The Samsung HT-X810R is a very elegant solution to a common problem: tiny little in-built speakers that come with new plasma TV’s. This system is simple, affordable and surprisingly versatile! I have it hooked up to an LG Scarlett TV with audio input from a high-def FreeSat box, an AppleTV and a Wii.
Out of the box the soundbar plugs-and-plays perfectly – just hook it up to your TV with the supplied HDMI cable and it’s ready to go. The sound is clear and resonates well (even in my high-ceilinged room). The sub-woofer is very powerful, almost overpowering when playing music, so reducing the bass level is definately the first thing you’ll be doing! (Another small point to note: When the wireless sub woofer is placed further away than 4-5 metres there is an audible delay between the two speakers leading to a ‘double-bass’ sound. The instruction manual recommends the bass unit to be close to the main unit, and so do I! (It’s fine when the units are close together)
Once you’ve fiddled with the levels you can get a great room-filling sound. The system is definately better suited to playing movies than pure music. Plugging in an AppleTV via the optical input allows for great sounding movies and music – though you may prefer to use different sound settings for each use.
Although the DVD player is technically not the best on the market, with the HiDef upscaling the images look just fine and I have absolutely no complaints. Playback is at very good quality and the sound – although not equal to a 5 speaker set-up – definately adds a huge amount of atmosphere and depth. Casino Royale looked and sounded better than ever! I had a smile on my face!
I would however like to see two optical audio inputs – as I imagine most people will have both a blu-ray player and some form of games console or satellite box.
(In fact – three would be perfect – one more for the AppleTV). – I had to buy a seperate TOSlink splitter to combine the audio from two sources – not a pretty solution.
Added surprises include the ability to integrate the remote with your existing set-up – so one remote can turn everything on, change volume and channel.
I haven’t yet tested the bluetooth or USB capability so can’t comment on those functions.
Overall – very impressed.
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