Samsung - 3.1.2-Channel 330W Soundbar with 8" Wireless Subwoofer - Slate Black + Carbon Silver

This is the first soundbar that I've ever owned but not my first home theater system. This soundbar is actually replacing a 5.1 channel 1000w home theater/dvd player system that still works well but is starting to show its age. So all the comparisons I am making will be against that since it is my most recent system. Initial Setup: This soundbar is by far the easiest sound system I have ever setup. I had to hookup a total of 3 wires; the power cord for the soundbar, the power cord for the subwoofer, and the HDMI cable to the TV. That's all. Including removing everything from its packaging, I went from no soundbar to listening to it in maybe 15 minutes. And a good portion of that time was spent trying to decide where to place the subwoofer. I couldn't believe how simple it was especially compared to my old system. That took hours between finding a place for each speaker, running and hiding wires to each one, and feeding the total of 8 wires into my entertainment stand. The next step was adding to the soundbar to the Samsung SmartThings app which I had previously installed on my phone. It was a quick and straightforward process. As soon as it showed up on the app, I was alerted that there was already a firmware update to be installed. One button press, plus a couple minutes to download and install the update, and the system was completely ready to go. The only other thing I had to change was the audio device setting on my TV and I was done. The subwoofer immediately paired to the soundbar without any assistance from me even though they're placed about 10 feet apart. Sound: I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit worried about the 330w power rating of this system. My old system had 3x the power and there were occasions that I wish it had more. I'm pleased to say that my fears were completely unfounded. This soundbar can pump out some serious volume, enough to put my old system to shame. On top of this, it sounds great regardless of which volume you have it set at. Voices are crisp and clean while the subwoofer adds plenty of punch without sounding boomy. Typically, I will watch TV with the volume at 15-20 depending on what I'm watching. But I had to know what the system was capable of. So I switched the input to Bluetooth, streamed some music from my phone, and cranked the volume. The volume goes all the way up to 100! Even at maximum volume, I didn't get any distortion from the bar or subwoofer and both still sounded great. I would recommend switching the sound mode from Standard to one of the other 3 modes though (Surround, Game Pro, and Adaptive). The Surround mode does a fantastic job of creating immersive sound which I'm guessing is from the Dolby Atmos processing. I can honestly say that I haven't missed the lack of rear speakers that my old system had. Game Pro sounds similar to Surround and Adaptive albeit slightly louder with a tad more bass. Personally, I use Adaptive the most as it seems to be able to handle everything from tunes to dialog without any issues. Styling: In my opinion, less is more when it comes to sound systems. I'd rather have a system that blends in with what I have than one that is trying to make it its own statement. The Q70R fits nicely on my TV stand just in front of my 60" Samsung TV without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. I've included a picture to show you what I mean (The additional speaker you can see is the center channel from my old system). Another thing that doesn't draw attention is the screen hidden at the far right end of the soundbar behind the speaker grille. It comes to life when you switch sources or change the volume and turns off after a few seconds so that it isn't distracting. It isn't the easiest to read but I promise it is clearer than the picture I took makes it seem. My phone had trouble focusing on the display and the letters look blurry but that's not the case in person. I also want to mention that both the soundbar and the subwoofer have a good weight to them that evokes a sense of quality. Admittedly, you probably won't be moving either after you get them setup but it's nice that they don't feel like they'll break immediately if they need to be relocated. App: The SmartThings app works well, was very simple to setup, and quickly found the soundbar without issue which is good since you need it to perform a firmware update right out of the box. But that's not the only thing you can use the app to do. You can also control every aspect of the soundbar with it including power, volume, source, and adjusting the equalizer. Commands from the app are performed immediately just like you were using the included remote. I'm aware that this is nothing spectacular; this is how it should work. But that's not always the case and sometimes the ball gets dropped when it comes to companion software. That didn't happen here. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend. It sounds great, has plenty of power, and is ridiculously easy to setup. What more could you ask for?

