Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

Release Date: 3/30/2016

MSRP: $279.99

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I have used my Sharp soundbar for over 4 years now, and it still sounds great, but with a TV upgrade comes a sound system upgrade, and I’m glad I made the switch. Samsung’s HW-K550 is easy to set up and sounds amazing. The soundbar itself is fairly flat and features a mesh design with no LED lights, which is minimal and not noticeable. There’s a small LED display, but it doesn’t stay on unless you’re pressing buttons. The subwoofer is rather large, measuring 10 inches, and can be tucked away nicely and easily.

The soundbar is a 2.1-channel, 300-watt system with surround sound and Dolby DTS. The best way to set this up is through the digital optical cable, as you only need one cord. Any modern TV from the last 10–15 years will have this option. Once that’s plugged up, the subwoofer is wireless, so it automatically syncs up; I didn’t have to touch a thing. The options for the soundbar are rather simple, and it didn’t take long to set things up. There are several preset modes, such as movie, night, sports, standard, clear, and music. I found the movie to be the best option for gaming (I wish this had a game mode like my Sharp soundbar). You can change the lag input, treble, bass, and subwoofer levels. That’s about all you can do, which is just fine and works well for what needs to get done.

When actually listening to games and movies, I found them to be crystal clear and vibrant. This model has an extra center speaker, which is used for dialog, and it makes a difference, as with my Sharp soundbar, dialog was always too low and action was too loud. I even had to turn my Sharp soundbar up quite high during some movies and games, which was annoying. An additional feature that this soundbar has is Bluetooth for streaming audio from a Bluetooth device, such as a phone.

If you own a Samsung TV, you can connect the soundbar to it without needing extra cables like optical or HDMI. This is fantastic and keeps the entertainment center clutter-free. There’s also an app available to control the soundbar remotely and access the equalizer for music, which is a nice feature. You can even add to the system by using wireless surround sound kits provided by Samsung. This is a very advanced soundbar, and four years makes such a difference. My Sharp doesn’t even have Bluetooth or an app, and it was the same price four years ago.

With that said, I have to say this is the best sound system I have ever owned. It’s clear, crisp, modern, and has features for music lovers, movie junkies, and gamers alike. If you don’t want to spend thousands on a true surround sound system, then soundbars are the way to go. I highly recommend this soundbar if you have a modern Samsung TV, as the wireless Bluetooth connection allows you to avoid needing more cables outside of power.