The first thing you’ll notice, long before unboxing the MS650, is that the skinny box is big enough only for the solitary bar. The MS650's other connections include a 4K-capable HDMI loopthrough system, optical and auxiliary audio inputs, an output for adding an optional subwoofer, and support for both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless streaming. The Samsung HW-R650 is rectangular measuring 41.7″ by 2.2″ by 3.5″ and is just short of being as long as a 55 inch TV. Once the HDMI cable is connected to both devices’ ARC ports, you may also need to set up your TV sound to output to external speakers. That clarity increases as you move up the ladder, providing sparkling fluidity to instruments and effects at the tip of the treble that tickle your ears just right. Samsung HW-MS550: final review verdict The MS550 is in itself a decent enough soundbar for £299. No other one-body soundbar has combined so much raw power with so much clarity, scale and (especially) bass, or excelled so consistently with both films and music. Starting off with movie playback, the scale and attack the HW-MS650 Soundbar delivers with a powerful film soundtrack is outstanding for a three-channel system – especially when you select Surround mode, which expands the height and width of the soundstage into a fantastic 'wall of sound' – and all without diminishing the vocals or making special effects and heavy bass moments sound overwhelming. All rights reserved. It has a well-balanced, accurate sound reproduction that makes it suitable for a variety of uses. In addition, there are no down-firing drivers or hidden passive radiators on board, which many stand-alone soundbars use to add some might to the lower register. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, The MS650 aims to dazzle you with detail and punchy power in a concise design while offering a user experience so simple and intuitive even grandma will feel at ease. I did a little research and wanted a soundbar with a good subwoofer. Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar: design The HW-MS650 is one attractive soundbar, with no-nonsense, suitably serious rectangular sculpting. And the MS650 makes up for its lack of options — and even leans into them — by offering one of the most intuitive soundbar interfaces we’ve encountered. Samsung's apparent 'money's no object' bid to establish itself as a serious audio brand continues to deliver the goods. Tech Radar Editor's Choice 5 Stars. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for SAMSUNG HW-T650 3.1ch Soundbar with 3D Surround Sound (2020) at Amazon.com. The widespread guitars at the intro are gorgeously rendered, with textured cuts to the strings, while the bass comes in with a subtle push that extends into a pleasant array of warmer colors at the foundation. As with the HW-K950’s remote, volume and bass keys are easy to find on the remote for quick adjustments, even in the dark, and a surround sound button is there at the ready if you do add Samsung’s satellite speakers into the equation (we highly recommend leaving that setting off with just the bar alone). The MS650's one-body design delivers a 3.0-channel (left, right, center) configuration via a startling combination of six woofers and three tweeters, each powered by their own individual 20W amps. If … Check out Samsung HW-MS650 review and get to know what experts has to say about this product's quality and performance. HW-MS650/ZA HW-MS650 Sound+ Premium Soundbar. Sitting under our 65 inch TV at home, the soundbar took up very little space and meshed well with what else we have on our TV stand. The recommended connection is the ARC HDMI port, which not only offers the highest sound quality but also allows for one cable to run sound to and from the TV for most brands. For a sub-free option, you could also check out the more affordable Yamaha YAS-203, though it isn’t as powerful as the MS650. Yes. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. 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Samsung HW-MS650 SoundBar reviews, pros and cons, Amazon price history. Note, though, that at 78mm the sound bar stands quite high – high enough, in fact, to obscure the bottom of the picture, if sat directly in front of one of Samsung's own Q9F QLED TVs. In fact, we were actually taken aback a few times by just how nuanced the MS650 can be when it comes to reproducing musical details. No more tangled and unattractive wires because the Sound+ Soundbar is designed with streamlined wires and an elegant easy mount option. Its sound quality is stunning and can fill a large living room with ease. There was a problem. That means there are no satellite speakers, but more importantly, no wireless subwoofer, a customary inclusion for most soundbars at this price point. The Samsung HW-MS650 ships as standard with a Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder on board, down-converting multi-channel inputs to its 3.0 speaker configuration unless you add an external subwoofer and Samsung's wireless rear speakers. The minimalist design is refreshing in a bar that still packs such high performance. If you want more detail in the wall of sound your soundbar can produce, £300 more gets you to Samsung's K850 system, with its extra up-firing speakers. Like Sony, LG, and other competitors, Samsung is quick to tout the MS650 as an “HD Audio” device, even highlighting support for high-resolution audio at up to 24bit/96kHz in a variety of formats via Wi-Fi. Overall, the Samsung HW-T650 soundbar has a decent performance. Proper multi-channel DTS decoding was later added via a firmware update, we're pleased to report. In fact, we were consistently impressed with the MS650’s chops, up and down the frequency range. Soundbars that excel for movies don't commonly also deliver the goods with music, but the MS650 is the exception that proves the rule. Samsung HW-MS650 review: What you need to know The Samsung MS650 is seriously impressive. But no matter how good all these are and how much software has improved nothing can totally replicate the performance of a dedicated speaker at least until now. It's with the HW-MS650 soundbar's innovative distortion-canceling technology that this tech starts to get really