BlueAnt is delivering some quality audio goods of late, as you’ll have noticed from a few of our reviews, and the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar is no exception. I was sceptical at first, as this is not a large nor pricey unit. But it delivers well above expectations for me with clear, thumping sound, a reasonable footprint, superbly simple setup, and a price tag of just $279. It delivers 2.1 channels of Dolby Digital audio with a built-in subwoofer. Yes, it’s not 5.1 surround sound, but you will not be disappointed by what this beast can pump out. Just like an ant can carry ten times its body weight, this soundbar delivers well above expectations. If you’re in the market for a new, affordable soundbar, cast your eyes this way and read on!
Unboxing the Soundbar
Pulling this unit out the box, the first thing I will note is there is not a lot of packaging around it. So, if you pick one up from the store, careful how you throw it in the car.
Beyond that, the box is minimal with its approach. The BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar naturally takes up most of the box. There is a power cable which measures in at the standard length at just over 150cm. A remote control (with batteries) that is super simple to use and my Mum would have no issues. A HDMI 2.0 cable, an AUX cable (not that I can use it with my iPhone…), and mounting brackets if you want to throw it on the wall.
I have not mounted mine, and already have cables from my existing soundbar in play, so haven’t used them. But at least from a glance, they look decent quality and would do the job. It’s nice to actually have cables included with such things!
Setting up the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar
Out of the box, the soundbar is pretty simple. It’s very square (as opposed to my Sony HT-CT800, which is low and angular), and isn’t going to exactly be a feature piece in your loungeroom. But it’s functional.
The BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar measures 950mm x 76mm x 106mm and weighs in at 2.5kg. The front is a standard tightknit black metal mesh. BlueAnt advertise the unit as having a high-gloss cabinet, but I’d describe it as more a smooth, matte black for the rest of the casing.
The end has four buttons: a power button, one to switch modes, and a volume up and down button.
The back panel features a HDMI ARC port as the primary port. It also has a coaxial, optical and AUX input for various audio setups. Finally, it has a USB port for MP3 playback. It also has a handy Bluetooth connectivity.
Set up for my TV, well, this couldn’t have been easier.
Power cable goes in the back. My suggestion is to REALLY push it in. It will power up while the power cord is just in, but a bump and it will pop out. Really give it some muscle and make sure the cord is pushed all the way in.
HDMI cable goes in the only available port through to HDMI ARC on your TV. And, for the most part, you are done.
BlueAnt promise that it is easy to set up and easy to use, and on the first part they really do deliver.
A bit more on the back panel
The audio ports are aces. The AUX port is an interesting one for me, considering how many devices are losing their 3.5mm ports. Maybe that’s just Apple…
The USB panel works fine if you have MP3s on a USB stick.
That said, Bluetooth. More on that in a second.
Probably my only gripe with this soundbar comes down to the fact there is only one HDMI port in the back, being the HDMI ARC port.
Perhaps I’ve been spoiled with the other unit I normally use, but extra HDMI ports are critical for me. My TV is wall-mounted, and the soundbar sits atop the entertainment unit. My Xbox, Bluray player, hard drive recorder, all sit in the entertainment unit and connect to my television through the HDMI ports on my normal soundbar.
It’s definitely not a gamebreaker for the unit. Just something to remember, that you will be connecting your Xbox or PlayStation or other devices via HDMI direct to your television, rather than into your soundbar.
Using the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar with my television: Simple
As mentioned above, BlueAnt promise simple to use, and they’re not wrong.
Plugged in via HDMI ARC, it just works.
That remote control? If I’m using it purely as a soundbar for my Sony 55” X8500 television, I can happily leave the remote control on the other side of the room and not worry about it.
I turn the television on. After a short delay, the soundbar turns itself on and replaces the television audio. With my television’s remote, if I click volume up or down or mute, the soundbar responds accordingly.
It just works, and is simple. To the point I’m considering putting it in the lounge where my elderly Mum watches television, as it won’t even require teaching her anything to operate. Just use the television as normal, and she’ll have better sound as a bonus.
In addition, unlike my Sony HT-CT800 soundbar, there’s no other settings or software that one has to navigate and finetune. It’s not needed here.
The BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar really is just plug and play.
Using the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar to play tunes from my phone
Well, I rock an iPhone, so no 3.5mm connectivity I could test here. But I did connect my phone via the soundbar’s Bluetooth 5.1 connection.
I’ll admit, when I unboxed this a few weeks ago, I threw the manual somewhere. I don’t know where it is. But, again, simple to use.
I grabbed the remote. Pressed “BT” for Bluetooth. It didn’t show on my phone. “Derr, you have to pair it.” I held down the BT button for a few seconds, and the unit announced it was in pairing mode. Found it in my phone’s settings. And I was away.
The BlueAnt controller compared to my Sony soundbar controller. So much easier to use!
Music sounds pretty damn respectable through the unit. And, without even being close to full volume, I was quickly warned that it was loud.
