Customer Reviews

Samsung HT-Z510T 5.1-Channel 5 Disc Home Theater Surround Sound System (Black)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Amazing sound at a great price! I really like the wireless rear speakers.

I connect my mp3 player directly to the receiver and BAMM! great sound all through the house. I also have connected my Samsung BD-P1500, which makes the Blu-ray experience incredible.
It is extremely easy to set up, and its upconverting feature makes any movie look good at 1080p resolution.
I recommend this product, if you want a great surround sound system at a good price.

So far I've been pretty satisfied with this product. The manual can't cover every scenario, but if you have a DVR cable box and you want the sound from the TV to go to the home theater system you must connect at the cable box. The manual led me to believe I could do it differently, or was not clear on this but when I connected my cable box to the theater system using the optical cable, it worked swimmingly.

I leave any DVDs out of the system so it will default to sound instead of trying to play the DVD automatically, which I do like that feature.

One complaint I might have is that the wireless receiver has a noisy fan; but it took me a couple of weeks to notice it. I will simply turn the wireless station off, manually until I want to watch or play a program with surround sound capability. There is a toggle switch on the back of the unit that makes this easy.

This is not really a complaint - just a warning for newbies to the HTS market. This and many standard HTS units only have a few INPUTS(not including antennas). This one only has three main types on the rear back panel:

1. Ipod

2. Digital Optical

3. Aux RCA RF

And, of course the USB in the front, and this is handy for temporary devices.

If you have a computer or very many HD capable players, be aware that this HTS is not particularly designed for that. An HD digital receiver will be required for multiple inputs, and some of them do not retain the sound signal from the HDMI inputs, so you have to watch out for that too. Also many cable compliant OEM Media Center PCs have NO optical outputs from the sound cards and can't accept them either. This can complicate your planing for this HTS; you can thank Hollywood RIAA for that!

(edited)I now use a cable ready media center PC for a DVR, so I dropped the cable box. In this arrangment, you want a PC graphic card with HDMI capability so that your monitor/HDTV can receive all the signals necessary to process digital sound. I moved the optical cable to the output side of the TV and it receives the signal from the PC very well. It can process any internet, blu-ray, or DVD that has a quality digital sound track included. I just set the port setting to D-IN, and everything works fine. I am pretty sure my previous problems were from cheap cable as I get some brain farting from the unit once in a blue moon. I simply reset the port, and it clears up instantly. All of this can be done from the remote, so it is not a problem. Don't be like me, invest in a good optical cable!

I am really enjoying this HTS! The setup instructions were clear. The wireless function established communication with no difficulty. Automatic sound calibration did a great job of balancing the speakers.

I would like to address a couple of concerns that I have read in other reviews. Some have reported that there is only sound from the rear speakers when a 5.1 DVD is being played. That has not been my experience. Right now I am watching a standard definition channel on my Samsung LN46A550 HDTV, and sound is coming from all speakers. I just switched to the FM tuner and still have sound from all speakers. Ditto with CDs. Initially I had to turn off ASC (the press of a button) to access the Modes. Matrix mode uses all speakers. Now, though, it seems like there is sound from all speakers even with ASC on. In ASC you cannot adjust any settings. When you do turn ASC off the speakers retain their balance settings, but you can make some adjustments. Sound Edit allows you to adjust the volume of the various speakers. I did this to increase the subwoofer volume. Most of the time I leave ASC on. For some movies with good rumbly sound effects I toggle ASC off to get the increased bass.

The bass is adequate though sometimes I would like a little more. The subwoofer is big and is getting plenty of power. It seems like it should be capable of making the windows rattle.

The wireless rear speakers work great. Since the receiver is also an amplifier it has a little cooling fan that may explain the slight noise some have reported. From my chair about 5 feet away I never hear it. Occasionally when I walk within a couple of feet I hear it. The only time I see Rear Ck is when I have turned the wireless receiver off. Even with my cigar humidor in front of the receiver the reception seems unaffected.

The Anynet integration with my Samsung HDTV established itself automatically and works great.

I hope this review proves useful.

