I wanted to add a sound bar to a new Samsung 55" 8 series TV because the sound of the TV was lacking. I have the TV sitting in a large TV console wall cabinet and it is pretty much enclosed within it's own cubicle. With the rear facing speakers on the TV this setup made for very poor sound quality. This was made worse by the fact that I have hearing impairment and wear hearing aids.
This sound bar is pretty much of an entry level unit priced at a little over $200 so I really didn't expect too much when I ordered it. One of my biggest concerns when deciding on which sound bar to get was how it would integrate with the TV. I did not want to have to deal with a separate remote for the volume. I also wanted one that would turn on and off automatically with the TV. Because the TV has HDMI ARC capabilities, I wanted a sound bar that works with that technology. Based on the specs, the Samsung HW-N450 seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
When I took delivery of the unit and unboxed it I was initially impressed with it's build quality - it just looked nice and solid !! In spite of it's great appearance I began the installation with great trepidation. I first powered up the sound bar and the woofer and within seconds, they found each other - SUCCESS ! I then connected the HDMI ARC cable to the proper ports on the sound bar and TV and lo & behold, I had sound. The TV speakers shut down and the sound began on the sound bar & woofer. The most surprising part was that the Samsung TV remote worked with the sound bar and the DirecTV remote worked as well. I realized that once you have the volume of the woofer where you want it, you can stick the sound bar remote in a drawer and never need to use it. I literally had the sound bar operational within a half hour of unpacking it. Prior to adding the sound bar, I had the sound setting on the TV to around 40 which was loud but somewhat muddled. After setting up the sound bar the setting is now around 30 and a much cleaner, crisper sound with a definite bass boost.
I spent several hours doing a custom installation of the sound bar above the TV using the wall mounting hardware that came with it. I have the sound bar hung from the top of the TV cabinet cubicle and is completely free of the TV itself. This installation allows me to move the TV itself without have to move the sound bar. The only caveat I would mention is if you are planning on installing the sound bar on top of the TV using one of the "universal sound bar mounts" it will not work without major modifications because the only mounting screw holes are on the bottom of the sound bar.
If you are looking to improve the rear facing sound on your TV to acceptable levels then this is the item for you. If you are looking for theater like sound system you should look elsewhere and expect to spend a lot more.
| Brand Name | SAMSUNG |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 4.85 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 35.6 x 3.2 x 2.2 inches |
| Item model number | HW-N450/ZA |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Output Wattage | 320 Watts |
| Color Name | Black |
| Specification Met | (unset) |
| Special Features | Subwoofer |
| Speaker Type | Surround |
| Item display height | 18 inches |
| Speakers Maximum Output Power | 1 Watts |
| Item Weight | 4.85 Pounds |
| Number Of Items | 4 |