Only thing I will note is that, using Spotify (a free account), I could use the play/pause button on the remote, but not the previous/next track buttons. When using Apple Music, this was allowed. Not sure why, probably a restriction by Spotify.
My only other gripe is that when your phone connects, the soundbar announces in a loud male voice “Connected!” Even when I had the volume down, this voice seemed loud. Perhaps not great if you want to listen to some tunes late at night while trying to get a little one back to sleep or some such, but not a big deal.
It’s a soundbar, Peter! Talk about the sound! THE SOUND!
So, a $279 soundbar with front facing speakers and a built-in subwoofer.
How does it actually perform?
First up, there’s four pre-set equalizer / EQ modes you can use and a little customisation for each.
You can change the change the EQ mode to either voice, game, movie or music mode. Each have a bit of a unique sound. Noticeably different.
From there, you can alter the bass or treble.
I turned on a movie and switched it on to the movie EQ mode. The result was some pretty damn impressive sound coming from the soundbar.
My Sony HT-CT800 soundbar has a separate subwoofer that sits behind my lounge, so at first, I wasn’t sold on the bass. I bumped the bass all the max, and just wasn’t feeling it (perhaps because I normally literally feel it in the lounge from behind me). I did the initial tests, of course, on the lobby scene from the Matrix. And I didn’t feel it was performing. And there was a rattle coming from the direction of my television.
But, you see, dear reader, I am an idiot.
As what I discovered after 5-10 minutes was, unlike my previous soundbar, the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar was pumping out the bass in such a subtle but immersive manner that it was causing my light fitting to vibrate. this is something that had never happened before while watching movies.
I also watched the last few episodes of Seal Team, Die Hard and Die Hard 2 (it’s Christmas…), and cranked the Christmas Carols at the Domain (as well as some music through Spotify), and this soundbar, especially for its price point, simply performs.
Even bumping the volume well up there, the audio remains crisp and maintains clarity. It can get loud, it can vibrate light fittings, and it can have the neighbours complaining, but it still sounds good. I’m not up on the technical speak of sound engineering, but the audio seems to hold true no matter what I’m listening to and presents an enjoyable listening experience. Definitely zero complaints from my mate, either, as we watched Die Hard to celebrate Christmas.
The minor gripes
Well, I’ve listed two minor gripes so far: only one HDMI ARC port in the back, and a somewhat loud voice announcing things are connected via Bluetooth.
My only other gripes are in relation to the design of the soundbar somewhat.
Firstly, the speaker setup. My room is long and narrow and I sit directly in front of my television. The BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar, as said above, is very square. It has the speakers in the front panel facing forward, blasting audio toward you. (Other soundbars I’ve seen often project speakers upwards to bounce audio around the room.) As I said, this is fine for me and my setup. If you have a room where you have people sitting to the side of the television, this may result in some less-than-ideal audio experiences. But, if you want perfect audio, expect to pay a LOT more than $279.
The other thing is the lights / display. There is nothing I hate more than lights in my room while watching a movie. For the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar, there is little white-blue lights behind the mesh on the front of the unit, where a mini-display to show you the essentials.
While on, the soundbar displays the mode it is in.
When you change volume, it shows the volume level you’re on, and then goes back to the mode.
When off, a single small dot remains on.
You can vary the brightness of this by clicking the “dimmer” button on the remote, but it changes it from VERY bright, bright enough, to somewhat dim but still bright in a dark room. It’s a shame there’s not a fourth mode of “off except when changing mode / volume.” But, again, not a game breaker.
But, seriously, add (at least) another HDMI port next model please!
Conclusion
BlueAnt is a proudly Australian company and one we’re happy to review. They are delivering some great products in recent times and all at extremely affordable prices. The BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar is no different. At just $279, I’m not sure you will find too many soundbars that perform at this level. It has the quality of a pretty premium soundbar, stripped of all the complicated guff that you don’t need, in a super simple and easy to setup and use product.
And, often, simple and affordable is just what you need. Have a television that the kids use and you don’t want to complicate the set up? This is perfect. Have an elderly relative who won’t handle an extra remote? Set it up, and just leave them with the television remote. Just have that spare television out back that you want better audio for but don’t want to spend a fortune? Look no further. And if you just bought a new television for Christmas… well…
To say I’m impressed with the BlueAnt X120 120-Watt 2.1 Bluetooth Soundbar is an understatement. (Probably why I’ve banged out 2000 words on it; sorry Kev.) If your budget is around the $300 mark, this is definitely one you want to check out. Plus, supporting Australian is always great. Had this had an extra HDMI port or two in the back for my Xbox, my Sony may have been put away long term. But, as it stands, this soundbar will find a new home in my Mum’s lounge due to the simplicity of it.
Many thanks to BlueAnt for their continued support in allowing us to road test this gear. You can jump over to BlueAnt’s website and order one of these for yourself, and they will undoubtedly pop up where BlueAnt products are sold.
