13 May
Blog

Amazon Echo Buds 2 Review: Better Buds For Alexa Fans

Amazon Echo Buds 2

"They are the perfect companion for those who love Amazon Alexa."

  • Speakerphone Alexa

  • Good sound quality

  • First class call quality

  • Excellent transparency

  • Bad battery life

  • Mediocre ANC

When Amazon launched the original Echo Buds in 2019, they set a new standard for what we can expect from a $ 130 investment in a set of true wireless earbuds. They sounded great, had effective active noise cancellation (ANC), and let you talk to Alexa without tapping any buttons.

They weren't perfect: battery life was just mediocre, they were a bit bulky, there was no wireless charging option, and you couldn't customize the controls very much. But Amazon still managed to set the bar very high, and for a while they were our top pick for the best true wireless earbuds.

But since 2019 there has been an explosion of new options and new brands. ANC, which used to be an exotic and expensive extra, is now showing up on earbuds that cost $ 100 or less. Battery life has improved by leaps and bounds, and decent sound quality is easier and cheaper than ever.

This means that the latest version of Amazon, which I will call " Echo buds 2 ($ 120 or $ 140 depending on whether you want wireless charging or not) must be a real step up from its predecessors to keep up with the market.

Has Amazon succeeded? Let's take a look at the Echo Buds 2.

What's in the box?

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Amazon is a leader in sustainable, recyclable packaging. The Echo Buds 2 are delivered in a small cardboard box in which only a small amount of plastic wrap is used to protect the charging case. There is no foam and no zip ties. Inside, you'll find the earbuds in their pocket, a USB-C charging cable, four sizes of silicone earbuds (including the ones pre-installed on the buds), two sizes of wing tips (with a spare set of the smaller size), and a quick start guide.

design

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The first thing you will notice about the Echo Buds 2, especially if you are familiar with the first generation, is its size. Not only are the earbuds smaller, but the charging case is too. They are not quite as compact as the Apple AirPods Pro, but they compare well with many other models, such as the Jabra Elite 75t or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

The earphones are available either in matt black or in an eggshell color, which Amazon calls "glacier white". They are smooth and seamless and have no defined area for the touch-sensitive controls. A discreet Amazon Smile logo is the only decoration.

The charging case is also unadorned. Its rounded corners make it convenient to hold and pocket, but its bottom is still flat enough to stand upright on a desk (or a wireless charging mat if you opt for the $ 20 upgrade ).

Gone is the micro-USB port, which appeared to be out of date as early as 2019. It has been replaced by the current industry standard USB-C. A small LED indicator on the front shows the charging status or battery level of the case, while a series of similar LEDs in the case provide the same information about each earbud.

Conclusion: these are very comfortable buds.

The earbuds are easy to install and remove from the charging jacks, and balanced magnets keep them there when you are not using them. A big improvement over the previous model: Even with the largest wing tips installed, the earbuds make a good connection to their charging contacts – something that didn't always work on the first-generation Echo Buds.

My only criticism is the charging case lid: it's easy to open and close, but the hinge doesn't have a notch to prevent it from accidentally flipping over, which it often does.

Amazon has retained the Echo Buds' IPX4 water resistance, which means they can easily withstand rain and heavy sweat without being damaged. Just don't immerse them in water.

Set up

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

When it comes to true wireless earbuds, there isn't usually much to say when you want to pair them with your phone or tablet. Opening the case or removing the earbuds is enough to put them into pairing mode. At that point select it from the available devices in your bluetooth menu and there you go.

It's a little different with the Echo Buds 2. You'll need to download and install the Amazon Alexa app first, if you don't already have it, and then open the lid of the charging case.

The app will automatically find the earbuds and guide you through the rest of the process. It's quick and hassle-free unless you're using an iPhone with a lot of previously connected devices in your bluetooth menu. In this case, it may take a long time for the Echo Buds 2 to be recognized. It eventually worked for me, but I had to do a factory reset on the earbuds by holding the pairing button on the charging case for 10 seconds.

Convenience, control and connections

Amazon Echo Buds and Echo Buds 2Original Amazon Echo Buds (left) and Echo Buds 2 Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

With a smaller overall shape than the original Echo Buds, the Echo Buds 2 are indeed a little more comfortable, and I imagine people with smaller ears will definitely find them easier to wear. But it's the Echo Buds 2's ventilated design that makes the biggest difference in the "feel" of wearing them.

