Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar review | TechSwitch

Samsung is arguably king of the TV in the meanwhile, and the Samsung HW-MS650 soundbar is a part of its bid to change into the primary audio model for house leisure as properly. By accumulating expertise from a number of the greatest names in hi-fi gamers, making a no-expense-spared audio lab in California, and establishing shut working relationships with key gamers like Dolby, it has been in a position to ship best-in-class leads to the types of the HW-Ok850 and HW-Ok950 Dolby Atmos soundbars.And as we have stated, the Samsung HW-MS650 soundbar we’re reviewing right here is the end result of those efforts and stays top-of-the-line that Samsung has ever produced – even when it is getting older by the day. Whereas Samsung’s newer fashions for 2018 – particularly the Samsung HW-N650 and Samsung HW-N400 – are each well-made, good-sounding merchandise, they cannot maintain a candle to the MS650. For our full ideas on what we predict is without doubt one of the greatest soundbars ever made, learn on.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar: designThe HW-MS650 is one engaging soundbar, with no-nonsense, suitably severe rectangular sculpting. Add to that the brushed end on the highest, and the industrial-style grille over the audio system, and all the things harmonizes collectively superbly.The little slope down from the highest edge to the speaker grille provides your complete design consistency, and we’re happy to see that the brushed prime plate would not trigger an excessive amount of reflection from the display screen it is possible going to be sitting beneath.Be aware, although, that at 78mm the sound bar stands fairly excessive – excessive sufficient, actually, to obscure the underside of the image, if sat immediately in entrance of one in every of Samsung’s personal Q9F QLED TVs. It is also excessive sufficient to obscure an IR sensor on another makes and fashions.In the event you’re going to relaxation the soundbar on the identical little bit of furnishings as your TV, it is best to positively measure how excessive your TV sits (and the place its IR receiver is situated) earlier than committing to the MS650.That stated, not less than Samsung contains VESA mounting factors for attaching the MS650 to the wall, and a TV energy loopthrough characteristic which means you should utilize only a single plug socket to energy each the soundbar and your TV. Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar reviewThe MS650’s different connections embody a 4K-capable HDMI loopthrough system, optical and auxiliary audio inputs, an output for including an non-compulsory subwoofer, and assist for each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wi-fi streaming. A second HDMI may need been good in a great world, however you may at all times route a number of audio sources to the soundbar through your TV’s audio output choices for those who wanted to. Dimensions: 1060 x 78 x 130mm (W x H x D) | Speaker configuration: three.Zero | Claimed audio energy: 9 x 20W | Connections: Single 4K/HDR HDMI loopthrough, one optical audio enter, three.5mm audio port, 2-way Bluetooth, Wi-FiSamsung HW-MS650 Soundbar reviewSamsung HW-MS650 Soundbar: featuresWe’d count on you may be utilizing your soundbar in wired mode more often than not, however take a look at the HW-MS650’s wi-fi choices too: you may stream from each Bluetooth units and through Samsung’s multi-room app (which works with a number of companies like Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Pandora).In the event you choose the Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar may also be paired with Bluetooth headphones or different Samsung wi-fi audio system as a part of a cable-free house community audio resolution. For true encompass sound, come up with the Samsung SWA-9000S audio system as properly.The MS650’s one-body design delivers a three.Zero-channel (left, proper, heart) configuration through a startling mixture of six woofers and three tweeters, every powered by their very own particular person 20W amps. The tweeters are the identical wide-dispersion ones used so successfully on the Ok950 Atmos soundbar to develop the listening ‘candy spot’ to accommodate extra seating positions.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar reviewIt’s with the HW-MS650 soundbar’s revolutionary distortion-canceling know-how that this tech begins to get actually fascinating although, serving to it to realize bass ranges a lot deeper than you’d get from a regular speaker design. Samsung’s specs sheet suggests the MS650 can hit frequencies as little as 40Hz – however throughout our assessments it really managed to get even deeper than that. The Samsung HW-MS650 ships as customary with a Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder on board, down-converting multi-channel inputs to its three.Zero speaker configuration except you add an exterior subwoofer and Samsung’s wi-fi rear audio system.As with Samsung’s Ok950 and Ok850 soundbars, at launch the MS650 obtained DTS multi-channel mixes in stereo, earlier than utilizing processing to create a digital heart speaker channel suited to its three.Zero speaker array. Correct multi-channel DTS decoding was later added through a firmware replace, we’re happy to report.We would additionally like to say the various audio file codecs that the Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar is able to coping with: AAC, MP3, FLAC, WAV, OGG and ALAC are all on the checklist.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar: performanceAs quickly as you hearth up the MS650, it turns into obvious that every one that speak of non-linear management and distortion-canceling know-how is far more than simply advertising hype. In reality, the MS650 is the very best all-round single-body soundbar we have heard thus far – sure, it is actually that good.Beginning off with film playback, the dimensions and assault the HW-MS650 Soundbar delivers with a robust movie soundtrack is excellent for a three-channel system – particularly when you choose Encompass mode, which expands the peak and width of the soundstage right into a improbable ‘wall of sound’ – and all with out diminishing the vocals or making particular results and heavy bass moments sound overwhelming.The size of the MS650’s sound is considerably boosted by a bass extension so spectacular that it is tough to imagine it comes from a one-body speaker: what sorcery is that this, Samsung?It really works flawlessly even when the speaker is sat on a desk (slightly than being suspended on a wall) and, much more remarkably, this bass by no means overwhelms the remainder of the sound, or leaves you with any sense of a niche between mid-range and low frequencies.