TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro review: the decorative TV with a real audio system

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro is a smart lifestyle TV. Its reduced thickness allows it to be mounted on the wall like a painting, and it features a 55-inch anti-glare screen. Among its many assets, its QLED panel with Dolby Vision IQ promises dynamic images with intense colors, up to 144Hz 4K. For the first time, the screen doesn’t have a driver audio system, but a soundbar and subwoofer by Bang & Olufsen, wirelessly connected to the TV!

Available at the same price as the equivalent-sized Samsung The Frame, can this TCL TV overshadow the Korean giant?

Included accessories

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro comes in a single, rather massive box containing the TV, soundbar and subwoofer.

The manufacturer includes a magnetic frame in a light wood finish to personalize the TV. This sets it apart from Samsung The Frame TVs, for which frames are sold separately as an option.

Three power cables are also included, along with an attractive white remote control. The latter is made of recycled plastic, and its volume buttons are located on the side, like those on the TCL 65C89B TV we tested a few months ago. Unfortunately, it has no backlight, and the side-mounted volume control is not very practical for everyday use.

• See the TCL 65C89B Mini LED 4K TV review

As this TV is primarily intended for wall mounting, a wall bracket is included instead of the usual base. A wall mount for the soundbar is also included. For the purposes of this test, however, the manufacturer sent us a pair of feet for the TV, which can be purchased separately as an option.

Presentation

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro is a 55-inch 4K lifestyle TV designed to fit elegantly into any room in the home, hanging on the wall like a painting. It comes with a wall mount, a soundbar and a wireless subwoofer designed by Bang & Olufsen, guaranteeing an immersive audio experience.

Thanks to its QLED panel (proprietary Quantum Dot Pro technology), it delivers rich, precise colors, while its Edge LED backlighting ensures good legibility, even in daylight.

Compatible with HDR10 and Dolby Vision IQ for enhanced contrast and image depth, this TV is also designed for gaming. It offers remarkable fluidity in 4K at up to 144Hz, promising a visual experience that’s as pleasant as it is intense. Its “Game Master” mode, in particular, optimizes all image parameters to deliver the best possible responsiveness.

Key specifications

• Wall-mounted TV with anti-glare panel
• 374 artworks
• QLED UHD 4K display
• Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10
• Bang & Olufsen audio system
• Google TV, Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video
• HDMI 2.1, ALLM, 144Hz 4K

Test conditions

We tested this TV in a room measuring around 17m², with the screen positioned around 2.5m from viewers.

For this review, we used the following devices and content:

• Magnetar UDP800 4K UHD Blu-ray player
• PlayStation 4 + Gran Turismo 7
• Audioquest Cinnamon HDMI cable (3m)
• Audioquest NRG-Y cable (2m)
• Spears & Munsil Ultra HD Benchmark Blu-ray
• Dune: Part Two (UHD 4K Blu-ray)
• Mission Impossible – Fallout (UHD 4K Blu-ray)
• Top Gun: Maverick (UHD 4K Blu-ray)
• Inception (HD Blu-ray)

Our impressions

Installing the TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro

For easy wall-mounting, the manufacturer includes a special four-part bracket as standard. It comes with a manual, a drilling template and a set of screws and plugs (for solid walls).

For this test, we preferred to use the optional feet from the manufacturer’s catalog. The latter come with a magnetic cover to install on the back of the screen if you wish. The mounting points on the back of the screen allow for either low or high installation (screws are supplied). The first places the bottom of the screen 5.2cm from the top of the furniture on which it rests. The second raises it to 8.5cm, leaving enough space to install the soundbar. Note that the distance between the TV’s feet (86.5cm) is the same as the distance between the feet of the soundbar.

Once all the components have been switched on, it only takes a few minutes to set the TV up. The soundbar and subwoofer are paired automatically. The TV then detects the soundbar and automatically connects to it, wirelessly (Wi-Fi).