To explain, many people find it uncomfortable to put earbuds in their ears when their ears are completely blocked by an object. There may also be suction or pressure in your ear canal under certain circumstances. Some people are particularly sensitive.

To mitigate this, some earbuds, like the Jabra Elite 85t, are built with tiny air vents that allow a little air to flow through the earbuds. Venting the Echo Buds 2 really makes a difference, but it also comes with some tradeoffs that I'll get into below.

Conclusion: these are very comfortable buds. You can use the optional wingtips to secure their fit for vigorous activities, but I found they were fine without them.

The Alexa app, which helps you get the most out of the Echo Buds 2, has a fit test tool that can help you determine if you've chosen the right earbuds. It's very convenient. Too often people choose the earbuds they see fit based on their belief in ear size ("I am a medium") rather than the tips that offer the best seal. Given the importance of a good seal to sound quality and the ANC – especially with ventilated earbuds – it's a good idea to do a fit test.

Pro Tip: If you ever find earbuds sounding weak or not having as much bass as you hoped, you are almost certainly using the wrong earbuds. Try a larger size and don't be afraid to use different sizes in each ear – we (and most of us) are not highly symmetrical beings.

The Bluetooth connectivity is absolutely solid and I didn't experience any dropouts.

I still prefer physical buttons for earbud controls, but the Echo Buds 2's touch controls are as good as they come. You get four touch gestures: single tap, double tap, triple tap, and tap and hold. They are the same for every earbud and allow you to control play / pause, answer / end, track jump forward / backward and ANC / transparency modes. By using the same controls for each earbud, you can only use one without losing options. However, there are also very few customization options.

In the Alexa app, you can change the tap and hold feature from ANC / transparency to voice assistant access (Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant), but the other gestures cannot be changed.

As with the first generation Echo Buds, you cannot control volume without using the buttons on your phone. The lack of customization and volume control is a little annoying, especially since the Alexa app has so many other options, but at least Amazon added the single and triple tap options – the original Echo Buds only had two gestures.

The Echo Buds 2 have wear sensors that automatically pause and resume the music when you pull the buds out or put them back in. This works like a charm and reacts instantly to changes.

The Bluetooth connectivity is absolutely solid and I didn't see any dropouts or weirdness between the two earbuds, but their range is limited. I was only able to move about 25 feet from my phone indoors – a much shorter distance than most of the real wireless earbuds I've tested.

Sound quality

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Clear, balanced sound is what you can expect from the Echo buds 2.

Their soundstage isn't particularly wide or deep, but they have a really generous frequency response that can be extensively changed using the EQ settings in the Alexa app.

The sound is ready to use right out of the box – perfect for workouts or listening to a variety of genres, from hip-hop to EDM. However, move the three-band equalizer's sliders and you can adjust it from big and boomy to light and airy.

Unfortunately, with no EQ presets in the app or the ability to create your own presets, you can move these sliders every time you switch the content type from music to podcasts for the best balance.

Like many true wireless earbuds, the Echo Buds 2 have a sweet spot for sound quality when it comes to volume. At around 60%, they deliver a complete, rich performance. However, this balance can drop dramatically as you turn down the volume.

I feel that this is partly due to the ventilated design. They naturally block less external sound than non-ventilated earbuds. So you'll need to turn up the volume to compensate for this – even if you're using ANC.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Amazon Echo Buds app

Amazon Echo Buds app

The first Echo Buds used Bose's Active Noise Reduction (ANR) technology, but the Echo Buds 2 swapped that out for Amazon's ANC technology. Amazon claims this change will result in a significant improvement in performance. "It effectively suppresses twice as much noise," says the expert guide that accompanied our Echo Buds 2 rental devices.

ANC on the Echo Buds 2 is a mixed bag.

I spent about an hour switching back and forth between the two versions to see if I could verify this claim, but I couldn't. Here's the dilemma: While it's true that the Echo Buds 2 suppress more audible sound when using ANC than the ANR on the Echo Buds, the ventilated design of the Echo Buds 2 initially allows for more sound.

