Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 Review – The Best Budget Soundbar

A soundbar is one of the greatest home theatre upgrades you can make. Because even most high-end televisions or projectors lack decent speakers, a dedicated soundbar or home theater receiver provides far superior sound quality. The Bliztwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 is a fantastic budget soundbar. Despite its modest price tag, the AA-SAR1 features excellent sound quality, a rich feature set, and incredible ease of use. But is the AirAux right for you? Find out in our hands-on Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 review!

Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 Soundbar Overview

The Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 is an affordable soundbar. It features a 60 Watt output with four speakers. A digital amplifier includes a digital signal processor (DSP) onboard. You’ll find a slew of different connectivity options including Bluetooth 5.0, USB, an auxiliary (AUX) 3.5mm port, optical TOSLink, and HDMI audio return channel (ARC). The ARC connection lets you hook up your various devices such as streaming boxes, game consoles, and Blu-ray players directly to your TV or projector, then audio is piped over HDMI to the soundbar. This does require an ARC-compatible HDMI port on your projector or telly.

There are three modes to pick from: movie, music, and news. Additionally, you can toggle on a 3D option for emulated 360-degree audio. The AirAux AA-SAR1 may be placed on top of a TV stand or wall-mounted. In the box, you’ll find candybar remote, mounting hardware, and a 3.5mm AUX cable.

Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 Soundbar Specs

• 60W soundbar
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI ARC, optical TOSLink, USB, 3.5mm AUX
• 4 x 66mm speaker drivers
• Digital amplifier with built-in DSP
• Presets: Movie, music, news
• 360-degree realistic stereo mode
• Dimensions: 900 x 78 x 70 mm
• Weight: 2Kg (2000g)
• In the box: Sounxbar, remote control, AUX cable, plastic drywall anchors, srews, mounting hardware

Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 Performance Review

The Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 is a budget soundbar that punches well above its weight class. With a standard retail price around $160 USD but regularly on sale for around $70, the AirAux AA-SAR1 is competitively priced. It features a bevy of connections including Bluetooth 5.0, optical TOSLink, 3.5mm AUX, USB, and HDMI ARC. In particular, the HDMI audio return channel option is a pleasant surprise. The ARC connection worked flawlessly out-of-the-box with my Hisense H8F 4K TV.

Although the AirAux AA-SAR1 doesn’t include a standalone subwoofer, there’s good bass response. Movies and TV shows sounded rich and full. The string- and timpani-laden score from “Gladiator” echoed vibrantly over the AA-SAR1. Likewise, “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” boomed with epic sound effects and a gorgeous score.

For videos, I liked the movie preset best. You can easily adjust different settings like the bass and treble. The AirAux AA-SAR1’s 3D mode proved shockingly good. Despite being a two-channel stereo soundbar, it successfully created an illusion of surround sound. Granted, it wasn’t quite as immersive as my Vizio SB36512-F6 Dolby Atmos soundbar or a high-end option like the Milan 5.1.4 wireless Dolby Atmos soundbar. But the Vizio is more than twice the price of the AirAux.

I appreciated the included mounting hardware which lets you wall mount the AA-SAR1 if you want. Additionally, the bundled AUX cable. No HDMI cord or optical TOSLink cable come in the box, and there are no batteries for the remote.

Unfortunately, the Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SAR1 isn’t able to decode Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus audio tracks. Thus, I had to put my TV into PCM mode to pass audio through over HDMI ARC. General use is pretty simple, although the built-in LED display can be a bit tough to read from the couch because of the mesh speaker grille. While you do get an HDMI output, there’s no HDMI input or passthrough. Therefore, you’ll need to route all of your devices into your TV first, then pipe audio to the soundbar using ARC, optical TOSLink, Bluetooth, or 3.5mm headphone jack.

Still, PCM audio sounds rich and robust with shockingly good bass performance. Whether you want to watch movies and TV or listen to music, the AirAux AA-SAR1 is a budget-priced soundbar that delivers enhanced audio over your TV’s built-in speakers without breaking the bank.

BlitzWolf AirAux AA-SAR1 Soundbar Design and Build

The AirAux AA-SAR1 features four speaker drivers concealed by a metal mesh grille. On the front left-hand side, there’s an AirAux logo.

The middle sports an LED display that shows information such as current volume or mode.

Around back, you’ll find an HDMI port with ARC, 3.5mm AUX input, optical TOSLink, and a USB port.

Underneath, there are two feet to keep the AirAux soundbar elevated for use on a TV stand. Or, you can use the mounting brackets on the back to hang the AirAux AA-SAR1 on a wall.

On the right-hand side of the unit you’ll find physical buttons for controlling the volume and power state plus a USB input. The entire soundbar is pretty compact at 900 x 78 x 70 mm, and it’s fairly lightweight at just 2Kg.

AirAux AA-SAR1 Soundbar – Audio Performance

Normally on sale for under $100, the AirAux AA-SAR1 is a good, cheap soundbar that doesn’t compromise on quality. Movies and television shows sound solid with ample bass response, punchy mids, and gentle highs. “Stranger Things” with its synth-backed score and creative creature sound effects sounded spectacular with a lot of depth.

On the music side, the AA-SAR1 handles tracks of various genres with equal grace. Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” plays with decent delineation of its layered guitars. At times it sounds a bit muddied, but only during difficult parts with a lot of coinciding sounds. “X” by ScHoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar off of the “Black Panther” soundtrack bumped with boisterous bass. The AirAux handled the low-end extremely well without overpowering the rapping over top.

John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” plays wonderfully. Hooker’s warbly vocals are crisp and clear. Guitar riffs, bass strums, and drum taps remain evident with each component of the sound receiving its due attention.

Overall, the AirAux AA-SAR1 soundbar is capable of tackling whatever audio you throw at it. From movies and television to music, video games, or sports, everything sounds lively and natural.

The Competition – Budget Soundbars to Consider

While there are plenty of pricey high-end soundbars on the market, you’ll find tons of wallet-friendly options as well. The Sony S100F is a good two-channel soundbar that has a natural soundstage, handles dialogue and TV shows well, and provides decent movie audio.

Samsung’s HW-A450/ZA is a great 2.1 soundbar that included Dolby Audio decoding and a standalone subwoofer.

The Vizio SB2020n-J6 is an affordable soundbar that sports DTS:X decoding and several different inputs.

Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SR1 Review – Final Thoughts

In the end, the Blitzwolf AirAux AA-SR1 is an exceptional budget soundbar. Especially for its typical discount cost of less than $100 USD, you’d not expect a ton. However, the AirAux matches up well with other budget or even mid-range soundbars. There are plenty of inputs including HDMI ARC. Despite lack of a standalone subwoofer, bass response is more than enough. Movies, music, and games all sound great.

Although the AirAux AA-SR1 won’t be replacing my Dolby Atmos-capable 5.1 SB36512-F6 daily driver for in my living room, it’s perfect for the secondary TV in my home office. I’d recommend the AirAux AA-SR1 for bedroom or secondary televisions, as well as for a main living room TV. It’s an excellent soundbar that provides far better audio quality than your television’s speakers while remaining incredibly affordable.

Your turn: What budget soundbars do YOU recommend?