Panasonic has unveiled its latest Soundbar range, bringing Hollywood-quality sound into Australian homes for outstanding cinematic entertainment.
Panasonic’s 2019 Soundbar range boasts state-of-the-art features including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X™ and Chromecast, as well as 4K and HDR Pass Through capability – ensuring this year’s collection is Panasonic’s most musically refined to date, and allows listeners to totally immerse themselves in their favourite content.
The flagship HTB900 Soundbar is designed to match the company’s latest TV line-up and is tuned by Panasonic’s acclaimed Technics audio specialists. It brings every movie to life, delivering a sound field that heightens acoustic realism. With support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X™, powerful, dynamic sound takes listeners right inside the cinematic experience.
Selected models in the range offer increased connectivity to stream music around the home with seamless control, via built-in Chromecast which works with Google Assistant. In addition, 4K Pass Through allows today’s high-definition 4K video content to be passed through a Soundbar from a 4K source (e.g. PVR or UHD Blu-ray deck) to a 4K TV.
Aaron Waters, Product Marketing Manager, Audio and Video, Panasonic, said:
“Panasonic’s flagship Soundbars pair with our Atmos-enabled TV and Blu-ray offerings, to provide consumers with the best solution to create their very own ‘Hollywood to Home’ experience.”
“The state-of-the-art technology incorporated in this year’s range allows viewers to be truly immersed in whatever content they are watching – movies, shows or sports fixtures – and enjoy a sensory experience like never before. Our aim is to bring those nail-biting scenes and tear-jerking moments to life for viewers, and our 2019 home entertainment range makes this possible while blending seamlessly into any living space.”
In 2019, Panasonic has also introduced an updated range of Blu-ray players, micro and mini systems and Bluetooth headphones.
Panasonic 2019 audio releases
SOUNDBARS: HTB900, HTB700, HTB510
At the top of the range, Panasonic’s flagship HTB900 Soundbar has been carefully crafted for both realistic and powerful sound to complement the visual performance of the company’s OLED TVs, as well as delivering refined and magnificent reproduction of a wide range of music.
Panasonic has kept the modern Australian smart home in mind, with Google Assistant compatibility allowing hands-free playback control when paired with a Google smart speaker.
The HTB900 and HTB700 are Panasonic’s first Soundbars to feature Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the latest object-based audio formats that deliver the most immersive soundstage possible. Combined with Panasonic’s speaker system, the solution offers powerful, dynamic sound. When watching movies, the sounds of voices, objects and music come to life and viewers feel as though they are inside the action.
Also supporting 4K and HDR Pass Through, the HTB900 and HTB700 allow content to be transmitted from a UHD Blu-ray player, straight through the Soundbar to a 4K TV, performing the required processing for optimal performance while watching UHD movies.
In addition, the HTB900 and HTB510 include built-in Chromecast to provide an effortless, wireless entertainment experience.
Panasonic’s 2019 Soundbars have been designed to integrate perfectly with the company’s 2019 TV range and surrounding spaces, harmonising with the interior of any room.
High quality speaker systems
Tuned by acclaimed audio specialists Technics, the HTB900 delivers the most refined sound possible. Tapping into the expertise of renowned audio engineers and designers, Panasonic’s flagship Soundbar delivers audio that perfectly complements the visuals so the user feels a genuine sense of acoustic realism.
The HTB900 can produce a powerful soundstage from even the most sonically demanding movie soundtracks. It boasts a substantial 505W of power, which is shared among six 6.5cm mid-range speakers positioned across the face of the unit and a High-Res Audio compatible tweeter on each end. The HTB700 achieves 376W output via a total of three 6.5cm mid-range speakers positioned across the face of the unit.
Both the HTB900 and HTB700 feature redesigned enclosures and cones, while the low frequency range has been extended in the main unit. This fine-tuning has improved the clarity of vocals, allowing users to hear all dialogue through the main unit, so they can view content without any distraction.
