Customer Reviews

Samsung Electronics HT-D550 Home Theater System

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I bought this after returning a Sony Home theater, not knowing what to expect. I read reviews on other Samsung Home Theater Systems and most of them got poor reviews. So I was very leery about buying this. Well I was pleasantly surprised. This was alot better than expected. The size of the speakers are very deceiving. As small as they are, they still produce a wonderful sound. The system definitely sounded better once i got it home than it did in the store. This system sets up very easily. The only downfall is the length of speaker wire for the rear speakers. As with any system the wires just aren't long enough. And they have special connectors that plug into the back of the system so I had to cut and splice the wire to make them longer. But other than that this system is WONDERFUL!! Great sound just enough bass.

Update 02/07/12:

After several months, I have found this receiver to be underpowered. The subwoofer is quite weak and produces minimal bass. Also music playback just doesn't sound good at all. It comes out too low and doesn't amplify right. I wish I didn't read good reviews on it and just spent another $100 to $150 on a Yamaha system.

Original Review:

I have this system hooked up to my 46" Toshiba LED TV. The TV controls the receiver with no programming at all. The set-up is easy. The speakers do have connectors on the end of the already which is a pro and a con. You can just strip back connectors and either solder or twist off wire to make a connection if you have wire routed through the walls like I do. The subwoofer has a decent amount of bass. One of my favorite things about this system is it doesn't eat power as a 1000W system. I had a 325W Sony System before that would heat up my room because it used so much power, but this system sounds way better and allows better energy efficiency of most systems around. I hooked my TV up to it so I can have surround sound Digital Signal when watching basic cable, playing games, or watching movies. I also hooked up my computer audio to the receiver so I can listen to music off of my computer whenever as well. It is really easy to switch audio sources and the receiver can produce Dolby sound. I feel for what this receiver cost, it was a steal for $180. I would recommend and already have to many people.

Pros
-Energy Efficiency
-Sound Quality
-Easy Set-Up
-All in One Player

Cons
-May need to cut speaker wire if rout wires through walls and ceiling

Bottom Line: I recommend this system. Great Gift Idea as well.

This player works great. Plays DVDs, divx, mp3, etc... The Amazon description says it's wifi enabled but IT IS NOT. I was hoping to get a player that would play media off of my network, but I researched before I bought it and no other site said it had wi-fi, so I was mostly just hoping. Mysteriously, Samsung has no mention of this product on their website. Using the HDMI connection, if you turn this player on and put a disk in, my TV turns on and changes itself to the correct input. It's so easy that my 18 month old has learned how to get a movie going. The sound is great too. I had a philips home theater system before and the center channel was always too low. It was booming bass out of the subwoofer before the center channel was loud enough to hear voices. With this Samsung, the voices are clear and crisp. And the bass is great when you want it too. I really like the "touch sensitive" buttons. It's so easy to clean sticky kids fingerprints off the face.

I just pulled my Samsung HT out of the box yesterday and I'm pretty happy with it. It's a pretty-looking thing and it sounds fantastic. I have it in my living room and the distance to the TV is about 14-15 ft and I don't have to put the vol all the way up. In fact, half it's enough when playing music from the ipod and maybe a little more for movies if you like it loud. The max is 50, but I think that's just too much most of the time.
The sound is good, maybe not for professionals, but for a HT of less than $200 is definetely what you pay for, and if your space's not too big this is a great alternative to enjoy movies and games at a regular home.
There's a thing or two that I didn't like in the equalizer's set-up and the cable for the rear speakers is not too long, but is not a great deal.
I did a lot of research before I bought this HT and I think I made a fine choice. The price is great, the sound too, and (I don't know if it matters) fits perfectly with my Samsung TV and it's working good.
I hope it stays that way for a long time.