I'm enjoying the full, encapsulating sound of this soundbar. I used to have a 55" Samsung LED TV (2008) paired with a JBL 5.1 surround sound receiver (2003 version) and JBL speakers. But that required a separate remote control and the dialog was never clear. this soundbar looks great. The sound for dialog is clear while the music of movies and TV shows is all surrounding. The bass is full, even more so than my old dual 8" subwoofer. You can tell the upward-firing speakers help fill up the room. I was very surprised that when streaming blue tooth music from my iphone that the music sounded just as full and colorful as the sound tracks from movies or TV. Many soundbars seem to do TV/Movies OR Music well but not both, however, in this case the Samsung Q70R shines in all aspects and I don't even have the wireless rear speakers purchased yet. Pro - great sound, great dialog, great bass, full bass, easy set up, nice digital display, great WIFI and Bluetooth connectivity. Con - wish it would on start up have a feature for an auto sound level (so when my kids leave it on it would not be too loud on start up). Also wish there was a way to pair it with other speakers in my house so I could hear TV/movie dialog if I leave the room. All in all Im really glad i purchased this product. the room I have this in is 22x17x19ft tall, and it is adjacent/open to an eat in kitchen which is 15x25x9ft tall. I currently have this paired with a Samsung Q80 65" tv via HDMI arc port. I still need to get a small entertainment center to house my blue ray player and cable box.

I'm pretty impressed with this soundbar. It has clear, crisp audio, even at high levels. It's ability to decode Dolby Atmos, and do a good job taking advantage of the positional audio is a definite plus. The addition of the wireless sub is also great. No wires dangling, and the setup with to pair with the soundbar was really easy. My only complaint would be getting the ARC (audio return channel) to work with my LG tv. Eventually I found that I had to enable the device control (CEC) to get it to work. Since then, it's been smooth sailing. Pros: Dead simple to set up, crisp sound, great sounding even at high volumes, smooth bass with an easy-to-setup wireless subwoofer Cons: Getting ARC to work with my LG tv took some fiddling

When I received this soundbar - wireless subwoofer combo I didn't think it could fill an average room with quality sound. Boy was I wrong. This soundbar sounds great with both music and movie sound tracks. The basic remove provides volume, subwoofer level, source, surround sound type and power. On the soundbar the displace show a number for the volume level which provides you the ability to see when you raise of lower the volume level. The same is true for the subwoofer level which is also displayed as a numeric value. As for the sound on a three channel soundbar with a basic wireless sub, it sounds great and easily fills a small to medium room. I was pleasantly surprised at the sound quality and volume level the Samsung reached.

Listen I have no bad reviews on the all I can say is that this is all I needed for my basement I hid the woofer behind the wall and when the bass hits it sounds like I’m in a theater def worth the money I also used the rocketfish sound bar mount and made it fit perfect

Rather ticked. Got this on premise it was to connect to WiFi/ Bluetooth as I am an Alexa nerd and for clean look with less wires. Problem with that is when watching any sort of tv it was a delay from lips to audio which was noticeable and not acceptable and this is connecting to my Samsung 82” q60 tv the “perfect pairing”. After troubleshooting with Samsung support no less than 3 times it was finally determined this is a known issue and may be fixed on next update. Ya no thanks. $700 what a mistake.

The overall sound of this soundbar is very good. Very loud and the subwoofer provides a lot of deep bass. The issues with this soundbar are mostly related to the HDMI. I have my xbox running through HDMI on the soundbar. When selecting Xbox on Q70 tv, only about 50% of the time the soundbar switches to HDMI along with tv. The other 50% the soundbar stays on tv-input sound causing me to have to manually use the soundbar remote to change the input. Very annoying. Samsung said it sounds like a firmware issue that will hopefully be fixed in future update. Also occasionally when selecting the HDMI input source, sound comes from soundbar but the picture doesn't pass through. Switch input to cable and then back to HDMI and then picture works. Overall - I would not recommend this soundbar. Sounds great but too many small, annoying glitches for the high cost you're paying.