interesting though, helping it to achieve bass levels much deeper than you would get from a standard speaker design. As mentioned above, the MS650 is purpose-built for a balanced mix of performance and simplicity and, as we’ve come to expect from Samsung, those benefits increase exponentially the more you invest in the Samsung family. Perfect for our porch, houseboat, and even propped up at the beach. The Samsung HW-MS650 is a competent, amply featured sound bar, and its array of features should appeal to people who want something beyond "make my TV sound better". at the back of the bar is a power outlet that allows you to power select Samsung TVs, saving an outlet on a wall or power strip. Samsung HW-T550. That said, once you’ve taken into account the quality and flexibility of its sound, and the innovative technology it uses to deliver that quality, the price still holds up well against the soundbar competition on both sides of the Atlantic. If you prefer the Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar can also be paired with Bluetooth headphones or other Samsung wireless speakers as part of a cable-free home network audio solution. It's also high enough to obscure an IR sensor on some other makes and models. I like that is has an option to add a sub if you like. It’s an ambitious proposition, but one at which the MS650 excels, offering a sweet taste of cinematic flavors at an affordable price that lets you “set it and forget it.”. Samsung HW-MS650: no subwoofer. The HW-MS650 is Samsung's most advanced 2017 sound bar. © If you’re in the US, the MS650's $449 price looks remarkably good value for such a cutting edge and high performance soundbar. Samsung … The wireless subwoofer is made from wood, measures in at 7.9″ by 13.9″ by 11.9″ and will easily fit under a table. It is smart, connected and stuffed full of innovation. Samsung HW-MS650 Sound+ Soundbar Review. That’s … Accessories in the box include Samsung’s intuitive wand-style remote — which looks strikingly similar to its newer TV remotes — a basic mounting kit and feet, a digital optical cable, and a setup manual. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Dimensions: 1060 x 78 x 130mm (W x H x D) | Speaker configuration: 3.0 | Claimed audio power: 9 x 20W | Connections: Single 4K/HDR HDMI loopthrough, one optical audio input, 3.5mm audio port, 2-way Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. The MS650 offers a striking blend of balance across the spectrum and cutting clarity in the upper register. Like Samsung’s Atmos bar, the system also doesn’t decode DTS audio beyond two-channel sound, and it’s also limited to basic Dolby Digital 5.1. The unit is upgradeable and offers 4K passthrough, so it should be able to stretch with your home theater needs (though we wish it had better chops when it comes to decoding DTS and Dolby surround signals). For true surround sound, get a hold of the Samsung SWA-9000S speakers as well. The power cord is nice and has a unique design, see one of the pictures with this review. With its Sound+ HW-MS650, Samsung has created perhaps the finest sub-$500 soundbar I've heard. Nestled in the heart of Southern California, Samsung’s new in-house audio lab was created with one purpose: Putting the company on the high-end audio map. High-end hi-fi fans may feel its presentation with very delicate tracks such as Nick Cave's Distant Sky is a touch too aggressive, while its focus on creating a wall of sound also means its stereo presentation is a little narrow for music. As soon as you fire up the MS650, it becomes apparent that all that talk of non-linear control and distortion-canceling technology is much more than just marketing hype. There are no major drawbacks that would seriously put us off, though. The scale of the MS650's sound is significantly boosted by a bass extension so impressive that it's difficult to believe it comes from a one-body speaker: what sorcery is this, Samsung? And finally in the plus column, we were pleasantly surprised by how adaptable the MS650's musical qualities are, as it handled pretty much every musical genre we played with equal tenacity and precision. Samsung has rewritten a lot of the rulebook with the HW-MS650 Soundbar. Take music playback, for example. And really, isn’t that what soundbars are all about? The tweeters are the same wide-dispersion ones used so effectively on the K950 Dolby Atmos soundbar to expand the listening 'sweet spot' to accommodate more seating positions. For the price, this soundbar this definitely hits the spot. This brand new soundbar is really as new as can be: a few days after the first models reached our region, Samsung already sent us a few test devices. Quality is definitely there, looks good, sounds great and easy to use. Samsung's specs sheet suggests the MS650 can hit frequencies as low as 40Hz – but during our tests it actually managed to get even deeper than that. Add to that the brushed finish on the top, and the industrial-style grille over the speakers, and everything harmonizes together beautifully. Back in April 2017, Samsung raised the bar with the HW-MS650 soundbar.Its distortion cancelling technology and impressive sound quality made it our favourite single soundbar for under £550. Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Its smooth, rich bass handling is to the fore again too, hitting beautifully musical depths without sounding in any way forced, billowy or baggy. Samsung is arguably king of the TV at the moment, and the Samsung HW-MS650 soundbar is part of its bid to become the number one audio brand for home entertainment as well. Listening to music also makes you aware of just how easily the sound escapes and expands from the speakers – there's no hint of muddiness or swallowed tones here. Harmonizes together beautifully soundbar from Samsung – yes, it 's much more restrained film. Are no major drawbacks that would seriously put US off, though supports multiroom.! Full thoughts on what we think is one of the rulebook with the MS650 soundbar ’ s minimalist theme nonetheless. Soundbar from Samsung seriously impressive analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals Samsung went through a lot the! 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