Samsung HW-B550 Black 2.1 Channels 410 W

I was so sick of cables everywhere with my previous logitech 5.1 surround sound setup, and so was the missus so I upgraded to this soundbar. I am awaiting the optional rear speakers (SWA-9200S) but even with just the soundbar and the subwoofer, the sound quality improvement is impossible to overstate. I didn't realise how poor the sound quality I had been used to was until I heard this. I have only one issue with it, which is the limited input options for sound. It could be improved with a 3.5mm input or even better, a set of 3 for surround input (front, rear, centre/subwoofer). I am currently using bluetooth to connect to my pc which is ok but even after updating my PC bluetooth to the latest one, there is still a slight delay in the audio from the video. I am ... MoreI was so sick of cables everywhere with my previous logitech 5.1 surround sound setup, and so was the missus so I upgraded to this soundbar. I am awaiting the optional rear speakers (SWA-9200S) but even with just the soundbar and the subwoofer, the sound quality improvement is impossible to overstate. I didn't realise how poor the sound quality I had been used to was until I heard this. I have only one issue with it, which is the limited input options for sound. It could be improved with a 3.5mm input or even better, a set of 3 for surround input (front, rear, centre/subwoofer). I am currently using bluetooth to connect to my pc which is ok but even after updating my PC bluetooth to the latest one, there is still a slight delay in the audio from the video. I am trying to find a solution so I can physically connect PC to soundbar because the sub and the rears are wireless and I am hoping to avoid any further audio delay issues. With the TV though, using the HDMI arc connection, this is a great soundbar and sub.

B550 review after 3 months. (Spoiler: no regrets!)

Heres my thoughts after 3 months (maybe a little more now)Normally dont do reviews but decided to leave one because of the mixed reviews. Ive seen some saying defective (sorry if you broke 3 thats either a bad batch entirely or user error lol), Ive seen some saying how bad they sound, yadda yadda.Anyways, its a soundbar. If your expecting some mind blowing whole house rumbling THX experience, Buy an actual home theater. Its a soundbar, its meant for smaller spaces and for sure not for audiophiles.The sound has been great. I use one at work in my office and the sound is good. Bass is way more than I need for my space (About as big as an average apartment living room). First and foremost, know how to adjust TV/Media player audio settings. Enable what the sound ... MoreHeres my thoughts after 3 months (maybe a little more now)Normally dont do reviews but decided to leave one because of the mixed reviews. Ive seen some saying defective (sorry if you broke 3 thats either a bad batch entirely or user error lol), Ive seen some saying how bad they sound, yadda yadda.Anyways, its a soundbar. If your expecting some mind blowing whole house rumbling THX experience, Buy an actual home theater. Its a soundbar, its meant for smaller spaces and for sure not for audiophiles.The sound has been great. I use one at work in my office and the sound is good. Bass is way more than I need for my space (About as big as an average apartment living room). First and foremost, know how to adjust TV/Media player audio settings. Enable what the sound bar allows obviously!Ive had no issues with sound, overheating, anything cutting in and out, etc. I use mine about 40-50 hours a week so its regularly used.I did take one star (maybe would be a half star if it were an option) for the price. I do feel 200$ may be a little steep for this, but like everything prices do keep going up on everything.

BEST yet Affordable speaker you will ever find!

