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  1. Home
  2. Soundbar
  3. Compare
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style - Bar
    2. Style - Subwoofer
    3. Style - Satellites
    4. Dimensions - Bar
    5. Dimensions - Subwoofer
    6. Dimensions - Satellites
    7. Back - Bar
    8. Back - Subwoofer
    9. Back - Satellites
    10. Build Quality
    11. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Stereo Frequency Response
    2. Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration
    3. Stereo Soundstage
    4. Stereo Dynamics
    5. Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion
    6. Center
    7. Surround 5.1
    8. Height (Atmos)
    9. Sound Enhancement Features
  6. Connectivity
    1. Physical Inputs - Bar
    2. Audio Format Support - ARC
    3. Audio Format Support - Full HDMI In
    4. Audio Format Support - Optical
    5. Latency
    6. Wireless Playback
    7. Other Input Specifications
    8. Connectivity - Subwoofer
    9. Connectivity - Satellites
  7. Additional Features
    1. Interface
    2. Bar Controls
    3. Remote
    4. Voice Assistants Support
    5. App
    6. Other Features
  8. Comments

Sonos Playbar vs TCL Alto 7+

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sonos Playbar
TCL Alto 7+

Tested using Methodology v1.0

Updated Apr 09, 2024 02:26 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.0

Updated Apr 17, 2024 02:54 PM

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Sonos Playbar Picture
TCL Alto 7+ Picture
Channels
3.0
Channels
2.1

Variants

  • Playbar
  • Alto 7 Plus

Review

See Sonos Playbar review

See TCL Alto 7+ review

0
0

Our Verdict

Sonos Playbar

TCL Alto 7+

Even without a wireless subwoofer, the Sonos Playbar is a better option than the TCL Alto 7+. The bass performance isn't impacted much by the lack of subwoofer, and the general sound profile is well-balanced. It also doesn't compress as much as the TCL and has a great and wide soundstage. The Sonos also has a 3.0 configuration, which means it has a dedicated center channel for clearer voices and dialogue. On the other hand, the TCL has an HDMI ARC port and supports Bluetooth, while the Sonos can only play content wirelessly via Wi-Fi.

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Standard
Playbar
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Standard
Alto 7 Plus
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Standard
Playbar
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Standard
Alto 7 Plus
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Standard
Playbar
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Standard
Alto 7 Plus
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Standard
Playbar
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Standard
Alto 7 Plus
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Playbar
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Alto 7 Plus
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Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.2
6.4

Audio Format Support - ARC 
 

0.0
6.1

Center 
 

8.8
6.7

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
6.5

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.4
7.1

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

Yes
No

Full Comparison

Design

Style - Bar  

Style photo - bar  

Sonos Playbar Style photo - bar
TCL Alto 7+ Style photo - bar

Show text

Style - Subwoofer  

Style photo - sub  

Sonos Playbar Style photo - sub
TCL Alto 7+ Style photo - sub

Show text

Style - Satellites  

Style photo - satellites  

Sonos Playbar Style photo - satellites
TCL Alto 7+ Style photo - satellites

Show text

Dimensions - Bar  

Dimensions photo - bar  

Sonos Playbar Dimensions photo - bar
TCL Alto 7+ Dimensions photo - bar

Width  

35.5" (90.1 cm)
36.1" (91.6 cm)

Height  

3.3" (8.5 cm)
2.5" (6.3 cm)

Depth  

5.4" (13.8 cm)
3.7" (9.5 cm)

Show text

Dimensions - Subwoofer  

Dimensions photo - sub  

Sonos Playbar Dimensions photo - sub
TCL Alto 7+ Dimensions photo - sub

Width  

N/A
8.3" (21.1 cm)

Height  

N/A
12.9" (32.7 cm)

Depth  

N/A
9.8" (25.0 cm)

Show text

Dimensions - Satellites  

Dimensions photo - satellites  

Sonos Playbar Dimensions photo - satellites
TCL Alto 7+ Dimensions photo - satellites