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar reviewWhile the Samsung HW-MS650’s three.Zero-channel speaker system isn’t able to delivering any actual sense of encompass sound data, you may at all times add non-compulsory additional rears to the MS650 sooner or later for those who actually determine you need them. One other big advantage of the soundbar is the best way the verticality of its output makes vocals appear extra ‘connected’ to the photographs coming from screens sitting above it, in contrast with related units.Soundbars that excel for motion pictures do not generally additionally ship the products with music, however the MS650 is the exception that proves the rule.To start with, the timing is great, delivering a a lot wider dynamic vary with music than you usually hear with soundbars. Its easy, wealthy bass dealing with is to the fore once more too, hitting superbly musical depths with out sounding in any approach compelled, billowy or dishevelled.The MS650 even manages to ship not simply the complete bass depth of Lorde’s Royals, but additionally the sense of swelling and growth that tune’s bassline deploys (if you recognize the tune you may know what we’re speaking about).Listening to music additionally makes you conscious of simply how simply the sound escapes and expands from the audio system – there is no trace of muddiness or swallowed tones right here. This permits its music to fill a big room even at pretty average volumes, to be able to be enveloped in sound while not having to push the fantastically strong drivers to wherever close to the form of quantity the place they may begin to sound strained or uncomfortable.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar reviewDetailing is robust too on the Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar, we discovered. We have been ready to pick delicate harmonies, respiratory and different small audio parts throughout top quality recordings that solely the very best music gamers can reproduce properly sufficient to make you conscious of them.The stability of the sound appears judged nearly to perfection, with no a part of the music – vocals, bass, drums, snares, synths – standing out an excessive amount of from the combination.And eventually within the plus column, we have been pleasantly stunned by how adaptable the MS650’s musical qualities are, because it dealt with just about each musical style we performed with equal tenacity and precision.That’s to not say the MS650 is ideal. Excessive-end hi-fi followers might really feel its presentation with very delicate tracks corresponding to Nick Cave’s Distant Sky is a contact too aggressive, whereas its concentrate on making a wall of sound additionally means its stereo presentation is somewhat slim for music.Additionally, superb although the MS650’s bass efficiency is for a single-box soundbar, inevitably a couple of high-end soundbar/subwoofer combos can go deeper nonetheless. Nevertheless, we really feel that whereas there could also be one or two soundbars on the market from hi-fi manufacturers that ship music with somewhat extra delicacy, and soundbar-with-subwoofer combis that may ship much more bass, the underside line is that no single-body sound bar has sounded as sensible with each movies and songs because the Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar does.Samsung HW-MS650 Soundbar: valueIf you’re within the US, the MS650’s $449 worth seems remarkably good worth for such a innovative and excessive efficiency soundbar. Given the US worth although, it is somewhat tough to know why the MS650 ought to value £599 within the UK. That stated, when you’ve taken into consideration the standard and suppleness of its sound, and the revolutionary know-how it makes use of to ship that high quality, the value nonetheless holds up properly in opposition to the  soundbar competitors on either side of the Atlantic.If you would like extra element within the wall of sound your soundbar can produce, £300 extra will get you to Samsung’s Ok850 system, with its additional up-firing audio system. The Ok850 ships with an exterior subwoofer, although, which could not go well with everybody.If you wish to spend much less and worth music playback over motion pictures, you may additionally take into account the $399/£329 Q Acoustics M4. Whereas music on this system sounds excellent for the cash, it is far more restrained with movie audio than the MS650 is.We likedSamsung has rewritten a number of the rulebook with the HW-MS650 Soundbar. No different one-body soundbar has mixed a lot uncooked energy with a lot readability, scale and (particularly) bass, or excelled so constantly with each movies and music. It is the form of efficiency that solely real audio innovation can ship – and with that in thoughts, it is properly price its £599 price ticket. The MS650 produces unprecedented quantities of bass for a single-body soundbar in addition to an enormous however cohesive soundstage. This makes it a celebrity film performer – but whereas most soundbars solely excel with motion pictures or music, the MS650 is nearly equally sensible with each kinds of audio expertise. It additionally seems good, and affords loads of supply flexibility as properly.We dislikedHi-Fi followers would recognize somewhat extra stereo definition and delicacy with comparatively quiet, minimal music, and the MS650’s barely tall design may very well be an issue for TVs that sit very low on their stands. There are not any main drawbacks that will significantly put us off, although.Last verdictSamsung’s obvious ‘cash’s no object’ bid to determine itself as a severe audio model continues to ship the products. Simply because the Ok950 Dolby Atmos system reached new requirements for the soundbar plus rear audio system and subwoofer market, the £599/$449 HW-MS650 Soundbar units a brand new bar for the one-body soundbar market. Its bass efficiency is unprecedented, the dimensions of its sound is outstanding, and its capability to modify between motion pictures and music is great as properly.