Customer Ratings & Reviews

I purchased this sounder as an upgrade to the previous model, Studio micro. Definitely worth the change! Improved sound quality, this bar produce a balanced sound stage and doesn't drown out vocal in movies with explosions by default (no tuning required). In the tuning dept though I would love the option to increase the treble since the bass can be increased. Google Home integration was a major reason for the upgrade too. Integration was quick and simple. We are able to easily play music from the Spotify app or speak to one of the Google speakers to tell it to play music on the soundbar (we named it Speakbox). Definitely a worth while upgrade.

Within the last decade, sound bars have become a popular alternative to full home theater sound systems, and it’s easy to understand why. “Good enough” sound became attainable with a single device that sits under a TV rather than running a receiver and wiring to many separate speakers, but these devices often sacrificed sound quality and richness to fit the form factor. Now that these have been market staples for several years, it seems that big names in the audio world have taken note and are now shipping soundbars that are getting more and more indistinguishable from their fully-wired, monolithic brethren. Having been a strong player in the home audio space for nearly three decades, Definitive Technology presents its newest take on the soundbar, the low-profile Studio Slim, promising premium sound worthy of the Magnolia Home Theater showcase with a 3-speaker soundbar paired to a wireless 8-inch subwoofer. In my past experiences with Definitive Technology, the brand has never failed to deliver anything short of incredible sound, and the Studio Slim is no exception, making me rethink whether I truly need a dedicated home theater setup to get the sound I want for my main TV. - Unboxing and Setup At almost four feet wide, the Studio Slim comes in an awkwardly-shaped, oblong box weighing nearly forty pounds. Fortunately the packaging is sturdy and both the soundbar and subwoofer came out unscathed as they’re extremely well-packaged and wrapped in felt to minimize scuffing. Definitive Technology includes both HDMI and Toslink (optical) cables to connect to most TVs out of the box. The brushed aluminum soundbar has remarkable heft and is best placed on a flat surface like a TV stand or mantle. There are wall-mount anchors included on the backside of the sound bar, but I would ensure these are mounted to studs rather than using mollies into drywall, and you will want to use in-wall or through-wall wiring as I could not find cable channels on the bar itself. The subwoofer, though 8 inch, is much larger and heavier than expected, but can be placed anywhere. Definitive Technology recommends placing it in the corner of a room for best bass performance. Once hooked up, the Chromecast-compatible soundbar can be connected to the internet and firmware updated through the Google Home app available on both iOS and Android app stores. Updates take a few minutes, after which the device will be Chromecast-ready. - Sound Quality Quantifying something as subjective as home theater sound is difficult. It goes without saying that this handily outperforms soundbars costing 1/4th as much, but above that price the sound really should be heard in person to pass judgment as a price jump by a factor of four won’t necessarily result in four-times-better sound. Regardless, the Studio Slim delivers on all the promises and expectations that come with the Definitive Technology name. I haven’t been able to turn the soundbar up past 75% volume as the sound it’s capable of producing overpowers my home (not one with any shared wall to neighbors, mind you). The volume is incredible, but what impresses me most is that even at these volumes I can’t pick out any distortion whatsoever. Whether listening at minimal volume or a deafening blast, the sound is exceptionally clear and doesn’t drop any details across the sound spectrum, from deep bass to high treble. The center channel delivers most of the volume, and I found that turning the center channel down to -2 (on a range from -6 to +6) balances the sound nicely. Three sound profiles, Music, Night, and Movie, alter the frequency response to best accentuate your audio. Sound reproduction in Music mode seems to have as close to a flat (ideal) response curve as the soundbar offers, and in my opinion is spot-on. Whether the thundering drums and piercing guitars of Metallica or the smooth vocals of Celine Dion are your jam, the Studio Slim faithfully recreates your music. The subwoofer stays reined-in and delivers balanced, punchy bass hits without overpowering the bar. If you’re looking for that earth-shaking “boom,” you’ll want the Movie mode. Movie mode dials up the stereo separation and increases the subwoofer’s bass response to intensify action sequences and music beds in your favorite movies. The vocal range also seems to be accentuated, if not boosted, to make voices a little clearer than in Music mode. This all works quite well and the downward-firing, downward-ported subwoofer delivers consistently deep, rumbling bass