First time buying a Sound bar to improve audio experience for my TV/Home Theater set up. I was very excited and everything was awesome as I expected from Samsung brand! Especially Harman is a now part of Samsung's family, Sound system from Samsung has been much improved, advanced in many ways that the consumers will satisfy.First, Sound matters the most. This B Series Sound Bar clearly let's you hear that TV speaker wouldn't let you hear. From deep bass to clear mid and crisp and wide high makes you are in the middle of the scene when watching movie, you will feel like you're in the concert when listening to music, listen to your enemies during playing games! With HDMI connection, everything works flawlessly! Will blow your mind everything that outputs to your ... MoreFirst time buying a Sound bar to improve audio experience for my TV/Home Theater set up. I was very excited and everything was awesome as I expected from Samsung brand! Especially Harman is a now part of Samsung's family, Sound system from Samsung has been much improved, advanced in many ways that the consumers will satisfy.First, Sound matters the most. This B Series Sound Bar clearly let's you hear that TV speaker wouldn't let you hear. From deep bass to clear mid and crisp and wide high makes you are in the middle of the scene when watching movie, you will feel like you're in the concert when listening to music, listen to your enemies during playing games! With HDMI connection, everything works flawlessly! Will blow your mind everything that outputs to your ear. Deeper bass will shake your body. It's that good.Second, Design and build quality is just perfect as you'll expect from Samsung electronics. Quiet slim and modern, suits well underneath your TV with modern and thoughtful design. It looks even expensive and goes great with your interior and TV stand.Third, With great sounding experience, you will have flexibility to connect your phone and tv without going through any sort of manual instructions. Having Galaxy eco-system, this sound bar will let you whatever that you want to listen to an instantGreat sounding speaker with affordable pricing will not only fit to your budget but will give you even bigger sounding experience that you will love Samsung's Sound Ba

Definitely an upgrade

I've been using a probably basic soundbar for several years now, from taotronics. Less than a third of the price I paid for this one, which I'm assuming was around 50% off from its original price. Quite a few differences between my old one and the new one, including how I connected them. My old one I just connected it to my pc, which I have connected to my big screen as a massive monitor. It was a nice setup, minus a few issues. With the Samsung, I have it connected directly to the TV via digital connector, and just get my sound from the hdmi connection between my pc and TV. I believe my old one had a Bluetooth option as well, but I never actually used it, never had a need to. I will try it out in the coming weeks as I get some time off to play with it more, and ... MoreI've been using a probably basic soundbar for several years now, from taotronics. Less than a third of the price I paid for this one, which I'm assuming was around 50% off from its original price. Quite a few differences between my old one and the new one, including how I connected them. My old one I just connected it to my pc, which I have connected to my big screen as a massive monitor. It was a nice setup, minus a few issues. With the Samsung, I have it connected directly to the TV via digital connector, and just get my sound from the hdmi connection between my pc and TV. I believe my old one had a Bluetooth option as well, but I never actually used it, never had a need to. I will try it out in the coming weeks as I get some time off to play with it more, and playing with tech is always fun! Another key difference is the subwoofer. Anyway, having a hardwire connection will always be superior, as there is always a chance of interference otherwise, just like with wifi. I followed the instructions to get everything connected, but didn't need to. The connection between the sub and the bar was immediate, so I didn't need to do anything there either. I then turned the TV on, and it seemed odd. Quieter, and echoing. Then as if a switch changed things, it got much louder, booming with bass, but still echoed. Played with the TV settings and viola, changed the sound output to the Samsung unit only. No more echo! Enjoyably booming, not deafening, a normal sound level that I can move up and down easily. Tried a few minutes of an action hero movie, and fantastic. Thought things were pretty good before, this just adds to it like candy. Is it really needed? Not really, I can't say I'm an audiophile, would never pay the full price for this or anything similar, but it is very nice. If you are an audiophile and require the best sound, go for it! This was definitely a lower end option from all we had to choose from. But it has plenty of power and stuff to play with!

Don’t judge a book by its price.

For a entry level sound bar it’s great! Its stupid easy to set up, pre-programmed sound mixes help you find what’s best for you and if you don’t like anything you can make your own mix. Plus you can add other wireless Samsung speakers when you have extra cash to make a full surround sound system. I bought this along with a Samsung 4K QDOLD and man the 2 together is like peanut butter and jelly. Highly recommend if you want to experience a sound bar and subwoofer without a hi price tag. Its much better than stock speakers your tv comes with.Some cons are the sound bar doesn’t have up firing speaker’s, the remote isn’t great and it’s really made for smaller living rooms bedrooms etc. but that’s my opinion, it’s nice enough I wouldn’t get rid of it even after I ... MoreFor a entry level sound bar it’s great! Its stupid easy to set up, pre-programmed sound mixes help you find what’s best for you and if you don’t like anything you can make your own mix. Plus you can add other wireless Samsung speakers when you have extra cash to make a full surround sound system. I bought this along with a Samsung 4K QDOLD and man the 2 together is like peanut butter and jelly. Highly recommend if you want to experience a sound bar and subwoofer without a hi price tag. Its much better than stock speakers your tv comes with.Some cons are the sound bar doesn’t have up firing speaker’s, the remote isn’t great and it’s really made for smaller living rooms bedrooms etc. but that’s my opinion, it’s nice enough I wouldn’t get rid of it even after I upgraded I would just move it to a different TV. So in conclusion, highly recommend for a starter Soundsystem!

