The Samsung – HW-S40T 2.0ch All-in-One Soundbar boasts as an all-in-one soundbar and it comes with an affordable price point at MSRP $180. Can it live up to its name to be an all-in-one soundbar at such a cheap price? Let’s find out in our review of the Samsung HW-S40T Soundbar.
Click here to buy the Samsung HW-S40T from BestBuy.com now!
List of Specifications
Channel Configuration 2.0
Product Dimensions 2.7 x 26.8 x 4.5 inches
Weight 4.2 lbs / 1.9 kg
Wireless Audio Protocol Bluetooth Multi Connection
Bluetooth TV Connection
Audio Decoding Codecs Dolby Audio
DTS 2.0 Channel
Amplifier Output 100 W
Subwoofer and Satellites Type 2x Built-in woofers
Connectivity 1x Toslink Optical Input
1x USB Input
What’s good?
Table Of Content
- Affordable
- Newbie friendly
- Premium and sleek aesthetics
- Portable
What’s not-so-good?
- Lack of physical connections
- No equalizer
What’s in the box?
- Samsung HW-S40T Soundbar
- Remote
- Batteries for remote controller
- Optical cable
- Samsung Hue Lightstrip Extension 1m
Design and Build
The Samsung HW-S40T soundbar stretches 2.7 x 26.8 x 4.5 inches and weighs a mere 4.2 lbs or 1.9 kg. It only comes in black colour which is perfect for types of interiors. The unit features a sleek and premium fabric design with Kvadrat textile that is durable and fit for any interior.
Designed to fit an entire sound system into a single soundbar, the HW-S40T is equipped with 2 built-in woofers and tweeters to provide good lows and highs.
Controls
Located on top of the soundbar are 4 simple buttons to control the soundbar. There is the power button, ‘-‘ and ‘+’ signs for volume control as well as a button to select the input. A remote controller and batteries are also provided in the box for users to control the soundbar without getting up from the couch.
Connectivity
The Samsung HW-S40T boasts Bluetooth Multi Connection and Bluetooth TV Connection. With Bluetooth Multi Connection, you can connect up to 2 devices and switch between one another without going through the hassle of disconnecting and connecting another device. If your TV is compatible with Bluetooth connection, you can also connect it to the soundbar without the clutter of having cables all over the place and for easy convenience.
As for physical connections, a USB input is available for music playback and an optical input is available as well. An optical cable is also provided in the box if Bluetooth connection is not available for your TV.
The audio decoding codecs for the Samsung HW-S40T features Dolby Audio which allows for high quality audio to further enhance your viewing and listening experience.
Unfortunately for the Samsung HW-S40T, one of the major drawbacks for this unit is that it lacks mainstream physical inputs, especially the HDMI input. The HDMI input is present in almost all of today’s TVs and with the absence of it from the soundbar, it may be quite an inconvenience for those who own TVs that do not support Bluetooth or optical input.
However, if your TV does not support those connections and you are just looking for a decent soundbar to fill up your home with music, this unit is ideal for you.
Performance
With 2 built-in woofers and tweeters in the Samsung HW-S40T, the soundbar produces a great out-of-the-box sound. Installing and setting up the soundbar is also very straightforward and easy, just plug it in, turn it on and connect to your devices and you are good to go. However, this is a soundbar that can be portable so you have to make sure that it is juiced up all the time.
With this affordable price point, it is not a surprise that it does not come with an equalizer. However, the soundbar makes up for it with Music Mode and Smart Sound.
By turning on Music Mode, the soundbar automatically optimizes the sound based on what it is playing, so that both the vocals as well as instruments sound as clear and crisp as it can be.
With Smart Sound, the soundbar will automatically detect what is played on the TV and it will automatically optimize the sound setting to give you the best viewing experience.
This model comes equipped with a built-in subwoofer which performs decently. However, an external subwoofer will always give you heavier bass thumps as compared to built-in ones. With that being said, the Samsung HW-S40T might not satisfy those that prefer to have more bass in their music.
For movie performances, bassy sound effects such as explosions might come off a bit lacking due to the built-in subwoofer. If you are one that loves nodding or headbanging to songs with lots of bass, the performance of this model might be a little disappointing for you, again because of the built-in subwoofer.
Despite the possible lack of bass for some people, this unit makes up for it by having good mids and highs. The Samsung HW-S40T produces clear, crisp vocals and instruments that are in the mid and high range as well as clear, audible dialogues in movies so that you do not miss anything in your music or movie experience.
The aforementioned Music Mode and Smart Sound features in this soundbar are also available to enhance your overall listening experience.
The Samsung HW-S40T is the perfect entry level unit for those who are not fussy or particular over the sound that they listen to. Overall, even though it comes without an equalizer for you to fine tune the sound, Music Mode and Smart Sound makes it very user friendly especially if you are new to the audio world.
Competition
At such an affordable price point, the Samsung HW-S40T has got its work cut out for it. There are tons of other options out there that can rival it. Here are some of the models out there that can rival it at around the same price point:
Polk Audio Signa S2
With an extra $200, you can get an external wireless subwoofer, which enhances the lows and many more physical inputs such as HDMI ARC and an auxiliary input. Furthermore, it also has Dolby Digital and it works with 4K and HD TV’s. Get the Polk Audio Signa S2 Soundbar from BestBuy.com here.
The Samsung HW-S40T is especially appealing to those who are not good with connecting and setting up their hardware that require cables. With Smart Sound and Music Mode, the sound is automatically optimized as well.
JBL 2.0 Channel Soundbar
Another soundbar that is more expensive by just $200 than the Samsung HW-S40T is the JBL 2.0 Channel Soundbar. Just like the Polk Audio Signa S2, the JBL 2.0 Channel Soundbar also possesses a HDMI input which all modern TV’s support. Dolby Digital surround sound is also supported. Get the JBL 2.0 Channel Soundbar from BestBuy.com here.
The Samsung HW-S40T wins over the JBL model by having better value for money. The Samsung unit has a total of 4 drivers whereas the JBL model has only 2. Both models do not have their own equalizer but the audio produced by the Samsung model can be optimized with the built-in Music Mode and Smart Sound technology. The Samsung model also has an amplifier output of 100W, 20W higher than the JBL model. This means that the Samsung model is able to produce louder audios.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the Samsung HW-S40T is really an all-in-one soundbar that fulfils way more than what it is expected to. With visually pleasing aesthetics and premium build quality, the soundbar is durable and suits all interior designs. However, this model lacks important physical inputs such as HDMI. It only has an optical input for TV’s that do not support Bluetooth connection. On the bright side, the focus on wireless connections gives you a clutter free space around your TV and soundbar. Last but not least, it is super user friendly especially for newbies that are just starting to dabble in the world of sound systems. Music Mode and Smart Sound makes it very convenient in terms of enhancing the viewing and listening experience automatically.