that comes shockingly close to replicating the movie theater experience. Additionally, while this could be my setup, the two pieces of the Studio Slim seem to work together to make the bass sound centered rather than offset to the corner of the room where I placed the subwoofer. In my previous setup it was obvious where the subwoofer was, but with this it’s better hidden in the sound. Night mode softens the output across the board and drops the volume, bringing most of the bass out of the subwoofer and letting the soundbar take over. My testing with this mode was limited but it felt much easier to dial in a comfortable volume where the pounding subwoofer wouldn’t wake up family or roommates than in the other two audio modes. Sound was still exceptionally clear and easy to listen to from across the room without disturbing others. Most impressive of all was that in all three modes, the soundstage (the perceived distance between the leftmost sounds and rightmost sounds) was easily twelve feet wide, despite the Studio Slim not being a surround sound system. This bar could easily replace a pair of tower speakers with at least that much space between them while delivering an equal soundstage. I was floored how much “wider” the sound seemed than the dedicated stereo system this soundbar replaced. Once again, audio opinions are subjective and difficult to translate to text. I highly recommend sampling this sound bar in-store at your nearest Magnolia Home Theater center within a Best Buy prior to purchase. - Connectivity & Technology Supporting both HDMI Audio Return Channel (HDMI ARC) and Toslink, the Studio Slim should have no trouble connecting to any TV produced within the last five years. HDMI ARC allows you to control the soundbar’s volume on supported TVs as if it were the TV’s own speakers, removing the need to use separate remotes for your sound system and TV. Of course, you’ll still need to use the remote or press one of the physical buttons on the soundbar to change sound modes. Supporting most variants of Dolby Digital, the Studio Slim can do for sound what HDR does for image quality. Though quieter than direct sound output (PCM), the dynamic range of the sound increases by quite a bit, giving you a more faithful reproduction of the filmmaker’s or artist’s creation. Unfortunately without any kind of rear channels you lose some of that intent, but the wide soundstage helps overcome the disadvantage of being a mostly stereo device. If you’ve used a Chromecast before, the Studio Slim will act exactly as you would expect any other audio-only Chromecast device to. Casting music from your phone, tablet, or laptop is as easy as could be. Bluetooth is also supported if you have an older device or prefer to skip connecting your soundbar to the Internet. The range is adequate and bluetooth audio shouldn’t cut out unless you bring your device two or more rooms away. - Ease of Use If there’s one area I need to knock the Studio Slim, it’s here. Initial setup took a little longer than I’d anticipated as I attempted to skip the Google Home setup, but after a few minutes the Studio Slim still seemed to remain in an inoperable “waiting for setup” mode. I would have preferred a plug-and-play option, and perhaps there is one, but this was not highlighted in the user manual and seemed to require a Google Home setup as a required step. The only status indicator on the soundbar is a strip of RGB dots along the front of the soundbar that don’t clearly present some information. Volume is obvious, but one or two dots will represent inputs one or two (HDMI ARC and Toslink, respectively), bass and center channel adjustments use different “stepping” than volume, and setup indicators don’t convey much information without digging through the user guide. This isn’t a problem once you’re used to it, but I’ve used less expensive sound bars that have full LCD displays under their front mesh panels to present messages in much clearer terms. A little disappointed here. The only real frustration I have otherwise is that the remote is not very responsive. I usually have to press a button more than once to get a result from the soundbar (even when sitting just a few feet from it), and the volume control buttons especially are just too small and mushy to know when your press has registered. It’s function over form and I’m not a big fan of it. - Bottom Line I can’t stress enough how subjective opinions on sound are, because although I believe this is the best sound bar at the $1,000 price point, other options can easily sound better to different ears and listeners seeking particular experiences. Even with a few minor quibbles, the sound that the Definitive Technology Studio Slim produces is simply some of the best I’ve heard in a long time. I’ve heard only a handful of full sound systems that outperform the Studio Slim, and each one of these ring up at or above the Studio Slim’s MSRP (ironically, most of them also used Definitive Technology brand speakers). This is a fantastic sound solution for space-starved or design-conscious buyers alike, making very few sacrifices to keep within its diminutive form factor. Highly recommended!

