The Samsung HW-A450 is a simple 2.1 setup from Samsung's 2021 lineup. It's a budget-friendly offering designed with stereo content in mind, and it gives you access to some of the manufacturer's more premium customization features, including a graphic EQ to change up its sound. However, compared to the Samsung HW-A550, you won't find any HDMI inputs, so you can't use CEC to control the bar with your TV remote.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-A450 is decent for mixed usage. It's a 2.1 bar, so it's designed mostly with stereo content in mind. That's great if you mostly watch TV shows and listen to music since the bar reproduces dialogue and other instruments with great clarity. There are plenty of customization tools to switch up its sound, too. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and its surround performance isn't as impressive as more premium models on the market.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Can get loud.
- Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
- Poor surround performance.
The Samsung HW-A450 is good for dialogue-heavy TV shows and podcasts. Despite the lack of a center channel, this soundbar still reproduces dialogue with great clarity and accuracy, so you can easily follow along with your favorite characters. There's even a dialogue enhancement tool on hand to make voices more crisp and clear. That said, if you want to stream audio to the bar over a wireless connection, you're limited to Bluetooth.
- Can get loud.
- Dialogue enhancement feature available.
- Doesn't support Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay.
The Samsung HW-A450 is good for music. Out-of-the-box, you get a neutral and balanced sound that's ideal for listening to many different genres. Voices and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced, and the graphic EQ lets you switch up its performance to your liking. That said, it lacks a touch of low-bass, which is especially noticeable with bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Can get loud.
- Doesn't support Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay.
The Samsung HW-A450 is acceptable for movies. Dialogue is clearly reproduced, and you have some customization tools on hand. However, this 2.1 setup has to downmix 5.1 surround into stereo to play it, so you don't get a fully immersive feel. There's no Dolby Atmos support, which isn't ideal if you watch a lot of content on streaming platforms.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Can get loud.
- Doesn't support Dolby Atmos.
- Poor surround performance.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 13, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 10, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
- Updated Dec 16, 2022: Updated the review text for clarity and accuracy.
- Updated Jan 06, 2022: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung A450 soundbar comes in one variant: 'Black', and you can see its label here.
Best Buy also markets a Black Friday variant of this soundbar called the Samsung A430.
If you come across another variant of this soundbar, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-A450 is a budget-friendly 2.1 setup and is the next generation of the Samsung HW-T450. Unlike some of the other soundbars from this manufacturer's 2021 lineup, like the Samsung HW-Q700A, it's a bit more barebones in terms of extra features. It lacks Q-Symphony and Acoustic Beam technology. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos or have voice assistant support. However, it has a neutral sound profile suitable for a variety of audio content, and it can get loud with few compression artifacts.
Check out our recommendations for the best soundbars under $200, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars with subwoofer.
The Samsung HW-A450 is the next generation of the Samsung HW-T450. While the HW-A450 performs similarly to its predecessor in most regards, it now comes with a graphic EQ in addition to its presets, which is nice if you like to customize your audio experience. Its latency performance is better too. However, the HW-T450 comes with a virtual surround feature.
The Samsung HW-B450 is the next generation of the Samsung HW-A450. The bars are very similar, but the B450 is better built. That said, it doesn't come with a graphic EQ like the A450, and its out-of-the-box sound isn't quite as neutral.
The Samsung HW-A550 is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-A450. The HW-A550 is better built and comes with more physical inputs, including a Full HDMI In port and an HDMI ARC port. It also comes with a virtual surround feature, unlike the HW-A450.
The Samsung HW-A450 is a bit better for mixed usage than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300. The Samsung comes with a dedicated sub, so it can reproduce a more extended low-bass. It also comes with more sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ and presets. That said, the Bose is better built with better soundstage and center performance. It also has built-in voice assistant support, unlike the Samsung soundbar.
Test Results
