Samsung HW-T400 Review • A limited soundbar

Tech Week Score
3.0
- Jonas Müller

Samsung HW-T400 is an entry-level universal soundbar from the manufacturer of the same name. Judging from the range of 2018 when this soundbar hit the market, it was the only solution without a separate subwoofer. The Samsung T400 is designed for 4K TVs with small screens, so it uses a rather small body.

To achieve a low price point, the Samsung HW-T400 has a stripped-down feature set. There is no support for “Multiroom”, as well as HDMI interfaces. At the beginning of the start of sales in 2018, this model was estimated at 300 ye. Is this soundbar still popular today?

Samsung HW-T400: Design

Samsung’s HW-T400 soundbar uses a simple design that is essentially the same as other Samsung soundbars. It is a simple, straightforward rectangular block with a black finish. As you would expect from a Samsung, the build quality is good and justifies the price to some extent.

The front of the soundbar is made up of a metal grille, while the top has a nice brushed metal finish. The sides are made of plastic. The right side panel contains controls. Here you can select the input, adjust the volume and turn on the soundbar.

The Samsung T400 as a whole has a very minimalist design. Behind the front grill, between the speakers, there is a tiny LED display. This display serves for user feedback. It is active for a short time only upon receipt of any command (from buttons or from the remote control). When the soundbar understands the command, the display turns on and shows which input has been selected, various settings and modes, and the current volume level.

The Samsung HW-T400 soundbar is designed for small TVs, so its dimensions are not large: 641x65x107 mm and weighs about 2 kg. At 65 mm, the bar does not cover the TV screen when placed in front of the TV. In addition, there is a bar mount to the wall, but brackets are not included in the kit, and they are not needed – the ears are located in the body.

Connections and management

The interface part of the Samsung HW-T400 panel is located in the recess in the lower part of the case. There is no HDMI input or output, but there is a USB port and optical digital audio input, as well as a separate jack for an external power supply. Wireless interfaces are Bluetooth and NFC. The presence of the latter provides a simple connection of the smartphone to the bar. Through a special application “Smart Things App” it is possible to control the HW-T400 soundbar.

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The supplied remote control is not similar to previous models. The strange angular rectangular body is what immediately catches the eye. The remote includes all the buttons you need to operate the T400. There is a source selection button, a Bluetooth pairing button, a sound mode selection button (standard and surround), volume, mute.

Capabilities

The Samsung HW-T400 is an entry-level soundbar, so it’s functionally limited. The system is based on a two-channel design with a pair of full-range radiators and a pair of subwoofer speakers. The sub is built into the body. Broadband is achieved with mid-range drivers and tweeters. Samsung says the frequency range is 60Hz to 20KHz. The total output power is limited to 40 W.

A 2.0 stereo layout means the T400 does not have a dedicated center channel. But since the Samsung T400 supports two-channel Dolby Digital, the absence of a center channel shouldn’t have a big impact on the “surround” sound. This fact remains dubious after user reviews. Although the Samsung T400 does not have a separate subwoofer, there is compatibility with the optional Samsung SWA-8500S wireless subwoofer.

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Samsung’s HW-T400 supports two sound modes: standard and surround. The “standard” version is actually a normal stereo mode. This is ideal for music and TV programs. The Surround mode should create a more effective sound coverage.

The T400 soundbar lacks some of the features found in other more expensive soundbars from Samsung. There is no support for the “Multiroom” function. It can be assumed that Samsung is deliberately abandoning this feature in order to not include Wi-Fi in the specification and thus reduce the cost. But the presence of NFC casts doubt on this.

The T400 has Bluetooth. With this connection, you can stream music from your smartphone or tablet directly to the soundbar. NFC also “absorbs” sound content in the vicinity of the smartphone. In short, the manufacturer found these connectivity options sufficient for a simple T400 soundbar. HDMI is not supported.

Samsung HW-T400 design

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Specifications

  • The total output power is 40 watts.
  • Number of channels 2.0 CH.
  • Case material plastic.
  • USB, S / PDIF (optical), AUX, NFC, Bluetooth interfaces.
  • Dolby 2CH decoder.
  • Playback formats AAC, MP3, FLAC, WAV.
  • Dimensions 641x65x107 mm.
  • Weight 2 kg.

Conclusion

The Samsung HW-T400 Sound Bar provides decent sound for a two-channel sound system. But in fact, according to most users, the sound seems pretty simple even for an entry-level model.

The feature set is rather limited. There is no separate subwoofer, although it is possible to add one. Unfortunately, the T400 does not impress with its performance. Indeed, Samsung has released some more impressive soundbars over the past few years, but the T400 is disappointing.

The Samsung T400 has a limited soundstage that lacks real breadth or presence. The output power is insufficient for a large room. In spacious rooms, the soundbar clearly lacks a separate subwoofer, which means a minimum of bass. Ultimately, the HW-T400 sacndbar can be improved with additional purchases of “accessories”. But there are better and cheaper alternatives.

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