Sections
- Page 1 Sony KDL-32W706B Review
- Page 2 Picture Quality Review
- Page 3 Sound and Conclusions Review
Sony 32W706B: Sound Quality
The 32W706B’s audio isn’t as accomplished as its pictures. For while it tries gamely to get pretty loud, and isn’t bad at keeping dialogue clear of any background racket, the mid-range tends to start sounding pretty compressed and artificial when fed a raucous action scene. The lack of dynamic range from the set’s speakers also means trebles can sound a bit harsh – though not enough to make you wince, at least.
Bass response is limited and sounds a bit swallowed, but no more so than we usually hear from 32-inch TVs. In fact there are plenty around that either distort bass horribly or don’t even try to reproduce it at all, two sins the 32W706B certainly isn’t guilty of. Nonetheless, an accompanying soundbar should probably be the next upgrade to your AV system if you opt for this TV.
Other things to consider
Any 32-inch TV has a good chance in today’s world of doing at least some duty as a video/PC game monitor. And if you think that’s going to be the case with your own 32W706B we’ve got good news for you: we measured just 28ms of lag in Sony’s TV between data arriving at its inputs and the picture appearing on the screen. This is low enough to mean the screen should have minimal negative impact on your gaming skills. In fact, some measurements we got from the 32W706B read as low as 6ms.
Should I buy a Sony 32W706B?
Yes. It’s getting increasingly hard to find strong 32-inch TVs these days as the market becomes more and more focussed on value, yet the Sony 32W706B really is a quality act. Its pictures look miles better than those of pretty much any rival we’ve seen lately, and it backs these up with a strong roster of smart and multimedia features.
Verdict
Anyone in the market for a 32-inch TV for second- or even main-room duties will struggle to find anything to top this.
Next, read our New TV Buying Guide
How we test televisions
We test every TV we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Value 9
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Smart TV 8
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Design 9
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2D Quality 9
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Sound Quality 7
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.