Boston Acoustics TVee Model 2

From this simple setup, Boston Acoustics unleashes a lot of rumble and power. It lacks, however, the wide stereo field (because the left and right channels cannot be moved further from each other) that some music snobs, like me, would want.

Boston Acoustics uses acoustic algorithms in an attempt to widen the stereo field, and the effects are pretty obvious. The aforementioned music snobs probably won't enjoy it, and folks looking for more room filling sound for their movies will likely be pleased.

Because I love my dad's 5.1 channel setup, I'm glad the TVee Model 2 wasn't on the market back then but it's hard to argue with good quality, practically cable free sound. Serious listeners should look elsewhere, but for those who just want to upgrade their TV's integrated sound system without cluttering up the room, this is a smart choice.

The TVee Model 2 comes in a variety of colors (among them Glacier, Rosebud, Pearl Gray, Caramel, Chocolat, and Chili Pepper), as well as the Onyx (all black) of my review unit. The nondescript, oblong sound bar is made to blend in with your flat panel TV it measures 3.8 by 31 by 4 inches, and the subwoofer is 11.5 inches cubed.

The joy of the subwoofer, which has a bass level control knob on the rear panel, is that you simply plug in its power cable and it's ready to work wirelessly. The lack of connected cables means you can place the subwoofer anywhere in the room (and since your ears cannot detect the directional nature of very low frequencies, this works out just fine).

The sound bar's top panel has power, volume, and mute buttons, and the rear features a three-position trim switch for adjusting input levels and the audio input. Both the subwoofer and the bar require power, and the appropriate adapters and cables are provided.

The most disappointing aspect of the TVee Model 2's design is its lack of inputs. There's only one left or right RCA-in. That means you can't, say, have your iPod or laptop plugged into your speakers at the same time your TV or DVD player is, unless you choose to get creative.

Even without trying to connect multiple sources simultaneously, you'd still need to buy a special (3.5mm to RCA) cable out for your iPod. (The TVee Model 2 comes only with an RCA-to-RCA cable). This is a disappointing oversight that requires more work to get the most use from these $400 speakers.