I already own several soundbars - so I feel I have a comparison base. Right out of the gate, I knew this would be a special unit. Just from the care in the packaging of the system - all components are in fabric bags for protection - I felt this would be an exceptional sound experience. I temporarily located this unit in a room that does not have a soundbar - and I'll tell you that the difference you'll hear from standard TV speakers to a soundbar like this is unbelievable. Unlike others, I had no setup issues. Plug in the optical cable to the TV, plug in the power, launch Google Home and away we went! First thing I did was play some music via Spotify - and the bass and immersive sound were simply awesome! Next up - Game of Thrones via HBO Go. WOW - such a huge difference. Really excited to watch a full episode! As far as "Slim" - yeah ) guess it is - not excessively slim - but stylish and sleek none-the-less. The wireless sub-woofer works great - sounds even better. Very impressed overall. My TV remote worked immediately with it - so I didn't have to program anything either - BONUS!

My biggest gripe with flat tv's is their puny sound and poor voice clarity. With this soundbar, all that is gone! I can finally hear all dialogues clearly and without the need of activating subtitles! Setup was easy, plugin the sound bar to power, connect HDMI cable, preferably to the ARC hdmi input on the tv (to be able to return audio) then connect the wireless subwoofer. The google home app is required to setup the system and its easy and upgrades the bar's software too. After that, via HDMI CEC, I can control the bar just with my TV's remote. The included remote has some extra controls, like music and movie preset. You can also tune the bass, from the box its not that much and the bar focuses more on the clarity of the dialogue, but you can tune the bass to your liking (by the way, the wireless subwoofer pairs itself to the system, so I didn't need to do anything). I highly recommend this bar for anyone that likes great sound (the simulated surround is ok, as its a 3.1 system), but the dialogue clarity is superb!!

You have your entry-level sound bars; those that are in the $100-$300 range. They get the job done, but don't really give you any "wow!" moments. Then you step up to your *slightly* better offerings; $300-$800. Yes, this seems like a bit of money, but it really isn't in the audio world. Materials are a little nicer, but you are still barely scratching the surface of what is out there if you want really NICE sound. Past that, you are starting to touch the bottom of high-end offerings. From $800-$1500 or so, this is the best sound bar I've tried. I currently have 5, ranging from a simple $150 2.1 all the way up to a 7.1 $1300 unit. For the money? This DT model is a strong contender for best bang for the buck up to ~$1500. Installation took minutes, the remote is simple, clutter free, and has exactly what you need to adjust levels quickly to your liking. The 3 modes all work as advertised and provide the best EQ for precisely what they're labeled for; MUSIC/NIGHT/MOVIE. MUSIC -- ups the bass, fills out the mids, and pushes the high-end up in the register to give a really wide, full, dynamic sound (the lights sweep outward on the bar to let you know you're in this mode) NIGHT -- cuts the bass, flattens the mids, pushes up the highs so that you can hear dialogue and not wake anyone else in the room if they're sleeping (the lights on the bar itself change to purple to let you know you're in this particular mode) MOVIE -- takes the MUSIC mode, lessens the bass range (so it really only pounds in lower freq. think explosions and rumbles, vs in music where the sub picks up every little bass strum or bass kick) and brings the highs more to the front of the soundstage for dialogue purposes. You can adjust the highs and lows separately from any of the 3-modes, so there's the ability to adjust things to your own liking. Packaging was top-notch, exactly what you'd expect from DT and what other brands should be doing once you start getting into this price range. Nice soft bags around everything, high-quality boxes, packaging, materials throughout. The bar itself is very low profile (see photos comparing to size of another bar from a different brand) and the sub, while massive (again, see photos comparing it to another brand), is simple, clean, and minimal -- perfect in my book. Solid black with a brushed finish, lettering is subtle and not flashy. Nothing cheesy or cheap about either piece.

This is my first investment into DT’ products. As soon as I finished installation, I realized how clear it sounds! Sleek design, build quality is premium, and slim. It took my movie watching experience to the next level to the extend I feel at the movie theater. Connectivity features are generous, BT and wifi streaming vis Google Home app or DT app on smartphone (IOS or Android). My TV is high end that equipped with sound system is made by one of the top branding companies, but after I hooked up DT soundbar and Was able to hear the difference in clarity and bass. I liked the velvet pouch for the remote especially for a person like me who take care of his stuff. Worth every penny!

