Customer Ratings & Reviews

It’s a beautiful sound bar, nice details on subwoofer, beautiful crystal clear sound can hear every detail, unfortunately is not what I needed, had to return it

This product is amazing. What an experience, From the moment I unboxed it until I heard the first sound, I could tell this was going to be something special. The two speakers come wrapped in a very nice cloth bad each You can tell care was taken when packing these items. Everything you need is in the accessory box. You do need to download the Google Home app for your smartphone. This allows for seamless interaction with the speaker and so you can get it connected to your home wifi for updates. I plugged the subwoofer into an outlet in the corner of the room. I then placed and plug in the soundbar below my tv. I connected the optical audio cable to my tv and then to the soundbar. I powered both speakers on and they synced with each other immediately. I used the google home app on my ios device to connect the speaker to my wifi. There was a software update to install. That took a few minutes and then the app restarted. I was now ready for sound. I turned the TV on and WOW.... what amazing sound. My kids love watching movies, and the sound fills the room. I can control the volume with my appletv remote too.

This sound bar is not working. Box came a bit beaten up. It was installed and we had a power outage last week and now we cannot get the sound bar to work. We have Best Buy tech coming on April 19th to assess. This is not cool as we are without use of the TV at normal capacity for 3 weeks until they can come and check it out.

SET-UP Set-up proved to be a bit of a challenge. Unlike prior Definitive products, this example is configured via the Google Home app. At first, I was glad to see that they have moved away from the old-style Definitive Studio app, that didn’t work all that great. But, in actual practice, Google Home didn’t work any better for set-up. I was unable to get the speaker configured properly using the Google Home app and an iPad. I got continuous communication errors. The soundbar would not configure itself properly and communicate with my wi-fi. Luckily, I have an Android phone and the process worked without issue. The Google Home app found, connected, and properly configured my soundbar and it’s wi-fi settings. The wireless sub paired with absolutely no intervention. Once the soundbar was properly configured with my Android phone, I plugged the subwoofer in and it was instantly paired to the soundbar. Very slick. Unfortunately, there was no firmware update available, nor was there an app update available for the iPad, so your luck getting it set-up may be hit or miss. I connected the soundbar to my TV via the TV ARC HDMI port. My DirecTV was plugged into HDMI 1 on the soundbar. Once configured, my Vizio TV identified that it was connected to a soundbar and established an ARC connection. For those not familiar, the ARC is an Audio Return Channel that allows a TV’s audio to be passed through to the soundbar without the need for additional cables or connections. I have never had much luck getting the ARC connection to work with any form of TV or soundbar combination, but in this implementation, it is working flawlessly. AWESOME!! No more need for an extra SPIDF cable for audio. Not only is my DirecTV audio piped to the soundbar, so is the audio from any of the Vizio’s apps, including: Netflix, Prime, YouTube, etc. No need to switch inputs, no need to make any changes, audio is transferred smoothly and effortlessly. USE The soundbar contains 9 separate drivers consisting of 6 mid bass drivers and 3 tweeters with dedicated amps to reproduce 5.1 surround sound. The subwoofer is an 8 inch, self-powered unit that is rated at 50W RMS and 100W Peak. True to the Definitive heritage, the soundbar/subwoofer combines to make any movie or TV program more enjoyable. There is no more straining to understand what is being said on the screen because your TV’s speakers barely emit any sound. Dialog is exceptionally clear and bass is fairly tight and controlled being this is a lower powered, ported style subwoofer. The soundbar and subwoofer will definitely increase your enjoyment of any program material you choose to watch through it. The 3 aluminum dome tweeters produce clear, crisp high frequency details, while the 6 mid bass drivers deliver equally impressive dialog and lower frequency sounds. CONS While this isn’t necessarily a con, I feel it must be mentioned. I don’t think this is the set-up for a full, dedicated home theater. This soundbar does not offer the same level of performance as Definitive’s own SuperCube Subs or the SuperTower speakers. But, to be fair, it isn’t really meant to. It is meant to give you the most of TV shows and movies. The soundbar won’t overpower your room and the sub won’t rattle your walls and shake the plates in kitchen. If you are wanting that level of performance, you need to look at other options. This product is something that is meant to be nearly invisible, with its sub tucked away and just make the best of the source material. FINAL THOUGHTS This product serves as a great addition to my family room TV. It has made movies and TV shows much more enjoyable compared to just TV speakers. Would it be my primary product if I had a dedicated home theater? Probably not. You just can’t beat the sound and power having separate speakers and a receiver. On the downside, separates would cost substantially more money and be much more complex to configure and install. If you don’t have the space or need for a dedicated theater, this would provide a great option. The mids and highs are smooth and detailed and the sub adds just enough punch without being overpowering. The ability to stream to the soundbar with Chromecast and Bluetooth, along with the ability to control it via the Google Assistant is just that much better. If I had the original Definitive W Studio, I wouldn’t upgrade. The products are too similar to each other to justify the upgrade. So similar, the soundbar is the same size and has the exact same mounting holes as the original W Studio. The extra processing of the 5.1 of the Studio Advance is nearly unnoticeable to me (I own the predecessor to this product, the original W Studio). If you want to improve your overall TV viewing experience and want a high quality, great sounding product, this one should definitely be on your short list of options. I have listened to dozens of soundbars and subwoofer combinations and the Definitive products continue to be my go-to. I feel they sound better than any of their competitors for the price.