ADDED 5/5/2009
This HTS has a USB port that allows you to plug in most flash drives and USB hard drives to play music or view photos and videos. The one time I tried video from a flash drive there was some stuttering that I am pretty sure was the fault of the inexpensive and probably slow flash drive. My portable WD drive does a great job playing DVD and Divx format video.

i purchased a Samsung HT-Z510T/xxa (rear wireless sound) from circuit city on Sept 26 2008. The theater sounded great and with the 1080p it looked great. But that was all short lived. i was watching a movie and the picture froze. i tried to restart the dvd but i got an error message that said bad disk. I tried a new disk same message. I tried an audio cd and got an error of no file. i sent my machine to samsung on january 23 2009. supposedly it was repaired. it was returned to me and worked great. After watching about 4 movies the same thing happened. I sent it back on february 20th to be repaired for the same reason. it was returned to me again. at least this time it lasted a few weeks. on april 12th i rent it for repairs for the 3rd time. same problem. today it was returned to me. i put in a movie. watched for about 20 minutes and the machine shut down. i turned it back on and 30 minutes later it shut down again. Im on my 2nd movie now and it has not turned off. but i dont have a warm fuzzy feeling about it. i would have rated this home theater with zero stars but i had to click 1.

I purchased the HT-Z510 with high expectations. I own a 56" DLP HDTV and absolutely love it. I have always owned Samsung cellular phones, and have loved them as well. Going into the hunt for a home theatre system, I was bound and determined to go with Samsung. I went with the 510 b/c of the wireless rear speakers.

First off, after I had it all laid out and hooked up, the wireless receiver would not pick up a signal from the main unit. That didn't bother me, the other speakers worked just fine and the 1200W system was thunderous without the rear speakers.

So, I insert "The Dark Knight" and began watching. 13 minutes into the movie, the picture froze. I was disheartened. After I stopped the movie an reinserted the DVD, the display screen on the main unit flashed "DISC ERROR." I tried listening to a CD and the same thing.

After I let it sit for about a day, it would actually load a DVD or CD again, but another 10-15 minutes into it, the screen froze again.

***At this point, I had already contacted Samsung support about the rear speakers, and they were immediately called in for warranty service. The date was December 4, 2008. I paid for the shipping to have them sent back, and on December 24, 2008 I was contacted by Samsung and their techs asked me if I could ship the main unit as well. This time, they picked up the shipping.***

To help out other customers, and to keep my faith in Samsung, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased the HT-Z410. I watched The Dark Knight, and it only froze once. :-( However, I watched Sahara and it worked fine. Another freeze-free viewing of The Dark Knight and my patience began to come back for Samsung products. *During both films however, the screen would glitch here and there acting like it was about to freeze up.* I returned the 410 to Wal-Mart, and I am without a Home Theatre system right now, but I am confident that everything will be properly repaired.

I am only giving this product one star. It may be that I was unlucky and got that "bad device." But when I watched the 410 and it froze as well, I would have to say if I were to do it over again I would not consider a Samsung DVD player at all.

I plugged in a Magnavox DVD player I had for years and ran the sound through the 510 and 410, and you could hear it well, but it was not surround. This took some of the sting of the whole situation off, but the whole point in having a Home Theatre system and sound all in one is for the conveinience of just one box.

I thought that possibly the reason why it was freezing was b/c it was trying to upconvert to 1080p. With both the 510 and 410, you can upconvert 480i/p, 780i/p, and 1080i/p. So, I turned the upconverting down to 480, and it did the same thing.

When the device worked properly, it was fantastic. I never got the chance to hear all the speakers, b/c of the malfuntion. And now, as stated before, I am still waiting on my warranty repairs.

*A word to the wise, spend the money and buy Optical Audio cables. They are well worth it.

What can I say... for the money I spent on this Samsung HT-Z510T 5.1-Channel 5 Disc Home Theater Surround Sound System, I couldn't be MORE HAPPIER! After a semi lengthy installation (Read below) to get things going, the sounds this system produces are amazing!

Installation Notes: After getting everything set up, plugged in and positioned where I wanted. I too came across the dreaded "No sound from the rear speaker" syndrome so many others have pointed out as well. If you are the lucky few to have it work right out of the box - congrats. If not and find yourself getting frustrated - keep reading

To get the wireless rear speakers to work is a task that needs a little patience so get that in your head before you start. After some lengthy reading of various help websites (trust me, your not alone) along with some trial and error. I found that by doing the following steps below to work for me:

1. Install the wireless card on the backside of the main unit first.

2. Plug in and turn on the rear wireless module keeping it pointed directly at the main unit. Also, you should have your speakers hooked up to the wireless module as well.

