The overall power output is not bad, though. On “Want Want” by Maggie Rogers, I was impressed by the grungy, guttural sound thanks to the sub. On “So Neurotic” by the band Ex-Vöid, I was expecting total mush as the guitars intersect, but it’s loud, jangly, and clear. “Spangled” by the band Fust had bone-crunching bass coming through the sub as well.

Gaming, Sports, and News

Photograph: John Brandon

For video games, the lack of room-filling surround sound became even more noticeable. Similar to movies and shows, the game Forza Horizon 6 is supposed to blast you with engine sounds and exhaust, but it all felt too thin and not spacious enough. Granted, that game doesn’t take advantage of Dolby Atmos enough, but I was not impressed with overall oomph.

That is until I tested Halo: Infinite. Laser blasts, screeching aliens, and loud explosions at least seemed to come from a few different angles in the room. I still missed the cacophony of Atmos-powered sound coming from higher-end soundbars like the Sonos Arc.

I switched to sports for a while, catching up on the NBA playoffs using the YouTube TV app. The broadcasters were easy to hear, but the crowd noise was more like a low murmur, almost like using a noise generator. What you want is to feel like you’re at the game and can hear people screaming and shouting during the live broadcast. A news program on my local Fox station sounded clear and distinct, though. That’s not surprising because the A65K certainly has enough power and distinct audio drivers, even if the surround sound is just so-so.

In the end, I felt the TCL A65K matched my expectations. It’s small enough to fit on a kitchen counter or near a smaller television. It’s priced much lower than the high-end models that actually deliver room-filling home theater surround sound. Many of the tracks I played to test music sounded pleasing enough if not thunderous and room-filling. If your goal is to save space and not pay an exorbitant sum, the TCL A65K is a compact and feature-rich choice.