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Customer Ratings & Reviews

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Customer reviews

Rating 3.8 out of 5 stars with 48 reviews

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Rating by feature

  • Value

    Rating 4.1 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 3.8 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.1 out of 5 stars

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Cons mentioned filter

69%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers find value in the Alto 8i 2.1 Channel Home Theater Sound Bar for its impressive sound quality, especially with Atmos content, and its easy setup process with clear instructions. While some customers have concerns about the reliability of the Bluetooth connectivity and whether the product truly supports Dolby Atmos, many are pleased with the crystal clear dialogue and overall sound experience.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 48 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality
    Cons mentioned:
    Dolby atmos

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    For the price, worth it

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    Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I love the sound and bass I get out of this. The ability to switch between the tv and bluetooth is nice. The only issue I have is when a show that supports dolby atmos is on. It will silent for a second or two every ten minutes or so to tell me the sound is in dolby atmos mode.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Terrible skipping - TCL Alto 8i

    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If you just bought this I recommend returning it. Whenever there’s a slight pause in audio over HDMI or optical, the device shows “PCM Audio” and then drops out and immediatley comes back. Check out by searching “TCL Alto 8i PCM skipping issue”. I have had it over a year and after reaching out to support and updating my Soundbar the issue still skips audio, they just changed so that the display doesnt show “PCM Audio”. You can adjust the output audio but you shouldnt have to because that adds processing to audio and may lower thte quality. I’m happy to update this review when TCL takes this seriously and updates the device and properly fixes the issue. I am happy with the quality of audio, bluetooth and simplicity but the skipping is unacceptable.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hello,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We have taken note and will forward this information on to the appropriate team members. Our soubdbars do come with a 1-year parts and labor manufacturer's warranty for those rare times that defects occur. In cases like this, if you purchased an extended warranty, you may want to reach out to see if you can file a warranty claim through the extended warranty company. Furthermore, if you purchased using a credit card, some credit card companies also provide additional coverage. We will continue to make improvements to ensure our customers the best experience possible.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

  • Cons mentioned:
    Power on issue

    Rated 2 out of 5 stars

    Good sound, poor execution

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    Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Sound I decent from the soundbar, I really don't have many complaints about that. What is really an issue is the 15 minute sleep mode timeout. If you leave your TV on with the soundbar powered on, it goes into sleep mode after 15 minutes. Wen you go to resume your television, the TV won't wake the soundbar because the TV is still on. CEC won't send a signal to power on the soundbar so it isn't recognized by the TV as active. TCL claims all you have to do is hit the volume button to wake it, but it doesn't work. You need to power off your TV and the soundbar, then power back on the TV to send the CEC power command to the soundbar. Not sure why they thought it was a good idea to put the soundbar in sleep mode after 15 minutes, I would rather spend the .001kwh to save the frustration.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hi Blunxnj,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you may be experiencing some trouble with your soundbar. We would love the opportunity to look into this for you to see if we can assist you. We'd like to gather more information to see if we can isolate what is occurring. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Really good option for the money

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very good for what it is. It's a big upgrade from the built in speakers, but it's not a 7.1 system. The Bass is clear, not overly boomy, and dialog can be clearly heard. Definitely an inexpensive upgrade from built in speakers. It's connected to my Roku Tv via HDMI ARC, and setup was super simple. 5 minutes max. I even use an external Roku Premier, and no issues running sound from that. Some people mentioned sound delays, but there's none that I noticed.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Clear dialogue, Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    TCL Sound Bar

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The sound bar was very easy to set up and the sound is wonderful. I had previously struggled with hearing the announcers while watching sporting events. Now they are crystal clear. Great sound bar for the price.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Clear dialogue, Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Better sound than price suggests

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great sound for the price. Dialogue is clear and the bass response is great, setup was simple. I recommend for anyone on a budget but is a fan audio.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Complements tv, Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Wonderful addition to my TCL TV

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very happy with this purchase! Excellent sound for a small space and very easy to setup and use. I have theater like sound no matter what I am watching. Complements my TCL television wonderfully.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Clear dialogue, Sound quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good Tonal Balance!