Minimalist, customizable design

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro has a slim, flat chassis that’s barely three centimeters thick. By default, a white metal frame surrounds the screen. It can be fitted with a different covering, such as the included light wood-finish frame, which comes in four parts that are held in place using magnets. This system makes it easy to change the look of your TV. The frame parts take just moments to install. The manufacturer plans to provide frames in a range of different colors.

Designed by Bang & Olufsen, the audio system is entirely separate from the TV (the screen has no drivers). It consists of two immaculately white elements with a minimalist, compact design: a soundbar (880 x 54 x 50mm) and a subwoofer (350 x 350 x 120mm).

The soundbar’s casing is made of a composite material with a light gray fabric driver cover. The subwoofer’s MDF cabinet also has a fabric grille. The overall design is very appealing, and immediately stands out for its elegance and simplicity.

A true masterpiece!

If you hang it on the wall, the TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro can become a real painting. TCL offers totally free access to a vast catalog of artwork, featuring collections from prestigious partnerships such as London’s National Gallery. On this point, TCL once again has the edge over Samsung, as the latter imposes a paid subscription service on its Samsung The Frame TVs.

Thanks to its anti-reflective coating, the TV screen displays these works at their best, with intense, realistic colors. It’s also possible to generate personalized works of art with the help of AI, inspired in particular by the paintings and photos of famous artists. The process is fun, but the paintings and photos generated are not up to the standard of the original works.

Wide range of connectors

This TCL TV features four HDMI ports, two of which are 144Hz 4K compatible for smooth gaming, and one with the eARC function, to easily connect a soundbar or an AV receiver. It also features a multimedia USB port (on the TV) and a powered USB port (on the soundbar), as well as an optical audio output, two antenna sockets (DTT/cable and satellite), and a common interface connector. Wi-Fi network connectivity includes an Ethernet port, and Bluetooth is bidirectional (transmit/receive).

Cable management is ensured by grooves of varying widths designed to hold the cables in place. In reality, the effectiveness of this system varies greatly on the diameter of the cables. It’s a pity that the Chinese manufacturer didn’t opt for remote connectivity via an external box, like the Samsung One Connect, or by integrating it on the soundbar, for example.

A beautiful 4K HDR image

Thanks to its QLED panel (exclusive Quantum Dot Pro technology), this TCL A300 Pro displays rich, nuanced colors. The rendering seemed very natural to us, when watching documentaries in Standard picture mode, as well as movies and series in Film mode.

Despite its maximum brightness of just 450 nits, this TV offers excellent legibility during the day or in a bright room, thanks to its high-performance anti-glare filter. What’s more, Dolby Vision IQ technology proves highly effective, automatically adjusting image brightness and contrast according to ambient lighting.

Scenes with a very wide dynamic range have great grayscale range. Blacks remain deep and highlights are sufficiently detailed, without blinding us. The video content on the Spears & Munsil benchmark Blu-ray and the black and white scenes in Dune: Part II confirm the excellent dynamic tone mapping management. Images are realistic, with plenty of depth and natural tones and textures.

Upscaling and image smoothness

The results aren’t quite as good with SDR sources if you stick to the TV’s default settings, as we found with Inception on HD Blu-ray. In film mode, hues are vivid, but a little too warm (this can be corrected in the image settings), and upscaling is slightly less precise than with Korean and Japanese competitors. This can be improved by increasing the sharpness, but care must be taken not to overdo it, otherwise the image will be distorted (between 10 and 20 seems an acceptable setting to us). Once these adjustments have been made, the image becomes sharper and more pleasant to look at.

Finally, for sports, the TV shows good smoothness while improving sharpness. Curiously, the Standard picture mode is smoother than the Sport mode, which suffers from some judder.

Gaming functions

Although classified as a Lifestyle TV, the TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro is ideal for gaming. Its two HDMI 2.1 ports are compatible with 144Hz 4K and 240Hz Full HD, ensuring optimum smoothness. The ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) function automatically reduces the panel’s response time when it detects a video game console, while AMD FreeSync Premium VRR technology reduces the risk of image tearing with PCs.

During our test, the display was very fluid and responsive, whether it was with Gran Turismo 7 (PS4, 60Hz Full HD, HDR) or Burnout Paradise Remastered (PC, 60Hz 4K).

