Ultimea comes bearing expertise in sound systems and projectors. The Nova S40 Soundbar is ultra-thin and meant to be perfect for PC gaming. At the price point, it can be seen as a budget option for some as well. Let’s see how all of this adds up!
What’s In the Box?
The kit comes with everything you need for easy setup and even comes with wall mounting equipment! It kit includes the following:
The Soundbar
Subwoofer
Power Adaptor
3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo cable
HDMI Arc cable
Digital Optical Cable
A Remote Control
Wall mounting kit including brackets
Quick Start guide
Set up with all this equipment was a breeze, and I think it’s really nice that it comes with a wall mounting kit. One thing I would recommend is to get a new HDMI Arc cable, the one provided is really short.
Aestheetics and Build Quality
This soundbar and subwoofer aren’t something you would add to your set up because you are trying to make it look like a professional setup. But they’re both sleek black and they don’t take up a ton of space so they fit in very well. The small size of the soundbar makes it perfect for whatever set up you have and that I can appreciate. For me the size of the subwoofer compared to the soundbar is a little off putting just because it is significantly larger, I was hoping for a more compact size subwoofer.
The soundbar and subwoofer seem to have integrity to them, they’re nice and sturdy and feel like they should last some a good while. The compact design of the soundbar likely adds to some durability and it could probably survive if somehow it accidentally got yanked off of the shelf.
Special Features
First of all, the compact design is perfect for your PC gaming setup. It fits perfectly under your monitor, as shown in the picture above. Now I know usually PC setups don’t have a soundbar and especially not a subwoofer, but it was nice to have a speaker so I didn’t have to wear headphones for the less serious games.
The system comes with three different audio modes, Gaming mode, Movie mode, and Music mode. All three modes change the focus of sound and how you experience what you are listening for. Game mode creates a more accurate sense of direction by adding a spatial sound focus. Movie mode enhanced the sounds in the background so that they weren’t drowned out by the main scene, creating a more immersive movie-watching experience. Music mode just makes a smoother listening experience all around, vocals shine out perfectly while the bass slaps firmly through the subwoofer. Speaking of bass, there is a BassMX setting on the system that you can switch on and off. To be perfectly honest, the only time I really noticed a difference with this setting was while listening to music, it just enhanced the whine of the bass a bit.
What It Could Have Done Better
With the wiring that comes with it, there is not much you can do to hide it. You plug in the subwoofer to the sound bar and the soundbar to the TV. I attempted my best but with the super short HDMI cord you are given the soundbar has to be very close to the TV and need to plug the subwoofer in just added more jumbled-up wires that I had to stuff behind my TV.
Verdict
The Nova S40 Soundbar is a pretty good budget soundbar and subwoofer for your PC gaming setup or a bedroom TV. The sound quality is good but it’s nothing groundbreaking so don’t expect to be blown away by it. The system being easy to setup is nice, but most of the time would be making the wiring look nice. For the price point, if you’re looking for a cheap sound system for your gaming setup, at $99.99 USD and currently discounted at $79.99, it’s a pretty good option for most.
The Nova S40 is available on the Ultimea website and Amazon, and it will cost you $99.99 USD, but if you buy it now you can get it discounted at $79.99. You can also get 25% off by using promo code GAMETYRANT25 on the official Ultimea website!
