Entertainment setups are shrinking, TVs are starting to become razor thin, and the days of investing into a complicated budget speaker system are more or less over. This is where—soundbars come into the picture. With compact form factors, and easy plug and play setup, a good soundbar is an indispensable piece of tech for any entertainment setup.
Retailing at Rs 5499, Portronics Sound Slick IV is a well-built, powerful 2.1 channel soundbar that truly impresses and for the asking price, with its wide sound stage and clear vocals—the 120W soundbar is a no-brainer for anyone looking for a soundbar under Rs 6,000. But yes, there are a few niggles which could have been prevented—with just a tad bit of attention to detail. Here is our full review of the Portronics Sound Slick IV.
It sounds good. Really good for the price.
The Portronics Sound Slick IV soundbar features a twin 30W speaker setup, with a 60W subwoofer—to deliver a combined power output of 120W, and while some of the most popular 120W and above soundbars cost above Rs 7,000, Portronics’ offering not only sounds comparable but also offers better value for money.
For bass heads, listening to music is going to be a treat, with punchy performance while listening to music—using either the optical port or Bluetooth. The overall soundstage is also wide, and certainly enough to enjoy different genres of music and, of course, movies and video games. The highs and mids are reproduced rather well.
I played GranTurismo 7 on my PS5, and the audio experience was indeed a treat—The sounds of the cars revving, the clear separation between the soundtrack, tyre sounds and car’s exhaust sound. Plus, the punchy bass helped in making the overall experience quite impactful while not overpowering details. I distinctly remember switching the exhaust from semi-racing to racing for one of my in-game cars, and the sound difference between the two was reproduced clearly, thanks to the Sound Slick IV.
Additionally, I used a Bluetooth connection between a Samsung Frame TV and a Portronics Sound Slick IV throughout my testing. The connection was quick, and even while gaming, there was no discernible delay between the audio and visuals.
Solid design and good I/O
The overall build quality is excellent for the price. The plastics feel heavy-duty, and there are no noticeable creaks while moving the unit. And yes, the joints, fit and finish might fool you into believing that the Sound Slick IV is a soundbar from a segment one or two notches higher. No complaints here.
On the back, there is a good selection of ports—one AUX port, one USB A, and one optical port. Yes, it misses out on an HDMI eARC port but considering most TVs support Bluetooth nowadays, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
A few complaints, but not deal breakers
Attention to detail should be part and parcel of most products—not just those who cross a price threshold. So yes, the Portronics Sound Slick IV comes with a couple of shortcomings.
Firstly, the the sound while every time you power on/off the device or pair it, is simply unnecessary, and can become annoying after a while. While I know most budget speakers and soundbars do in fact offer the same sound, I think it’s finally time for brands like Portronics and boAT to ditch it for good.
Secondly, the button used to power on/off the soundbar is rather soft and consecutively misses inputs. Ideally, pressing and holding the button should power on/off the soundbar, but more often than not, it fails to register button presses.
Verdict: The concept of value for money is king
For Rs 5,499, the Portronics Sound Slick IV offers great value for money, sounds balanced, and feels like it is built to last. The power on/off sound is definitely annoying, but it can be easily fixed in a future iteration, or perhaps ignored.
Overall, Sound Slick IV offers a polished experience and earns a solid recommendation from our end.
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