The Echo Buds 2's ANC also creates audible background noise when activated. This could be the result of an excessive ANC setting, but unlike the transparency mode which can be adjusted, ANC is either on or off.

The original Echo Buds don't produce as much sound shift when you turn on ANR, but they passively isolate the sound so well that they don't really have to be that aggressive. Also, when turning on ANR, no new noise is introduced.

In short, ANC on the Echo Buds 2 is a mixed bag. You'll likely get the most out of it listening to music while you commute or in a busy space like a Starbucks, but if you're hoping to create a cone of silence for enhanced focus – the kind of magical sound that the AirPods make Extinguishes Pro and Jabra Elite 85t can perform – you may be disappointed.

The most important function of the Echo Buds 2 is hands-free access to Amazon's voice assistant.

The transparency mode, on the other hand, is excellent. You can fine-tune how much external sounds are amplified, and at the very end of that spectrum, the earbuds even offer some hearing enhancement.

What I'm less excited about is the time it takes to switch between ANC and transparency. Up to six seconds have passed from the time you started the tap and hold gesture to the time these modes changed. This may be acceptable if you switch modes when entering or exiting a building. However, if someone tries to talk to you, you'll want to switch as soon as possible – preferably right away.

All about Alexa

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

It goes without saying that the most important function of the Echo Buds 2 is hands-free access to Amazon's voice assistant. If you own Echo smart speakers, or an Amazon Fire TV device, or one of the many third-party speakers that you can interact with with Alexa, it's fantastic to have them on hand and calling no matter where you are or what you are to do.

I'm not going to go into all of the things Alexa can do – this list is far too long – but it's worth highlighting a few commands that are especially useful when you're on the go:

Music, volume, modes: You can have Alexa control virtually all aspects of your media experience, including changing the volume (which you can't with gestures), answering calls, switching between ANC and transparency, and choosing music from a variety of services like Amazon Music. Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and more. It even reads out the remaining battery life of Echo Buds.

The new Echo Buds deliver crystal clear voice quality.

Alexa Transit: I couldn't test this feature as it isn't yet available outside of the US, but it looks very handy. Alexa can now respond to a series of questions and commands related to getting around, whether you're walking (“Alexa, how do I get to the Empire State Building?”) Or using public transport (“Alexa, what's that Status of? ") The Q-Zug? ”). The answers are context sensitive. So if there is more than one Q move, the one that is closest to you will be chosen. Setting places like home and work in the Alexa app makes these interactions even more useful.

I found that the Echo Buds 2 responded very well to the Alexa wake-up word and that Alexa's response time to various commands was quick and I had to repeat myself far less than with the Echo Buds. If you are dependent on Alexa at home, you will probably quickly wonder how you ever survived without her when you are not home.

Battery life

On the one hand, the Echo Buds 2 gives you the ability to extend your normal playtime from five hours to 6.5 hours by turning off ANC and using Alexa with a wake-up word. On the other hand, her charging case only contains two full charges (the previous version contained three).

When ANC and Alexa are engaged, you will see a maximum of 15 hours of stamina. That's significantly less than any other true wireless earbud for the same price. For example, the $ 130 Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro gets seven hours per charge and 26 hours when you include the charging case.

Get up to two hours of music playback on a 15-minute quick charge.

I haven't had enough opportunity to fully review Amazon's battery claims, but from what I could see they appear to be correct.

Call quality

For most true wireless earbuds, call quality is an afterthought. Many claim to have done a good job, but in my experience few do. The Echo Buds 2 are the exception. They deliver crystal clear voice quality.

I was walking through some very busy intersections with lots of traffic and other competing noises, and somehow it always sounded like I was standing in the middle of an empty room.

You may be able to get slightly better call quality with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds. However, since these cost more than twice as much as the Echo Buds 2, I doubt you'll get more than twice as good results.

Extras

If you enable location services in the Alexa app, you can use them to find your missing Echo Buds 2. The app shows the earbud's last known location and can force the buds to send out a chime as long as they aren't insider their charging case.

If you don't have a Fitbit or Apple Watch, the Echo Buds 2 have a built-in accelerometer that you can use to count basic steps. You can track your walks or runs and the app saves a history of your achievements.