The rigidity of the HTB900 and HTB700 has been increased by adopting a honeycomb rib structure, using a long port within the cabinet, and by increasing the thickness of the components. Any vibrations which might cause sound quality degradation have been suppressed, resulting in clearer audio.
Connectivity supporting seamless integration
The HTB900 and HTB510 include built-in Chromecast to provide effortless, wireless and coordinated entertainment. Allowing the user to easily stream their favourite music services, radio or podcasts from a smartphone or other mobile device, Chromecast delivers a truly accessible experience.
Using multi-room sync, the same song can be played in several rooms – or different music can be played from room to room – on integrated Chromecast devices. Since the data is streamed directly to the Soundbar from the router, there is no degradation in sound quality.
If a Google Home or other Google Voice-activated speaker is networked to the HTB900, Google Assistant can be used to operate music playback and other features. Voice commands can be used to play podcasts and streaming services such as Google Play Music and Spotify.
HTB900
- Panasonic’s first ever Soundbar to support both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X™ formats
- Tuned by Technics
- Total of eight speakers, including two High-Res tweeters
- Supports 4K and HDR Pass Through
- Integrated, minimalist, clean design, crafted to match Panasonic OLED TVs
- Built-in Chromecast to provide an effortless, wireless and coordinated entertainment experience
- High-res audio capability and impressive bass thanks to a wireless subwoofer that requires no connection cords
- Works with Google Assistant, allowing hands-free playback control using voice commands
HTB700
- Supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X™ formats
- Supports 4K and HDR Pass Through
- High-res audio capability and impressive bass thanks to a wireless subwoofer that requires no connection cords
- Honeycomb rib structure suppresses vibrations to prevent sound quality degradation
- Integrated, minimalist, clean design, crafted to match Panasonic OLED TVs
HTB510
- 240W output for a more powerful bass
- Built-in Chromecast to provide an effortless, wireless and coordinated entertainment experience
- Offers customers the flexibility of either using an optical input or HDMI ARC
- Dynamic and robust bass with two independent speakers and a powerful wireless subwoofer
- Compact design with a low profile and sleek form is a perfect match for Panasonic 2019 TVs
- Dark metallic finishes and black textile speakers make for a refined and seamless design that blends in with home entertainment systems
AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
| MODEL | AVAILABLE | RRP |
| SC-HTB900GNK | July | $1349 |
| SC-HTB700GNK | July | $899 |
| SC-HTB510GNK | Now | $549 |
BLU-RAY PLAYERS
Panasonic continues to offer the widest range of Blu-ray players on the market. The UB9000 is the market’s premium Blu-ray offering, and has been enhanced with Control 4, offering integration with home automation systems. At the entry-level, Panasonic has launched the UB150 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, which offers consumers support for HDR10+ technology and Dolby Atmos.
UB150 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player
Reaffirming the company’s commitment to the Blu-ray market, the UB150 is equipped with HDR10+ technology to deliver stunning picture quality. The UB150 delivers an exceptional, realistic cinematic experience with richly textured images, achieving a wider, brighter dynamic range than conventional SDR to produce more natural, more lifelike images when viewed on a HDR-compatible TV.
The player features Dolby Atmos compatibility, enabling an immersive 3D soundstage with a compatible audio device such as a TV, Soundbar or AV receiver.
The UB150 is also equipped with High-Resolution Audio reproduction. In addition to conventional MP3/AAC/WMA formats, high res audio music files such as DSD (11.2MHz/5.6 MHz/2.8 MHz) ALAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF can be reproduced. By connecting the device to a home audio system (such as the 2019 Panasonic Soundbar range), users can enjoy music sources with studio master sound quality.
Key Features:
- Ultra HD Blu-ray playback (4K/HDR)
- Supports HDR10+ and HDR10
- Dolby Atmos compatibility
- 4K 60p/50p/4:4:4 Output
- Premium sound with high-resolution audio playback (DSD, ALAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF)
AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
| MODEL | AVAILABLE | RRP |
| DP-UB150GN-K | Now | $279 |
MICRO SYSTEM PMX92 AND MINI SYSTEM AKX320
Panasonic has launched two new compact high-powered audio systems for 2019 – the PMX92 and the AKX320.
