SK-023. The Vizio has a more balanced sound profile, a phantom center, and it can downmix surround content, allowing it to support Dolby Digital content. While it lacks an EQ, it has an auto-volume feature, and you can even adjust the bass and treble. The TaoTronics is much smaller, though, and can easily fit between the legs of most 55 inch TVs.
The Insignia NS-HSB318 2.0 and the TaoTronics TT-SK023 are very similar soundbars, but the Insignia is better since it has a more balanced default sound profile. It also has a few more sound enhancement features. The TaoTronics feels less cheaply-made, though, and has an AUX port. The Insignia, on the other hand, can play files off a USB key or hard drive.
The Vizio SB2020n-G6 is a slightly better performing soundbar than the TaoTronics TT-SK023. The Vizio is slightly better-balanced, it has an auto-volume mode as well as bass and treble adjustments, and it has a USB input so that you can play files directly from your flash drive. However, the TaoTronics can get louder, and you can also wall-mount it.
Test Results
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is a simple soundbar that's surprisingly easy on the eyes. The entire bar is dark gray, with a metal grill in front. The top, ends, and back of the bar are covered in plastic that has a brushed metal look. It's quite a stylish bar overall and doesn't look too cheap at first glance.
This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer. If you're looking for a TaoTronics soundbar with an integrated subwoofer, check out the TaoTronics TT-SK026.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 is a pretty compact soundbar. It's even smaller than the Vizio SB3220n-F6 and should fit between the legs of many 55" TVs. It might even be short enough to fit under your TV, but if it doesn't, it shouldn't block the bottom of the screen unless your TV screen sits directly on the table.
This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer.
This soundbar doesn't come with satellite speakers.
The back of this soundbar is plastic and has one opening for the two connectivity inputs, and the integrated power cable. You can wall-mount this soundbar, but it won't lay flush against the wall.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 feels decently well-built. The bar is mostly made of plastic, but there's a metal grill that covers the front. While it doesn't look too bad at first glance, the plastic used in its build does feel pretty cheap. That said, the metal grill helps protect the drivers better than a fabric covering, like on the AmazonBasics 2.1 Channel Bluetooth bar.
- Manual
- Remote (batteries not included, requires 2x AAA)
- Optical cable
- Stereo RCA to 3.5mm audio cable
- Wall-mount kit
The TaoTronics TT-SK023's stereo frequency response is bad. The mid-range is well-balanced, but since both bass and treble are rather severely lacking, this bar sounds dull and boxy. It lacks not only thump and rumble, but detail and clarity as well. This makes it a poor choice for most content, whether movies, music, or TV shows. It could work for podcasts but, even then, it's not ideal.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 has an ordinary stereo soundstage. Music and movies will sound a bit wider than the bar itself, but not by very much. Many songs had decent focus, though, so even though the soundstage isn't the widest, it's still passable.
Update 09/23/2020: We've discovered a value input bug that would cause the Dynamics box results to be slightly off. All soundbars reviewed since January 30th, 2020 have been updated.
This soundbar has very good stereo dynamics. It can get quite loud without compressing too much overall, making it ideal for use in large rooms or crowded parties.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023's total harmonic distortion performance is decent. It distorts significantly more at max volume than it does at normal listening volumes, so as long as you're not playing this soundbar at full blast, the distortion shouldn't be too noticeable.
Not only is this soundbar lacking a center channel, but it can't decode or downmix surround sound content to stereo, either.
This soundbar doesn't have any surround channels, nor can it downmix, or even decode, surround sound content to stereo. If you're looking for a 2.0 soundbar and you don't mind that it downmixes surround content into stereo, check out the Vizio SB3820-C6.
This soundbar doesn't support Atmos.
This soundbar has terrible sound enhancement features. The only thing you can change is the sound mode, and even then, there are only three EQ preset options: Music, Movie, and Game mode. You can't adjust the bass or treble levels, or activate virtual surround. Unlike the BOMAKER Odine II, it doesn't have a dialogue enhancement feature, which is quite bad.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 only has two inputs: an optical-in, and a regular audio jack. While it comes with an RCA cable to plug into your TV or receiver, it doesn't have an RCA input, so you won't be able to easily plug a turntable into it. You also can't use it as a hub between your various home media devices since there are no HDMI ports.
This soundbar doesn't support HDMI ARC.
This soundbar doesn't have any HDMI ports.
Like the Insignia NS-HSB318 2.0, it only supports PCM formats over optical-in, which you'll need to specify in your TV's settings.
The TaoTronics TT-SK023 has okay wireless playback options. While you can connect your smartphone or tablet and stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth, you can't connect seamlessly with Chromecast or AirPlay.
Since this soundbar doesn't support HDMI, there's no video passthrough.
This soundbar has a small display that lights up different icons based on the input and EQ preset options selected. The icons are simple and easy to understand, but visibility isn't the best behind the metal grill.
This soundbar has physical buttons on the side for basic operation. You can turn it on/off, change inputs, and adjust the volume. The buttons are very small, so if you have larger fingers, you might find it hard to press one at a time.
This soundbar comes with a very simple remote. You can switch between inputs, select EQ presets, and change the volume. However, music control only works when connected to a Bluetooth device.