76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
For My Needs, The Best 2.1 System Available
I'm not an audiophile and found the HT-X810 quite by accident after doing a google search for 'wall mount stereo'. I'd lived in Denmark and had seen Bang & Olufsen stuff so knew that it was possible to put a stereo in a discrete shell but was hoping that some company made something that didn't require an additional mortgage. I've got cable but no set top box or TV...
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
A convenient solution, but not perfect
I've owned this unit for a month now, using it with a Samsung 46" TV.
Pros:
- No wiring! Just two cables, one HDMI to the TV, and one electrical cord to the wall outlet.
- The wireless subwoofer worked immediately with no setup.
- Good sound. The stereo effects are convincing and much better than what a TV provides by itself.
-...
I'm not an audiophile and found the HT-X810 quite by accident after doing a google search for 'wall mount stereo'. I'd lived in Denmark and had seen Bang & Olufsen stuff so knew that it was possible to put a stereo in a discrete shell but was hoping that some company made something that didn't require an additional mortgage. I've got cable but no set top box or TV furniture to hold components so my main objective was to find something that complimented my wall-mounted flat screen, didn't require turning my dry wall into swiss cheese to hide miles of wire, and provided some semblance of 'theater-like' sound. After trolling the web I found a number of 2.1 systems. Below is a discussion of these and the reasoning why I went with the Samsung:
Yamaha YAS-70/1BL: The Good: 1) Has an SPDIF (digital optical audio) input for directing broadcast TV audio through the receiver in digital format rather than simple RCA 2-channel stereo. 2) Relatively slim soundbar/display looks nice and fits inconspicuously below the TV. 3) Includes wall-mount hardware. 4) The sub has a clean look. The Bad: 1) Requires not one but two 13-foot cables (control & speaker) between the sub and the soundbar/display, which requires hiding wires and, more importantly, limits placement of the sub. 2) The digital AV connections are on the sub so, depending on sub placement, the cables to the TV may have to be relatively long (i.e. 13 feet) and, like the control and speaker cables, also require hiding. 3) You must use a separate dvd player, which 'ruins' the clean wall-mount look unless you have a TV with an integrated dvd player or a piece of furniture. 4) The number of digital AV connection ports is very limited so you'll have to connect components (dvd player, game consul, etc...) through the TV and then onto the receiver via the SPDIF, which means more wires. 5) As far as I could find, there is no iPOD/Mp3/USB connection dock.
Sony HT-CT100: The Good: 1) Can make the SPDIF connection to the TV for good sound on broadcast TV. 2) The sub/receiver has plenty of HDMI connection ports for connecting the TV and additional components. 3) Has a nice slim speaker for mounting under the TV. 4) Includes wall-mount hardware. The Bad: 1) Requires a 10-foot cable between the sub/receiver and the soundbar, which raises the problems of hiding the cable and even more limited sub placement than the Yamaha. The cable is a 9-pin serial cable, which is a standard PC cable and so can be swapped out for something longer for better sub placement but it still needs hiding. 2) The digital AV connections are on the sub so there are more wires to hide and the farther away the sub is from the TV, the longer these must be. 3) You must use a separate dvd player. 4) The remote sensor is on the sub/receiver so unless its placed on the same wall as the TV, using the remote can be a bit counter-intuitive. 4) The porthole is on the front of the sub and looks a bit odd. 5) The iPOD/Mp3/USB connection dock is only available separately.
Philips HTS8100: The Good: 1) Has an integrated 1080 resolution dvd player. 2) Has an HDMI connection port to send digital video signal to the TV for dvd playback. 3) The soundbar/display is reminiscent of the Yamaha, just a bit bigger but still not obtrusive. 4) Includes wall-mount hardware. 5) The sub is smallish and looks good. 6) Has iPOD/Mp3/USB docking capability. The Bad: 1) Requires a clunky 15-foot cable between the sub/receiver and the soundbar, which raises the problems of hiding wires and limited sub placement. 2) Has no SPDIF connection for digital audio from the TV and instead offers a pair of RCA stereo inputs on the soundbar plus another pair of RCAs and a single coaxial digital audio input on the sub/receiver. This likely means buying an SPDIF-to-coaxial adapter and using the input on the sub to get digital audio for either broadcast TV or game console play. Even with this `fix' you'll have to choose which gets stuck with simple 2-channel RCA sound and again, you're adding more wire between the sub and the TV/soundbar that will need hiding. 5) The iPOD/Mp3/USB dock is a clumsy external unit.
