Goodmans GDSB04BT60 60W soundbar review

Designed in the UK and built in the far east, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 60W Soundbar packs a punch with many exciting features.

 

As a fantastic soundbar under £100, the Goodmans 60 W soundbar looks at stylish mounted on the wall or sitting under your TV. Measuring 32 inches, it’s compact size blends a sleek design with high-quality audio.

 

With 60 watts of power available, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 is an upgrade to most TV speakers. The onboard speakers combined with a subwoofer and adjustable modes, faithfully replicate audio from your favourite movies and TV.

 

In terms of connectivity, this soundbar features a line-in, RCA and optical inputs as well as Bluetooth. This enables you to connect a wide variety of audio sources and easily switch between them.

 

There several handy controls on the unit as well as a remote which allows you access to a wider range of controls.

 

Overall, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 Soundbar is a fantastic choice and we rate it 9/10!

 

 

 

 

 

Design

The sleek black design of the is fairly typical of soundbars and the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 measures 81cm (32 inches) long. It’s therefore ideal for a range of TV, both sat underneath or wall-mounted.

 

With the unit front on, the 4 speakers are visible yet slightly hidden behind the grill. The front panel also contains a status LED on the top right.

 

The right-hand panel contains the essential controls of power, volume up/down and source as well as a mini-jack line-in. These controls are more than suffient for daily use.

 

On the rear panel, you’ll find a power socket as well as dual RAC phono and optical inputs. Unlike some soundbar, all of these sockets are located in a single panel, which makes connecting and mounting the unit easy.

 

Moving on the remote, which comes complete with a battery! Fairly small in size, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 packed quite a bit in. In terms of the basics, there are buttons for power on/standby, volume up/down, mute and input sources.

 

The remote allows you to adjust the sound mode with 3 different presets as well as bass up/down and treble up/down controls. In Bluetooth mode, you can control your device using the final row of buttons (play/pause, previous track and next track).

 

 

 

 

Features

Delivering a total of 60 watts of audio, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 uses two 10 watt speakers for left and right as well as a 40-watt subwoofer. This 2.1 configuration delivers a clear, consistent sound with a punchy low-end.

 

While there is no HDMI input, you can connect a TV using the Optical input and game console using the stereo phonos. The mini-jack input, on the side, is a fantastic option for media players or phone which don’t have Bluetooth.

 

Plus the Bluetooth function allows you to easily sync your phone or tablet with the soundbar for better audio when enjoying music from Youtube or Spotify.

 

While the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 provides a noticeable improvement over TV speakers, the remote enables you to fine-tune the sound. Firstly, there are bass and treble controls, allowing you to adjust those frequencies up or down.

 

Also the remote provides access to three audio presets (Music/Movie/Voice). These further adjust the sound and EQ controls to suit certain media types better.

 

 

Set-up

Out of the box, you’ll be relieved to find everything you’ll need is all there. Unlike some of the big brands that sell their soundbars without cables, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 comes with a range of them including mini-jack to mini-jack, optical, and RCA phonos.

 

We’d suggest treating yourself to high-quality versions, however, these basic cables will be good enough to get you going.

 

Having unpacked the box, we’ll start by placing the soundbar under the TV. Using the cables in the box, connect the soundbar to your TV, then plug-in the power cable. Don’t worry about the remote at this point.

 

With the unit set-up, it’s time to test it out. Pressing the power/standby button will turn the unit on as noted by an LED. You’ll then want to keep pressing the source button until you find the right input. Adjust the volume and you’re ready to enjoy TV or a Movie.

 

If you’re happy, then find the remote and experiment with the audio modes and the EQ controls. Thankfully like the cables, a battery comes with the remote!

 

Finally mounting the unit on the wall is completely different from what you might expect. Usually, there are holes on the rear which allow the unit to be placed over wall screws.

 

However, Goodmans has a different way. The two included brackets screw to the wall with a distance of 40 cm between them. The soundbar then hooks on to these brackets. the rear inputs and power socket are recessed and so allow the unit to be mounted flush to the wall.

 

 

 

 

Performance

Offering plug-in and play, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 is a step up from traditional TV speakers. We’ve chosen the 60-watt version as the other soundbars in the range lack output.

 

While the 30-watt version may be cheaper, it will probably disappoint as it lacks enough power for enjoyable TV or movie watching.

 

The inputs are sufficient for most people, although we would like to have an HDMI input. We like that the AUX input is on the side as this makes connecting devices easily without having to move the unit.

 

You might prefer to use the Bluetooth option, especially if you’re playing music from your phone or tablet. Having the three Bluetooth controls on the remote is very useful as you can skip tracks and pause at will.

 

There are several ways to adjust the audio quality from the fairly basic bass and treble controls to the 3 DSP presets. All of these options are available on the remote. So, you can adjust them as you feel like it.

 

If you’re not a fan of remotes, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 has enough controls to cover the basics and allow you to enhance your viewing experience.

 

 

Is the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 worth buying?

Overall, we’re impressed with the Goodmans GDSB04BT60. It does have a few small negatives but they’re easily discounted.

 

While it does have several inputs, it is missing HDMI (or HDMI ARC). However, you should be able to connect it to a range of TVs, game consoles, tablets and other devices.

 

The other negative is the remote. It could do with being slightly larger as it feels overly busy. Thankfully, it contains all the controls you need and more. If you’re not happy with the remote, there are the major controls on the unit.

 

We like how the box contains all you need to get going. Again we’d recommend upgrading cables for better audio quality and longevity. Plus you’ll be up and running with minutes.

 

At 60 watts, you have enough power to notice a difference over TV speakers and the remote has many options to further adjust the sound. Whether you use one of the 3 audio modes or simply adjust the bass and treble.

 

This Goodmans’ soundbar compares favourably to other brands whose products are more expensive and have fewer features. Taking all of these points into consideration, the Goodmans GDSB04BT60 soundbar scores 9/10.