Whispered lines and blown-out explosions in the same shot are exactly where a good soundbar steps in by evening things out. Samsung’s HW-B550F does this using three main features: Voice Enhance Mode raises the volume of dialog, Adaptive Sound analyzes what you’re watching, whether that’s movies, games, or news, and adjusts the audio settings based on that, and a wireless subwoofer handles the lower frequency ranges. DTS Virtual:X extends your audio beyond the edges of the bar, and Bass Boost has its own button on the remote.
Head over to Amazon to get the Samsung B-Series Soundbar for just $90, down from its usual price of $140. That’s a $50 discount and 36% off.
An easy way to add oomph to your TV’s audio setup
Nowadays TVs are incredibly thin, so thin, in fact, that they can’t hold an internal speaker that can actually produce decent bass response. Quiet lines disappear, and boom go the explosions, because they’re being produced entirely by those thin TV speakers. But with a 2.1 system, you get a full stereo range with real left and right driver placement inside a cabinet large enough to move enough air to make a noticeable difference. Then, of course, there’s the subwoofer, which picks up all the frequencies too low for the bar to reproduce. As soon as you switch over to your new soundbar, you’ll notice a huge difference in how everything sounds.
That subwoofer connects wirelessly, so really all you need to do is find a nearby power outlet. It can sit anywhere, next to the sofa, behind a chair, or in the back corner of the room, because low-frequency sound doesn’t travel directionally. The worst part about having a wired system is running cables across the floor between units.
Rather than relying on placing speakers physically around the room, DTS Virtual:X uses software processing to simulate surround sound. Because it uses software rather than hardware such as top-firing drivers, it produces an expansive soundfield both horizontally and vertically. When compared to just the physical width of the soundbar, what you hear is significantly larger. And you won’t have to install any additional speakers on walls or ceilings to achieve this.
Adaptive Sound identifies what you’re watching and makes adjustments to the audio settings accordingly, while Voice Enhance Mode keeps your dialogue levels consistent throughout, so you won’t need to ride the volume button during quiet scenes. Night Mode limits volume fluctuations for quieter viewing at night when everyone else is sleeping. Finally, Game Mode will optimize every aspect for your particular gaming platform.
To connect, use one cable through HDMI ARC or the included optical port; once everything is connected, your television remote will handle volume. You can also pair a phone or tablet via Bluetooth for music playback when nothing is playing on-screen. At $90 instead of $140, the Samsung B-Series Soundbar includes the subwoofer and remote control, but if you want true surround sound later, you can buy Samsung rear speakers separately.