Our opinion

With the Echo Buds 2, Amazon fixed some of the weaknesses of the original Echo Buds while cutting the price by $ 10 if you don't need wireless charging. And while they don't throw it out of the park at every feature (ANC and battery life come to mind), they're still an excellent option for those who want to take Alexa with them everywhere.

Is there a better alternative?

You can find several models of true wireless earbuds that you can use to access Amazon Alexa, but only the Echo Buds 2 (and the original Echo Buds) allow you to speak hands-free with Alexa.

Because of this, they are in a class of their own.

But if you don't mind pressing a button before speaking, I can think of two excellent alternatives, including:

  • $ 130 Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro: Better sound, better ANC, and better battery life.
  • $ 150 Jabra Elite 75t: Better sound, better ANC, better battery life, customizable controls.

What is the guarantee?

Amazon grants a one-year warranty on the Echo Buds 2.

How long will they last?

The Echo Buds 2 seem very well built, as is their charging case. You can replace the earbuds when they are worn out. The biggest concern will be battery life. If this drops significantly under normal use at five hours per charge, you may need to replace these faster than earbuds with a longer starting point.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you love the idea of ​​taking Alexa with you wherever you go, the Echo Buds 2 are an affordable, comfortable, and great-sounding set of true wireless earbuds.

Editor's recommendations




23 Mar
Blog

Sharp Smart Countertop Microwave Review: Do You Need Alexa?

sharp smart countertop microwave alexa lifestyle

Sharp Smart Microwave SMC1139FS

"The voice command is only useful when you are doing the finishing touches."

  • Solid performer

  • Makes great popcorn

  • Slim design

  • Alexa connectivity a hit or miss

The Sharp Smart Microwave is elegant, works well and can take over 70 commands from Alexa. This makes us wonder if all devices need to jump on the voice command cart as our homes get smarter. This isn't the first time we've tested our cooking skills with an attached work tool, but it won't be the last.

A silver lining

As for the microwaves, this sharp model is sharp. The front of the microwave, model SMC1449FS, is dipped in stainless steel, and the black pressure field with white lettering and blue start button adds to its appeal. This model would definitely feel at home in an updated modern kitchen.

At 12 x 20.3 x 14.9 inches in size and weighing a whopping 29.8 pounds, the microwave isn't the largest we've come across. But it's not the smallest either. The 1.4 cubic foot model takes up quite a bit of counter space. So keep this in mind if you don't have a lot of space, but if you put it under cabinets, there should still be plenty of space between the top of the microwave and the bottom of a cabinet.

Alexa, make me popcorn

The intelligent microwave works with Alexa. This is different from a product that Alexa is in. You can tell your Alexa device to tell the microwave to do something. And sometimes it actually does. Sounds like a phone game, doesn't it?

We are ahead of ourselves. Let's start at the beginning. There are three options for pairing Alexa devices (such as the Echo Dot) with the microwave: Zero Touch (Wi-Fi does the job), Barcode (scanning with your phone) or user guidance (manually adding the Steps to follow). Regardless of how you connect, WiFi is essential, which makes sense. How else would Alexa and the microwave communicate?

The chicken wasn't rubbery, parts of it were cooked.

We tried all three options on multiple devices and found that Wi-Fi is easiest for anyone who already has an Alexa network of devices. If you're just starting out with Alexa, the barcode option works fine. A note about Wi-Fi: once you've connected the microwave to your Wi-Fi network, this information will be used to program the clock. For some reason our internet is on the east coast (it has to do with or internet provider) so the clock is ET. We tried to program the clock manually. As long as the WiFi is connected, the clock is by default ET.

You can give 70 commands to the microwave (it doesn't respond to improvisation). Before you can tell him to do something, you need to actually put the food in the microwave, close it, and then ask to carry out a command. The voice command is only useful when you need to add the finishing touches to a dish and heat some vegetables or something else in the microwave to keep everything warm when you serve it.

In our tests, the performance with Alexa was hit or miss and left us more frustrated than anything else. We could get it running maybe half the time, and where we were in the house didn't seem to make a difference. We tried standing right next to the microwave – sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

The main event

The good news is that the Sharp microwave does everything else really well. We have tested the 1,000 watt microwave for a few months and can see that it is a solid unit. We especially liked the Defrost, Potatoes, and Popcorn settings – three options we don't normally use because we fear they will ruin our food.