I think someone else may have mentioned this, but I'll say it anyway... it amazes me how many people leave negative reviews and badmouth a product when in reality the problem is their own ignorance. Many of the worries I had after reading the reviews were completely unfounded once I actually got the chance to use this product. I initially purchased a Samsung HW-D550 Sound Bar, but was so mad that it didn't have Anynet+ that I demanded that Dell exchange it. I am so absolutely thrilled with this replacement that I can't even express it! ... but I'll try. (;

The sound is great, as many of the reviews have said. I think it provides plenty of bass -- and trust me, I like a lot of bass. The sub sounds awesome for not having its own power source. Compared to the $350 sound bar I'm returning, the sub has a more well rounded and cleaner sound. Even with the setting on Stereo, only using front speakers and the sub, the sound quality blows a sound bar out of the water. I also love that in addition to preset EQ and DSP settings, there is a User EQ setting with a 6-band equalizer, adjustable six levels in either direction. If you're a bass fanatic and don't mind listening to music (or whatever else) in stereo and not surround, the Giga feature really cranks the bass! For TV, iPod and other external functions, you definitely CAN utilize all the speakers and listen to it in simulated surround. The manual says when listening to music that you must use the Matrix setting -- which works, but isn't the only setting that utilizes all the speakers. Using ProLogic, the sound is typical... majority coming from the front with little quiet pops of surround from the rear speakers. This isn't ideal for music, which is why the manual says to use the Matrix setting... it evenly distributes the sound throughout all 5 speakers. This receiver functions just like any other 5.1 receiver I've used. It's not missing any functionality.

Anynet+ worked immediately. As soon as I turned the power to the home theater on, my TV pretty much immediately showed the setup screen without me having to press a button. It was smooth sailing from there. The auto sound calibration setup is rather noisy, as it sends loud bursts of a static sound several times to each speaker. I live in an apartment and I was worried about disturbing my neighbors -- I'll have to run the setup during the day. The user interface isn't quite as ugly as someone described it... I actually like it. I like the font used, and how it has a kind of silver/monochrome background with highlights of color for different items on the screen. Definitely not cheap looking IMO.

iPod function worked flawlessly for me. I have a 5th gen Nano, and I connected the USB before powering on. Once I figured out that the iPod had it's own source/function setting, I was off and running with no problems. However, it is rather annoying that if you are in a menu and hit exit by habit that it immediately turns off the music and goes back to the menu. On that note, it sucks that the music stops when you go to the menu/home screen at all. It would be nice if you could set the music to play, then go back to the menu and look at pictures or something. It would also be nice if the connected iPod always charged, and not just when in iPod mode. In any event, the interface works rather well and I'm thrilled to have this capability.

The picture seems to be fine... but honestly, I bought this more for the home theater aspect than the upscaling DVD player, so it was just an added bonus. However, I'm currently watching a low budget DVD that was shot in standard def, and the upscaling definitely makes a big difference. If you've ever watched an 80s or 90s movie on cable that you know wasn't recorded in HD all those years ago, but was somehow remastered or something and shown in HD... that's what it reminds me of. Really good picture... just a notch or two below real HD. Although, I just have a 42" Samsung 720p plasma, so I'm not a fanatic or anything.

Length of speaker wires was more than enough for me, but I think it's rather absurd that for a wired surround system that they used jack connectors for the speakers with wires that don't unattach from the speaker itself. It's obvious that the speaker wire may have to be run very long distances for large rooms and to avoid walkways, and it's just a big oversight that Samsung wouldn't take into consideration that people may need to add additional wire to suit their needs.

This unit is definitely capable of having wireless rear speakers, however like most wireless features today, the adapter is sold separately. The SWA-5000 unit to receive the audio for the rear speakers will run you about $100, and if I'm not mistaken, the wireless adapter (or TX card) is sold separately... which is about another $100. After all that extra money, I believe the diagram shows that the rear speakers still have to be wired to the SWA-5000 receiving amp... so it's not truly wireless at all. It is cool that you can cut out the wires in between the front and the back... but I just don't think it's worth the extra money.