At this point in my research, it seemed that the problem with all 2.1 systems was their flat sound reproduction in comparison to true 5.1 systems. Convenience does come with a price but the inherent sound limitation of 2.1 systems can be minimized through placement of the sub. The most obvious weakness of 2.1 systems is the lack of genuine rear stage sound and the best way to overcome this is to place the sub opposite the TV and near the listeners. In terms of sound, convenience and aesthetics then, the most significant problem with the Yamaha, Sony and Philips systems is the wired connection that must be made between their soundbars and their subs. The length of these cables limits the distance that the sub can be place away from the soundbar, which hurts sound quality. Additionally, and with varying degrees of severity due to where digital AV connections are made and whether or not a dvd player must be connected, the running of AV cables takes away from the convenience and clean lines that drew me to a 2.1 system in the first place. My conclusion then, was to get a 2.1 system with a wireless sub and an integrated dvd player so that I could best mimic rear stage sound and not have to worry about using a separate dvd player, extending the sub-soundbar cable of a wired 2.1 systems for better sub placement, hiding wires throughout the living room. As there are only two companies offering 2.1 systems with wireless subs and only one company offering a 2.1 system with both a wireless sub and an integrated dvd player, my choice was easy.
Boston Acoustics TVee Model 2: The Good: 1) Has the wireless sub needed for most easily diminishing the weaknesses of 2.1 sound. The Bad: Requires connecting a separate dvd player.
Samsung HT-X810: The Good: 1) Has the wireless sub needed for most easily diminishing the weaknesses of 2.1 sound. 2) Has an integrated dvd player that upscales to 1080 resolution. 3) Has an SPDIF input for directing broadcast TV audio through the receiver in digital format rather than 2-channel RCA stereo. 4) Has an HDMI connection for good digital picture reproduction during dvd playback. 5) Includes wall-mount hardware. 6) The sub looks good and is very simple to hook-up. The Bad: 1) Base-heavy sound and limited adjustability of the sub volume. 2) At 39" wide and 7" tall, its bigger than the other systems and so probably best suited for a 42" or larger TV. 3) Has USB port but iPOD/Mp3 dock requires and aftermarket wire. 4) It doesn't have BluRay but neither does the Philips. 5) It costs more than the units that don't include a dvd player but it's on par with the Philips, which does.
Happy Shopping.
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So after weeks of research I ended up going with the Samsung HT-X810. The funny thing is that it wasnt even really in the running. We went to ABT electronics, which is near us - it's like a Best Buy on steroids. They have so many electronics you cant even cover everything in a day. I think the bottom line with these sound bars is that you have to listen to them and compare! We were VERY impressed by this system in the store, but I was still sceptical about what it would sound like at home. It sounds phenomenal, the bass is outstanding. When we watch movies its like your at the theater. Music sounds great too! We have an older 42" Samsung plasma and the system pairs nicely with it. You can use the HT-X810 REMOTE on the tv. Overall i think we made a good decision. Also, the wireless subwoofer that comes with it is AWESOME, all you do is turn it on and the speaker system automatically recognizes it, no fancy hoookups, it really makes the difference in sound. The systems simlilar to this without seperate sub just dont compare. In addition, we have our Dish network HD DVR, and Apple TV hooked up to it! So we can listen to all of our itunes music on it! You will not be disappointed if you go with this one : ) Hope this helps.
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I have been a musician for more than forty years, and music has been my life. Consequently, I am also a stereo enthusiast. I was blown away by this system! It is very powerful, extremely clean, and has an incredible surround sound effect. There is no Doubt about it, invest in this system! You WILL NOT be disappointed.
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I've owned this unit for a month now, using it with a Samsung 46" TV.
Pros:
- No wiring! Just two cables, one HDMI to the TV, and one electrical cord to the wall outlet.
- The wireless subwoofer worked immediately with no setup.
- Good sound. The stereo effects are convincing and much better than what a TV provides by itself.
- Easy to hang on the wall.
- TV and soundbar turn on together with a single buttonpress, or just by inserting a DVD.
Big cons:
- Poor control over the subwoofer. Its bass is BOOMING, even at the lowest setting.
- The DVD player doesn't remember the last location on the previous disc. So if you switch discs, then switch back, the original disc starts over at the beginning. At this price range, this is unforgiveable. Even my crappy $100 DVD player does this.
Small cons:
- The LED display is tiny and tilted upward, so you can't read it from across the room on a couch.
- The remote is not backlit and has tiny writing - you can't see buttons in a darkened room.
- Since the TV and sound bar are by Samsung, they integrate and turn on/off together and use a single remote. But the DVD remote doesn't have all the controls of the TV remote, so really you still need to keep the TV remote around.
- No screws included for hanging the unit on the wall. I used 4 toggle-bolts.
- Electrical cord is not detachable. This has caused me several headaches, as the wall outlet is behind the (wall-mounted) TV, so I can't remove the soundbar from the wall easily.
