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Onn 42 5.1 2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Dec 14, 2023 8:25 PM

True Score

70
69
1

Experts

76
153

Consumers

Expert Rankings

The Onn soundbar delivers an enjoyable listening experience for its entry-level price, making it ideal for the price-conscious buyer on the lookout for good sound without many bells and whistles. It’s also got good bass but misses out on surround sound performance.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Onn. 42” 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar is an entry-level soundbar that also includes a subwoofer in its setup. The subwoofer delivers satisfactory bass levels, and this, plus its support for Dolby Atmos, makes it ideal for an immersive movie-watching experience.

With a soundstage that is also slightly wider than its bar, owners will be able to easily pinpoint exactly where object sounds are coming from.

Most top-end speakers support streaming through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, work with Apple AirPlay, and have Chromecast built-in, but he Onn. 42” is limited to Bluetooth.

As is typical with the best soundbars in the market, the Onn. 42” also supports a wide range of audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus.

Its range of physical inputs include one HDMI ARC port, one HDMI Out port, one AUX port, and three Full HDMI In ports.

Consensus

our Verdict

The Onn 42 soundbar is a 5.1.2 channel setup that includes a sub for heavy bass output, and its customizable sound profile consists of clear vocals and instrumentals plus balanced mids for a pleasant movie or TV watching.

Despite support for Dolby Atmos, its surround sound performance is not ideal since sounds like it’s coming from in front instead of around.

While its wireless connectivity is reliable, it is limited to Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay, but its port selection is good, with one Optical Audio In, three Full HDMI ports, one AUX port, and one USB plus Ethernet port.

Its tested latency performance is stellar, at 26ms over ARC and 22ms over Optical connections. Unfortunately, there’s no voice assistant support, and the sound also gets distorted when loud.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Well constructed
  • Works with Dolby Atmos content
  • Gets quite loud
  • Works with voice assistants
  • Ultra-low latency
  • Good port selection

Reason to Avoid

  • No WiFI connectivity
  • Limited sound enhancement features
  • Poor surround sound performance

Onn 42 5.1 2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth19.29"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureNo
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight19.29"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels5.1.2
SubwooferSubwooferIncluded
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Surround Sound
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantAmazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight45.63 lbs
WidthWidth13.78"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithAmazon Alexa, Bluetooth, Google Assistant, Remote Control, Siri

All Specs

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Product Comparison

Onn 42 5.1 2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review

True Score

70
86
72
NR

Ranking

#

132

/

149

#

6

/

149

#

128

/

149

#

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Market Context

The Onn. 42” 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar is an entry-level soundbar that also includes a subwoofer in its setup. The subwoofer delivers satisfactory bass levels,…

The Onn. 42” 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar is an entry-level soundbar that also includes a subwoofer in its setup. The subwoofer delivers satisfactory bass levels, and this, plus its support for Dolby Atmos, makes it ideal for an immersive movie-watching experience.

With a soundstage that is also slightly wider than its bar, owners will be able to easily pinpoint exactly where object sounds are coming from.

Most top-end speakers support streaming through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, work with Apple AirPlay, and have Chromecast built-in, but he Onn. 42” is limited to Bluetooth.

As is typical with the best soundbars in the market, the Onn. 42” also supports a wide range of audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus.

Its range of physical inputs include one HDMI ARC port, one HDMI Out port, one AUX port, and three Full HDMI In ports.

The Onn. 42’’ soundbar includes a subwoofer while the Sonos Arc does not, but the Sonos Arc comes with features such as dialogue enhancement and…

The Onn. 42’’ soundbar includes a subwoofer while the Sonos Arc does not, but the Sonos Arc comes with features such as dialogue enhancement and auto-volume/night mode that are not found on the Onn. 42’’ soundbar. Still, the Onn. 42’’ comes with a Digital Optical Cable that’s missing on the Sonos Arc, but the Sonos Arc has a wider soundstage for more accurate sound projection. Lastly, the Onn. 42-inch supports Bluetooth, while the Sonos Arc does not.

The Onn. 42’’ Dolby Atmos soundbar ships with a HDMI cable, which the LG SP8YA ships without, and with a max volume of 99.1dB, it…

The Onn. 42’’ Dolby Atmos soundbar ships with a HDMI cable, which the LG SP8YA ships without, and with a max volume of 99.1dB, it gets louder than the LG soundbar, which peaks at 93 dB. Still, the SP8YA supports WiFi connectivity and Apple AirPlay while the Onn. 42’’ soundbar does not.

The Onn. 42-inch 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar ships with a subwoofer, while the Onn. 36’’ 5.1 soundbar does not, resulting in the Onn. 42’’, delivering…

The Onn. 42-inch 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar ships with a subwoofer, while the Onn. 36’’ 5.1 soundbar does not, resulting in the Onn. 42’’, delivering a much stronger bass output. However, the Onn. 36’’ comes with two satellite channels, while the Onn. 42’’ does not.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

No

Yes

Depth

19.29"

4.56"

4.7"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

No

Yes

Yes

Energy Star Certified

No

No

No

HDMI ARC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Height

19.29"

3.43"

2.2"

Number of Audio Channels

5.1.2

5.0.2

3.1.2

Subwoofer

Included

Optional (sold separately)

Included

Dig Deeper

Sonos Arc Review →

LG SP8YA Review →

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  • Save $100
    $299.00
    $199.00

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

    Yes

Score Card

E

Expert Score

69

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

76

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

70

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    71
    The onn. 42″ 5.1. 2. Dolby Atmos Soundbar is decent for mixed usage. The bar… Read More

    By:

    Jake Thauvette

Customer Scores