Included soundbar and subwoofer

The TV and its audio system, designed by B&O, can’t be separated and are intended to work together. They are connected wirelessly, automatically, when the TV is switched on. And as the soundbar has no audio connector, it is impossible to connect other sources to it.

The soundbar adopts a 3+2 channel configuration, with three 1″ tweeters at the front (left, center and right), plus two more that are directed upwards for vertical sound effects.

The subwoofer, for its part, adopts a driver with a diameter of 5.25″ that benefits from a bass-reflex enclosure with a 1.9cm rear port.

Dolby Atmos and DTS sound

The system supports Dolby Atmos (compressed Dolby Audio version) and DTS audio tracks from streaming services, as well as HDMI sources and digital files played via USB. Despite its reduced size, the soundbar manages to deliver convincing spatialized sound: stereo effects are fairly wide, voices are clear and distinct. However, verticality on Dolby Atmos soundtracks is not very pronounced.

As for the subwoofer, it performs its task with great vigor, deploying generous, impactful bass, though sometimes a little too present in Film mode. We regret not being able to adjust the subwoofer volume, and more generally, not having an equalization function to further customize the sound. Fortunately, the other audio presets are well calibrated and adapted to different uses.

Listening to Hi-Res audio files from a smartphone (Roon and Qobuz via Chromecast) or USB stick (FLAC) offers very respectable results. The reproduction lacks a little warmth and body to qualify as hi-fi, but is suitable for diffusing background sound throughout the room.

Google TV

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro TV features Google TV with all the native streaming service apps of the streaming services, accessible in 4K HDR. The interface is fluid and responsive, the voice control efficient, and the catalog of apps and games as extensive as ever.

TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro Vs Samsung The Frame TQ55LS03D

There are many similarities between these two TVs, both of which promote seamless integration. However, the TCL’s audio system is a serious advantage over the Samsung’s screen-integrated speakers. The B&O soundbar offers greater amplitude and clarity, as well as more impact thanks to the subwoofer.

The Samsung stands out from the crowd thanks to its remote One Connect connector box, linked to the screen by a single cable that also supplies power. This greatly simplifies wall-mounting of the TV, compared to the TCL model, whose connections are located behind the screen. The Samsung also impresses with its anti-glare and upscaling performance.

In terms of picture, these two TVs are virtually on a par, offering great HDR control, intense, rich colors and a very decent black levels. A special mention goes to the TCL TV, which offers gamers a 144Hz refresh rate, which is higher than the Samsung’s 120Hz.

The TCL television also has the edge when it comes to personalization, with its additional frame supplied as standard and free access to several hundred famous works of art, whereas the Samsung Art Store requires a paid subscription.

Who is the TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro designed for?

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro is aimed at design enthusiasts looking for a discreet, elegant TV that blends harmoniously into their interiors, thanks to its wall-mounting and customizable bezel. It also targets image and sound enthusiasts looking for an immersive experience with a high-performance QLED screen and an audio system designed by Bang & Olufsen. Finally, it will appeal to gamers and movie buffs alike, thanks to its fluidity at 144Hz 4K, its Dolby Vision IQ compatibility and its access to a vast catalog of content.

Our verdict

The TCL NXTVISION 55A300 Pro impressed us with its elegant, customizable design, its QLED screen with vibrant colors and impeccable fluidity, and its audio system by Bang & Olufsen. An effective anti-glare filter and free access to an extensive catalog of artworks adds to its decorative appeal. There are still areas for improvement, however, such as the upscaling, which lags behind the competition, perfectible sound spatialization and the lack of advanced audio settings. Despite these few reservations, this TCL TV, combining aesthetics and performance, brilliantly establishes itself as a credible alternative to the leading models in the lifestyle segment.

We liked

• The overall design
• The effective anti-reflective filter
• The 4K HDR picture, which is bright and full of contrast
• The rich colors
• The clear sound and energetic bass
• The free access to numerous works of art

We would have liked

• Better upscaling
• More immersive sound spatialization
• More audio settings
• Samsung-style remote connectors