I know, just based on my Reddit experiences that "true" Home Theater people snub up over soundbars. I get that, I really do. I know that a soundbar will likely NEVER sound as good as a true, dedicated Home Theater system. However, they are slowly getting there, as they rise in recent popularity. Add on the fact of the price range for a soundbar vs. a true receiver/speaker setup is generally going to be much cheaper. Plus, just for a lot of us, a soundbar equals a heck of a lot less clutter. These two factors alone make owning a sound bar much more convenient (along with the fact that's there's far fewer wires). Now, myself, I'm a huge soundbar guy. I will note that I've never experienced the joy of building a full, custom Home Theater system, piece-by-piece. But, I have bought Home Theater-in-a-box kits in the past. For me, with my space requirements and household, soundbars just flat out win (as long as you have your expectations in order). If you are interested in a soundbar, now is the time to get into the scene. Enter the Samsung-branded Q series soundbar - The Q90R, Q80R and Q70R (there's also a Q60 as well, I believe). These were made in partnership with Harman/Kardon and woah, it shows. These soundbars are designed to go with their respective Q-series Samsung TV's, even down to the size, to match. If you already have one of these TV's, even better. If not, they still work great solo - just minus a few "quality of life" features that basically builds the soundbar into the TV (feature-wise). It's definitely not a deal-breaker, however. I personally feel that this series of soundbars is the first to make them a viable centerpiece for your Home Theater setup. I'm reviewing the Q70R, so, let's dive into it! OK, lets go over packaging first, as it's generally how most of us get that initial "first impression". I'm gonna say, compared to the soundbar itself, the packaging is the most blah thing about it. Everything is packaged in your standard "Tetris" L-shaped box. Nothing fancy and probably the most basic you can get. Which is a shame, given the high praise I have for everything else. Unboxing was a bit of a chore, as I was unable to locate an opening between the top section of the box (that has the sub) and the lower, longer portion that has the soundbar itself. I had to just get a box cutter and cut down the side corner to make an opening. Inside, everything is packaged pretty nicely in Styrofoam and other wrappings and there was no damage. Next, let's go over general impressions. I'm going to be pretty much gushing over everything except one aspect, which I will get to below, in my setup experiences. The quality of this soundbar is exceptional. Of all the soundbars I've ever owned in the past (mostly LG's for some reason...) or even seen on store shelves, this one far surpasses. It's solid and pretty heavy - definitely sturdy. It won't get knocked around easily. There are also wall mount brackets and "feet" that you can put under the bar to increase the height a bit. I didn't use either. I have a Sony XBR-65X900E TV in the room I tested (and will likely keep) this soundbar. The primary reason I chose this soundbar is the "low-profile" design of it. I needed a soundbar that I could sit in front of my TV, without going up and over the bottom of the screen. The Q90R and Q80R soundbars are huge behemoths and that definitely would not have worked - I would have had to put one of those on the shelf below, which I preferred not to - because of the way the room is set up. So, if you are limited on space or just want something that is slimline and fits in well, this is the soundbar to get. I had no issues with it in front of the TV and it has nice angles that make it look super sharp. It's definitely gets good attention! Aaah, setup! The fun part of any new toy. I have ONE. Single. Complaint...about this soundbar. The fact that is only has ONE. Single...HDMI port. For real? I mean, I get this soundbar is designed to compete in the budget market...but it would have only cost what, $30 to have another port added to it? Seriously, 1 lone HDMI port is all you get. I think I may have lost some sleep over that. I was seriously considering taking a star off from my 5-star review just because of this. However - because this soundbar does support the new e-ARC functionality, I'll throw it some slack. Had it not, yeah, I would have docked. This basically means, if you also have an e-ARC supported TV (likely via a firmware update, if one was done...I know the LG C8 TV's and previous models did not get an e-ARC update...) that you can plug the device into another HDMI port of your TV and it would basically act as if it were plugged straight into the soundbar. You can get full, uncompressed audio, including Dolby Atmos, via ARC. As for the rest of the setup, it's super simple. Plug your best device into the soundbar via that poor, lonely HDMI input. Then run