I'll come back and edit my reviews as I use the product more, because I just got it today. However, I can overwhelmingly tell you that for a $200 price tag (or cheaper if you find it on sale), this home theater system is AWESOME and definitely worth the money! It has a lot of cool features and really great quality picture and sound. Read the owner's manual if you're not tech savvy and learn the features, and you can enjoy this home theater just as much as others that cost hundreds more. You won't be disappointed!

I've used this for about a month. I would have given it 3.5 stars if possible.

Love the sound so far. Cheap cost. Set-up was easy but a bit tedious, just due to the wired nature of the speakers, not because of anything product specific (would have taken just as long with any other brand). Unlike some of the other comments here, the speaker cord length was adequate as I only maxed out one cord, but it still fits the room. The speaker connections were fine for my usage as well; I'm no audiophile, nor did I put the wires through a wall.

Visually the speakers look fine; the small profile is ideal for smaller rooms and those who do not need to impress others.

Only two main issues, both of convenience:
1) NO LIGHTS! At all! The remote is not lit, nor does it light up when a button is pressed (unlike the remote for my Samsung TV--go figure). Even worse, the buttons on the face of the DVD player do not light up and they are *printed* on the face--making it impossible to open/play in a darkened room. (At least with physical buttons, one can feel them. With this, you must look at it.) I'm sorry, but does the majority of Samsung's customers watch movies in a brightly-lit room?? I doubt it. This is such an easy fix I don't know why they didn't think of it. Cost isn't much of an issue; I gladly would've paid an extra five or ten bucks for the convenience.

2) As mentioned above, since I have a Samsung TV, I thought that would be a positive, and it is in a couple respects: the remote controls both to a degree, and if you turn off the TV, the DVD player shuts off as well. Unfortunately, they share something called "Ayenet" or whatever (sorry, lame name). Because of this, there is an annoying feature: whenever I try to just *open* the DVD player, even if I'm watching cable, the darn thing automatically switches to DVD input and I have to sit there and stare at a blank screen, listen to silence while the drawer opens, put in a DVD and then wait for all the annoying introductory logos and FBI warnings. (With my old DVD, I could just put in a disc and continue watching cable while all that happened till the DVD menu came on and I switched inputs when I wanted.)
Same if the TV is off. Once I turn the DVD player on, the TV automatically comes on and I have to sit thru all the crap. Hopefully there is a way around this; I've just been too busy/lazy to read thru the manual or contact the manufacturer.

So, it's a great value for the money and the sound is fine. But it could have been much more convenient for not a lot more cost. Hope this helps you decide!

Assembly was simple. The speaker inputs on the back are color-coded with the wires on the speakers. It sounds great, the subwoofer performed better than I expected it to, and it has a built-in EQ as well as separate subwoofer volume. The UI on the screen is a bit cheap-feeling, but it gets the job done. One thing I don't like as much about it is the switching between functions. It's a single button that cycles through the different inputs (aux 1, aux 2, USB, iPod, etc.) so it can take a bit longer to select the correct input (as opposed to just pushing an aux 1 button on different systems). It isn't a huge deal, but it's something to consider. I really like that the remote can be programmed to work with a TV as well, so now I only have one clicker for both this home theatre and the TV.

It definitely has its quirks, but it's an outstanding system for the amount you're paying for it.

I was looking for a sound system to fit into my 39" wide entertainment cabinet, this turns out to be the best choice I have, instead of trying to buy a soundbar to fit in. I am very happy with it.

Is a nice system for my room.
Pros: Relatively easy set up. Wires are long enough for my needs.
System sounds good. Bass is great.

Cons: rear speakers are a little weak. Settings are very limited.

After buying a new LCD TV, I was very disappointed with the audio quality from the TV. It was low and a bit tinny. I have a Sony home theater system on my other TV and it works ok, but I was never 100% happy with it. I decided to look at other brands and having several other Samsung products that I am very happy with, I decided to give this one a try. I am very satisfied with the sound quality and I can play DVDs too!