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Good range of tones. Good Bass response to nice Highs. Clear dialogue. Great design with the built in sub-woofers. I am satisfied with the performance with my TCL Series 4 tv!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Works Perfect With My TCL TV

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Bought this TCL sound bar to improve our movie nights. Has great sound and decent bass. Love that is works seamlessly with the TCL TV. Just hooked it up with the included HDMI cable and it pretty much set itself up. Price was reasonable. I haven’t tried the Bluetooth features yet, but looking over the owners manual it seems pretty straightforward.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Connectivity

    Rated 2 out of 5 stars

    Nice SB... Didn't work with by Vizio V-series tv

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The overall sound was okay and not stellar. Also, build quality could've been better. The soundbar is quite wide but does look nice. My main issue was that I could not get it to work well with my Vizio V505-G9. Namely, no ATMOS signal despite using bitstream (only got PCM or Dolby Audio to display on soundbar). This also includes hooking up my Sony UBP-X700 blu ray player into HDMI to no avail. Additionally, I experienced some lag in with changing volume using CEC. This again might have been more to my setup but disappointed that I couldn't get it to work out of the box. Will probably trade this in for a Vizio soundbar instead.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hi GopherBruinEater,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you may be experiencing some trouble with your soundbar. We would love the opportunity to look into this for you to see if we can assist you. We'd like to gather more information to see if we can isolate what is occurring. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup
    Cons mentioned:
    Lip sync issue

    Rated 2 out of 5 stars

    Sound Lags - lips won't sync

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I'm going to return it. The sound is actually pretty good and I'd keep if the delay or lack of lip sync could be fixed. I'm sick if wasting my time trying to correct. I have a 75" TCL Roku TV, so you would expect they'd work in harmony together. Set up was breeze. But lag drives me crazy! So, I got pack it and go to store now,

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hello,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you may be experiencing some trouble with your soundbar. We would love the opportunity to look into this for you to see if we can assist you. We'd like to gather more information to see if we can isolate what is occurring. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    TCL Alto Sound Bar

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a very high quality sound bar. Extremely easy to set up and the sound quality is terrific. No problems whatsoever. Very happy with this purchase.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    GREAT SOUNDING BAR

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    Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This sound bar is perfect for a room that is not suited for a full surround sound system. It projects crisp treble and dialogue, and rich bass for not having a subwoofer. The attempt to create Dolby Atmos is not even close to a true AV system but a definite step up from traditional sound bar. Hooking up to a TCL tv was a breeze. Added bonus is the Bluetooth functionality to connect my phone. Couldn’t be more pleased with the music sound quality and it automatically adjusts out of surround sound mode to its music setting.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Quality sound

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great sound, though it does lose the HD signal a lot depending on the show. Very easy to set up when using a TCL tv

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great buy

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    Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This was exactly what we needed. We easily mounted it and it has excellent sound. Easy setup and clear instructions.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great sound bar

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    Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great sound bar!! Works great sounds great. Also was easy to install with an TCL smart Roku TVs. Only dispute I have is it is to thick to set directly under the tv while it is not mounted on wall and sits on its own leg stands. But put sound bar behind tv and sounds great and out of sight. Awesome buy!!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Easy setup, Sound quality

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Happy

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Simple set up. Clean and crisp sound. Would recommend to family/friend.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Husband hears

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The sound is great. It keeps my husband from turning the volume way up. But sometimes it's not in sync with some tv shows.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Connectivity

    Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Disappointing

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This Sound bar is very well put together elegant looking and sounds great however it’s one issue is a big issue it constantly disconnects causing you to lose audio and the only way you get it back is to change the mode on the remote from tv to movie or music then change it back to what you had which as you can imagine gets tiring and old quickly I since returned this and got a Vizio Soundbar which has great so far in the short time I’ve had it but considering I have a TCL tv this was a big let down do yourself a favor and get a vizio or if you want to match tv with Soundbar as most people recommend then get the TCL alto 9 with Dolby Atmos it’s more than this one but you get a lot more and it doesn’t disconnect. It’s simply to tall to fit in front on my tv without blocking some of the screen and don’t like to mount my tv.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hi Mrtech,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you may be experiencing some trouble with your soundbar staying connected. We would love the opportunity to look into this for you to see if we can assist you. We'd like to gather more information to see if we can isolate what is occurring. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

  • Pros mentioned:
    Sound quality

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    TCL Alto 8 Sound Bar

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    TCL Sound Bar Alto 8 has good sound, but the voice is delayed . When you see them speaking, they stop moving their lips and the sound continues.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from TCLExpert
      Posted .

      Hello,

      Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you may be experiencing some trouble with your soundbar. We would love the opportunity to look into this for you to see if we can assist you. We'd like to gather more information to see if we can isolate what is occurring. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your contact information and a description of what you need help with. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

      Thank you,

      Sara
      TCL Customer Support

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