My time with a pretty high-spec television is making me think that, sometimes, incredible audio systems aren’t always suitable for the average home.
We all know the dream of the packed-out home cinema: a cozy, blackout, soundproofed AV paradise with an amazing 4K TV and speakers belting out cinema-worthy soundtracks and effects. But my time with a pretty high-spec television is making me think that, sometimes, incredible audio systems aren’t always suitable for the average home. Back in July I had the pleasure of reviewing the Panasonic JZ2000, the company’s flagship OLED television for 2021. One thing that marks out Panasonic TVs is their scaling audio output, with numerous screens that ship with the same panel and processor but gradually increase the scale of sound for more expensive models. While the Panasonic JZ980 makes do with 40W speakers, for one, the JZ1500 has an 80W output, and the flagship JZ2000 raises that to a whopping 125W – a smidge below the 140W of last year’s HZ2000. (While Panasonic doesn’t ship its TVs to the US, or Australia, this op-ed should still be relevant for anyone considering some hefty home cinema speakers.) It was hard to criticize the television – but its immense audio capabilities did make me wonder what the appropriate volume was for the average TV buyer. On a volume scale of 0 to 100, I found I couldn’t bear to go much higher than 50, for fear of suddenly terrifying the neighbors – living as I do in one of four flats in a converted London townhouse. I predict 75 would be at risk of knocking a precarious photo frame off my bookshelf, while 100 would likely be damaging to my long-term ear health. That problem would only be more aggravated in my previous home, which had several times that number of flats crammed into one building – and therefore several times the number of irritated neighbors.