Note, make sure you have a small nail or something along those lines that will fit into the hole that says, "Set ID" in the backside of the wireless module. You will need to do this later, so better to have what you need now before we go any further.

3. Grab your remote control. Now, turn off the main unit, point the remote directly at the main unit and press 0 1 3 5.

4. Turn on the main unit.

5. While the wireless module is still pointed at the main unit. Take the small nail you got as described in step 2 and insert it into the "Set ID" hole. Press and hold the button for at least 5 seconds.

* You should now see the blue light on the front start to blink then turn a solid blue. Keep in mind, if the blue light remains solid this means the link to the main unit is established - if red or it continuously blinks blue - try steps 1-5 again.

* ALSO - Do not worry, you may not hear sound yet. Concentrate on getting a good link established first!

6. Finally once a good link has been made. Find on the remote control the, "Mode" key and press it until the rear speakers magically come on. You may have to press it more than once - so keep pressing and hopefully you should eventually have that sweetness of what ever your listening to pouring through those wireless bad-boys!

Anyway, these steps worked for me. Will it work for you - who knows. But at least its a little more helpful advice that could get your system working in the end. ;-)

On a final note and after everything was said and done. I placed the rear wireless module behind my couch and was pleased to learn that it still has a healthy signal and supplying sound to my rear speakers. So, the myth of having to keep the unit in the "line of site or your screwed" to the main unit is de-bunked in my case. Again, this may not be the case for you, but its worth a shot.

Regards.

The system looks nice and works nice. Not for audiophiles, but not too bad for small speakers, not bad at all.

Setting ID for wireless connection is not obvious, you have to find the necessary passage in the manual, and then find a small hidden button - I guess that's why so many claim that rear speakers "don't work" and send it back. To set the ID, power on the wireless unit, power OFF the main unit, press "0", "1", "3", "5" on the remote, and within 30 seconds or so press the small hidden button on the back of the wireless unit (you'll need a sharp object to press it, have it ready before you start). Enjoy.

UPDATE: there is a serious flaw in the player's firmware. When you pause USB media, it will go in STOP mode (losing your current play position) in about 5 minutes. You have to find the file that was playing and rewind it manually to where you left it. How hard would it be to make it remember the last position?!

Samsung products are excellent. But! I had to send the system to have it repaired before I could use it. Now that I have it back it does work; however the wireless speakers do not link up with the system. So I am not happy about that situation. It does fine for movies, and radio, and CD,s. Sound is quality, but I want it to work like is should.

We acquired a 46 inch Samsung LCD HD TV recently along with a Samsung Blu Ray player and were very happy with the picture but the audio didn't match the quality of the video by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact I didn't like the sound from the small tv speakers at all. After a lot of research I decided on this system because of the price and I wanted all three units to be Samsung.
This system doesn't match the quality of my Cambridge Soundworks speakers but for the price I feel it is a good deal and it will only be used with the TV. For serious music listening I listen to my home stereo but this sounds great for my TV, both with dialogue and with music too. Now I really appreciate the sound, especially with the concerts and movies I have on DVD.
I didn't have any problems putting it together, it was fairly simple. I also didn't have a problem with the wireless rear speakers, other than the fact I'm not sure if I like hearing sound from behind me. I do think they sound a little tinny and my wife finds them distracting so I sometimes just turn the wireless unit off and the front speakers still sound good. The bass from the subwoofer was loud so I backed it off a little bit so bass heavy music won't be booming so much. I also added some volume to the center channel speakers so I could hear dialogue better without having to turn it up really loud.
Overall I'm very pleased with this system, both the sound and the price. I gave 330 dollars for it and paid no shipping. I now see it is about 285 bucks but you now have to pay shipping and handling which puts it up there close to the price I paid.
Keep in mind that serious audiophiles won't be happy with the sound but it also is not expensive like audiophile quality products are. This was designed for the more casual user who doesn't think it's worth it to spend 1500 dollars just to have better TV sound. I believe this system is well worth the money and I love the sound when I watch movies so to me it is a bargain and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

This system sounds great while watching movies. Although while listening to music the sound is not the best, mainly due to the rear wireless speakers. The sound from the rear speakers is very distorted sounding. This system would be better if you could do away with the wireless and run wires to the rear speakers for better sound quality. I think this is by far the best looking system out there.