We’ve spent quite some time watching TV and movies with the Anker Nebula soundbar, and here’s what we think.
Pricing and availability
When you consider the fact the Nebula is comprised of a 2.1 soundbar system and a Fire TV stick, which costs £49.99/$49.99 alone, it’s not a bad deal – you just need to be sure that’s what you need from a soundbar. If you’ve already got a smart TV and have no need for Fire TV functionality, there are plenty of alternatives available that provide more bang for your buck; take a look at our selection of the best soundbars for inspiration.
A simple design
The Anker Nebula soundbar is admittedly a bit of a chonk, measuring in at 92 x 11 x 6cm, especially when you consider it’s only a 2.1 speaker system comprised of two speakers and two subwoofers. The one saving grace is that the dark mesh fabric that covers the entirety of the Nebula helps it blend into the environment and, if you’ve got a second or third-gen Echo nearby, the fabric will match up, providing nice synchronicity throughout the room.
On the rear of the soundbar you’ll find various connectivity options including a HDMI port, Optical in and a 3.5mm Aux port, and you’ve also got built-in Bluetooth connectivity to connect the soundbar to your phone to ‘pump out the tunez’.
Atop the soundbar you’ll find a touch panel allowing you to change the source and EQ, adjust the volume and turn the soundbar off. There’s also a basic display embedded behind the mesh fabric finish to display source information, and you’ll find an embedded Nebula badge along the left-hand side of the speaker – so far, so standard.
It’s when you connect a HDMI cable to the rear-facing port that things start to get interesting.
Along with 4K HDR support, the Nebula can take advantage of HDR10+ and Dolby Vision technologies for an improved visual experience. That’s usually tailored to high-end TVs and isn’t something the majority of consumers will be able to experience, but it’s a nice plus if you do have a Vision-supported TV.
We won’t go into too much more detail about the core Fire TV experience as we’ve got a review dedicated to the Fire TV Stick, but there are a few features unique to the Nebula. The issue is, they don’t always work as intended.
Of course, with Fire TV integration, users should expect Alexa support. It’s not voice-activated like other devices, but you can use the Fire TV remote to activate Alexa and, using the remote’s built-in mic, ask it to turn off the bedroom lights or whatever else you might want to ask. It’s not the full Alexa experience though, as some features like drop-in aren’t available, but this is common amongst third-party Alexa-enabled devices.
You can, however, ask Alexa on another device – be it an Echo speaker or the Alexa app on your phone – to control the soundbar, allowing you to change the input, adjust the volume and more.
So, while the Anker Nebula is a smart soundbar, it’s not always smart.
Booming bass, but at a cost
The Anker Nebula sports a 2.1 system, featuring two 1.5in 20w speakers and two 3in 30W subwoofers, with bass further enhanced by Anker’s BassUp technology. You won’t find the same level of definition on offer compared to a 5.1 system, but it’s a huge step forward from the built-in speakers of most TVs.
The soundscape is surprisingly wide, filling the room with audio and, as expected, the bass is booming. It’s surprisingly clear at high volumes, perfect for listening to music or watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster, but the impressive bass could also be the Nebula’s downfall.
While the soundbar sounds great with the volume cranked up, that isn’t the case at the other end of the spectrum. We don’t always want it ear-splitting playback, especially late at night or early in the morning, but when it’s turned down, there’s a noticeable degradation in quality – especially in the mid-range, and in particular, vocals.
Voices generally sound distorted at low volume, as if forcing bass tones that aren’t actually there, and it’s something we can’t seem to get past. We’ve tried tweaking the EQ, adjusting the levels of treble and bass, but it’s still present when the volume drops below 10 and particularly noticeable when watching TV shows without background music.
So, while the Anker Nebula sounds great when the volume is cranked up, you don’t get the same level of audio quality at low volumes.
Verdict
You can only use Alexa via the Fire TV remote, for example, and while you can use Alexa on other devices to control the soundbar, the functionality is only available when the Fire TV is in use – not good if you wanted to adjust the volume when watching terrestrial TV.
The audio quality, while not as good as what’s on offer from a 5.1 system, is a huge step up from the built-in speakers of most TVs. There’s a wide, immersive soundscape on offer, and the bass is booming at high volumes, but distortion at low volume means it isn’t perfect.
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
