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With a pleasant stereo sound profile, the Samsung HW-B450 is a good choice for users who need to upgrade their TV sound. However, this system has poor surround and Atmos performance, so it is only suitable for casual movie watching.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
The Samsung HW-B450 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that made its debut in 2020, Intending to bring powerful bass to the movie and music experience.
Unlike more advanced soundbars, this system doesn’t support surround sound and lacks Dolby Atmos, so it won’t provide that immersive experience for movies. You can find more advanced speaker systems on a list of the best speakers today.
Although it has a dedicated subwoofer, it doesn’t reproduce that rumbling deep bass that is needed for action movies and deep electronic music genres. That said, it produces excellent stereo content, featuring a neutral sound profile out of the box.
This device is quite customizable with bass and treble adjustments and the dialogue enhancement mode. The connectivity options on this system are disappointing too, and it lacks any kind of HDMI port, relying on optical and USB ports. Wireless options are also limited to Bluetooth.
Continue reading about the Samsung HW-B450 In our detailed review below, and check out our list of the best-rated soundbars available today.
Consensus
our Verdict
Experts adore the neutral sound profile and dialogue enhancement features of the Samsung HW-B450, and they endorse it for TV shows as well as casual music and movie playback.
Experts from RTINGS love the neutral sound profile, saying that it’s suitable for most music genres and TV shows. Professional reviewers from Consumer Reports hailed the graphic equalizer and bass and treble sliders on this system.
This system also has a dialogue enhancement function for improving the audio during TV shows and movies. This soundar doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, and it downgrades surround sound to stereo, producing a disappointingly narrow soundstage for movies.
However, it gets remarkably loud, filling a large room with sound easily, but produces poor bass. Without a mobile app or voice assistant, this speaker is not smart, and wireless connectivity options are limited to Bluetooth.
The wired options are disappointing too. However, it has a very low audio latency, and there’s no noticeable delay in dialogue.
Check out our Samsung HW-A650 review if you need a more dialogue-optimized 3.1-channel soundbar.
ReasonS to Buy
Great stereo sound
The HW-B450 is excellent for music and TV shows because of its balanced sound signature out-of-the-box that enhances vocals, instruments, and dialogues.
Its stereo soundstage is satisfactory and feels as wide as the bar but the accuracy of sound placement isn’t as immersive as what you’ll find on higher-priced models.
Good latency and Bluetooth connectivity
There is no audio lag because the Optical audio input has a tested latency of 37 ms, which ranks in the top third of our tested products.
You can also connect your smartphone wirelessly (Bluetooth) to the soundbar and stream audio.
Relatively sturdy build
The HW-B450’s plastic build is of acceptable sturdiness with fabric more durable than what is on the subwoofer.
It is 2.1” tall and won’t obstruct your TV, and its 33.9” width should let it fit between the legs of 55” TVs.
Simple user interface
The buttons on top of the soundbar let you adjust basic controls like power, volume, and input, while the remote lets you manage advanced controls like EQ and sound modes.
At the front of the bar, you have a handy six-character display on the bar to show what commands are being input.
Reason to Avoid
Subpar surround performance and no Atmos
Sound effects don’t feel like they’re placed all around you because this is a 2.1 sound system that down mixes 5.1 surround sound.
The missing Dolby Atmos further hampers immersion for action scenes.
Limited inputs
This soundbar’s inputs are limited to Optical and USB, with modern inputs, like HDMI eARC, Full HDMI In, and 3.5mm (Aux), missing.
No smart integration
You can’t control the soundbar with your smartphone or with voice assistants because there is no app for it. Naturally, if you lose your remote, there is no backup to control the sound system.
Lacks a graphic equalizer
Samsung HW-B450 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
3"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
Yes
Energy Star Certified
Yes
HDMI ARC
No
Height
33.8
Number of Audio Channels
2.1
Subwoofer
Included
Surround Sound Supported
Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround Sound
Voice Assistant
No
Wall Mountable
Yes
Weight
3.1 lbs
Width
2.3"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
Yes
Works With
Bluetooth, SmartThings
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Low End Roll Off (Hz)
53.394
High End Roll Off (Hz)
17,472.053
Max Volume Test (db)
91.4
Latency (ms)
THD @ 80dB
0.42
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The Samsung HW-B450 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that made its debut in 2020, Intending to bring powerful bass to the movie and music experience.
Unlike…
The Samsung HW-B450 is an entry-level 2.1-channel soundbar that made its debut in 2020, Intending to bring powerful bass to the movie and music experience.
Unlike more advanced soundbars, this system doesn’t support surround sound and lacks Dolby Atmos, so it won’t provide that immersive experience for movies. You can find more advanced speaker systems on a list of the best speakers today.
Although it has a dedicated subwoofer, it doesn’t reproduce that rumbling deep bass that is needed for action movies and deep electronic music genres. That said, it produces excellent stereo content, featuring a neutral sound profile out of the box.
This device is quite customizable with bass and treble adjustments and the dialogue enhancement mode. The connectivity options on this system are disappointing too, and it lacks any kind of HDMI port, relying on optical and USB ports. Wireless options are also limited to Bluetooth.
Continue reading about the Samsung HW-B450 In our detailed review below, and check out our list of the best-rated soundbars available today.
While both the Samsung HW-B450 and the Samsung HW-B550 are entry-level 2.1 Soundbars, the Samsung HW-B550 is better for most uses because it has a…
While both the Samsung HW-B450 and the Samsung HW-B550 are entry-level 2.1 Soundbars, the Samsung HW-B550 is better for most uses because it has a graphic equalizer for adjusting settings, unlike the Samsung HW-B450, which only has bass and treble sliders. The HW-B550 also has HDMI connectors that are missing on the Samsung HW-B450. Check out our Samsung HW-B550 review to learn more.
With the premium 5.0.2 setup, the Sonos Arc provides a more immersive 3D Surround and Atmos performance than the Samsung HW-B450, which has a 2.1-channel…
With the premium 5.0.2 setup, the Sonos Arc provides a more immersive 3D Surround and Atmos performance than the Samsung HW-B450, which has a 2.1-channel setup and downmixes surround sound to stereo. The Sonos speaker also boasts HDMI ARC and Ethernet ports, unlike the Samsung device, which doesn’t have those connectors.
With a bass-heavy sound profile out of the box, the Sony HT-S400 doesn’t have the neutral sound profile of the Samsung HW-B450. The Samsung device…
With a bass-heavy sound profile out of the box, the Sony HT-S400 doesn’t have the neutral sound profile of the Samsung HW-B450. The Samsung device has bass and treble sliders, allowing users to customize the music vibe. On the other hand, the Sony device has an HDMI interface, providing hassle-free connectivity to modern TVs, unlike the Samsung speaker.