We put chicken breasts on the carousel in the microwave to thaw, put in the weight and let the microwave do the rest. When we took it out about nine minutes later, the chicken wasn't gummy, parts of it were cooked. After letting the chicken rest for a few minutes, we were able to cook it without any problems. We were equally pleased with the potato setting. In about eight minutes, a medium-sized spud came out with the perfect softness. We put it in the toaster for that crispy crust and had a delicious potato that took about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Sharp teamed up with Orville Redenbacher on the popcorn setting – and we managed to pop a perfect bag of popcorn. We bought a pack of Orville Redenbachers popcorn, put a bag in the microwave, and hit the popcorn button once. The time changed on the microwave's digital numeric keypad, it popped for about three minutes, and that was it. None of this was burned, and there was minimal grain at the bottom of the bag. The interesting thing is that the popcorn didn't sound like it was popping a lot.

Our opinion

The Sharp Smart Microwave is slightly better than the original Amazon Smart Oven with Alexa commands. However, the technology has not improved much. Don't let the claim “Work with Alexa” make you a reason to purchase this model.

Is there a better alternative?

There are some other microwaves that work with Alexa that are cheaper and smaller. If a microwave that works with Alexa is essential and you want a bigger, more powerful option, get this one. However, if Alexa connectivity isn't a must, there are plenty of microwaves available that don't cost that much.

How long it will take?

Microwaves should last between nine and 10 years. Read our guide to device longevity to learn more.

The Sharp Smart Microwave SMC1449FS comes with a one-year parts and labor warranty. The guarantee covers the magnetron tube for a further four years. As with all warranties, it is important to properly care for your microwave.

Should you buy it?

At around $ 170, the microwave costs more than the same model without the Alexa feature. If you want to buy it as a microwave, let's say do it (or save some batter and get the SMC1442CS version). If you buy it for the Alexa feature, it isn't quite there yet.

Editor's recommendations




01 Jan
Blog

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd Gen) Review: Alexa All the Time

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation)

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation)

"The Amazon Echo Frames are a great start to let Alexa take you anywhere."

  • Contemporary design is attractive

  • Open-ear audio technology

  • Ideal for calls

  • Long battery life

  • Cheap construction

  • A bit expensive

Let's be honest: Alexa is everywhere. There's no denying that Amazon's virtual assistant has pervaded every facet of the tech field. You can find Alexa in shower heads, electrical outlets, and even in a twerking teddy bear. For the most part, the company has looked at more practical applications in the wearables space.

The Amazon Echo Frames, first announced in 2020, were some new wearables that were introduced to give people access to Alexa at all times. While it has remained nothing more than a "Day One Edition" since its announcement and limited release, a cautious successor was announced only last month. Now we have the Amazon Echo Frames (2nd Generation), which offer improvements like better audio and longer battery life – while trying to be discreet with their design. The question that still remains is whether or not it is a practical device.

Contemporary look, sloppy construction

I don't wear glasses so using the Echo Frames takes a little getting used to. What ensures is that, from the front, the frames look very much like ordinary glasses – you wouldn't even realize they are smart glasses the first time you look at them. In fact, the design tucks all of the technical hardware into the frame – if you look at it from the front. That all changes the moment you look at it from the sides.

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation)John Velasco / Digital Trends

The all-plastic frame is thickest there. It can certainly be a bit of a distraction, but overall, the contemporary look of the design makes it an eyepiece that won't attract too much attention. The goggles use materials like TR90 (thermoplastic material), carbon fiber, and titanium in their construction, which makes them lightweight, but the whole package feels sloppy. Amazon did a commendable job designing it, but everything about the construction screams weakly!

You wouldn't even realize it was a pair of smart glasses when you first looked at it.

The lenses that came with my device are made of polycarbonate, a material commonly used in glasses. In my experience with polycarbonate lenses in sunglasses, they are more prone to scratches and less resilient than glass. It is probably why it is recommended to use the microfiber cloth and hard case whenever possible. Before receiving the echo frames, I thought it would be possible to replace the lenses with ones that filter blue light. This is not currently the case, however, but you can swap them out for prescription lenses.

