Sharp ANPR1500H

Sharp’s ANPR1500H is a stylish step-up from its predecessor, the ANPR1000H, and it packs in a range of new elements that make it an attractive proposition. It still lacks a few features that would make it a no-brainer addition to your home theatre setup, but if you’re a casual user looking for a bit of extra oomph for television or music the ANPR1500H will suit you to a tee.

The styling is similar to the ANPR1000H: a wonderfully glossy black fascia with a minimal number of extra buttons. The stereo speakers to the sides of the unit are hidden behind simple covers, while the system’s twin subwoofers are integrated into the sides of the stand’s squat legs. It will be a stylish decor addition, not an obtrusive or gaudy one.

Thankfully, just like the earlier model, build quality is stellar. The whole system sits together well — including the glass counter-top — and doesn’t feel flimsy in the slightest. The trade-off, of course, is weight. The system clocks in at a hefty 48.7 kilograms. We’ve seen full 5.1 surround sound speaker systems that weigh less! Sharp says that the bench itself can support up to a 52in AQUOS television like the AQUOS 52GD7X at 35 kilograms. This is certainly a safe bet — the stand was able to take an adult’s weight without a single creak or crackle. Of course, we imagine you’d prefer a television in the long term.

The ANPR1500H adds an integrated DVD/CD player over the previous model, as well as a USB host port for playing music off MP3 players and USB flash drives. The lack of integrated playback options was one of our gripes with the ANPR1000H, so it’s great to see these rectified in the newer device.

There is also a new port on the back of the unit. DVD video outputs through the HDMI connector, which is able to handle a decent resolution of 1080i. There’s no video passthrough, though; this may make splitting audio and video from a dedicated Blu-ray player a difficult and cable-heavy task.

Video quality from the ANPR1500H is pretty good. Standard resolution DVDs are up-scaled well, tending towards smooth reproduction rather than being crisp. We found colours a little uninspiring but that’s most likely because we’ve been spoiled by the wider gamut often found in Blu-ray movies.

Sound quality, however, is more than simply good. Thanks to the twin subwoofers the system has a very deep, rich bias which makes even dialogue sound impressive. Treble is acceptable, though not as clear as we would have hoped for. Mid-range is well handled by the stereo drivers, with no obvious bloating or distortion that we could identify. Bass is well simulated, with the twin 8in drivers able to produce plenty of volume despite not extending particularly low in the frequency range.

Stereo imaging and virtual surround sound is an area where the ANPR1500H suffers. Since the system is physically quite thin there is not much space between the speakers to separate sound, giving positional audio a very blended character. In the system’s virtual surround sound mode the simulation is slightly wider but still not comparable to a discrete set of stereo speakers, let alone a full surround sound system.

If you need a stylish stand for your shiny new TV, but also want a bit of aural kick added to your television watching, have a look at Sharp’s ANPR1500H.