First impressions are Wow just Wow!! Easy wall mounting (no hardware included), amazing sound from the soundbar alone. The subwoofer provides complimentary bass for the ultimate surround sound experience. The minimalist design hides the advanced tech inside the soundbar. Google Assistant, Bluetooth, Video Streaming!

I had Denon bar before this one with constant connection problems. Once a week or two I had to disconnect it out of power wait 20s plug back. Was doing that because there was significant difference in sound quality. Finally it died and I've decided to replace it with something little better. DT was the choice and it's a good one. Little on a pricey side but worth the money. Sound is clear and crisp with bass that can shake the room (sub is wireless). I've noticed that first time I watched Avengers Endgame and water in the glass on night stand was shaking. To do that bass need to go really low and Denon was rather noisy on that level. DT is not its deep, low shakes the room but it's also clear. Quite good actually. Of course if you compare it to tv speakers there is nothing to compare, but even if I compare that to my old Denon bar the difference is very noticeable. I guess you got what you paid for. Would buy again.

I have been going back and forth with this soundbar. I used the ARC connection and I did not have any issues installing or having it recognize my Sony TV. Google was easy to set up. I am just not happy with the sound from the TV. Some stations are really loud and some are really low. There is a difference when you switch stations. It is frustrating when you turn up the volume and then switch stations and the sound is blasting. As stated in some other reviews, there is also a noticeable thumping sound when you switch channels. I tried to hook the bar up using the fiber optics and did not like the sound this way either. After hooking up the bar through the ARC, it will turn up the volume on the bar with the TV remote. This is frustrating too. I turned off the bar since I don't want to use and it will turn the bar back on when I turn up the volume. I can not find a fix to keep the bar off. I have disconnected HDMI from the bar and only connect when I want to use. The bar is smaller than most and I love this about the bar. The sounds is good and the bass is also very good. I have played music through the bar and it sounds good too. I played a couple YouTube videos through the bar and after the first video, the sound did not match the video. I tired to adjust the sound through Google Home, but it makes it worse. You can only adjust one way and that is the incorrect way. I have updated my TV and I am on the recent update for the bar. Overall, the bar is disappointing with potential. I really only purchased to use when I am watching a movie or for music. Expensive bar for the issues that I am having.

This was so easy to set up. I’ve paired it with my 65 in OLED. I had a Klipsch 5.1 set up. I miss the rear speaker sounds but honestly this bar s sound is amazing for a bar. I got it on sale so it sounds even better!

Looks very sleek, modern and has beautiful big sound. Relatively higher price point, but the value is there for the finish and quality. I would recommend

For the size and slim profile, the sound is very good an comparable to equally priced models, bit looks much nicer with the all aluminum housing. No special brackets required to wall mount. Very nice addition to TV.

Bought this sound bar on clearance for use on a new LG 65" TV. Initially I had purchased a Polk Audio Magnifi 2 but returned it due to poor sound and minimum base from the subwoofer. After doing more research and comparing many different sound bars to include the Bose 700, I decided to purchase the Def Tec as it had a beautiful clean sound, no muffled bass and clear, easy to understand voice. Set up was easy, synced with the sub no problem. Had some difficulty setting the cable remote to work but eventually worked it out. Some reviews and the instruction say you must first download the Google Assistant for the bar to work but that was not the case so I haven't tried chromecast or any other features other than blue tooth which works fine. The remote is minimal but the adjustments effective and the sub woofer provides just enough base to be felt. If you are looking a a sound bar that just plain sounds good but and has minimal but effective controls, buy the Def Tec.

I've enjoyed this product Since November 2020. Great sound/features on it. The sound is very crisp and clear. Last night I turned on my TV and noticed that the soundbar did not automatically turn on like it normally would. I checked and noticed that I didn't have any power going to it. I attempted to power everything down, unplug both the power cable and the HDMI cable running to it, replug it in and still nothing. I tried switching wall outlets to see if that was an issue as well and still no power. I'm not sure if I received a lemon or if I just had a bad experience with the power supply.

