Samsung HW-E450 Wireless AirTrack Sound Bar (Old Version)

The speakers that came in my Samsung 55" LED TV were not loud enough. I have my TV mounted on a swing arm so I can watch the news during my morning treadmill workouts. However the TV speakers really only work well when the TV is flat against the wall and maximum reflection is achieved. I found myself cranking up the TV volume during my workouts and everyone could hear the sound except me on the treadmill. I did some research and was NOT looking to spend more than $500 like for a Home Theater type system and instead just wanted something simple to get better sound from the TV when extended on the swing arm. I set out looking for a $200-$300 2.1 sound system. I tested the BOSE Cinemate II at Costco - nice sound but $600 plus was too much. I took a chance on this Samsung soundbar system and liked the idea of the wireless Sub Woofer to. The packaging was simple with the Sound Bar and Sub. The connections were simple with the HDMI and Fiber Optic cables that I ordered with it. However, I was not able to get the Digital Audio to work and my TV is Samsung also - disappointing. Probably something I did wrong but could not find a solution in the setup instructions for the TV or Sound Bar. Finally I connected a standard 3.5mm audio cable from my TV to the Sound Bar and got sound to come out of the speaker system. The Sound Bar actually sounded so well that I did not bother going back to figure out why the Digital Sound was not working with the HDMI and Fiber Optic cables. The sub-woofer actually sounds very good - no interruptions noticed with my WIFI Access Point nearby. While watching a DVD of "The Avengers" or when playing XBOX, everything really comes to life and now movies and gaming is much more enhanced. The Samsung Sound Bar was really a big enhancement to our overall TV viewing experience as compared to the standard built-in TV speakers. Another plus is the Sound Bar remote can turn on and off my Samsung TV to - well it should. However, you will still need the TV remote to change the video source of the TV when switching between XBOX and Cable Box, etc. Oh yes, and I can hear the News now in the morning during my treadmill workouts. I would recommend this product to others. Only 4 stars though due to the Digital Sound not working through the HDMI and Fiber Optic cables. Great sound for the money!A viewer (GPA) of my review sent me a comment for a blog link that helped me solve my cable connection mistake. After reading the blog link with everyone having similar complaints, I took what I learned and spent 5 minutes re-checking my cables and setup menus. And low and behold, got the ARC setup to work! Turns out I had the HDMI Cable plugged into the wrong HDMI port on the soundbar (IN instead of OUT). As soon as I plugged the HDMI cable into the HDMI OUT port on the Soundbar, the soundbar displayed "TV-ARC" and the Digital Audio came through the Soundbar speakers. What a dramatic improvement in audio quality over the Analog 3.5mm connection I was using before. Oh, and the real kicker that everyone is complaining about (single remote for both), my Samsung TV remote now turns ON and OFF both (TV and Soundbar) instantly and with no 20 second delay. Bumped the product from 4 stars to 5 stars, since it now works properly after I corrected my cabling mistake. LOVE SAMSUNG TV and SOUNDBAR!

Yes, another review.I would like to note that this unit takes a fair amount of work in connecting it properly, so bear that in mind when you buy it.Connecting the unit:I have a 40" Philips LED TV that does NOT have an ARC return HDMI channel, but has coaxial out instead. I originally purchased a coaxial to optical converter, so I plugged my XBOX 360 and Blu-Ray into the TV (HDMI) and ran the coaxial/optical into the sound bar. The sound was good, but not great, and a quick test with a Blu-Ray and 5.1 Dolby sounded muddy on every sound effect preset. NOTE: Connecting your TV to the soundbar, as others have mentioned, instead of a direct connection from the source (Blu-Ray, DVD, etc.) downgrades the audio quality.I then just connected the blu-ray into the HDMI in of the soundbar and the HDMI out to the TV. I connected the XBOX 360 to the optical in of the soundbar. The sound was MUCH better this way, the only problem is that it means a fair bit of work messing with remote input buttons to be able to watch anything. Solution: logitech harmony 650 remote, or and HDMI switch.If I had HDMI arc, this would have been easier for sure. Now about the Anynet+... My Philips TV has HDMI-CEC called Easylink, which when turned on would control the volume of the soundbar, and turn off the soundbar with the TV, but it wouldn't turn it on with the TV... I get it...Samsung Anynet+ will probably work better with Samsung TV's. So I disabled these features since I have a Logitech Harmony 650 remote that controls everything anyways.SoundThe sound was actually very good, all things considered. The music setting paired with the Bluetooth feature sounded great from my Android. The Drama setting is what I use for TV shows or Dialogue-intensive movies. And Cinema adds extra "oomph" for movies. The sub is a little underpowered, but still sounds quite good for the overall low-cost of this unit.ConclusionI think it's safe to say that regardless of whether you have a Samsung TV or not, there is a lot of hassle with adjusting the remote for every setting. I certainly recommend this unit based on the excellent deal (especially the refurbished unit), the connection options (BT is awesome), and the amazingly crisp sound that is a vast improvement over TV speakers. That being said, I strongly would advise someone use this unit with a universal remote to simplify things, as well as making direct connections to the unit for optimal sound (Dolby and DTS). If the remote issue is a large factor, and you don't want to buy a universal remote, I would suggest the Yamaha YAS-101 which is another excellent unit with no remote hassle.

Great great product. I've had it for several weeks now. Everything works as advertised.Reasons I chose this one:- Wireless sub, wireless playback from computer/cell via BT- High wattage in front speakers and subs with power source built in.- hdmi, headphone jack, BT connectivity.- Great reviews on sound, I can confirm, it can make you jump during a movie.- Auto powers on with my tv, auto powers off after several minutes as well.- Very portable, plug and play, lets me take it with me if I want.- Hefty feel to the soundbar and very good build quality.This thing has really changed the way I experience movies. One thing to note though, sound quality is very important. If you are judging this based on the audio coming our of your cable box, you might not be impressed. If you are watching a bluray, you'll get rocked. Watching movies at volume level 20 will be very loud, it goes up to 50. The BT audio does lag, so keep that in mind if you are watching videos with BT audio. The controller does let you adjust the lag but I haven't messed with it. This thing is pretty. The driver cones texture criss-cross pattern looks great. I have made this bass clip significantly but that was at full volume on a dubstep song. So yes it is room shaking, but not industrial strength. I do love having the bass tucked away near the seats in my room, makes exciting moments in movies feel closer. Anyways, I could keep rambling, go buy one.