A Nice Even Punch; Samsung HW-T450 Soundbar Review

The Samsung Hw-T450 2.1ch soundbar with Dolby audio is an upgrade of the 2019 Samsung HW-R450. It delivers a moderately balanced sound while still maintaining a heavy bass. It also has EQ presets for customizing the sound effects to your liking. At just under 250 dollars, this soundbar is pretty affordable.

What We Like About the Samsung HW-T450

• Smart mode. This mode makes watching movies exciting as the soundbar detects every scene and optimizes the sound to suit the environment.
• Bass. The bass in this soundbar is balanced to give you a heavy bass.
• Easy setup. Setting up the soundbar is not complex as minimal wiring is involved and is pretty much straightforward.
• Samsung T450 is better than tv speakers. Just having your TV’s speakers without an additional output makes music and movies appear flat. But with the T450 2.1ch, you get great sound, and the experience is much better.
• EQ presets. There are a variety of settings to make your audio experience more exciting and satisfying.
• Wireless subwoofer. You can place the subwoofer anywhere in the room without having to worry about wire connections.
• This audio supports Dolby Digital and DTS.

Cons

• Inputs. It also lacks a variety of inputs as it only features an Optical Audio In port and a USB port, which is a little disappointing.
• Wireless connection. The only wireless connection on the hw T450 soundbar is Bluetooth, with no other ways to stream audio.
• Remote control. The remote control on this soundbar is not universal and may not support all Samsung Tv models.
• No rear speakers. This soundbar has no rear speakers. However, purchasing the SWA-8500S/ZA wireless subwoofer smart sound speaker kit can be catered for this. (link to product)

Samsung T450 Setup

We found setting up this soundbar set pretty easy. The bar has only two openings at the back, one for the inputs and the other for the power cable, which we connected to the power source. The subwoofer also has a power cable input.

The soundbar connects to the woofer automatically when both are powered ON. A blue light came on to show us that the subwoofer has been linked to the soundbar. You can also manually connect your subwoofer by pressing the ID set button on its back until the blue lights come on.

How do I connect my Samsung t450 soundbar to my TV?

To connect your TV to the soundbar, join the Digital Optical Audio In jack to the output jack on your TV using a Digital Optical cable. When done with the connection, press the source button on the remote and then select the “D.IN ” mode to complete your setup. You can also connect the TV wirelessly via Bluetooth pairing.

Build Quality and Design

The Samsung HW-T450 Soundbar features a 2.1 channel system that consists of three speakers built in the bar and a wireless subwoofer.

The T450 soundbar at 33.9″x 2.1″x 2.9″ is made from thin black plastic with the top and front part covered in fabric to protect the speakers. The soundbar is not that long and can fit nicely between the legs of a 55″ tv without blocking the screen. The soundbar comes with a wall-mount bracket, and you can choose to mount the bar on the wall.

The subwoofer has most of its parts made of wood, with the front part covered in fabric that feels thin on the touch. Its dimension is 7.15″x 13.5″x 10.7″ and can be placed anywhere in the room as it has a wireless connection to the soundbar.

Sound Quality

The 2.1 setup on this soundbar uses speakers on the left and right to create a harmonized sound at the center. The sound quality of the soundbar is further heightened by the 200 watts that amplify the speaker.

The sound enhancement presets on the EQ – ‘Standard,’ ‘Smart,’ ‘Surround Sound,’ and ‘Game mode’ optimizes the sound setting to give you quality output.

• Standard Mode– the bar plays the original sound.
• Smart Mode– automatically optimizes the sound based on the content you are watching or listening to give you quality sound.
• Game Mode– this mode provides an immersive sound that mimics the gaming actions.
• Surround sound– you are provided with more sound range compared to the standard mode.

Overall, the Samsung Hw T450 has excellent stereo dynamics and is loud enough to fill your living room with some great music.

Sound enhancement features

• Auto-Volume

The Samsung soundbar can detect the content and regulate the volume accordingly based on what you are watching or listening to.

• Subwoofer Level Adjustment

This feature allows you to change the base level of the subwoofer while still maintaining the bass produced by the soundbar. 

• Bass Adjustment 

Adjust your soundbar’s bass to either create more thump or reduce it. This is especially useful when listening to instrumental music.

• Treble Adjustment

You can reduce or increase the treble from your soundbar to your preference.

• EQ  Presets

The equalizer features the standard, Game, Surround Sound, and Smart modes to give you various presets to choose from when listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game.

Connectivity

This Hw T450 2.1ch soundbar does not have an HDMI ARC port, but it does feature an Optical Audio In that supports DTS and Dolby Digital. It also has a USB port which you can use to play audios on the soundbar.

We found the wireless playback connectivity of the Samsung T450 a little bit lacking. You can only wirelessly stream your audio to the soundbar via Bluetooth. The subwoofer also connects wirelessly to the bar. To pair it, you have to press the button located on its back. For people who don’t like to have wires running through the house, this is pretty convenient, as the only wired connection is the power cable.

Other Features

Wireless Surround ready (SWA 9000s)

You can purchase a Wireless Rear Speaker Kit separately to get a more enhanced sound surround system. This kit lets you enjoy excellent music quality without worrying about wires running all over your living room.

Remote control

With the Samsung TV remote, you control the essential soundbar functions such as power, sound effects, and volume with just one remote. It is also important to note that all models are not compatible with the Samsung OneRemote. You will have to check your Samsung TV specifications to confirm compatibility.

Display

The display of the Samsung T450 is located in the middle of the soundbar and displays characters as you adjust the settings. Six characters are displayed at a time, with longer words being shown in a scrolling motion.

Bar Controls

The Samsung soundbar features four buttons located on top of the bar. You can turn it on or off, switch the inputs and adjust the volume. This makes it easy to control the audio of the bar in the absence of the remote.

SmartSound

With this feature, the soundbar can recognize what you are watching and automatically switch up the audio settings to match the mood of the scenes. This makes your entertainment experience even more exciting. Whether you are watching an action movie, sports, or just more relaxed content, be sure to get the best results from this soundbar.

Samsung HW T450 Specifications

• Subwoofer dimension (W x H x D)- 7.1″ x 13.5″ x 10.7″
• Bar Dimensions (W x H x D)- 33.9″ x 2.1″ x 2.9″
• Number of Channels-2.1 Ch
• Speakers- 3
• Compatible with SWA-8500S- Yes
• DTS- DTS 2.0ch
• Audio Processing– Dolby Digital 2ch
• Subwoofer type– Wireless
• Bluetooth connectivity– Yes

Samsung HW-T450: Should you buy it? Verdict

The Samsung T450 offers decent audio quality. Its wireless subwoofer gives an emphasized bass that you will find pleasing. There are also other settings such as the EQ presets, treble, and bass adjustments that you can use to customize the audio output.

Despite not having a room correction feature, the loud soundbar fills a large room. We rate it with 5 stars and recommend this soundbar to anyone looking to improve the audio of their TV at an affordable price.