nuBoxx AS-425 max

Box type, sound and recommended use

The nuBoxx AS-425 max is the right soundbar for all series junkies, movie enthusiasts, music fans and gamers who want to enjoy modern home entertainment to the fullest. It gives Hollywood blockbusters a cinematic soundscape, brings stadium atmosphere into the living room during sports broadcasts and fascinates its audience with music reproduction in HiRes quality.

The nuBoxx connects to televisions, game consoles or streaming players just as it does to traditional home theater or hi-fi players. Smartphones, tablets or laptops can be easily connected wirelessly via Bluetooth. Thus, the AS-425 max convinces sound connoisseurs not only as a TV soundbar, but also as a multifunctional stereo system, and is thus in the tradition of its legendary predecessor, the nuPro AS-250.

The nuBoxx AS-425 max has the same flat design as the compact nuBoxx AS-225 max and can easily fit on or even in most pieces of furniture. However, the soundbase is about 50 percent wider than its smaller sister. This has several advantages: First, it allows the nuBoxx AS-425 max to provide a secure stand for televisions beyond 40 inches screen diagonal. Secondly, the wider baffle now has four bass-midrange drivers instead of two. And thirdly, the acoustic interior volume is significantly expanded. In combination with the powerful 160-watt digital amplifier, this results in a much fuller sound image with more powerful bass and a more three-dimensional stereo panorama.

For music playback, the integrated "audio zone expansion" is recommended, which creates another, more vivid stage image at the push of a button. Especially for movies and TV shows, there is the sound mode "Voice+", which clarifies the speech reproduction and brings out dialogs or comments understandably. Further sound settings allow bass and treble reproduction to be boosted or the bass pressure to be intensified at low levels (loudness).

In addition, the nuBoxx AS-425 max scores with an integrated decoder for Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround sound formats - perfect for reproducing Blu-rays, TV shows or videos from streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in the best possible sound quality and optimizing them for two-channel output.

Setting up and operating the nuBoxx AS-425 max is child's play. The soundplate is simply connected via HDMI cable to an ARC- or eARC-compatible output of the TV set. This not only transmits sound signals, but also allows basic functions such as volume control to be accessed via the TV remote. More detailed settings can be made either via the illuminated rotary knob of the soundbar or via the included high-quality remote control.

The flat design, the high-quality foiling of the housing and the removable, magnetically adhering fabric cover ensure that the nuBoxx soundbase blends inconspicuously into the living environment. With the two color combinations white-ice gray and black-graphite, there is a suitable version for almost every interior style.

So if you're looking for a compact, elegant, yet melodious soundbar that not only audibly enhances games, movies and TV shows, but also doubles as a modern streaming system, the nuBoxx AS-425 is the perfect choice.

Design principle and housing

As a fully active two-way soundbar, the nuBoxx AS-425 max houses an active crossover as well as a total of four powerful digital amplifiers with 40 watts of continuous power each for use, two each for the left and right channels. The digital operating principle enables precise separation and equalization of the frequency ranges, which explains the good low-frequency performance of the comparatively compact soundplate.

The speaker cabinet is made of 19 millimeter thick medium-density fiberboard (MDF), which reliably reduces resonances and promotes a clean sound image. Thanks to the stable construction, the nuBoxx AS-425 max supports TV sets weighing up to 50 kilograms. The two bass reflex ports are located on the back of the system. The housing body is equipped with a high-quality decorative foil in white or black, the baffle has a satin finish. The removable, magnetically adhering front cover is covered with optimally permeable acoustic fabric.

The nuPro AS-425 max is a fully active all-in-one sound system. This means that the soundbar connects directly to the TV, satellite receiver or Blu-ray player, but also to game consoles, smartphones or hi-fi players and plays back movie sound, sound effects or music. For this purpose, the soundplate relies on a digital amplifier with 160 watts of nominal power and 220 watts of music power. A powerful digital processor prepares and processes the signals.