I went in to purchase the Sonos sound bar but at same price point the DT included the subwoofer. Seemed like a no brainer and much better value. When watching tv in a relatively large room, my Samsung 65” was barely audible (sound dispersed throughout room making voices hard to pick up). The soundbar solved that issue. Could a less expensive soundbar do the same? Probably. Where the Soundbar excels is with music. It can crank and w subwoofer give an overall warm sound. Also when watching movies the effects have more oomph than w just tv sound. Set up was a little tricky. Requires you to go through a google home app, which I was unfamiliar with and it requires you to name your room for the device (DT soundbar). By naming it living room, google was unable to recognize it and after being frustrated after several failures I changed name to Den and it somehow worked. Expect little glitches like that from time to time. Wireless subwoofer was seamless. I used the arc hdmi cable which was supplied and the tv remote works w volume. I keep remote handy to switch between movies (for regular tv listening), and music (enhances bass and lowers mid i think). Hard to tell volume level, so that is an area that could use improvement. I do play music from phone through wi fi rather than blue tooth so I don’t get interruptions when e mails and texts come through and it sounds great. It can be used through BT as well. I have not had time to figure out Chromecast but haven’t found need for it. Sleek looking. I do not have tv or SB mounted and it doesn’t really block the tv at all. Overall, a fair compromise to not having space for a real Home Theater system or practical ability to blast music/movies due to apartment set up, but very good sound when I need to crank! Will look into setting up speaker in other room but definitely not as user friendly as Sonos for that purpose. So if considering multi room, it’s a question of whether the ease of Sonos is worth the extra money that Sonos would cost to add Subwoofer and to have a system that does not sound quite as good.

The three DefTech tweeters in this soundbar give it a great, open sound quality. With the dedicated center channel tweeter, dialog is very clear and crisp. The compact subwoofer does a good job adding balanced richness and depth. The only real deficiency is the rather lame LED volume level indicator.

Love def techs this was a great solution to get premium sound in a room that could not accommodate a surround sound system! Hooked it up with an arc and can use my Sony TV remote to control it or can use my Google home to play music from it.

On ofmyhe best purchases I've ever made. The sound on this is incredible for a sound bar. I would never suggest to anyone to pay for price for this thought I got this on sale as an open box and saves more than 60% off. If you can get this for a good deal I highly recommend it

I originally purchased this on 9-5-2019. Upon getting it home & setting it up, the sub appeared to have died. Not wanting to give up on it I contacted the Definitive help line. The person was friendly & provided me with a way to try & reset the sub. I performed the steps & was unsuccessful. The sub was dead. I exchanged the system for another. Before leaving the store I noticed a red sticker on the box that said "floor model, do not inventory." I've purchased lots of floor model stuff before without a failure but I was a little reluctant to take it home. Regardless, I wanted to get home & get my new TV some good sound. After looking more at the boxes, I noticed that Definitive had labeled this a "Demo Unit, Not for Resale." Dang! What a red flag! I proceeded with the install. The sub worked on this unit & initially everything else seemed to work as well. After a short time, with regularity, I noticed the sound level would reduce to the same level. I also noticed that the HDMI input was inoperative. No problem. I was already using an optical cable. These little quirks were related to the label "Demo Unit, Not for Resale." I decided not to give up yet & returned the system a 2nd time. I am happy to say that the 3rd system worked fine upon installation & has been working since. I am very pleased with the audio quality. My hearing has diminished at my age & I love that I can bump up the volume on the center (dialog) speaker to meet my needs. The sub really stands out when playing music through the Bluetooth connection. And is a nice addition when watching movies.

I tried several sound bars before eventually landing on the Def Tech Slim as my choice for gaming. The bar is crisp and clear and the subwoofer is provides acceptable bass. Don't expect this sound bar to replace/compete with a dedicated surround sound system and you won't be disappointed. FWIW, I tried several Atmos sound bars from Sony and LG as well. Atmos is a great and when done correctly, it sounds amazing. However, it's my opinion that Atmos in a sub $2000 price range just doesn't deliver. For reference, I used Blaviken fight from the 1st episode of The Witcher on Netflix and Assassins Creed Valhalla on Series X for Atmos testing. Both sounded good - neither sounded breathtaking on any of the Atmos sound bars I tried. Non-Atmos content like Destiny 2, Fallout 76, and Hellblade all sounded noticably worse on the Atmos sound bars when compared to the Def Tech Slim "traditional" sound bar. This is all my opinion so take it as that, but my recommendation is to avoid Atmos unless you can put some decent money into a real setup.