Width  

N/A
N/A

Height  

N/A
N/A

Depth  

N/A
N/A

Show text

Back - Bar  

Back photo - bar  

Sonos Playbar Back photo - bar
TCL Alto 7+ Back photo - bar

Bar Mounting 
 

Proprietary
Universal (holes on back)

Show text

Back - Subwoofer  

Back photo - sub  

Sonos Playbar Back photo - sub
TCL Alto 7+ Back photo - sub

Enclosure 
 

No Subwoofer
Ported

Show text

Back - Satellites  

Back photo - satellites  

Sonos Playbar Back photo - satellites
TCL Alto 7+ Back photo - satellites

Mounting 
 

No
No

Show text

Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.5

Build quality photo  

Sonos Playbar Build quality photo
TCL Alto 7+ Build quality photo

Show text

In The Box 
 

In The Box photo   

Sonos Playbar In The Box photo
TCL Alto 7+ In The Box photo

HDMI Cable Length 
 

N/A
1.5 m (4.9 ft)

Digital Optical Cable Length 
 

1.5 m (4.9 ft)
1.5 m (4.9 ft)

Show text

Sound

Stereo Frequency Response 
 

7.4
7.1

Stereo Setup  

Sonos Playbar Stereo Setup
TCL Alto 7+ Stereo Setup

Raw Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Frequency Response Small  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Tested Preset 
 

No Preset
Music

Slope 
 

0.48
0.51

Std. Err. 
 

2.21 dB
3.26 dB

Channels 
 

3.0
2.1

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

51.9 Hz
55.0 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

15.6 kHz
19.9 kHz

Show text

Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration 
 

7.5
7.1

Frequency Response Calibrated  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Suggested Preset 
 

No Preset
Music

Suggested Bass Setting 
 

1
N/A

Suggested Treble Setting 
 

-3
N/A

Slope 
 

-0.11
0.51

Std. Err. 
 

2.04 dB
3.26 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

51.1 Hz
55.0 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

19.3 kHz
19.9 kHz

Stereo Soundstage 
 

8.0
6.5

Crosstalk  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Crosstalk Error 
 

2.63 dB
2.69 dB

Show text

Stereo Dynamics 
 

7.7
6.7

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

96.0 dB SPL
99.6 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.41 dB
5.30 dB

Show text

Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.6
8.0

THD  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.47
0.31

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.96
1.92

Show text

Center 
 

8.8
6.7

Center Setup  

Sonos Playbar Center Setup
TCL Alto 7+ Center Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Discrete
Phantom

Slope 
 

0.44
-0.43

Std. Err. 
 

1.99 dB
3.06 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

96.1 dB SPL
94.2 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

0.67
0.49

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

1.83
1.18

Show text

Surround 5.1 
 

4.5
4.2

Surround Setup  

Sonos Playbar Surround Setup
TCL Alto 7+ Surround Setup

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Localization 
 

Stereo (Downmix)
Stereo (Downmix)

Slope 
 

0.12
-0.50

Std. Err. 
 

2.51 dB
3.20 dB

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

94.8 dB SPL
91.6 dB SPL

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

1.24
0.74

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

2.53
0.90

7.1 Rears 
 

No
No

Show text

Height (Atmos) 
 

0.0
0.0

Height Setup  

Sonos Playbar Height Setup
TCL Alto 7+ Height Setup

H Frequency Response  

Sonos Playbar H Frequency Response
TCL Alto 7+ H Frequency Response

Localization 
 

Not Supported
Not Supported

Slope 
 

N/A
N/A

Std. Err. 
 

N/A
N/A

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD @ 80dB 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD @ Max Volume 
 

N/A
N/A

Show text

Sound Enhancement Features 
 

6.2
1.8

Room Correction 
 

Yes
No

Dialogue Enhancement 
 

Yes
Yes

Auto-Volume/Night Mode 
 

Yes
No

Subwoofer Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Bass Adjustment 
 

Yes
No

Treble Adjustment 
 

Yes
No

EQ 
 

No
Presets

Surround Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Rear Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Height Level Adjustment 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity

Physical Inputs - Bar 
 

Physical inputs bar photo 1  

Sonos Playbar Physical inputs bar photo 1
TCL Alto 7+ Physical inputs bar photo 1