an HDMI cable from the HDMI output of the soundbar to the HDMI (ARC) input of your TV. Then, from your TV, just plug your other devices into the TV's HDMI input ports and you're golden. For the Device in your soundbar, make sure you have HDMI selected as your input. For the devices in the TV, change your soundbar input to ARC. I did want to note the wireless bass speaker. Not only is it MUCH bigger than I expected, but it's side-firing. Also, if you own cats - be super careful. The side of the bass has a huge, round fabric mesh on it which can easily be clawed and destroyed. Just be mindful of that. I did also quickly want to go over the Samsung SmartThings app. Honestly, this gave me the biggest impression of all. I was worried that it would be useless, not very functional or just gimmicky. Seeing it had great reviews in the iOS app store, I immediately thought...well, it must not be that bad! It's great, actually. Download the app, create or sign into your Samsung account and get started. You can create a "room" in the app that each of your Samsung devices are located and even move the devices in-between rooms. You can also fully control the soundbar via the app! This includes input, levels for bass, center, left, right, etc. Oh and the main reason you want this app is for the firmware updates. There WILL be one waiting on you and you need to download it before you do anything. Doing the update is super easy as well. I do want to say, however, that my first soundbar was defective, which is why it took longer that I wanted in writing this review and also why I wasn't able to take any pictures. It was weird. I hooked it up later in the day that I received it. It worked fantastic and did so the next day as well. However, the morning of the 3rd day I had it, I turned everything on like normal and there was no sound at all. I even went into the TV's Netflix app, because it worked perfectly the night before and still, no sound. So, to rule out a possible issue with my TV's HDMI ARC port or the cable itself, I quickly hooked up my old soundbar, which worked fine. Plugged this one back in and no-go. I called Samsung and went through the replacement process. I'm not going to count this against this soundbar because, really, it can happen to anything. Just luck of the draw, I guess. Finally, lets go over sound quality. Let me preface this by saying I do have a hearing disorder (mostly in my right ear), but both ears have certain tone frequencies that I can and cannot hear easily. I want to say, this Q70R soundbar has the best sound that I've ever heard from either a soundbar or a dedicated Home Theater System. Remind me again that this is a budget-level soundbar!?? Cranking up Fortnite on my PS4, which was PLENTY loud for me, even at 40% (it goes to 100...), I was able to hear sounds and effects that I've literally never heard before. EVER. Mind blown. Even my wife was seriously impressed and she's not easily impressed by electronics and gadgets. I moved to Netflix, via my Sony TV app and tried out Love, Death and Robots. On my previous soundbar, the audio was so low, I could barely hear it at near-max volume. I had to go into another room to watch it. With this Q70R...it almost blew me out of the room - I had cranked the volume, blindly adjusting it higher than I normally would have, because I knew the audio was lower for this show. I had to quickly grab the remote and turn it down. Let's say that has rarely every happened to me. ***Because of this soundbar, I can hear things so much better and so much clearer and for that, Samsung, I thank you. Thank you for providing me with something that will allow me to experience and enjoy fuller and more sound in my games and movies that I otherwise would have never experienced. I've never been this far immersed in sound in my life.*** I put asterisks in the above paragraph because I feel it's important. Some of us aren't gifted with "normal" hearing and I feel this may be an important aspect to others, like myself, who find it hard to experience full audio immersion or even certain tones and frequencies. If you fall into this category, please, give this (or any of the Q-series!) soundbar a try. In conclusion - I love, love, love this soundbar. Yeah, I had to get a replacement due to the first one going out and yeah, it only has ONE measly HDMI port. Also, I did notice that my Nintendo Switch, using my TV's ARC channel to the soundbar, does have some audio cut-out and delay issues in the menu, which my old soundbar did not have. Once you get a game going, it's fine, but a small annoyance, nonetheless. Hoping a future firmware update may fix this. Overall though, I'm not letting these factor affect my review. This baby is getting 5-stars, all the way! The price and sound quality alone kills any other soundbars in it's "budget" tier. I seriously can't recommend this (or again, any soundbar in the Q-series) enough.