Loewe Reference 55

ROB CARNEY GETS TO GRIPS WITH SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THIS STUNNING DESIGNER TELEVISION

SPECiFICaTIONS

PRICE £3,800 url loewe.tv DIMENSIONS 125.9 x 83.6 x 6.1cm WEIGHT 37.8kg DISPLAY LCD with E-LED backlight RESOLU TION 3,840 x 2,160

pixels response time 6ms BRIGHTNESS 450cd/m2 HDMI 4 (including 1 x UHD , 1 x ARC)

As I discovered last month, the Loewe Reference 55 is more a work of art than a television (although it’s pretty good at being a television as well).

Now, when it comes to TV, I usually play it pretty safe, using my screen as a monitor for Sky Q, Xbox, PS4 and whatever other inputs I need. I don’t dabble in smart TV features much, as all my other devices have the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube.

So I guess that’s why this TV suits me and my entertainment lifestyle. It’s simplicity at its best, offering a great picture enclosed in beautiful aluminium and glass. If I were to dabble in the smart features of this TV, I may be a little disappointed. There’s no Netflix, and just a spattering of on-demand video and audio content. Most of which I’d never heard of.

If I was relying on the fact that this TV has a 1TB integrated hard drive for recording – rather than using my Sky Q box – I’d be pretty happy, I guess.

And if I didn’t have a 5.1 surround system set up, I’d be elated with the integrated soundbar – it delivers incredible audio from such a compact design. And I’ve since set it up to work with my home-cinema system, the soundbar becoming my centre speaker.

The fact is, even though it has smart functionality (and you can remote record via an app), this isn’t really a TV for those who want a true ‘smart TV’. It’s just a fantastic piece of industrial design, coupled with the features and tech that matter most – picture and sound. For me, this is the one big gadget in my life that I would really hate to have to let go.

Sure, its smart features aren’t all that, but this Loewe is an incredible telly that takes pride of place in my lounge ROB CARNEY, editor