Final notes:
- The first one I purchased was defective: the DVD would hang in the middle of discs. Amazon pre-shipped a second unit so I could swap the old one and mail it back. The second one worked fine. Amazon rocks!!
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I heard about soundbars about 2 years ago. I went to a store and they had a demo of a Yamaha soundbar in a theater room. It blew me away, and finally last week I sold my old surround sound unit. So I was ready for a new unit. After looking at Bose and Yamaha, I found this one at a electronic store, and I was sold. The only confusion I had was trying to figure out how you can convert a regular dvd into HD dvd's. Besides that I would recommend this for any one who is looking for a simple system with great clarity and a booming subwoofer. For the price you can't get any better.
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The Samsung unit arrived well packaged and in great condition. It set up easily and the fact that there is no need for a wire connection to the subwoofer is a relief. The radio and disc player work well, and displays are clear. The unit has connections to send DVD output to the TV and to receive sound output from the TV. The Samsung's sound has reasonably goood spatial imaging and tonal balance that reflect the source. I'm more concerned about tonal balance -- if the source is balanced the sound is just fine, but if the source pushes the bass like so many radio stations that pander to the thumpa thumpa crowd then the bass is overbearing and the major weakness of the system is revealed: there is no way to cut back sufficiently on the bass (there are subtle adjustments available but they aren't enough). (Of course if you like thumpa thumpa then this is a great buy.) I have a good stereo system and this unit is no competition for it -- but by itself it is quite listenable, far more so than TV sound.
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The sleek design and wireless options are cool. The less wire clutter the better. Although WM has this at a much better price, it's going with a 52" 850 Samsung from Amazon. If you care more about looks this modern looking sound bar hits the mark. While this might not be for someone that's on top of all the best and newest tech it does everything needed to have a clean yet very powerful home theater system. This is replacing a wired surround sound system from Sony only a few years old and blows sony out of the water. I would recommend this product, again if you're willing to sacrifice the best for a better design and look!
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Like many other reviewers, I didn't want to mar my walls and floors to install a 5.1 or 7.1 home theatre system, and my home entertainment living space really isn't big enough to require one. I liked the features of this product and its potential to deliver an enhanced listening experience for my new plasma TV. The wireless subwoofer was a big plus toward my decision.
Alas, getting it up and running didn't go so smoothly after all. Sound through the optical input cut in and out. Samsung readily had me send it in at their expense (they emailed a shipping label), and they quickly turned it around. But when it came back, the remote control no longer worked. They quickly sent out a new remote, and it didn't work, either, which tells me that the sensor in the receiver was the problem and not the remote. At this point, I called Amazon and asked if they could just replace it with a brand new unit and let me send back the old one. Amazon immediately sent out a new unit and emailed me a label to return the old one; the new one arrived the next business day, even before I shipped out the old unit. Both Samsung and Amazon delivered excellent customer service for these problems. I was starting to rue the decision to buy it online, though, instead of a local store where I could have probably gotten it replaced upon the first problem. Amazon's alacrity in doing so once I finally called them really impressed me. Moral to the story: call Amazon first if you have a problem right out of the box on a major electronic purchase from them.
The replacement unit has exhibited no problems, so I forgive Samsung for the problems with the first unit. Lemons happen. The subwoofer and simulated surround-sound are really effective in my setting. One of the first DVDs I watched started with a war scene in which I thought the tanks were rolling up my back hallway.
Caveats:
(a) Review the soundbar and subwoofer dimensions to determine how well they'll work in your situation. My soundbar is not mounted on a wall; it needs several inches of height clearance to be situated under a TV, meaning you either have to raise the TV mounting height or have a wide, dedicated shelf for the soundbar under the TV shelf. Contrary to the advertising, the subwoofer is too tall to fit under, say, a typical end table.
(b) Beware remote control contention if you have multiple remotes controlling common devices. For example, I can control my TV with both my soundbar remote and my DVR remote. After some bizarre situations in which I swear the soundbar mysteriously seized control of the TV (like HAL seizing the spacecraft in 2001 A Space Odyssey), I deprogrammed the soundbar remote from being able to control the TV. This has helped keep things a little simpler.
(c) The instructions for setup and connections leave much to be desired.
(d) Think twice about having this delivered somewhere other than where it's going to be used. The box is HUGE...practically a coffin...so unless you have a large vehicle it's not easy to transport.
(e) SAVE THE PACKING MATERIALS, at least for a while, in case you get a lemon, too, and have to ship it back to Amazon or to a warranty service center. It's tempting to get rid of the huge box and all that styrofoam since it takes up so much room, but good luck finding something else big enough to pack all the equipment in.
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This is a great product. Circuit City had yet to stock this unit so I bought it at Amazon. Arrived at time promised w/o damage and connected quickly. Sounds great and the subwoofer does a good job.
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