Samsung - Harman Kardon 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar System with 8" Wireless Subwoofer and 4K & HDR Support - Slate Black/Carbon Silver
Model: HW-Q80RZA
SKU: 6350834
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Customers are impressed with the Harman Kardon Soundbar System's sound quality, describing it as 'great' and loving it. The easy setup process and the quality of the bass are also highly praised. While some find the size a bit large, most agree that the overall quality makes up for it.
I purchased a Samsung 65” Q80R TV and a week later purchase the Samsung Q60 sound bar and sub. While the sound wasn’t bad I felt it was lacking something compared to the picture quality I was now seeing. I returned the Q60 and after hearing the Q80 Sound Bar at the store I brought it home. Once connected (simple) I could not believe the sound. We watch a 4K movie and we had a feeling of being at a theater. I adjusted the upward firing speakers up and the sound was almost as good as having surround sound. I did not mount it due to its weight. I have to look into my options.
Posted by Niko
I bought this to complement our Samsung Q60T television. Though I have some harsh words to say about the "smart" functions of the TV (namely, how stupidly the software has been implemented), this soundbar is by far the most immersive piece of tech I've ever bought. The highs and mids are crisp and delicious, while the bass moves your body with every explosion and musical flourish. The upward and side-firing speakers effect a depth that I've never experienced outside of a movie theater, truly placing me in the action. I went ahead and bought the Samsung SWA-9000S Rear Wireless Speaker Kit for $150 to get all I can out of the experience. These speakers were easy to pair with the soundbar, and they work with pretty much every movie and song I play. I do wish they were a bit louder, and I might at some point buy a cheap amp and see if I can't boost them a bit more. If you are deciding between this and the cheaper models—I can only say that I'm happy with the extra couple hundred dollars I spent. If you're deciding between this and the more expensive r90, I couldn't justify the extra five hundred dollars for the rear speakers that complete the Dolby Atmos experience. My qualms: so I have my PS4 and my PC routed through the soundbar, via the eARC cable, into the television. I don't know what causes this, but I had to eventually disable Game Mode because it would reboot my screen repeatedly at odd times. I've docked this review one star for this intermittent connectivity issue—but if I had the ability to dock it just a quarter star, or half a star, I would have done that. One more note: the soundbar is quite big and heavy, so make sure you have enough room for it.
Posted by benartboy
If you're looking for a "hefty" sound bar, this is literally the heftiest system I have seen both in weight and sound. This system has the ability to fill a room and more. This package comes with the Samsung HW-Q80 soundbar, subwoofer, remote control (w/batteries), 2 identical power cords, HDMI cable, wall mounting brackets/hardware/guide, and user manual. Rather than go over ALL the specs which you can already find on this Bestbuy.com page, I'll try to give more observations of those specs instead. DISCLAIMER: In BT pairing, I used both a Samsung Galaxy Fold and a Samsung Galaxy S10e. PROS: ----------- * Really, really great sound. The 13 individually amplified speakers provide a clean and crisp sound with limited/no distortion, even at high levels. 9 speakers fire forward, 2 fire out the sides, and 2 fire out of the top (at an angle). Combined with HK sound processing, it truly provides a submersive 5.1.2 sound experience even without rear speakers. * The bar and subwoofer connect flawlessly upon power-up. * Bluetooth (BT) devices connect flawlessly with my Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S10e. * Remote control is similar to the Amazon Fire TV remote as many other devices are also using this "smart" design. There was quick response from the remote to sound bar and the buttons felt solid. * Durable mounting brackets and hardware are included. * Samsung SmartThings app is useful in providing a graphic equalizer if you need more than just bass/treble settings. It is also used to manually push a firmware update to the device. Out of the box, there were no OTA FW updates to be taken. * As with most newer sound bars, it provides HDMI ARC ability for digital audio. Of course, your TV will need ARC too for this functionality to work. * If you have a Samsung TV, you can control the sound bar volume with the TV remote once they are synced together. CONS: ----------- * Sound bar does not include a headphones jack or coaxial input port. Even though sound quality lessens using analog, this is sometimes desired for some applications (ie. RF headphones that connect via RCA-to-3.5mm). The only audio port available besides HDMI is 1 Optical input. * At this time, the wifi feature for the system do not offer much, other than controlling the settings of the sound bar and optional automatic updates. The "Tune-In" & "Deezer" applications are the only available wi-fi options built-in and are pay services after a free trial period. There is no Pandora or Spotify built-in. * High price point could be an issue as this sound bar may cost more than your TV, possibly even double. On the flip side, this may be the best-sounding sound bar at this price point that I have heard. You will have to be the judge. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ------------------------------------- * This system appears IDENTICAL to last year's Samsung SW-N850 Sound bar system. The only differences I have seen between the 2 are cosmetic: (1) N850 is a dark gray, the Q80 is black (2) The Harmon-Kardon label on the top of the bar is slightly smaller on the Q80, and (3) the cloth on the N850 subwoofer covered the entire driver side, including the side of the box (rectangle area). The Q80 only covers the driver (circle area). * This is the same sound bar and subwoofer as the Samsung SW-Q90. The Q90 however, includes 2 rear speakers which have 2 drivers each that improve the sound from 5.1.2 to 7.1.4. If you don't need as much depth/rear, then the Q80 will be plenty. * This system as a whole is heavy. The bar is 19.4 lbs and the sub is 21 lbs. It's heavy-duty, but the sound created is also really good. It has rubber feet on the bottom to secure itself on most platforms without vibrating itself off the ledge (from heavy bass by the sub). The sub is also just bigger all over (~16"x16"), and the sound bar is longer than other sound bars I own. Check your area and the dimensions of each component before buying. * Dolby Atmos can only be played back via HDMI. "Digital In" via optical fiber cable will not provide you with Dolby Atmos sound. * The Soundbar only displays if the received signal is Dolby Atmos, or DTS:X. There is no display for any other received audio format. * The grill on the front/top/sides of the sound bar is not removable like some other brands. It is made of metal which does protect the individual drivers of the bar. * The system connects to the Alexa Echo via the SmartThings app; however, I don't have an Amazon Echo so did not test this functionality. * The sound bar only has 2 HDMI-in ports, so if you have 3+ items to hook up (ie. Fire TV, gaming console, blu-ray player or other IOT devices), you'll want to go with another sound bar or receiver that will allow that capability. * There is a sound port on the back of the subwoofer with the right side having circular black fabric which covers the subwoofer speaker inside the box. Keep in mind that the right side shouldn't be placed flush against something since the firing sub driver is located there. * There are 4 button controls on the top/rear part of the sound bar: power, source, vol-, and vol+. CONCLUSION: ============== When looking for a quality sound bar system, you generally look for surround quality, frequency response, and price. You just want to have a great sound that immerses you in what you are listening to. The sound bar/sub alone does a great job giving good 5.1.2 sound. The rear/surround speakers are needed to give it even more depth but are included with the Q90 package. Volumewise, this system is plenty loud - loud enough for a full sized media room. The sub is huge and creates vibrating explosions and great bass for today's music. Personally, I'd like to see this product do more with built-in internal apps, specifically Spotify and Pandora so pairing to a device via BT is not necessary. An on-screen menu might be necessary for that functionality. The only thing in the SmartThings app was the Tune-It & Deezer pay services ... and I don't need to pay for another audio service. In conclusion, the bottom line is sound. You should be more than pleased with the sound of this beast for years to come. Great job again Samsung.
Posted by BADog