The TCL Alto 3 is a 2.0 setup with a small, compact design. It's Bluetooth-compatible, so you can stream audio from your phone or tablet to the bar wirelessly. However, it doesn't have a very versatile performance. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos, and it doesn't have a lot of physical inputs or customization features. Although it's light on extra features and offers an uneven sound profile pretty lacking in low-bass, it's an affordable choice that's best-suited for vocal-centric content.
The TCL Alto 3 is bad for mixed usage. Its uneven sound profile is lacking a lot of low bass, but its balanced mid-range is suitable for vocal-centric content like TV shows. Due to its small size, it doesn't get very loud. It also doesn't support Atmos content, and it downmixes surround content into stereo, which isn't as immersive.
The TCL Alto 3 is poor for dialogue and TV shows. This 2.0 setup has a phantom center channel, which doesn't sound as clear or real as a dedicated center channel. On the upside, its balanced mid-range is suitable for dialogue-centric content, and its TV preset doubles as a dialogue enhancement feature. While you can wirelessly stream audio from your phone to the bar over Bluetooth, unfortunately, the bar doesn't get very loud.
The TCL Alto 3 is poor for music. Its sound profile isn't very balanced. It's lacking a lot of low bass, which is disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music genres like EDM. Also, its underemphasized treble hurts the detail and clarity of vocals and lead instruments. However, its balanced mid-range is suitable for vocal-centric content. It also has a few EQ presets to help you customize its sound.
The TCL Alto 3 is bad for movies. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it has to downmix surround content into stereo, which doesn't sound as immersive. Its sound profile isn't very balanced, either, as it's lacking a lot of low-bass, and action-packed scenes don't feel very thumpy or punchy as a result. Also, it doesn't get very loud, likely due to its small size.
The TCL Alto 3 comes in one color variant: 'Black'. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions.
The TCL Alto 3 is a cheap 2.0 soundbar with a small, compact design. It's Bluetooth-compatible, and its balanced mid-range makes it ideal for listening to vocal-centric content like podcasts and TV shows. However, its overall sound profile is uneven, and it lacks a lot of low-bass. It doesn't have built-in support for Roku TVs like other soundbars from TCL's 2020 lineup, either.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars under $100, and the best small soundbars.
The BOMAKER Odine II is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The BOMAKER gets louder, and it has a better-balanced sound profile, though both bars have a dark sound that's lacking low-bass. However, the TCL is better-built, and unlike the BOMAKER, it can play surround content, though it has to downmix it to stereo.
The TCL Alto 5 is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The Alto 5 is better-built, and it has a wider soundstage. It also has a more balanced sound profile, though both soundbars are lacking low-bass. However, neither soundbar supports Dolby Atmos or has a lot of physical inputs or sound enhancement features.
The TCL Alto 9+ is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The Alto 9+ comes with a dedicated subwoofer, and it has a better-balanced sound profile. As a 3.1 setup, the Alto 9+ comes with a dedicated center channel, unlike the 2.0 Alto 3, and it supports Atmos content. It also has a Full HDMI In port, and it supports more wireless playback options.
The Bose TV Speaker is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The Bose is better built, and its sound profile is more neutral and balanced, making it suitable for a wider range of audio content. However, the TCL has a few EQ presets, which the Bose lacks.
The TCL Alto 7+ is a better soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The Alto 7+ comes with a dedicated subwoofer, and it has a better build quality. Also, its sound profile is more neutral and balanced. However, both soundbars don't support Atmos, and they don't have a lot of sound enhancement features and physical inputs.
The TCL Alto 6 is a better standalone soundbar than the TCL Alto 3. The 6 is a little wider, which isn't ideal for everyone but offers better sound quality. Notably, it has a better low-frequency extension, meaning that you get more bass in the mix. Also, this soundbar gets louder than the 3, and it offers a better stereo soundstage.
The TCL Alto 3 and the Creative Stage are both very affordable soundbars. The Creative has a dedicated subwoofer, so it can reproduce more low-bass. It also has a better stereo soundstage, along with bass and treble adjustments for greater sound customization. However, it doesn't support Dolby Digital content like the TCL.
