TECHWEEK
Samsung HW-T450 is a budget soundbar with 2.1 sound scheme. The model is the successor to last year’s HW-R450 soundbar. Unlike more expensive models, the Samsung HW-T450 soundbar body is made of thinner plastic.
Fabric cladding does not seem to be very durable. This soundbar is controlled primarily by the remote control. In this Samsung HW-T450 review, we’ll take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this soundbar and try to figure out whether it’s worth buying or not.
Samsung HW-T450: Design
The soundbar Samsung HW-T450 is not very similar to similar models from the same manufacturer. Its front and upper parts are covered with a slightly shiny thin fabric. The rest of the body is made of thin black plastic. The panel itself is 86 cm wide.The height is 5.4 cm and the depth is 7.4 cm.
Despite the fact that the bar on the Samsung HW-T450 is quite wide, these dimensions allow it to be placed between the legs of most 55-inch TVs. It should also not cover the bottom of the screen. The only exceptions are those TVs, the screen of which is almost adjacent to the top of the cabinet. The back of the plank looks pretty simple.
The hole on the left is for the power cable, and on the right for the inputs. It is also possible to mount the soundbar to the wall using the universal holes on its underside. The subwoofer is made mostly of wood. Its front side is covered with fabric. The fabric feels thin to the touch and gets dirty easily.
The subwoofer is 181.5 cm wide, 34.3 cm high and 27.2 cm deep. Taken together, these dimensions resemble the size of an average desktop computer. Since the sub is connected to the bar counter wirelessly, you can place it anywhere in the room where there is a nearby power source.
The back of the subwoofer looks as simple as the back of the panel itself. Its port is at the top, while the power cable entry and wireless pairing button are at the bottom. The Samsung HW-T450 has an acceptable build quality. However, this is a step up from the Samsung HW-N450.
Display
The HW-T450’s indications are very simple. It is located in the center of the placket behind the fabric cover. The display can only show six characters at a time. To fully read the status of the panel, the indication will have to be scrolled. This can be a little annoying.
If you do not adjust the settings, the screen is not displayed. In addition to control from the remote control, the Samsung HW-T450 has four buttons located at the top of the panel. You can turn on / off the panel, adjust the volume and switch inputs.
Equipment
In addition to the soundbar itself and the wireless subwoofer, the package includes an optical cable, two network cables, a remote control with two batteries, an instruction manual and brackets with screws for wall mounting.
Quality in Stereo mode
The HW-T450 soundbar has a decent stereo frequency response. Audio sounds brighter than the Samsung HW-N450, and the panel in question has a little more bass. However, it still lacks low frequencies. The soundbar is not ideal for bass-heavy content.
In order to achieve the best sound for the content being played, several equalizer presets are available to the user. The HW-T450 soundbar has a decent stereo soundstage. It sounds a little wider than the length of the strip itself. In this regard, the model also surpasses the HW-N450.
However, the band does not do any “tricks” to expand the soundstage. The T450 soundbar has good focus. As a result, objects on the screen appear to emit sound from more precise locations rather than from a general area. The T450 soundbar has decent stereo speakers. It can be loud enough for a large room or a crowded environment.
However, if you bring the sound out to maximum volume, you can hear compression, which is a little disappointing. The Samsung T450 soundbar has decent THD specs. At normal volume, the device produces a clear and sufficiently deep sound. At maximum volume, there is a large jump in THD, especially in the low frequency range. However, when listening to regular content, this is not very audible.
Central channel
Since the Samsung HW-T450 Sound Bar has 2.1 sound , it does not have a dedicated center speaker. Instead, the system uses the left and right speakers. As a result, the center sounds more scattered and less clear than a soundbar with a separate center channel.
Considering that the device has a bass-heavy sound profile, this disadvantage shouldn’t have a big impact on its performance. After all, there is not much bass in the center channel, so the voices sound quite clear and expressive.
Surround sound
Since the Samsung HW-T450 soundbar only has 2 channels and a sub, it mixes surround content in stereo. The system uses left and right speakers to simulate a more immersive experience and therefore does not sound as accurate. Surrounding objects are perceived as coming from the front, not from the side or rear.
In terms of additional features, this soundbar does not have height channels, and therefore does not support Atmos. The model has such capabilities as high and low frequency control, subwoofer level control, virtual surround sound. While the model lacks dialogue enhancement and room correction features, it does have several EQ presets available: Standard, Surround, Game, and Smart.
Connections
The set of connectors of the panel in question is too limited. There is only a USB input for playing sound files and a digital optical audio input TosLink, through which the Dolby Digital and DTS formats are supported. However, the system mixes this signal prior to configuration 2.1. Wireless playback capabilities are also limited.
Bluetooth can only be used for wireless audio streaming to the panel. The soundbar does not have an HDMI input and therefore does not support pass-through. The subwoofer connects to the soundbar wirelessly. The only wired connection it has is the power cable.
Conclusion
Summing up the review of Samsung’s HW-T450, it remains to add that the HW-T450 is a good soundbar for music. Thanks to the wireless subwoofer, it has a punchy bass that should please most. Although for some in relation to low frequencies, the bar may seem of insufficient quality.
The Samsung HW-T450 has bass, treble, and EQ presets to help you get the right sound. The device can be loud enough for a large room or a crowded environment. Unfortunately, there is no room correction function in this soundbar.
