My daughter and her husband gave me a 36” flat screen tv for Christmas last year. I thought it was an extravagant present because my old fashioned tv (big clunky thing that it is) was still working just fine. Now that I’ve used my latest toy, however, I am pleased they gifted me with it and the clunky one is sitting in my bedroom.  One thing that I noticed right away was that I couldn’t always hear what people were saying.  I was told the speakers on the new sets are now in the back (stupid place if you ask me!) and that I might want to invest in a soundbox.  My hearing is one of the few things on my body that still works good so I went on Amazon to see if I could figure out what a sound box was. Good lord!

Soundbar For TV, 37-Inch Bluetooth Speaker Wireless & Wired Bass Stereo Home Theater (4 Loud Speaker Units + 4 Passive Radiators, 2.0 Channel, Wall Mountable, Aux/USB/TF) For Phones PC Tablets

Audio format: MP3

Bluetooth version: V4.2

Coverage area: 10 meters

Speaker: 52mm HIFI speaker unit

Output Power: RMS 6.0w x 4

Sound Channel: 2.0CH + 4x Low frequency passive radiators

Noise-single ratio: ≧85dB

Frequency Response：80Hz-20kHz

Audio Input Mode: Bluetooth, AUX, TF, USB

Power Supply: DC 12V/2A

Dimension: 37"x2.6"x3" / 950x67.5x75.4mm

Net Weight: 4.4lbs /2.0kg

I had no idea what any of that meant outside of the weight and dimensions. I studied the reviews. That was no help. First one said:  The soundbar is great, looking very classy! The sound quality is very good too! Love it! The second review said: This is static trash. Cheap, loud, white noise static background garbage. DO NOT BUY THIS.

It’s not the first time that I’ve tried to order something by following the reviews that usually contradict each other.  I knew about what I wanted to spend and I knew I could send it back with no shipping costs if I couldn’t figure it out so I clicked on ‘submit your order’ and hoped for the best. 

I was a little intimidated at first but I figured it out and was quite proud of myself for jumping into an arena that was foreign to me.  What I didn’t realize that plugging it into the tv wasn’t charging it. I had to do that using a different cord in an electrical outlet.  I discovered that one night when I awoke with a start and thought there was somebody in the house.  I crept out to the living room and saw a blue light flashing on my soundbox.  It was repeating over and over … PWEASE CHAWGE…PWEASE CHAWGE. After cussing her out, I plugged the device into an outlet and headed back to bed. When I sit down to watch tv and turn on the box, the lady says A. EWE. X  MOAT.  I laugh at her. She means AUXILLARY MODE so either she’s from overseas or Boston.  Annoys me that I have to remember to turn off the box at night along with the tv and the roku but this is my world now.  I’m at the mercy of technology.

Reminds me of an incident a few years ago  when I decided to clean my garage of the boxes of toys my grandkids had long ago outgrown.  As I moved a box, I jumped in fright as some doll deep at the bottom started squealing I WOVE YOU! I WOVE YOU!  I told her to shut up and quick scaring me!