Updated 26 Oct 2026
Is the TCL S45H worth it?
Only for a small room on a tight budget.
It's an upgrade on most TV speakers: voices are forward, it gets louder with little distortion, and you get room correction, EQ presets and a dialogue mode. But without a sub there's little deep bass, so films and music sound thin, and Atmos and surround are downmixed to stereo, so it isn't immersive.
76%of 66 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Louder and clearer than TV speakers
- Room correction and EQ
- Small and cheap
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What owners say
Most owners say it sounds clear and is a big step up from TV speakers for the price. Some found it thin, with little bass, or awkward to connect.
Good to know
- Thin bass, even with the bass turned up.
- Atmos and surround are downmixed to stereo.
- Voices are clear but a little uneven.
- The sound is barely wider than the bar.
From 66 buyer ratings at Target (US) and Otto (Germany), every complaint read by us, October 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Clear sound, a big step up from TV speakersMentioned a lot
- Great value for the moneyMentioned often
- Easy to set up: plug into HDMI eARC and goAlso mentioned
What they complain about
- Sounds thin, with little bass, or not loud enoughOccasional
- Confusing to connect, especially to other TV brands or AlexaOccasional
Get it if…
- It's for a bedroom or a small TV.
- You mainly want clearer voices.
- You want to spend as little as possible.
Skip it if…
- You want film-style bass: get a bar with a sub.
- You want surround or Atmos.
More on the TCL S45H
How we reached this verdict
RTINGS rates it okay for mixed use and music and unremarkable for films: it beats built-in TV speakers on volume and clarity and has useful sound tools, but it can't produce deep bass and downmixes Atmos and surround to stereo.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: RTINGS, TCL (specs), RTINGS, What Hi-Fi, What Hi-Fi, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 26 Oct 2026How we decide