Excellent Sound

The Samsung B550 Soundbar has made our TV experience go from 0 to 60. Our TV's sound was not so good and even though it was a 4K TV the sound was subpar. With the Samsung Soundbar it brings us way better sound and it is easy to install. We have a TV stand and we placed the Soundbar on top of that and it looks great. Since we installed the Soundbar we have been re-watching movies and tv shows to experience the Dolby Surround Sound features. This blows us away when we put something on the TV because you can hear the sound travel from one side to the next. It is like being at a movie theater without having to be around so many people. I would highly recommend this to anyone that wants to bring their TV experience back to life with this soundbar. The Subwoofer is ultra ... MoreThe Samsung B550 Soundbar has made our TV experience go from 0 to 60. Our TV's sound was not so good and even though it was a 4K TV the sound was subpar. With the Samsung Soundbar it brings us way better sound and it is easy to install. We have a TV stand and we placed the Soundbar on top of that and it looks great. Since we installed the Soundbar we have been re-watching movies and tv shows to experience the Dolby Surround Sound features. This blows us away when we put something on the TV because you can hear the sound travel from one side to the next. It is like being at a movie theater without having to be around so many people. I would highly recommend this to anyone that wants to bring their TV experience back to life with this soundbar. The Subwoofer is ultra lite and this is just a plug and play device. Our cats don't mind the soundbar, it doesn't scare them at all.

Good Soundbar

The Samsung B550 soundbar works good. The sound itself has made my TV experience better. Before having the soundbar I had to pump up the volume of my TV to about 40. With the soundbar I can easily here a level 5. Having to use less volume helps out tremendously even when those commercials come on and make your speakers explode. The subwoofer is good as well and is very lightweight. The only problem I've had with the soundbar is the subwoofer. The subwoofer does not have an ON/OFF switch and remains on all the time. This doesn't work well in an Apartment setting because it vibrates my neighbors apartment to. I have it laying in front of my TV since my TV is not mounted. I have 2 cats and my cats don't mind the soundbar it doesn't scare them away. The sound quality is ... MoreThe Samsung B550 soundbar works good. The sound itself has made my TV experience better. Before having the soundbar I had to pump up the volume of my TV to about 40. With the soundbar I can easily here a level 5. Having to use less volume helps out tremendously even when those commercials come on and make your speakers explode. The subwoofer is good as well and is very lightweight. The only problem I've had with the soundbar is the subwoofer. The subwoofer does not have an ON/OFF switch and remains on all the time. This doesn't work well in an Apartment setting because it vibrates my neighbors apartment to. I have it laying in front of my TV since my TV is not mounted. I have 2 cats and my cats don't mind the soundbar it doesn't scare them away. The sound quality is great I have tested it with 4K movies and also played on my console and loved the surround sound feature. Overall I would say the soundbar itself is good. It has a sleek design and does not take up much space.The installation for this soundbar was very easy, I literally just took it out of the box and plugged in the power and the HDMI cable to the eARC port and my tv's eARC port and that was it. The subwoofer connects wirelessly and automatically.

