143

Monoprice SB 600 Review

Nathan Rizzuti Avatar
Updated Dec 14, 2023 8:26 PM

True Score

63
63
5

Experts

70
0

Consumers

Expert Rankings

The Monoprice SB-600 offers Dolby Atmos support, versatile connectivity, and dialogue enhancement. But it has poor Dolby Atmos immersion and suffers from midrange hollowness. Despite shortcomings, its affordability still makes it great for the price.

Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Monoprice SB-600 is a mid-range 5.1.2 channel soundbar that was first released back in 2021, and it boasts support for Dolby Atmos to deliver an exceptionally wide soundstage inside both living rooms and home theater setups.

Similar to the highly-rated speakers available in the market today, it features a warm sound profile that can be made more neutral through tweaks and calibration.

And just like the best soundbars in the industry, it comes with a down-firing subwoofer that connects to the soundbar via Bluetooth, but that is all you get in terms of wireless connectivity options.

However, if you live in an apartment, and don’t want to annoy your neighbors downstairs, and also need Wi-Fi, Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay support, make sure to check out our LG SP11RA review today.

Its port selection includes two full-speed HDMI ports, an optical and a 3.5 mm AUX audio jack, and a USB port. But if you need even more full-speed HDMI passthrough ports, explore our Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 SSE review.

Consensus

our Verdict

The Monoprice SB-600 has excellent connectivity and extremely low latency, making it suitable for movie watching, although it’s slightly limited, lacking support from Apple Airplay or Wi-Fi.

And to get Google Chromecast, the bar needs to be updated. It supports Dolby Atmos content, producing a wide soundstage that helps with audio representation, but it falls short in height effects and provides dull trebles.

Dialogue is clear, thanks to its dedicated center speaker and enhancement feature.

However, the sound quality faces challenges; while the low bass can be impactful, the midrange can feel hollow. The absence of DTS support and limited EQ adjustments impact its sound versatility.

The display, though informative, can be challenging to read. Control-wise, they are intuitive and responsive but limited; it also has no voice assistant.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Supports Dolby Atmos content for immersive surround sound
  • Dedicated center speaker for clear and accurate dialogue reproduction
  • EQ presets and bass/treble adjustments for sound profile customization
  • Wide and focused soundstage enhances audio immersion
  • It can get quite loud, delivering impactful audio
  • Easy setup and generous number of inputs
  • Semi-wireless surround speakers improve immersion
  • Low latency performance for watching videos
  • Clear and crisp dialogue enhancement
  • Affordable pricing for a true 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup

Reason to Avoid

  • Doesn’t support Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Chromecast
  • Lacks support for DTS-HD MA or DTS content
  • Poor height performance in Dolby Atmos setups
  • No auto-volume feature for consistent volume levels
  • Mediocre Dolby Atmos performance, lacking full immersion
  • Poor midrange sound quality, hollow audio
  • Display can be tricky to read and is always-on
  • EQ mode changes reset bass and treble levels
  • Limited sound adjustment options, lacks an app
  • Lacks significant polish in terms of overall user experience

Monoprice SB 600 Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth4.6"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight3"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels5.1.2
SubwooferSubwooferIncluded
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantNo
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight8.8 lbs
WidthWidth4.3"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithBluetooth, Remote Control

All Specs

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Product Comparison

Monoprice SB 600 Review

True Score

63
79
76
NR

Ranking

#

143

/

149

#

72

/

149

#

108

/

149

#

/

Market Context

The Monoprice SB-600 is a mid-range 5.1.2 channel soundbar that was first released back in 2021, and it boasts support for Dolby Atmos to deliver…

The Monoprice SB-600 is a mid-range 5.1.2 channel soundbar that was first released back in 2021, and it boasts support for Dolby Atmos to deliver an exceptionally wide soundstage inside both living rooms and home theater setups.

Similar to the highly-rated speakers available in the market today, it features a warm sound profile that can be made more neutral through tweaks and calibration.

And just like the best soundbars in the industry, it comes with a down-firing subwoofer that connects to the soundbar via Bluetooth, but that is all you get in terms of wireless connectivity options.

However, if you live in an apartment, and don’t want to annoy your neighbors downstairs, and also need Wi-Fi, Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay support, make sure to check out our LG SP11RA review today.

Its port selection includes two full-speed HDMI ports, an optical and a 3.5 mm AUX audio jack, and a USB port. But if you need even more full-speed HDMI passthrough ports, explore our Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 SSE review.

At 96.4 dB, the Vizio Elevate soundbar gets slightly louder than the Monoprice SB-600 and has fewer compression artifacts at high volumes. And the Vizio’s…

At 96.4 dB, the Vizio Elevate soundbar gets slightly louder than the Monoprice SB-600 and has fewer compression artifacts at high volumes. And the Vizio’s 5.1.4 channel speaker setup performs better in Dolby Atmos, especially when it comes to the height channel. In addition, the Vizio soundbar has a slightly tighter frequency response slope of -0.02 which allows for clearer vocals, better dialogue output, and, overall, a much more neutral, nuanced, and detailed audio output.

The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 soundbar has a much flatter frequency response slope than the Monoprice SB-600, and this enables much clearer dialogues, better vocals,…

The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 soundbar has a much flatter frequency response slope than the Monoprice SB-600, and this enables much clearer dialogues, better vocals, and neutral audio output. At 97.2 dB, it also gets much louder than the Monoprice soundbar and has fewer compression artifacts at the highest volume.

Despite being an almost decade-older model, the 5.1-channel Monoprice 108247 keeps up remarkably well when compared to the Monoprice SB-600 soundbar. However, the newer 5.1.2…

Despite being an almost decade-older model, the 5.1-channel Monoprice 108247 keeps up remarkably well when compared to the Monoprice SB-600 soundbar. However, the newer 5.1.2 channel Monoprice SB-600 does have two extra upward-firing speakers that enable Dolby Atmos support for a wider soundstage, which the older model lacks. The SB-600 soundbar also supports HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) and features two full-speed HDMI passthrough ports to double as an HDMI hub.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Yes

Yes

Depth

4.6"

6.5"

16.9"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

Yes

No

Energy Star Certified

No

No

No

HDMI ARC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Height

3"

2.6"

10.8"

Number of Audio Channels

5.1.2

Subwoofer

Included

Included

Included

Dig Deeper

Vizio Elevate P514A-H6 Review →

Vizio M51A-H6 Review →

Score Card

E

Expert Score

63

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

70

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

63

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    74
    The Monoprice SB-600 is satisfactory for mixed usage. It’s quite versatile since it supports Dolby… Read More

    By:

    Jake Thauvette
  • Tom’s Guide
    77.58

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    If you’re looking for an Atmos soundbar with upfiring speakers and wireless surrounds, and you… Read More

    By:

    Michael Gowan
  • Home Theater HiFi
    30.2

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    The Monoprice SB-600 5.1.2 Soundbar is a Dolby Atmos home theater in a box. With… Read More

    By:

    Chris Eberle
  • Digital Trends
    48.7

    Category Trust Rating

    60
    “No bottom line found for this product” Read More

    By:

    Simon Cohen
  • Techhive
    27.5

    Category Trust Rating

    50
    While the Monoprice SB-600 has its merits and a reasonably affordable price tag, it has… Read More

    By:

    Ben Patterson