...because it's not bad enough for three stars, but four stars is pushing the envelope. *** If connecting through the HDMI-Arc connection, make sure your television setting for HDMI-CEC/Anynet is turned on.*** Pros Simplistic setup with only three wires total! (two power, one source) 4K passthrough enabled Chromecast/Google Assistant enabled Bright sound from sound bar. Adequate lows from sub. One button “night” mode to reduce sub noise. Cons Don’t expect a true surround sound “immersion” Limited adjustments available for equalizing. Looking for a premium soundbar system with smart speaker capabilities? Then this might be the speaker for you. The packaging was unique, almost shaped like a large guitar, contoured over the sound bar and subwoofer. Each item was packaged in its own velvet-like bag. And while it seemed unique and well thought out, the company might want to consider adding a little more support near the subwoofer speaker itself. While mine was not damaged, it was misshapen like something had hit it. So just make sure you check for tears and damage when opening. This system is about as simple of a system to set up all the while being versatile enough to connect it to the television in numerous ways. Although the instructions say you need the app for set up, if you don’t plan on using any smart commands, it’s not necessary. As stated above, the only hiccup I had during installation was when trying to connect the speaker through my HDMI-Arc connection on my Samsung TVs. I’m not a big fan of the Anynet system since we already have a smart remote that turns everything on and off for us, so it was turned off. After some finagling with settings that was when I came up with the solution. Connecting through optical and aux were simple. Bluetooth was as well. If it weren’t for the initial problem with the Anynet, this would have been the easiest speaker setup I’ve ever done. I currently have an older six speaker Samsung receiver system (Left, right, center, two rears and a sub). The sub is a standalone Pioneer sub with a built-in amp. I wasn’t expecting this system to keep up in any way. But the clarity of the sound bar and crispness of the bass in the sub were surprising. When I test a new system, my go to is the lobby scene in “The Matrix.” You have bass, rounds flying by, and distinct, detailed sounds that test any system’s limits. While the soundbars quality of sound is great, the ability to make you immersed in the sound like a true surround system is lost. In other words, you don’t hear the bullets wiz by your head. The subwoofer was also cutting out during the scene. I was streaming my movie through an app called Plex so I tested it on my original sound system, and the cut outs didn’t occur. They also didn’t occur while connected to the optical port. So my only assumption is that something wasn’t being transcoded right through the HDMI-ARC in the television. Other bass heavy testing was completed without an issue. Overall, this system has the feel and capability of a premium sound system. But in my honest opinion, if I’m going to spend this much I want TOTAL immersion. I could look to a lower price bracket and get an adequate soundbar system and not notice much difference to this speaker system, all the while saving a couple benjamins. But if you’re in the niche for a premium soundbar system only, and price isn’t the deciding factor, this is a system to look at.

