Review: Sony SRS-LSR200 – wireless speaker for televisions
The Sony SRS-LSR200 is a unique product. It is a wireless speaker that brings the sound of the TV closer than ever. Moreover, there is also a remote control on top of the speakers, so you can immediately control the linked TV. How do you like this plug-and-play product?
When you get older it can sometimes be difficult to understand everything that happens in a movie, series or on the news. You can turn up the sound of your television, soundbar or audio system, but in many cases the sound of all kinds of effects around it goes up. And that is less pleasant. And otherwise there is the situation that you want to be able to watch something, but cannot make the sound too loud (because otherwise a baby will wake up). Do you recognize those situations? Then the Sony SRS-LSR200 might be something for you.
The Sony SRS-LSR200
The Sony SRS-LSR200 is a handy wireless speaker for your television. It is not a soundbar (or a replacement for), not a Bluetooth and not a WiFi speaker. You connect the compact speaker via an optical or audio cable. This allows you to play the sound in two ways: through the speakers of your TV (or audio system) and through the wireless speaker from Sony. However, do not expect a heavy audio performance from the small device, since with a power of a few watts it has little to offer.
But that is not necessary at all, because the Sony SRS-LSR200 has an important purpose. It is a niche product intended for people who want to experience more of the conversations on the screen. So it is good that there is not much power in it, as that would only distract from the purpose of the device. You can connect the speaker to all kinds of television brands; you do not necessarily have to have a Sony. Hitachi, LG, Loewe, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp and Toshiba are also supported.
The device has three speakers that must transmit a clear and intelligible sound. The speaker also contains a rechargeable battery, so you can place the SRS-LSR200 wherever you want. You charge it via a supplied stand, where you also plug the cable. Charging is a matter of placing the speaker on the charger. And taking it off is just as quick: you can just grab the product or use the handy handle. All of this works very smoothly and quickly, and as you would expect.
How it works
Sony advertises that this is a plug-and-play system. And after connecting the speaker, that is also correct. You use the included optical or audio cable to connect the Sony SRS-LSR200 to your TV and use one of the TV codes (which are listed in the manual of this device) to activate the remote control. Then you have to indicate on your own TV that the sound will go through the speaker from now on (but if you have not connected other speakers, you do not have to do that).
You can now do two things: run the sound through your TV’s speakers and this Sony device, and control the TV with the buttons on the top. You switch channels, control the volume (for the TV and speaker separately, even) and can switch inputs. You can of course also switch the TV on and off. However, the main button on the SRS-LSR200 is Voice Zoom. Because the product focuses so much on conversations, it is nice to see that there are three modes available for clarifying those conversations on the image.
The first mode produces the warmest sound and makes conversations easily understood. But there is also some rear noise, which in some cases may be disturbing. For example, when you want to use the speaker to understand something. If you use it to bring the sound closer in general, it sounds reasonable. The other two modes filter more and more background and bass sounds, so that a bit of an unnatural sound comes out. But voices are very easy to follow.
You can make the sound a bit more personal by connecting headphones to the speaker. Then you put the speaker next to you on the couch, grab a pair of headphones (with wire) that you connect to it and so you can enjoy sound that only you can hear. Unfortunately, the Voice Zoom functions no longer work, but you can still hear the sound very well. Handy for people who don’t have a modern TV with wireless functions and don’t want to invest in all kinds of things that they don’t use anyway; this is a great alternative.
Operating Sony SRS-LSR200
So far the idea and development of the product have been good. However, some things are not going well. For example, we miss buttons for media control on the remote control. If you have a TV with apps on board, you still need your own remote control. If you use an extra box (such as a Horizon) for your TV, you cannot operate the channels with the built-in remote control. And then we haven’t even talked about the connections that go through an audio system.
For example, have you connected devices via HDMI to a soundbar or receiver? Then unfortunately you cannot operate it via the Sony SRS-LSR200. That makes sense, because the support ends somewhere because of the connection. But if you have a soundbar (because better sound comes out there than from the speakers of your TV) and you use a linked media player (or another type of product), then the compact speaker from Sony is no longer there. to combine, unfortunately.
It may not be a major obstacle. It seems that Sony mainly wants to appeal to an older generation with the Sony SRS-LSR200. A generation that is becoming somewhat hard of hearing and thus can still enjoy all kinds of content. But for the younger people who are looking for a solution to a problem related to audio for whatever reason, the speaker is probably not the solution. The system is too limited for that, especially in combination with another, existing audio system.
Sony SRS-LSR200 – conclusion
But the idea behind a device like the Sony SRS-LSR200 is solid . Not only can the hearing impaired be better informed about what is being discussed, you can also place the speaker in the kitchen and just hear what is being said on the news. When you listen to the radio via the TV, you can also think of a situation in which the speaker is useful. However, for modern media consumers, the device adds little. Media cannot be controlled with this thing and switching channels is a problem for many users.
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