Panasonic TC-P55ST50 3D Plasma HDTV Review

Audio Quality

There are sixteen speakers on the front and a sub woofer on the back of the Panasonic TC-P55ST50. Each one of the speakers on the front is only 8mm thick, outputting 0.5W of power. They are arranged into two trains of eight, in dome shapes to accentuate the noise output. The addition of a sub woofer on the back is clever, and we feel, necessary addition for a stand-alone home theater. Yet, even when you add up all the wattage of the front speakers and the sub woofer, you only get 18W of power, when the average television gives you 20W with two speakers on the front.

We tested these speakers out with our usual content involving automatic rifles and surface to air missiles. The sound quality was great, and the surround mode was one of the most immersive we have tested. But the power is lacking. With the volume all the way up, in a small room, the sound was neither booming nor overwhelming. It would be hard to watch a movie with many people, such that everyone could hear. We think about the wide viewing angle and imagine that a movie party would be best supplemented by some external speakers.