This soundbar is an effective marriage of build quality, features, and sound quality that might just be enough to convince those considering a multispeaker theater setup to think twice. The first thing that struck me about the Definitive Technology soundbar is just how heavy the components are. Upon further inspection, I then realized that the cases are made of ridiculously high quality and premium feeling materials that give this a truly luxurious look and feel. This aesthetic will likely fit in with even the cleanest of theater/entertainment center setups and more than likely won't offend any of the style-particular spouses out there. After getting the speakers situated in my space, I opened up the Google Home app and initiated first time setup, which was really nothing more than clicking "Add", selecting the soundbar, and letting the app do the rest of the setup. In my opinion, this is a great choice as it integrates this speaker with my other "smart home" devices which are already added to my Home app. Using the home app in this manner may be a pain for anyone not already tied into the Google Home ecosystem, though, as you'd have to go through the Home app setup prior to setting up the soundbar. I think overall this was a great choice, though, as it allows users to create an integrated home environment using the Home app as well as integrated Cast functionality. Speaking of which, Cast integration is something I require anymore with speakers as it's far easier and more effective than bluetooth for streaming music to speakers. I was very glad to see this included. Sound quality here, for the most part, stands up to what you would expect in this price range. Particularly for movies, the sound space created by the Definitive Technology soundbar is expansive and gives a fairly convincing "surround sound" experience. It does not quite hold up to a fully fledged surround system, but it's as convincing as any soundbar I've heard at opening up a surrounded sound environment. The drivers have no issue pushing some serious sound, as tested by cranking the system to the point of it being excessive and demonstrating no audible distortion/compression. The subwoofer, similarly, is up to the challenge, pumping out deep and surprisingly full range bass without any audible bottoming out like you tend to hear with included soundbars. All in all, if your primary listening environment is geared towards watching movies, you will not be disappointed. I fired up a few of my typical music selections, running the gamut from light and dynamic to thrashy and heavy, to run the soundbar through the paces, and overall, it was fine but didn't excel in the same way as it did with my movie listening experience. It kept the sound coloring to a minimum (a great thing) and had adequate bass, but felt a bit sterile. In the way that the sound space felt open and expansive with movies, it felt a bit closed off and central with music. Overall, it definitely gets the job done but doesn't necessarily excel with music. Overall, this is an incredibly premium soundbar that works great for movies/entertainment, and well enough for music. The combination of absurd build quality and great sound quality make this a real winner.

The Definitive Technology - 5.1 Channel Soundbar System with 8" Wireless Subwoofer is named “Studio Advance”. It replaces the previous generation: “W Studio” Soundbar, of which I own several. The primary improvement of Studio Advance over the previous generation Studio is the addition of 5.1 audio. I did not find the surround sound of the 5.1 justifiable to upgrade to this model. However, just as in the previous Studio sound bar, this is one of the finest sound bars on the market today and produces high end audio quality along with a beautiful appearance. Vocal clarity is superb. Movie sound is very good with the addition of the external Subwoofer. I had to relocate the subwoofer away from my WiFi router because it would continuously sync, then lose sync between the sound bar and the subwoofer. Moving the subwoofer away from the router solved my problem. The remote features bare essentials such as Movie, Music and Night. There are no equalization parameter adjustments beyond these, same as the previous model Studio. Dimensions are identical between Studio Advance and the previous Studio, both the Soundbar and the Subwoofer. I had Geek Squad install the Studio Advance below an LG 65” OLED TV on the mantel above the fireplace using a bracket kit from Best Buy. This sound bar is very low profile and blends in well with virtually any modern television. It is a minimalist design and looks awesome. Conclusion: This is a Premium Quality Soundbar that looks and sounds at home in the finest venue. It earned 5 Stars and my Highest Reccomendation!

Let me start with the good, The Definitive Technology Studio Advance sound bar looks and sounds amazing. There is no question that this is one of the best sounding soundbars I have heard. I love how much control you have on tuning the sound and being able to bring up the voices of people or characters when watching movies. Soundbars typically have lots of issues with voices, So having one with the ability to clearly hear the voices was great. The subwoofer is incredibly powerful for the size. I think its a bit too boomy and not very detailed but people that love their bass will get plenty of it from the sub. The sound bar also looks great very simple clean elegant design. It is a very understated design but looks very good. No on to the issues and their are several. The first is a preference issue and it bothers me so much and that is the lack of information screen on the sound bar. The only information you get is from light on the front. Each input is assigned a number and that is how many lights will pop on the front of the soundbar when you change the input, change the volume or change any setting like subwoofer or center channel. Seems like it would be simple and easy but it gets rather annoying because you can never tell when the soundbar is on unless you hit a button to get the lights to come on, or know what input it was last left on. its a nice idea that just doesn't work for me. The next item is much more of a deal breaker and that has to do with the wireless subwoofer, there are many times when it does not sync with sound bar so their is no sound coming from it. I have to turn off the subwoofer and the soundbar turn them back and wait for it to sync and then I can use it like normal. I have owned several soundbars with wireless subwoofer and I never had connection issues like I do with this one. My other big issue is that the hdmi output is incredibly slow to output your image and often times I would end up with a black screen and would have to turn the soundbar off and then back on to the signal to go through. It got to the point where I just ran everything into my tv and then just ran the optical cable from my tv to the soundbar. The HDMI issues were constant and that keeps me from recommending this soundbar. I want to love this soundbar, I love how the soundbar looks and how it sounds, but all of the other issues it has are a big deal breaker for me and keep from recommending it. If they can sort some of these issues out then I would recommend it in a heartbeat but until then I would pass.

