The Samsung HW-T550 is a good overall entry-level soundbar from 2020. It features a 2.1 speaker configuration with a wireless subwoofer that delivers powerful and deep bass. It has a nice and well-balanced sound profile, with a bit of extra kick to the bass. It's a very well-built soundbar that looks a bit more similar to the high-end models from 2019 from Samsung but doesn't look quite as sleek and premium. It has a few sound enhancement features, including a 7-band EQ, which is great to customize the sound to your liking. Unfortunately, it doesn't support 4k passthrough for latest-gen console or PC gaming. Nevertheless, it's still a good option for people on a budget that want a good upgrade over their TV speakers.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-T550 is a decent overall soundbar. This 2.1 setup has a well-balanced sound profile with a bit of extra bass kick. The wireless subwoofer is powerful and delivers decently deep bass too, which is nice at this price point. Unfortunately, due to its speaker configuration, it can't support Atmos content, which isn't ideal for movies, but it does a pretty good job with music and is suitable for a lot of different music genres. It also packs a few sound enhancement features, including a dialogue enhancement that's great for TV shows or the news.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Good build quality.
- 7-band EQ for customization options.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
- Downmixes surround sound content.
- No app.
The Samsung HW-T550 is great for dialogue-centric content like podcasts, audiobooks, and TV shows. It has a well-balanced sound profile that is suitable for most content and reproduces accurate and clear vocals. It also offers the Dynamic Range Compression (DRC) feature from Samsung to automatically optimize the level of different content. You can also easily stream content to the bar via Bluetooth, which is useful.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Good build quality.
- 7-band EQ for customization options.
The Samsung HW-T550 is decent for music. It has a well-balanced sound profile and comes with a wireless subwoofer that packs a good amount of bass. The stereo soundstage is also decent and slightly larger than the bar itself, which is nice especially for its price point. You also have access to a 7-band EQ via the remote that is great to customize the sound signature to your preferences.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Good build quality.
- 7-band EQ for customization options.
- No app.
The Samsung HW-T550 is mediocre for movies. It's a simple 2.1 setup that doesn't support Atmos content, so you don't have the impression of height when watching some movies. On the upside, it supports surround sound audio formats, although it has to downmix it to stereo to be able to play it, which doesn't result in the most immersive listening experience. On the upside, its stereo soundstage is quite decent and larger than the bar itself.
- Well-balanced sound profile.
- Good build quality.
- 7-band EQ for customization options.
- Doesn't support Atmos content.
- Downmixes surround sound content.
Changelog
- Updated May 19, 2021: Updated DTS support via Full HDMI In to 'No'.
- Updated Mar 03, 2021: Updated latency measurements with new testing method.
- Updated Feb 09, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 21, 2020: The Dynamics tests have been reconducted due to a value input bug.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-T550 comes in one color variant: 'Black'. There's also a variant of this soundbar called the Samsung HW-T50M that's sold at Walmart. However, this variant appears to be the same product but with a different name, and we expect this variant to perform similarly to our test unit.
If someone comes across a different variant of the Samsung HW-T550, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The HW-T550 is a good entry-level soundbar from Samsung's 2020 lineup, and it stands out from the rest for its well-balanced sound profile and surprisingly deep bass. It offers good overall performance if you're limited on budget, but it won't offer the same surround performance as higher-end models. It also lacks Atmos support, which movie fans might prefer having. Overall, it's an affordable option that offers good stereo sound and is a sure upgrade over your TV speakers. If you want more options, take a look at our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best soundbars, or if you watch a lot of movies, check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we've reviewed.
The Samsung HW-A650 is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-T550. The HW-A650 is a 3.1 setup, so it comes with a discrete center channel that can reproduce clearer and more accurate dialogue in TV shows than the 2.1 HW-T550. It's also better-built, and it can get louder.
The Samsung HW-T550 is a better overall 2.1 setup than the Samsung HW-T450. The HW-T550 is better built, and it has both an HDMI ARC input as well as a Full HDMI In input, which allows it to support Dolby Digital content. It has a slightly more neutral sound profile, and it also has a dialogue enhancement feature as well as a graphic EQ.
The 3.1.2 Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the 2.1 Samsung HW-T550. The HW-Q600A is better-built, and it has a better center channel performance. Unlike the HW-T500, it also supports Dolby Atmos content and comes with a height level adjustment feature.
The Samsung HW-A550 is the next generation of the Samsung HW-T550. Overall, these soundbars offer similar performances, offering a neutral sound profile with a little extra punch in the bass out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. However, the A550 gets louder, and it comes with more EQ presets.
Test Results
