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Key specs – Elements: Soundbar, subwoofer, two rear speakers; Channel configuration: 11.1.4; Stated power: 656W; Connections: 2 x HDMI inputs, 1 x HDMI output, optical digital audio input, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; HDMI passthrough support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 4K at 60Hz, HDR10+; HDMI ARC/eARC support: eARC; Dimensions (WDH): Soundbar – 1232 x 138 x 70mm, subwoofer – 220 x 410 X 413mm, rears – 1230 x 140 x 201mm each; Weight: Soundbar – 7.7kg, subwoofer – 11.7kg, rears – 3.4kg each The Samsung HW-Q800C’s main soundbar has been sat beneath 75-inch Samsung QN900B TV, which for most of the testing period has sat in a middle of the wall position rather than in a corner, to give the side-firing drivers more space to deliver their sound. The subwoofer has been tried in a variety of positions, both to the side and behind the main test seating position – though in the end it delivered the best results when placed to the side of TV, in front of my seating position. The Samsung HW-Q800B's angled sides are quite severe, but they help with the sound, so who's complaining. (Image credit: Future) Samsung HW-Q800C review: Design Despite sitting in the ‘lifestyle’ section of Samsung’s current soundbar range, the HW-S60B’s attractive and simple design plays host to a surprisingly uncompromising sound system. There’s a couple of other audio features, such as Smart Volume, which keeps sound at a consistent level to account for fluctuations between programmes and scenes, plus Dynamic Range Control for late-night listening.
There is little more frustrating than not being able to hear dialogue when watching a TV show or movie, but inevitably, varying levels of speech clarity combined with how busy the soundscape is and the overall style of the mix can mean that whispery, mumbly vocals hinder even a top-quality, room-tuned soundbar.Otherwise, though, setup is pretty straightforward. Especially if you install Samsung’s SmartThings app on your phone, which provides a nice menu system to support the pleasingly simple layout of the soundbar’s small, slim remote control. The soundbar also carries built-in support for the Alexa voice control system, and can additionally work with Google Assistant voice control via external listening devices. However, this is a speaker with practicality and affordability in mind. Its ultra-compact dimensions, tapered build and forward-facing speakers mean it takes up little space and removes any need for a clear line of sight for upward- and side-firing drivers, making it a practical choice for small rooms and even desktops. The subwoofer lays down a solid foundation of bass that feels tight and controlled, with no signs of delay caused by the wireless connection. Thanks to the automated room correction, the low frequencies are also integrated well and cross over smoothly with the other speakers. Although depending on where the sub is positioned, you may need to tweak the bass level a little. The Samsung HW-Q800C's subwoofer isn't exactly small, but it's not hard to find a good position for it. (Image credit: Future)
The 10 tweeters and drivers built into the soundbar itself produce a total of seven speakers that are configured into front left and right channels, a centre channel for dialogue, left and right width channels, and two upfiring speakers that bounce sounds off the ceiling to create the front overhead channels. The subwoofer handles the all bass, completing the 5.1.2-channel system. Additional HDMI inputs are very useful too, as they let you pass audio from other sources through your soundbar. Such HDMI passthrough doesn’t always support all the video features you may want, however. Some soundbars won’t pass through Dolby Vision HDR or HDR10+ HDR signals, or the 4K/120Hz feeds now output by the latest games consoles and premium PCs. In our initial review of the Ray, we felt that its bass handling, which resulted in an unusual low-frequency resonant buzz across various movies and music, hampered its overall performance. However, since an update in July 2022, that problem has now been widely alleviated, and as such, we have upped our initial verdict from three to four stars. Ideally, we would recommend going all in on an AV amplifier and matching home theatre speaker system, but in reality, we understand that not everyone has the space and/or the budget for something like this. That's why we recommend a soundbar as a great alternative. With its wide range of supported audio formats, the A7000 excels itself and includesDolby Atmos(in both the Digital+ and TrueHD formats),DTS:X, LPCM, hi-res wireless audio and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
Out of Bundle Charges
The bundled remote is splendid, and for an out-of-the-box boost to TV audio and older sets’ smart features, the Roku Streambar is extremely low risk for this price. In that sense, it’s something we can wholeheartedly recommend.
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