The TCL Alto 3 is a simple, rectangular soundbar. It's mostly made of plastic, and there's a glossy finish on the top, back, and underneath of the bar and a matte finish on the sides. There's also fabric covering the front.
This soundbar is fairly compact, so it should easily fit between the legs of most 55" TVs. It isn't very tall, either, so it shouldn't block your screen unless your TV sits flush on the table.
This soundbar doesn't come with satellite speakers.
On the back of the soundbar, there's an opening for the inputs and the power cable. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any mounting holes, so you can't wall-mount it.
The TCL Alto 3 has a decent build quality. It's mostly made of plastic, which feels solid and durable. However, the fabric covering the front of the bar could easily rip or get dirty. Also, like the TCL Alto 5, the glossy plastic on the top, back, and underneath the bar can collect fingerprints.
The TCL Alto 3 has a poor stereo frequency response. It lacks a lot of low bass, even compared to other budget-friendly standalone models like the TCL Alto 6, so you really don't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music genres like EDM and hip-hop. It's also underemphasized in the treble range, so voices and lead instruments can lack detail and sound a bit lispy or dull. However, its balanced mid-range is suitable for listening to vocal-centric content like podcasts or TV shows. There are also a few EQ presets to help you adjust its sound.
The TCL Alto 3 has a middling stereo soundstage. The soundstage is about as wide as the bar itself, but the bar is quite small. It has an okay focus, but objects in the stereo image like footsteps seem to come from a general area, rather than an exact, pinpoint location.
The TCL Alto 3 has very good stereo dynamics. It doesn't get as loud as some of the other soundbars we've tested, so it may not be suitable for use in large rooms or at crowded parties. However, it doesn't have a lot of compression at max volume, which is nice.
The TCL Alto 3 has a very good stereo total harmonic distortion performance. At normal listening volumes, there isn't a lot of distortion, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction. There's a bit of a jump in THD when you play the bar at max volume, but this shouldn't be too audible with real-life content.
This soundbar has a fair center channel performance. It doesn't have a dedicated center speaker, so it uses the left and right speakers to create a sound in the center. However, this doesn't sound as clear or real as a discrete center speaker. On the upside, the sound profile is quite neutral, which is suitable for dialogue-heavy content like podcasts and audiobooks.
The TCL Alto 3 has a poor surround performance. It has to downmix surround content into stereo, which doesn't sound as clear and real as a soundbar with discrete surround speakers. Surround objects seem like they're coming from in front of you, rather than from all around you.
This soundbar doesn't support Atmos content.
This soundbar only has three EQ presets: 'Movie', 'Music', and 'TV'. The 'TV' mode doubles as a dialogue enhancement feature, so voices sound more clear and crisp. Check out the Creative Stage if you want a similarly-priced soundbar with bass and treble adjustments.
The TCL Alto 3 has a few inputs. There's a 3.5mm AUX port, so you can play music from your smartphone using the bar. However, it lacks HDMI inputs, so you can't use the bar as a hub between your devices.
This soundbar doesn't have any HDMI ARC inputs.
This soundbar doesn't have any HDMI inputs.
This soundbar supports Dolby Digital over an optical connection. However, it doesn't support DTS content, which is often found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms.
The TCL Alto 3 has mediocre wireless playback options. You can stream audio from your phone or tablet to the bar wirelessly via Bluetooth, but that's about it.
The TCL Alto 3 doesn't have an HDMI In port, so it can't support high-signal passthrough.
This soundbar doesn't have any satellite speakers.
The TCL Alto 3 has a simple interface with one LED light on the center of the bar that changes colors depending on the command. It tells you whether the bar is on standby or mute, your input, and your EQ preset.
On the side of the bar, physical buttons let you turn the bar on and off, change the source for inputs, and adjust the volume.
The remote is simple and allows for the same controls that can be found on the bar. It also lets you activate Bluetooth pairing, change the EQ setting, play/pause your content, and mute the bar.
This soundbar doesn't have a dedicated companion app.
The TCL Alto 3 doesn't have a power-saving feature, so you have to physically press the power button on the bar to turn it off. It also doesn't support HDMI CEC, so you can't use your TV remote to control the bar's basic functions.