PMX92
The PMX92 micro system boasts an AUX-IN Autoplay feature, which makes listening to streamed music via devices such as Chromecast Audio completely effortless – the system will automatically switch on and select the correct input.
As well as Bluetooth, FM/DAB+ radio and CD playback, the PMX92 has an optical input for TV. The powerful 120W system offers sound with greater resonance and clarity than a TV’s own speakers can produce.
It is powered by the latest generation of Panasonic’s LincsD-amp, and has three-way speakers with silk dome tweeters, piezo tweeters and bamboo charcoal PP woofers that produce a natural, distortion free sound.
AKX320
The AKX320 mini system has a mighty, powerful sound with a large 16 cm woofer and 450W output power, while featuring a slew of DJ effects. Compatible with the MAX Juke app, the AKX320 allows party guests to request or create a line-up of their favourite dance tracks to get the party started.
Furthermore, the AKX320 is crafted from distinctly different surface textures of matte and gloss, creating an elegant contrast. With a lower height than previous models, the main unit provides greater flexibility in positioning within a room. The system also offers Bluetooth® Wireless Technology and Double USB (Plug & Play).
AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
| MODEL | AVAILABLE | RRP |
| SC-PMX92GN-S | Now | $549 |
| SC-AKX320GNK | Now | $359 |
2019 HEADPHONE RANGE
Panasonic has expanded its headphone range for 2019 with the introduction of the premium, HD610N noise cancelling wireless headphones, along with two additions to its HTX headphones range.
HD610N headphones
The HD610N is equipped with superior, adjustable noise cancelling technology, ensuring reproduction of pure sound with three modes to select from. The over-ear HD610N allows listeners to enjoy premium sound with a dynamic range, thanks to its High-Resolution Audio capability. It also supports user convenience with Google Assistant and Bluetooth compatibility, and comes in a choice of black or copper colours.
HTX headphones – HTX90N and HTX20B
Panasonic has also expanded its HTX headphone range with Bluetooth over-ear (HTX90N) and in-ear (HTX20B) headphones, which are lightweight, offer rich sound and are complete with a retro look.
HTX90N headphones
Taking their inspiration from studio monitor headphones, the HTX90N offer retro styling and modern comfort, with a lightweight frame and cushioned headband and earpads.
The HTX90N headphones are equipped with noise cancelling technology to block out a variety of everyday noise and provide the optimal listening environment. The sound-enhancing 40mm drivers with neodymium magnets ensure the delivery of rich audio. Additionally, the Acoustic Bass Control optimises the back and forth motion of the driver to produce a sharp, dynamic bass sound. The battery provides up to 24 hours of continuous wireless playback.
The headphones offer a built-in voice assistant activation function, and are available in matte black, vanilla white and indigo navy.
HTX20B headphones
Inspired by Panasonic’s HTX series, the HTX20B wireless in-ear headphones are a stylish accessory, combining retro visual appeal with modern design features – including matte-finish colour options, a chic fabric cord and earbuds shaped for secure comfort.
The ergonomic Double-hold shape fits snugly in two places, the tragus and antitragus. Incorporating a 9mm driver and neodymium magnet for clear sound and powerful, enhanced bass, the HTX20B headphones also deliver a full eight hours and 30 minutes of continuous playback on a full charge. They offer a built-in voice assistant activation function and are available in beige, red and black.
All models in Panasonic’s fashionable HTX range are compatible with Bluetooth connectivity, for greater user convenience. The HC800E-K noise cancelling headphones will be continued.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
| MODEL | AVAILABLE | RRP |
| HD610N | Now | $499.95 |
| HTX90N | Now | $299.95 |
| HTX20B | Now | $119.95 |