Alexa all the time

The centerpiece is Alexa – the virtual assistant lives in the Amazon Echo Frames at all times, as long as you have a Bluetooth connection to your mobile device. This is necessary because there is no WiFi. I connected it to my iPhone XS and didn't have any issues.

Initiating Alexa is just like any other Alexa device you may already own. All you have to do is say “Alexa”. In all fairness, the experience is no different from accessing them through a smartphone, smart speaker, or any of the other Alexa devices on the market. I appreciate the convenience of being able to control my smart lights at home and receiving notifications from my ring indoor camera when it detects movement.

I was particularly intrigued by the built-in speakers on the Echo Frames. This second generation version improves open-ear audio technology, according to Amazon. The volume is enough to hear music, podcasts, or e-books, but I can tell you others can hear them too. And that's one point I notice about the Echo Frames. Sure, I had no problem making calls and listening to songs while washing dishes, all hands-free, but part of me would prefer to keep these experiences private.

If you're like me and have a ton of apps on your smartphone that bombard you with notifications all the time, you're going to like the VIP filter. You can use the Alexa mobile app to prioritize which messages and app notifications you want to hear. It's useful for the Echo Frames to beep for each notification, followed by Alexa's announcement. However, the choice is yours to hear more of this notification by swiping the capacitive touch-sensitive area that's built into the right part of the frame.

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation)John Velasco / Digital Trends

The only thing missing now is the option of choosing Samuel L. Jackon as voice assistant. It's not an option at the moment, but I hope that will change soon.

Surprising all-day battery

One of the problems I have with almost every device is that they just can't hold their charge long enough to last a day. Fortunately, this is not a problem with the Amazon Echo Frames, as they can easily run in a single day with lots of gasoline in the tank. In my experience, after a day of use that started on a full charge, there was 30% capacity left. Given that it replaced a pair of headphones and gave Alexa commands all day, it's impressive how long it took. Amazon's claim to 14 hours of juice for media playback at 80% volume is impressive, and my real-world experience has been a satisfactory confirmation.

It's impressive that it took so long.

The frames come with a proprietary charging cable with pin connectors that are magnetically connected to the connector on the Echo Frames. If you use this implementation, the Echo Frames will be IPX4 waterproof. So you can withstand light splashes if you get caught in the rain but don't want to plunge into the pool.

would like more

In the short time I've been using the Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation), I've realized how useful it can be to have a voice assistant available at all times. But I long for much more. Is this different from an Alexa smart speaker when you are at home, or maybe your smartphone? Not really.

Amazon Echo Frames (2nd generation)John Velasco / Digital Trends

There is also a part of me who is wondering how this could be an even more attractive solution. Take open audio technology, for example. It's great that I can hear notifications and music while wearing the Echo Frames, but I would appreciate something with more privacy – maybe in the sense of using bone conduction technology so that the audio is isolated for my own hearing.

Our opinion

The $ 250 price tag seems like an expensive investment, but you need to keep in mind that they're attached glasses that offer better hands-free calling and eliminate the need to carry or use multiple devices. Think about it for a moment – it combines the functions of a smart speaker, virtual assistant and wireless headphones in one. This kind of convergence is difficult to achieve.

How long it will take?

I'm being honest and I'm saying that you want to be extra careful as the design doesn't give me confidence that the frames would withstand an accident or fall. However, Amazon offers a 2-year personal accident insurance plan for $ 40. Defects are covered with the standard 1-year guarantee.

Is there a better alternative?

At the moment no. There are few smart glasses on the market, most of which position themselves more as augmented reality glasses than anything else. Plus, they're generally much more expensive.

Should you buy it?

Yes, especially if you're the type who craves constant interaction with Alexa.

Editor's recommendations




04 Sep
Blog

Samsung HW-Q800T Review: Amazon Alexa, Can You Say Wow?

Samsung Q800T soundbar

"The Q800T offers great sound, smart home connectivity and loads of convenience."

  • Easy setup

  • Built-in Amazon Alexa

  • Impressive low end

  • Support Dolby Atmos and DTS: X

  • No rear speakers

  • Several Samsung TV exclusive features

The race for the soundbar's sweet spot is on. Vizio may have had a head start over the past few years in making sound bars that offer great audio and functionality at a manageable price. But LG, Samsung, and others are hot on the heels of Vizio.