Great Sound Bar Over-All

I purchased this sound bar to enhance my Samsung tv since the tv sound needed more gusto. 4 stars instead of 5 is for the following. The sound default is “adaptive”. This is a sound setting designed to evaluate the content you are viewing and then adjusts to this content. Not sure I buy into that because I choose the DTS Virtual:X which to my ears is a more immersive sound experience regardless of the content. Back the 4 stars out of 5. When you turn on the tv, it defaults to the adaptive. If you switch it to any other sound option, it defaults back to adaptive ehen you turn off the tv set. Each time you watch the tv, you need to change it back to your preferred sound setting. I will say that this sound bar has two hdmi ports (in and out). This is very important to ... MoreI purchased this sound bar to enhance my Samsung tv since the tv sound needed more gusto. 4 stars instead of 5 is for the following. The sound default is “adaptive”. This is a sound setting designed to evaluate the content you are viewing and then adjusts to this content. Not sure I buy into that because I choose the DTS Virtual:X which to my ears is a more immersive sound experience regardless of the content. Back the 4 stars out of 5. When you turn on the tv, it defaults to the adaptive. If you switch it to any other sound option, it defaults back to adaptive ehen you turn off the tv set. Each time you watch the tv, you need to change it back to your preferred sound setting. I will say that this sound bar has two hdmi ports (in and out). This is very important to hooking up a blu-ray or 4k player. plugging in one hdmi cable from arc / earc port on the tv into the soundbar and a separate hdmi cable from the player into the soundbar makes watching a blu-ray or 4k movie incredible from the sound perspective. This moddl has the two ports. It was a big reason I chose this model.

Not bad but definitely not worth the price

We got it to pair with our Samsung TV. This is a decent quality product at best. Bit disappointed considering the price and brand tbh. Definitely not worth the price. The sound quality is okay. The sub woofer is not great. Below average for music so if thats your intent I'd avoid. The low end is loose and although it occasionally puts out a decent amout of bass the low end is not tight or focused. Buy on sale and make sure to test in your watching/listening environment during the return period. We are still on the fence about keeping it or returning it at this point. If your TV has terrible sound this is definitely an upgrade. If you only want to watch movies etc this isn't bad. If you want to use it for music, avoid. If you're looking for powerful lows that are ... MoreWe got it to pair with our Samsung TV. This is a decent quality product at best. Bit disappointed considering the price and brand tbh. Definitely not worth the price. The sound quality is okay. The sub woofer is not great. Below average for music so if thats your intent I'd avoid. The low end is loose and although it occasionally puts out a decent amout of bass the low end is not tight or focused. Buy on sale and make sure to test in your watching/listening environment during the return period. We are still on the fence about keeping it or returning it at this point. If your TV has terrible sound this is definitely an upgrade. If you only want to watch movies etc this isn't bad. If you want to use it for music, avoid. If you're looking for powerful lows that are tight and focused this isn't it. Might be better if you have a smaller room. Completely depends on what kind of media you'll be consuming, your room and your budget. And would only purchase it on sale. Not worth full price under any circumstance though.

So Good to Hear the TV Again!

We've had Samsung soundbars for many years and they last a long time. Our last bar was quite a few years old and was on its last leg. This new one has been great and has more features than our old one. It was extremely easy to hook up and connect the subwoofer to the bar. I really love the different tones that you can choose from, our other one was a one size fits all situation. As a family that uses our TV for many things, from gaming to streaming, it is nice to be able to switch through the different tones to fit our current need. The subwoofer is amazing. We didn't have one for a few months and I forgot how nice they are. We even had to set our bar in front of the TV (walls aren't able to hold much) and the subwoofer in the bottom of the entertainment center ... MoreWe've had Samsung soundbars for many years and they last a long time. Our last bar was quite a few years old and was on its last leg. This new one has been great and has more features than our old one. It was extremely easy to hook up and connect the subwoofer to the bar. I really love the different tones that you can choose from, our other one was a one size fits all situation. As a family that uses our TV for many things, from gaming to streaming, it is nice to be able to switch through the different tones to fit our current need. The subwoofer is amazing. We didn't have one for a few months and I forgot how nice they are. We even had to set our bar in front of the TV (walls aren't able to hold much) and the subwoofer in the bottom of the entertainment center (little kids) and it hasn't affected its sound at all. The only complaint I can come up with is the background noise is louder than the talking sometimes, but honestly I think that might be more to do with how things are edited. I definitely recommend this soundbar.