Hisense has unveiled its own 360 surround speaker system – named the HT Saturn – as an alternative to the Sony Bravia Theater Quad (as reported by FlatpanelsHD).
The system, revealed at IFA 2024, consists of four wireless speakers, a subwoofer and a control box – similar to the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, although the Quad doesn't come with a subwoofer in the box (it can be paired with the SA-SW3 and SA-SW5 wireless subwoofers).
Hisense claims 720W of power, which far exceeds the Quad's claimed 504W. The HT Saturn will support both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats.
If the HT Saturn follows the same processes as the Theater Quad, the control box will be where connections are made (such as HDMI for your TV) and it will then wirelessly transmit the audio signal to the four speaker units and subwoofer.
This system will be an expansion on Hisense's range of soundbars, which includes the Hisense AX5125H – one of the best soundbars available – which is currently the closest you can get to an immersive surround sound experience in Hisense's soundbar lineup thanks to its four separate units, consisting of a soundbar, subwoofer and two satellite speakers.
There are currently no further specs, pricing or release date information available, but we'll be sure to keep an eye on it.
Price vs performance
The HT Saturn's main objective will to provide a noticeable upgrade over the fantastic Hisense AX5125H, which we complimented in our 4.5 out of 5 star review for delivering a powerful, dynamic and 'real' Dolby Atmos surround sound at such a budget price (the AX5125H costs roughly $299/£299/AU$499).
The HT Saturn will probably cost significantly more than this, but given Hisense's usual pricing, it's likely to be extremely competitive with the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which is $2,499/£2,499/AU$3,699. That in itself is a sizeable price hike over its flagship soundbar, the Sony Bravia Theater 9, which currently retails for $1,199/£1,199/AU$1,799.
The prospect of a budget alternative to the Quad is exciting however, and when we heard the Quad in action, we were suitably impressed with its surround sound prowess. We didn't feel it beat the Bravia Theater 9 by enough to justify the significant price jump, but when we paired it with the Sony Bravia 9 (Sony's 2024 flagship TV) and used it as the center speaker in the Quad setup, the Quad took on another level.
It's unclear whether Hisense's HT Saturn will do something similar with its own TVs, such as the Hisense U8N, one of the best TVs released in 2024 so far, but if it can do this at a more affordable price then sign us up. We've got high hopes after seeing what Hisense could do with the AX5125H.