complete failure. Would not turn off for over 10 days. When it was corrected by the MAGNOLIA specialist ( who was very nice) it worked that night and then had NO SOUND at all.

Subwoofer broke right after warranty ended. I have had nothing but problems with this system. It sounds good but the technology is flawed.

I've owned many 2.1 channel soundbars from various big name manufacturers and none can compare to the Definitive Technology 5.1 channel. First of all, I always get nervous having electronics shipped but as we live 50 miles from the nearest Best Buy store it's a nice option once in a while. The packaging around the Definitive Technology is bombproof. You could drive a car over it and probably be fine. Setup is simple and straightforward but I have a problem with not being able to operate a piece of equipment without downloading an app first. I hate it. However, it seems like most electronics I've purchased lately have to be set up and configured via app so maybe I just need to get over it. My Galaxy phone has all the Google stuff already so it wasn't a big deal. It took a couple tries for Google Home to find and recognize the soundbar but after it was connected it went smoothly and now, after a few weeks of use, I have not had to access the app again. The sound from the Definitive Technology is awesome. Probably not on par with a component system with multiple separate speakers in different locations but 1000% better than any 2.1 channel system I've owned. No matter how much I spent on a 2.1 system, the action was too loud and the dialog too quiet, causing constant adjustment while viewing. The best feature of the Definitive 5.1 to me is the ability to adjust the center channel which is simply not possible with a 2.1 system. With the center channel turned up a bit, dialog is clear and easy to hear and the lows and highs blend perfectly. I'm a bass junky and the bass from the Definitive Technology is deep and rich. I would prefer a little more rumble but the 8" woofer does a great job shaking the floor and is perfectly adequate for my family's needs. Definitive does offer a PRO 1000 woofer with a 10" speaker so upgrading is an option. The Definitive Technology 5.1 costs considerably more than any 2.1 system but it's a worthwhile investment and your ears will thank you. We love ours.

Get the Definitive Technology 3.1 it sounds better than this surround sound. I returned this one

Setup: Plug and play literally, it took me two minutes to set it up. Sound: This soundbar system is the best one I have owned. Very clear sound, no cables or wires and it makes my house shake. Very pleasant to use for music or to use when watching the movies. Finally I am having sounds at home similar to sounds quality movie theaters are offering. Watching action or horror movies is completely different experience now Connectivity: Device supports Bluetooth, WiFi, HDMI (3 ports), Auxiliary port and Optical fiber. I must add that both soundbar and sub-woofer instantly connect to Bluetooth. Both soundbar and sub-woofer are heavy and I like to think that premium materials used to manufacture this device are reason for its weight. As I said this is the best soundbar system I have ever owned and I doubt there is anything even close to this quality on current market. Very happy with and I would suggest this product to anyone who enjoys music or movies. Pros: Easy to setup No wires or cables Wireless / Bluetooth connectivity Premium sound Very loud Cons: None so far

Definitive Technology has changed the game! Studio Advanced soundbar has immersive sound in a small package. I was skeptical at first as I thought the best sound came from a component speaker and receiver setup, With the HDMI ARC I was able to easily incorporate my other devices for one remote use. And with built-in Bluetooth, I can easily stream my music. And the Eq functions you get flawless crisp sound. The 8-inch wireless sub drums out deep tight bass. The soundbar boasts 9 front-firing speakers, and do they scream. Do yourself a favor don't deny your movies or tv show this pleasure any longer. This is a must for any 4k tv.

