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Hisense AX5125H Review
An inexpensive Atmos surround sound system
In This Article
Verdict
An inexpensive way to get immersive home cinema into your front room, but this Hisense doesn’t quite deliver the immersive performance we’re looking for.
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
When it comes to improving TV sound, you’ve got a few options: soundbars, wireless speakers, and sound systems. The Hisense AX5125H is a sound system that’s less expensive than a purchase of theSonos Beam Gen 2.
For less than the price of one speaker, you get a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two satellite speakers to create a surround sound experience in the home.
It doesn’t have the features of the Sonos, but if your aim is to upgrade your sound system for a relatively inexpensive sum, the Hisense AX5125H would, at least in terms of price, make for an appealing candidate.
Design
The Hisense AX5125H only comes in black and is arguably a little bland in terms of looks, but unlike an unruly school student, a soundbar is meant to be heard, not seen.
And from that perspective – and at this price – the AX5125H looks smart enough. The grille is a common design theme across the main bar, subwoofer, and speakers but the fabric on top of the speaker gives the AX5125H a semblance of style. There’s also a display that’s easily visible from a few metres away.
Connections are hidden away in a recessed area underneath the speaker, and the satellite speakers run on mains power – something you’ll need to consider when positioning them. The subwoofer is a small thing but decently built – in fact build quality is acceptable across all the speakers. There’s no flimsy feeling about these speakers.
The size of the subwoofer – a 6.5-inch effort – along with the compact size of the satellite speakers implies small to medium-sized rooms for this surround system. The sub is also a rear-ported effort, so ideally you’ll want it placed back against a wall to reinforce the bass frequencies. I tend to keep the subwoofer close to the main unit rather than further away.
There’s a remote that covers everything you’d need from the soundbar and offers solid feedback with presses.
Features
There isDolby Atmossupport, the speaker supports a 5.1.2 configuration, of which the .2 part refers to the two upfiring speakers in the main unit. They’re supported by 500W of power, which would indicate this system has a good amount of power behind it.
It can also decode various other Dolby soundtracks (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+), as well asDTS:X, DTS-HD Master, DTS, PCM, and Multi-channel PCM. A word of warning with DTS as most TVs will pass-through a Dolby signal, it’s not as common with DTS. If your TV doesn’t support DTS pass-through, you’ll find it pops up as PCM and multi-channel PCM.
Connectivity is handled mainly via aHDMI eARCoutput to the TV, and refreshingly for a soundbar system of this price, a HDMI input, so you could plug in another device straight into the soundbar (which would get past the DTS issue noted above). A USB 2.0, optical digital output and 3.5mm input make up the rest of the physical connections.
There isBluetooth 5.3but there’s no Wi-Fi and no app support. No app means no firmware updates over Wi-Fi, and no Wi-Fi means no wireless streaming support for the likes ofSpotify ConnectandAirPlay 2.
There are seven modes to choose from: Movie, Music, Sport, News, Game, Night, and an AI mode. You can also adjust the treble and bass settings through the remote control for more EQ options.
Sound Quality
Things get off to a decent start with the opening of Blade Runner 2049 (in Atmos). The sub gives the low frequencies decent heft and depth, and while it sounds powerful, the Hisense AX5125H doesn’t dig as deep into those lows as more expensive sound systems do. The highs are treated with clarity with no distortion or real uncomfortable moments that I can hear with treble and bass.
Given the size of the test room is bigger than what suits the AX5125H, it doesn’t feel particularly room-filling, but there’s width and the satellite speakers do ably fill in the information behind the viewing position, creating a solid sense of ambience in films such as Civil War or tracking sounds that go behind in Heat or Top Gun: Maverick.
What’s a little disappointing is that there’s no obvious sense of height to immersive soundtracks. As the spinner floats down in Blade Runner 2049, I can’t sense it descending from on high to the ground. As Maverick takes off in the experimental jet in Top Gun, the plane never reaches beyond the top half of the TV frame. The overhead speakers lack definition.
But in terms of creating a surround sound with the front and rears, the sound system offers a decent level of detail – the tyre squeals, engine roar and gear shifts are all handily reproduced in Ford vs Ferrari – and it sounds natural enough in terms of its tone. Though for all the power at its disposal, the system lacks brute force and attack. There’s detail in John Wick: Chapter 4 but I’d like more punch and snap to the action scenes. Too often the Hisense sounds soft.
The Hisense system is careful enough not to overplay its hand with dialogue, which for the most part sounds true and accurate.
There were moments where it sounded sibilant with a stream of the Veronica Mars TV series onPrime Video, and some noticeable moments in other films, but dialogue is reproduced well enough. My issue is that I’d prefer if the dialogue was higher up and pushed away from the soundbar itself – at times it feels as if it’s too small and far away in the racing scenes that fill up Ford vs Ferrari. It’s still audible but it could have more presence.
It’s not the most dynamic sounding effort and raising the volume seems to have little effect. What’s weird about the AX5125H is that it doesn’t get very loud – jumping up from level 30 to 50 and the boost in volume is incremental.
What confused me even more is that the volume seems inconsistent from scene to scene. When dealing with multiple loud moments in a scene, I’m almost certain the soundbar system gets quieter rather than louder as the scene goes on.
And it’s not great with films that require deep bass. The explosions in Dunkirk are a handful, and the AX5125H’s subwoofer regularly cuts out as the bombs hit the sea next to the soldiers. It really breaks the sense of any immersion.
With regards to the EQ modes, the AI sound mode sounds louder than Movie but also sounds harder and leaner. I find the AI mode sounds too strained with some films, and that the Movie mode offers smoother, more natural reproduction of dialogue
Music over Bluetooth is actually rather good. The bass is strong, clarity is good and detail is decent. It can sound a little sharp at higher volumes but there’s energy and power supplied to music. I don’t love the fact that it sends the same sound to all the speakers – after a while that becomes fatiguing – but you can turn the surrounds off and have it come from the speakers, which presents more of a focus.
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Should you buy it?
You want a relatively inexpensive soundbar
An Atmos surround system for £300? It’s the cheapest one we’ve reviewed, and less expensive than theSonos BeamandSony HT-A3000compactsoundbars.
You want a consistent audio experience
The AX5125H struggles with bass in some films, the volume sounds inconsistent, and there’s not much height – which is the whole point of Atmos and DTS:X tracks.
Final Thoughts
The Hisense AX5125H is a decent sound system considering that, on the face of it, offers impressive value. But there are a few too many instances where it underdelivers.
There’s not much height to immersive soundtracks (which is surely the point of buying an immersive sound system), and the volume issues are strange. When it should be loud, the AX5125H rather retreats into itself, and the bass cutting out with demanding 4K Blu-ray films such as Dunkirk is another problem.
There are a few too many inconsistencies to give this sound system a recommendation to home cinema fans, but if you’re a more casual fan, this is a tempting system for the price.
How we test
We test every soundbar we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy.
Tested across two weeks
Tested with real world use
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FAQs
The AX5125H does support DTS:X, though to get the full benefits of DTS support, you’re better off plugging directly into the soundbar itself, especially if your TV does not support DTS passthrough.
Full specs
Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
