71

Hisense HS218 Review

Christen da Costa Avatar
Updated Dec 20, 2023 11:28 AM

True Score

79
78
2

Experts

86
1,795

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Thanks to an exceptionally neutral sound profile, the Hisense HS218 produces satisfying audio that reaches the depths of the heart. It is a loud and versatile 2.0 soundbar for music, TV shows, and movies.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Hisense HS218 is a mid-range 2.1 channel soundbar that was first released in 2020, delivering boomy bass and wireless performance for home theaters.

Like many of the best soundbars on the market today, this Hisense speaker boasts equalizer presets, bass, and treble sliders for customizing the sound profile as needed.

It comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer to deliver boomy sounds, This system achieves a top SPL of 95.7 dB, producing adequately loud sound for larger living rooms.

Ports such as full HDMI In, Optical, Aux, and USB simplify connecting this soundbar to TVs. It has a decent stereo soundstage, but doesn’t support Dolby Atmos and downmixes surround sound.

Continue reading our Hisense HS218 Review below, and also discover the best subwoofer box for deep bass today.

Consensus

our Verdict

Experts marvel at the rich array of balanced soundscape and loud output of the Hisense HS218, recommending for music playback and TV dialogue.

Experts at 9to5Toys love its loud audio volume, which is great for families. Testers from RTINGS hailed its neutral sound profile, delivering well-balanced, gratifying music regardless of genre.

And if you don’t like the out-of-the-box settings, there are equalizer presets and bass/treble sliders for fiddling with settings. The device boasts numerous ports and Bluetooth technology, providing hassle-free connectivity.

Because of its low latency, this system is great for dialogue-heavy TV shows. Unfortunately, being a 2.1-channel system, it downmixes 5.1 surround sound to stereo and doesn’t have voice assistants.

Although it has a dedicated subwoofer, it doens’t reproduce deep bass.

Check out our Klipsch Bar 48 review if you prefer a 3.1 system and consider our Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage review if you require a Wi-Fi soundbar. Users who want a portable speaker should see our Devialet Dione Review today.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Speaker gets remarkably loud, making it a good choice for big living rooms
  • Graphic equalizer and presets for changing sound settings
  • Incredible selection of HDMI, USB, and other ports
  • Fairly balanced sound out of the box doesn’t require calibration
  • Dialog enhancement feature optimizes sound for TV shows

Reason to Avoid

  • Doesn’t support voice assistants
  • Poor low-bass will displease music enthusiasts
  • Doesn’t support 5.1 surround channels sound

Hisense HS218 Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth3"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight3.2"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels2.1
SubwooferSubwooferIncluded
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Digital
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantGoogle Assistant
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight21.8 lbs
WidthWidth37.8"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithBluetooth, Wi-Fi

All Specs

Test Results

Low End Roll Off (Hz)61.688
High End Roll Off (Hz)2,751.676
Max Volume Test (db)95.7
Latency (ms)32
THD @ 80dB0.35

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Product Comparison

Hisense HS218 Review

True Score

79
70
79
NR

Ranking

#

71

/

149

#

131

/

149

#

68

/

149

#

/

Market Context

The Hisense HS218 is a mid-range 2.1 channel soundbar that was first released in 2020, delivering boomy bass and wireless performance for home theaters. Like many…

The Hisense HS218 is a mid-range 2.1 channel soundbar that was first released in 2020, delivering boomy bass and wireless performance for home theaters.

Like many of the best soundbars on the market today, this Hisense speaker boasts equalizer presets, bass, and treble sliders for customizing the sound profile as needed.

It comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer to deliver boomy sounds, This system achieves a top SPL of 95.7 dB, producing adequately loud sound for larger living rooms.

Ports such as full HDMI In, Optical, Aux, and USB simplify connecting this soundbar to TVs. It has a decent stereo soundstage, but doesn’t support Dolby Atmos and downmixes surround sound.

Continue reading our Hisense HS218 Review below, and also discover the best subwoofer box for deep bass today.

Featuring a 5.0 channel configuration, the Harman Kardon Enchant 1300 provides a more engaging three-dimensional experience than the Hisense HS218 with its two-channel setup. It…

Featuring a 5.0 channel configuration, the Harman Kardon Enchant 1300 provides a more engaging three-dimensional experience than the Hisense HS218 with its two-channel setup. It also has built-in Chromecast, unlike the HS218, which doesn’t support Wi-Fi. However, the HS218 has a 95.7 dB maximum SPL, getting louder than the 93.6 dB maximum SPL of the Enchant. Our Harman Kardon Enchant 1300 review provides details.

Regarding surround sound, the 5-channel JBL bar 5.0 MultiBeam is superior to the Hisense HS218, which has a 2.0 channel system. On the other hand,…

Regarding surround sound, the 5-channel JBL bar 5.0 MultiBeam is superior to the Hisense HS218, which has a 2.0 channel system. On the other hand, the Hisense speaker gets louder, featuring a 95.7 dB peak SPL that dwarfs the 91.9 dB maximum SPL of the JBL speaker. See our JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam review to learn more.

Featuring a 5.1.2 system, the Hisense U5120G is better for surround sound playback than the two-channel HS218, which downmixes surround sound to stereo. This Hisense…

Featuring a 5.1.2 system, the Hisense U5120G is better for surround sound playback than the two-channel HS218, which downmixes surround sound to stereo. This Hisense system also supports Dolby Atmos, unlike the HS218. However, both these soundbars have a selection of ports, including HDMI ports and USB, and both feature equalizer presets.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Yes

Yes

Depth

3"

4.9"

3.9"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

Yes

Yes

na

Energy Star Certified

No

No

n/a

HDMI ARC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Height

3.2"

2.6"

2.3"

Number of Audio Channels

2.1

5

5

Subwoofer

Included

Optional (sold separately)

Included

Dig Deeper

Harman/Kardon Enchant 1300 Review →

JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

78

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

86

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

79

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    67
    The Hisense HS218 is adequate for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, this soundbar has a pretty neutral,… Read More

    By:

    Jake Thauvette
  • Which?
    59.2

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    The Hisense HS 128 soundbar is a budget model with only basic features, but it… Read More

    By:

    Unknown