Physical inputs bar photo 2  

Sonos Playbar Physical inputs bar photo 2
TCL Alto 7+ Physical inputs bar photo 2

Optical Audio In 
 

1
1

HDMI ARC 
 

No
1

HDMI Out 
 

No
No

Full HDMI In 
 

No
No

Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux) 
 

No
1

RCA In 
 

No
No

USB for Files 
 

No
1

Ethernet 
 

2
No

Show text

Audio Format Support - ARC 
 

0.0
6.1

eARC 
 

No
No

Dolby Atmos 
 

No
No

Dolby Digital 
 

No
Yes

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

No
No

DTS 
 

No
No

DTS:X (eARC only) 
 

No
No

Dolby TrueHD (eARC only) 
 

No
No

DTS-HD MA (eARC only) 
 

No
No

5.1 PCM (eARC only) 
 

No
No

Show text

Audio Format Support - Full HDMI In 
 

0.0
0.0

Dolby Atmos 
 

No
No

DTS:X 
 

No
No

Dolby Digital 
 

No
No

Dolby Digital Plus 
 

No
No

DTS 
 

No
No

Dolby TrueHD 
 

No
No

DTS-HD MA 
 

No
No

5.1 PCM 
 

No
No

Show text

Audio Format Support - Optical 
 

10
6.0

Dolby Digital 
 

Yes
Yes

DTS 
 

Yes
No

Show text

Latency 
 

8.8
7.7

Latency Video  

ARC 
 

N/A
62 ms

Optical 
 

36 ms
76 ms

Full HDMI In 
 

N/A
N/A

Wireless Playback 
 

2.0
6.0

Bluetooth 
 

No
Yes

Wi-Fi 
 

Yes
No

Chromecast built-in 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

Show text

Other Input Specifications 
 

4k @ 60 Hz Passthrough 
 

No
No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 10 bit Passthrough 
 

No
No

4k @ 60 Hz @ 4:4:4 Passthrough 
 

No
No

HDR10 Passthrough 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity - Subwoofer 
 

Physical inputs subwoofer photo 1  

Sonos Playbar Physical inputs subwoofer photo 1
TCL Alto 7+ Physical inputs subwoofer photo 1

Physical controls subwoofer photo 1  

Sonos Playbar Physical controls subwoofer photo 1
TCL Alto 7+ Physical controls subwoofer photo 1

Sub Wireless 
 

No
Yes

Show text

Connectivity - Satellites 
 

Physical inputs satellites photo 1  

Sonos Playbar Physical inputs satellites photo 1
TCL Alto 7+ Physical inputs satellites photo 1

Physical controls satellites photo 1  

Sonos Playbar Physical controls satellites photo 1
TCL Alto 7+ Physical controls satellites photo 1

Sat Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Additional Features

Interface 
 

Interface photo  

Sonos Playbar Interface photo
TCL Alto 7+ Interface photo

Display 
 

No
No

Show text

Bar Controls 
 

Controls photo  

Sonos Playbar Controls photo
TCL Alto 7+ Controls photo

Show text

Remote 
 

Remote photo  

Sonos Playbar Remote photo
TCL Alto 7+ Remote photo

Universal Remote 
 

No
No

Show text

Voice Assistants Support 
 

Amazon Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Apple Siri 
 

No
No

Show text

App 
 

App image  

Sonos Playbar App image
TCL Alto 7+ App image

App Name  

Sonos Controller
No App

iOS  

Yes
No

Android  

Yes
No

Acts As A Remote 
 

Yes
No

Controls Soundbar's Settings 
 

All
No

Casts Device Files 
 

Yes
No

Show text

Other Features 
 

Power Saving 
 

No
Standby

HDMI CEC (TV Remote Control) 
 

No
Limited Support

Show text

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Playbar
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Standard
Alto 7 Plus
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Playbar
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Alto 7 Plus
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Playbar
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Alto 7 Plus
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Playbar
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Alto 7 Plus
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Alto 7 Plus
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Sonos Playbar

TCL Alto 7+

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

Sonos Playbar vs TCL Alto 7+: Main Discussion

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