Pros: Excellent sound quality, simple setup, Chromecast and Google Assistant built-in, Bluetooth, included HDMI and optical cables. Cons: Main speaker array is bulky, aluminum dome tweeters. I used to be big into multi speaker home theater setups and they really can’t be beat when it comes to spatial imaging, but nowadays I prefer simpler setups. The last 5.1 speaker setup I purchased was a Vizio soundbar with remote sub to which the rear surrounds connected and was pleasantly surprised with the overall sound quality for the price paid. Fast forward 3 years later and I found myself looking for an even simpler setup, but of higher quality. Enter the Definitive Technology Studio Advance 5.1 soundbar system. I got this for my family room where it’d be difficult to run and hide wires and wasn’t about to cut holes in the wall, run raceway or wire moulds. The size of the soundbar may present a challenge to entertainment centers with minimal real estate. If needed, it can wall mounted. Thankfully, I had just enough space in front of my 60” TV. I was quite skeptical about the labeling of this system as being 5.1 and knew that the surround would be spatial virtualization trickery, but would it be a gimmick and sound too synthesized and overly processed? First off, let me talk about the sound quality. The sound I would rate as generally neutral in the low-mid to mid-high frequencies. That is what I was looking for and am quite happy in that regard and overall find the sound generally pleasing. In the higher frequencies the aluminum dome tweeters can be a bit shrill at times, but I find that to be the case when it comes to metal tweeters and generally prefer silk as the transient highs are smoother to my ear. After sitting for a while to allow my ears to adjust to the pronounced highs, it becomes acceptable. It doesn’t happen much, but it does sound peaky at times and that’s being nitpicky. The sub complements the sound bar nicely and the crossover frequency is fairly natural without making me notice any gaps. There are basic sound controls for increasing center and bass volumes and preset EQ modes for music, night, and movie and find those presets mostly adequate for what their intended for. As for the 5.1 sound, is it true 5.1 surround? In short, no, but the engineering behind it does create a surround like experience with a wide soundstage. There are sounds emanating from areas where there is no speaker. Pretty neat stuff. The added Chromecast, Google Assistant and plays nice with my Google smart home. I now have a smart speaker in every room in my house. The Bluetooth connectivity is a nice bonus as well. I used to run a bluetooth receiver into the stereo receiver to run audio from my smart devices, which really helped to streamline my family room home theater setup. There’s a reason why the Studio Advance is part of Best Buy’s Magnolia collection. If you’re looking for a quality soundbar setup in your Google smart home, be sure to keep this one on your short list.

It seems these days sound bars are a dime a dozen, every brand has one, and they vary in capabilities without really bringing anything new or exciting to the market. Sound bars were created to satisfy a low cost audio need caused by LCD/LED TVs being in that they are so thin they cannot put decent speakers in them, but really people seem to treat them as a necessity rather than something they really want to get. That's about to change. The Definitive Technology 5.1 channel sound system and sub is superb in every aspect. You'll note this as soon as you start to unpack it. As you unpack it you'll see an attention to detail that most electronics simply lack. First, the packing is top notch. Of course everything is surrounded by first the box and then a thick layer of foam, but this foam takes it a step further in that there is literally zero room for motion, there are no gaps, no spots where even if the box got punctured (believe me, my box was in *rough* shape when I received it) that the sound bar would be immediately exposed to the elements (I mean sure, it's still foam so if someone hit it hard enough you'll still damage the sound bar, but that's beside the point). After that, both the sound bar and the subwoofer (and the remote for that matter) are each in their own felt bag. You will notice that the sound bar is surprisingly heavy. Sure sound bars aren't the lightest of equipment to start with, but this one is actually heavy (if you wall mount it, consider studs). Connecting it is a breeze, particularly if you plan on using ARC which I did. A quick connection from the TV to the bar and we were off to the races. The soundbar includes much of what most of them do these days, bluetooth capabilities, Google music, Dolby Sound and a bunch of other things should you need them. It is not compatible with Alexa so bear that in mind. The sound quality is outstanding. The highs are crisp and clear, the mids are rich and not muddy, and the bass thumps. You will have no issues with volume either as it can get extremely loud, and as it gets loud there is no issue with the quality declining. This is truly a room filling system. All in all if you're looking for a very high quality system and don't mind the higher price tag, this is for you.

Received mine today and tested out at home. Very impressed with this system. Had it right next to my bose soundtouch 300 and barely noticed any differences between the two units. Plug and play unit. Was able to install and use in 5 minutes. Very good looking unit as well. Plus the price was too good to pass up.

Awesome speaker is lovely I’ve had it for years. Thank u

For the price super good sound And easy installation

Lasted just over 2 years. Definitive no longer supports or manufactures this product. They informed me there was no fix and they could sell me another version. Run away. Also had 3 W-9s go out after 18 months. All in all, great sound and terrible quality.