Buying a soundbar has almost become a given if you watch anything on your TV these days. Even the most expensive TVs on the market prioritise delivering the best picture quality, which often means the built-in speakers struggle to match what’s happening on screen. While the ideal solution is just to go and get a home theatre system, getting a genuinely immersive setup means spending considerably more. This gap is what soundbars have been trying to fill for years, and the Boat Aavante Prime X aims to take it a step further by providing a 7.1.4-channel configuration.
The price of the Boat Aavante Prime X in India is set at Rs. 37,999. It is the homegrown brand’s most expensive soundbar to date, and on paper, there is plenty here to make this an interesting option in its price segment. Here’s our review.
Boat Aavante Prime X Specifications
- Channels: 7.1.4
- Total output: 700W
- Audio support: Dolby Atmos
- Subwoofer: Wireless, down-firing driver
- Rear speakers: Wireless, detachable
- Connectivity: HDMI eARC, HDMI, Optical, AUX, USB, Bluetooth
- Audio modes: Movie, Music, News, Night
The overall design of the Boat Aavante Prime X isn’t particularly flashy, but I don’t think it needs to be. Take it out of the box, and it becomes apparent that it is a fairly substantial soundbar. It needs a fair amount of space below the TV, and given its size, I think it is better suited to 55-inch TVs and above. It isn’t something I would recommend for a cramped entertainment unit.
Boat has provided a 7.1.4-channel surround sound setup with Dolby Atmos support. It includes up-firing drivers, a wireless subwoofer, and detachable rear satellite speakers. The soundbar itself closely matches the design of other offerings in Boat’s lineup. You get an LED matrix display at the front, which shows the active input and volume level. It is useful when changing settings. However, I wish there was an option to completely turn off the display, as it can become distracting when watching content in a dark room.
The wireless subwoofer is quite large too. Given its massive size, Boat has provided adequately long rubber feet, which leave enough clearance underneath for its down-firing driver. There is considerably more physical movement from the subwoofer than you would normally expect at this price.
The highlight of the package, however, is the two rear satellite speakers. They can be detached from the soundbar and placed behind the seating position. This creates a proper surround setup without having to run speaker cables across the room. There is some wiggle room depending on how you use the soundbar.
For example, the satellite speakers can be left attached to the main unit when you’re watching regular TV. But for films and games, the experience becomes more immersive when they are placed behind your seating position.
I found the rear speakers most effective when positioned slightly behind the seating area and just above ear level.
Boat Aavante Prime X Connectivity and Setup: Relatively Straightforward
Getting the Aavante Prime X up and running isn’t a particularly long process. I plugged in the soundbar, hooked it up to my TV using HDMI eARC, turned it on, and I was good to go. What’s really impressive is that both the wireless subwoofer and the satellite speakers pair automatically with little drama.
There is a decent amount of connectivity here as well, including HDMI eARC, HDMI inputs, optical, AUX, USB and Bluetooth. For someone like me, who has a TV, a PS5, and an Apple TV 4K, there is enough flexibility without constantly swapping cables.
The wireless rear speakers are, again, the big convenience. Traditional multi-channel soundbars often turn your room into a bit of a cable-management project. Now I know that you still have to charge or power the rear speakers, but at least there aren’t wires running from the front of the room to the back. The same goes for the subwoofer, which has its own power supply and connects wirelessly.
I do, however, wish that there was a companion app for the soundbar. While the main bar has a display, it is nearly impossible to check the battery status of the rear speakers until the low battery light starts blinking.
Boat Aavante Prime X Performance: Bass, Atmos and Proper Surround Sound
The Boat Aavante Prime X has a fairly obvious sound signature. It is bass-heavy, dynamic and not particularly interested in being subtle. But for people (including me) whose listening experience mostly involves movies and games, it isn’t a bad thing at all.
The subwoofer handles low frequencies really well, while the rear satellite speakers provide a good sense of immersion. In the F1 movie, engine roars had a low-end rumble that made you feel like the car was actually moving through the room. The sword battles in Masters of the Universe had plenty of weight to them as well, while Top Gun: Maverick was another good test because of all those jet fly-bys.
I also connected the Aavante Prime X to my PS5, which is where things got a bit more interesting.
Crimson Desert sounded better than I expected. During battles, there can be an awful lot going on at the same time, but NPC conversations remained reasonably clear. The environmental sounds were somewhat impressive as well. I could hear a mecha robot mining for stones at a distinct position, while a dragon flying overhead actually felt like it was coming from above rather than just playing from the front.
This is where Dolby Atmos and the rear speakers do their work. In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, swinging through New York City felt dynamic, with the wind and the city’s ambience filling the room.
The surround effect isn’t flawless, though. I noticed an echo-like effect from the rear speakers with some non-Dolby content, even when the rear speakers were docked to the main unit. It does not happen constantly, but when it does, voices can sound slightly unnatural. It is clear that Dolby Atmos content is where the system feels most comfortable.
For music, the Aavante Prime X is surprisingly decent. Vocals remain clear, and instruments don’t get completely lost behind the bass. I tried tracks such as Tame Impala’s Loser (after watching Spider-Man: Brand New Day, of course), Unholy Orchestral Version by Sam Smith, and Baithi Hai by Amit Trivedi, and didn’t notice any obvious distortion even at high-ish volume levels. I’ll admit that Aavante Prime X is not the soundbar I would buy specifically for music streaming, but it does the job well for casual music playback between movies and games.
Boat Aavante Prime X Verdict
The Boat Aavante Prime X is by no means a discreet soundbar that can disappear beneath your TV. It is a full-blown setup, and you need to give it the space it deserves. But once you do, there is quite a lot to like.
The wireless rear speakers were easily the biggest highlight for me. In this price range, there aren’t many options that offer this kind of setup without turning the back of your living room into a tangle of cables. The large subwoofer helps too, particularly with action-heavy content. The occasional echo with non-Dolby content, however, is one blemish to keep in mind.
The overall proposition makes sense if you have the room for it and want a proper surround setup without spending on a conventional home theatre system. The Boat Aavante Prime X isn’t perfect, but it gets the important stuff right, and that counts for quite a bit.