The nuBoxx soundbase operates as a stereo system with one left and one right channel. The wide baffle favors a plastic stage effect, which can be further extended via the Integrated Wide circuit ("listening zone extension"). Specially for movies and TV shows, the "Voice+" speech focus is also on board, which enables clearer voice reproduction. Purists can enjoy unadulterated two-channel sound.

Chassis

Two modern silk fabric domes with a diameter of 25 millimeters, which are specially manufactured for Nubert and have already proven themselves in previous nuBox models, are responsible for the high frequency range. The bass and midrange frequencies are reproduced by two 118 millimeter long excursion drivers, which are also used in the smaller nuBoxx AS-225 max. Because the nuBoxx AS-425 max uses two drivers at the same time and relies on more volume and a more powerful amplifier, it achieves audibly higher levels than its smaller sister and is therefore recommended for larger rooms and listening distances.

Operation and setting options

The stereo board can be operated either via the accompanying remote control or with the help of the rotary switch on the front of the device, whereby the most important operations such as volume control can also be easily accessed via the TV if it is connected via the HDMI (e)ARC input. The included remote control, which features a high-quality feel and elegant design, allows quick access to the soundbase's various sound settings.

Multicolored LEDs around the rotary knob provide clear information about the selected input and the device's status, and are also easy to see through the removable fabric cover.

Tone control

With the various sound options of the nuBoxx AS-425 max, the reproduction can be adapted to personal taste, sound material or spatial requirements. The setting options include bass and treble control, a dynamic soundness circuit to increase the low-frequency pressure at low levels, and a two-stage "listening zone expansion" that effectively widens the stereo stage. The "Voice+" function, which particularly emphasizes the center channel and the frequencies relevant to voice reproduction, proves especially useful for movies and TV shows. This increases speech intelligibility in suboptimally mixed broadcasts and during quiet playback.

Connections

The connection panel of the nuBoxx AS-425 max holds four audio inputs ready. For the connection to the TV, the HDMI port (version 2.1) is recommended, which supports the current eARC standard, but is also compatible with older ARC devices. Not only sound signals, but also control commands are transmitted via this interface. Thus, the output volume of the soundbar can be regulated with the TV remote control, for example.

An analog RCA input, an optical digital (TOSLINK) and an electrical digital (SPDIF) input allow the connection of additional players such as satellite receivers or game consoles. For the extra portion of bass, the nuBoxx AS-425 max also has a subwoofer output, which can be used, for example, to drive a woofer from the Nubert nuSub series (transfer frequency: 80 Hertz). Last but not least, the nuBoxx soundplate has an integrated Bluetooth receiver for connecting wireless players such as smartphones or tablets. Thanks to support for aptX HD (Android) and AAC (iOS), this receiver allows music streaming in high-resolution quality.

The nuBoxx AS-425 max not only plays back sound in PCM format, but also decodes Dolby Digital (AC3) and DTS Digital Surround. The soundplate is therefore ideally equipped to play audio tracks from Blu-ray discs, DVDs or streaming videos and optimally prepare them for stereo playback. If necessary, the correct format, the correct output and the ARC function have to be activated on the source player.

Energy

This sound bar is equipped with a convenient automatic energy-saving feature that switches the box on independently or puts it into the energy-saving stand-by mode when not in use. In this standby mode, which can also be activated manually via the remote control or the rotary knob, the sound system consumes less than 0.5 watts. The nuBoxx AS-425 max can also be completely disconnected from the mains via a rocker switch. The wide-range power supply allows this active speaker to be used on mains voltages from 110 to 120 and 230 to 240 volts.

More info in technology

For all technically interested music and home cinema lovers who are not put off by hard facts and metrological details, Günther Nubert's "Technik satt" offers plenty of technical correlations and electro-acoustic background knowledge as well as the topic of sound optimization and insights into the development and history of Nubert loudspeakers and devices.