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The budget-friendly Samsung HW-T550 is a great upgrade over TV speakers because of its balanced sound profile, punchy bass, customizable EQ presets, and smooth Bluetooth pairing. However, the laggy Bluetooth, limited soundstage, inaccurate surround sound, and occasionally disconnecting subwoofer won’t appeal to cinephiles.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
Released in 2020, the Samsung HW-T550 is a budget 2.1-channel soundbar that touts a wide stereo soundstage to fill large living rooms.
Similar to some of the highest-rated speakers available today, this soundbar can get extremely loud, which is excellent for those looking for a soundbar that can do the job during parties and events.
However, unlike the highest-ranked soundbars in the industry, it does not have Dolby Atmos for a wide surround soundstage.
The soundbar features a wireless wooden subwoofer unit that connects to the model using Bluetooth, which is the only available wireless connectivity method as it lacks Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay.
Thankfully, it does have one of the later versions of Bluetooth, which means you can connect multiple devices (up to two) to stream audio wirelessly.
In terms of wired connectivity, the Samsung HW-T550 soundbar features one HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) passthrough port (but sadly, it isn’t full-speed, meaning it can’t pass through a 4K signal), one optical audio port, and a USB 2.0 port to play audio files from external hard drives and thumb drives without much hassle, but lacks any 3.5 mm auxiliary audio jack.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Samsung HW-T550 soundbar easily connects to TVs using Bluetooth, full HDMI, and ARC, but the wireless subwoofer occasionally disconnects from the soundbar.
While you won’t face any audio disturbances, there’s no low-latency Bluetooth support, resulting in delays during movies. The sound signature is well-balanced with punchy bass, but there’s no Atmos, the surround sound is inaccurate, and the stereo soundstage could be wider.
The handy OneRemote allows for quick adjustments like tweaking the EQ settings. The HW-T550 sports a metal grille, and its plastic build seems durable, but the subwoofer’s low-quality construction and fragile speaker fabric can be displeasing.
It has responsive input commands, and toggles between seven EQ presets based on your preferences. However, the lack of a smartphone app limits convenience.
ReasonS to Buy
Seamless wired connectivity
No audio disturbances
Balanced sound with perfect bass
Easy to use OneRemote
Durable build
Seven EQ presets
Reason to Avoid
Wireless subwoofer disconnects at times
Bluetooth connection causes lag
Relatively flat soundstage
No Dolby Atmos
Inaccurate surround sound
Low-quality subwoofer build
Speaker fabric prone to tearing
No app
Samsung HW T550 Specs
Bluetooth Enabled
Yes
Depth
3.4"
Dialogue Enhancement Feature
Yes
Energy Star Certified
Yes
HDMI ARC
Yes
Height
2.2"
Number of Audio Channels
2.1
Subwoofer
Included
Surround Sound Supported
Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS Virtual:X, DTS:X
Voice Assistant
No
Wall Mountable
Yes
Weight
4.6 lbs
Width
33.9"
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth
Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity
Yes
Works With
Bluetooth, Remote Control
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
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Released in 2020, the Samsung HW-T550 is a budget 2.1-channel soundbar that touts a wide stereo soundstage to fill large living rooms.
Similar to some of…
Released in 2020, the Samsung HW-T550 is a budget 2.1-channel soundbar that touts a wide stereo soundstage to fill large living rooms.
Similar to some of the highest-rated speakers available today, this soundbar can get extremely loud, which is excellent for those looking for a soundbar that can do the job during parties and events.
However, unlike the highest-ranked soundbars in the industry, it does not have Dolby Atmos for a wide surround soundstage.
The soundbar features a wireless wooden subwoofer unit that connects to the model using Bluetooth, which is the only available wireless connectivity method as it lacks Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay.
Thankfully, it does have one of the later versions of Bluetooth, which means you can connect multiple devices (up to two) to stream audio wirelessly.
In terms of wired connectivity, the Samsung HW-T550 soundbar features one HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) passthrough port (but sadly, it isn’t full-speed, meaning it can’t pass through a 4K signal), one optical audio port, and a USB 2.0 port to play audio files from external hard drives and thumb drives without much hassle, but lacks any 3.5 mm auxiliary audio jack.
The Samsung HW-A550 is essentially a newer version of the Samsung HW-T550 soundbar, and as a result, both perform very similarly in all regards, and…
The Samsung HW-A550 is essentially a newer version of the Samsung HW-T550 soundbar, and as a result, both perform very similarly in all regards, and both feature a 2.1-channel speaker setup. However, the newer A550 soundbar does have more EQ presets than the T550. It also features a full-speed HDMI passthrough that the older T550 soundbar lacks. But the T550 features a better subwoofer than the A550 that can reproduce slightly more low-extended bass.
Despite both coming with a 2.1-channel speaker setup, the Samsung HW-T550 features a wider stereo soundstage than the Sony HT-S350 soundbar. The HW-T550 also comes…
Despite both coming with a 2.1-channel speaker setup, the Samsung HW-T550 features a wider stereo soundstage than the Sony HT-S350 soundbar. The HW-T550 also comes with a better wooden wireless subwoofer than the S350 soundbar that reproduces more extended low bass out of the box. In addition, the T550 features a flatter frequency response curve than the HT-S350 soundbar, resulting in better vocals, dialogues, and high-pitched notes with a neutral true-to-life sound profile.
Both the JBL Bar 2.1 and the Samsung HW-T550 soundbars feature a similar 2.1 channel speaker setup and perform almost identically in all aspects. However,…
Both the JBL Bar 2.1 and the Samsung HW-T550 soundbars feature a similar 2.1 channel speaker setup and perform almost identically in all aspects. However, the JBL soundbar does have a built-in microphone and supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa natively, which the Samsung model lacks. The JBL Bar 2.1 also features Wi-Fi, but the T550 doesn’t.
