The Panasonic SoundSlayer is a good little audio solution for gamers and desk setups who want a speaker that can do everything. There are a few problems, and even though the sound is great, it’s not quite as good as other soundbars and brands, but it will still get the job done and then some.
The Panasonic’s small size is, of course, the big news. It’s the right size to sit quietly under your TV or gaming monitor, and at this weight, it’s not hard to move it from one place to another. But it’s still big enough to fit speaker drivers that aren’t too small.
The SC-HTB01 doesn’t seem to have been “designed.” Instead, its drivers and the electronics that go with them have been put into a housing that is mostly covered with acoustic cloth. Normal plastics are used for it. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s easy to see how Panasonic could think that was the point.
Specifications
- Ports: 1x HDMI input, 1x HDMI output, 1x optical input
- Dimensions: 52 x 431 x 132mm / Weight: 1.8kg
- Finish: Matte Black only
- Decoding: Dolby Atmos & DTS:X supported
- Modes: Game, Standard, Music, Cinema
- 4K HDR passthrough supported
Where to get Panasonic SoundSlayer soundbar?
“Bland” doesn’t mean “badly made,” though, since we’re talking about Panasonic. The Soundslayer isn’t very interesting to look at, but it’s well put together and feels like it will last.
On the back of the soundbar, there is a short set of physical connections. There are two HDMI ports—one for input and one for output with ARC—a digital optical input, and a USB port (for updates only).
The Soundslayer can handle 4K HDR content and multi-channel audio up to a hefty 24bit/192kHz standard via HDMI, so Dolby Atmos and/or DTS:X soundtracks are no problem. Bluetooth 2.1 is used for wireless connectivity. Raise your hand if you remember when that was the cutting edge of wireless streaming technology.
The equaliser (EQ) presets on the SC-HTB01 tell you where it thinks it should be. Its versatility is shown by the fact that it has settings for “music,” “cinema,” and “standard.” However, the “game” setting has sub-settings for “RPG,” “FPS,” and “enhanced voices” (which is excellent when listening at very low volume levels). The Panasonic SoundSlayer tries pretty well to be an all-in-one audio solution for gaming. If you’re looking at single-unit setups, the SoundSlayer’s neat 2.1 setup will definitely be on your short list.