The Samsung HW-T650 is a 3.1 Soundbar from Samsung’s 2020 lineup. The Sandbar has a similar design and performance to the 2019 Samsung HW-R650, but it has slightly more connectivity options.
However, unlike the low-quality 2.1 configurations, it has a dedicated center channel for clearer dialogue in movies and TV shows. Its competitors are the LG SN6Y , Sony HT-G700 and Samsung HW-R650. In this Samsung HW-T650 review we will try to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this soundbar.
Samsung HW-T650: Design
The soundbar Samsung HW-T650 has a simple and elegant design. The panel is mainly made of plastic. There is a metal grille at the front that covers the speakers and display. In the center of the top of the panel are four physical buttons that allow you to control the bar. The panel itself is 98 cm wide, 58 cm high and 9 cm deep.
As you can see, this is a fairly wide bar, which most likely will not fit between the legs of a 55-inch TV. The panel is not very tall, so it won’t cover the bottom of the screen in most cases. There are two holes on the back of the bracket for input ports and a power cable. There are universal holes for wall mounting on the underside of the strip.
The subwoofer is mostly made of wood. On the left side is the speaker. It is covered with a thin fabric that can easily get dirty or torn. The port is on the back. The subwoofer is 20.5 cm wide, 35.3 cm high and 30.3 cm deep.
In other words, the dimensions of the Samsung HW-T650 soundbar are similar to your average desktop PC. The sub connects to the system wirelessly, so it can be placed anywhere in your room. The back of the subwoofer is made of wood. At the bottom there is a connector for the power cable.
Supplied with HDMI adapter, user manual, TosLink optical cable, AC adapter for soundbar, two power cables, remote control with two AA batteries, wall-mount brackets and hardware.
Display
The T650 soundbar has a small screen that is located on the left side of the panel behind a metal grill. It indicates the volume level and current input. The screen is very small and may require scrolling to display the entire message. The Samsung HW-T650 soundbar control is located in the center of the upper part of the panel. There are four physical buttons that allow you to adjust the volume, power, and switch the input source.
Remote controller
The Samsung HWT650 soundbar is equipped with a remote control similar to last year’s HW-R650. The remote control has a simple and elegant design. It can be used to control soundbar settings. The Samsung T650 panel will automatically shut down if it does not receive a beep within 20 minutes.
Sound quality in Stereo mode
The Samsung T650 soundbar has a good stereo frequency range. Its bass isn’t deep enough to fully reproduce the deep punch and rumble in bass-heavy content. However, the overall sound profile is fairly neutral and well balanced. These characteristics are suitable for most musical genres.
In addition, the soundbar has five equalizer presets (Standard, Surround Sound, Game, Smart Sound, DTS: Virtual X), with which you can customize the sound to your liking. The soundstage appears to be slightly wider than the strip itself, although it has no adaptations to make the stage sound wider. The model has slightly better focusing than the Samsung HW-R650.
The result is that objects appear to come from a precise location rather than a more general area. The Samsung T650 soundbar has plenty of headroom, making it ideal for use in a large room or at parties. When playing content at maximum volume, there isn’t much compression, which is great.
This means that the user will receive clear sound. If you turn on the bar at the maximum volume level, there will be a little more distortion. However, such distortion can only be heard when listening to certain content.
Multichannel audio
With a 3.1 configuration, the HW-T650 soundbar has a dedicated center channel so it can reproduce clear and accurate dialogue. The panel has very good center channel characteristics. On the other hand, the center channel is not very loud. The surround sound performance is much worse.
Since this is a version 3.1 installation, it downmixes the surround content to stereo. The system uses left and right speakers to simulate surround sound, but unfortunately this does not provide an immersive listening experience. Sound may appear as if it is coming from the front rather than from the side or back of the user.
The T650 soundbar has a DRC mode that can help reduce loud sounds. In addition, the panel is equipped with a decent set of sound enhancement features. While Samsung’s HW-T650 does not have room correction, it does have a dialogue enhancement feature: Smart Sound. This option can make voices and dialogs clearer and more accurate. You can also customize the sound by choosing one of five equalizer presets (Standard, Surround, Game, Smart Sound, DTS: Virtual X).
Connections
This soundbar’s HDMI ARC port supports Dolby Digital and DTS formats commonly found on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms such as Netflix. It doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, however, which might disappoint moviegoers looking to use their soundbar for more immersive listening experiences.
Samsung HW-T650 / RU has several connectors for connecting external devices. There are two HDMI ports onboard (input and output). These ports enable the soundbar to be used as a hub for various devices such as a Blu-ray player, game console or computer.
On the other hand, the panel lacks a 3.5mm Aux port. There is also an optical input and a USB port. The optical port can play both Dolby Digital and DTS content, although it will mix surround content to stereo. The Samsung T650 can be connected to a smartphone or tablet wirelessly via Bluetooth. However, it doesn’t support Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or AirPlay.
Conclusion
To conclude our review of Samsung’s HW-T650, it should be added that overall the HW-T650 has decent performance. Well balanced and accurate sound reproduction makes the bar suitable for a variety of purposes. This 3.1 sound system has a center channel that makes dialogue and voices clear and natural.
On the other hand, the soundbar mixes surround sound to stereo, which doesn’t provide the most immersive movie watching experience. Movie fans may also be disappointed that the panel doesn’t support Atmos content.