Samsung's new HW-Q800T soundbar, a 3.1.2 system with built-in Amazon Alexa, appears to be a competitor at $ 750. The proof, however, lies in the performance. So let's see what the latest version of Samsung is made of.

design

The Q800T has similar dimensions to several other soundbars I've tested in this price range. The length of 38.6 inches and the height of 2.4 inches is very close to the LG SN7Y and the Sony HT-G700. For some reason this seems to be the agreed size for midrange drivers.

Samsung Q800T soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Actually, there's a reason for these long bars – and a good one at that. With Dolby Atmos firmly entrenched as the buzzword for home audio, these companies need to add more drivers to the compact body that is their standard soundbar. The Q800T has drivers that represent each channel of the typical sound stage from left to right and right, as well as drivers that provide the height channels of its 3.1.2 setup. So yes, bars of this size are warranted.

The included wireless subwoofer is pretty hefty at 21.6 pounds, slightly dwarfing the smaller woofers from LG (17 pounds) and Sony (16 pounds). Four or five pounds of difference might not sound like much, but it matters for reasons that I'll explain later in this review.

This package does not include rear speakers. However, you can buy a $ 130 pair from Samsung to complete your surround sound setup. As much as I want to be able to run this slide, the traditional theater snob in me has to point out that ideally, $ 750 worth of equipment should arrive with rocking rear speakers. Granted, you can technically spend more and still get less – the $ 799 you'd spend on a Sonos Arc will only blow you away (no subwoofer or wireless surround speakers), though that may not be the fairest comparison with all coming features is with a Sonos product. At the same time, Vizio's incredibly powerful 5.1.4 soundbar system lets you spend $ 700 less and score more from a component standpoint.

This Samsung device is anything but a thorn in the side and should blend in well with most rooms.

Aesthetically, I don't have much to say about the Q800T, and that's certainly not a bad thing. If you're an avid reader, you know that my colleagues and I generally work with soundbars under a "Low Profile is a Good Profile" motto. The Q800T is the epitome of this, a black bar with a corresponding black subwoofer, which is only distinguished by its size in a room. I might prefer the sleeker finish on this year's LG bars, but that's a matter of personal preference. This Samsung device is anything but a thorn in the side and should blend in well with most rooms.

configuration

By now, most sound bar manufacturers have cut the fat out of the set up process and reduced it to a fairly straightforward plug and play process where literally all you have to do to get up and running is your bar and To power your sub. Then add the connection from your display to your soundbar. In that regard, the Q800T is no different from a similar product I tested this year.

Samsung Q800T soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

All in all, I had the Q800T crank out the disgustingly loud theme song from The Office within 10 minutes of opening the box, and it only took that long because I had to be careful unpacking the review unit. I assume the average person, who may not have to worry about maintaining the structural integrity of the packaging, can get their Q800T back in half that time.

If you want, you can wrap the setup right there. However, since this is a network soundbar, it's worth downloading the Samsung SmartThings app on your mobile device and taking the time to connect your bar to Wi-Fi and link your Amazon and Spotify accounts. Trust me, even if you don't see the point of this soundbar on your network yet, it's worth the extra step.

I will notice a small hiccup I had during the setup process, although this was mainly due to user error. I turned on the subwoofer in front of the soundbar and left the subwoofer's automatic pairing function aimlessly looking for a soundbar that was virtually nonexistent. After powering the bar, I had to go back and follow Samsung's directions to manually pair the sub. The moral of the story here is to get your soundbar up and running before turning on the sub. Hopefully I'm making these simple mistakes so you don't have to.

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Before I discuss the Q800T's connections, I want to confirm that I am about to sound like a broken record but will move on anyway. Like so many bars before and probably so many, the Q800T doesn't have a sufficient number of HDMI ports. It's not something I can officially hold against soundbars right now as it has been proven common practice in the industry, but you should get multiple capable connections when spending that kind of money.

Samsung Q800T soundbar remote controlNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Now that I've got that mini-rant out of the way, the Q800T has an HDMI input and a corresponding HDMI output with the bonus of eARC. There's also a single optical input which, while useful in some cases, should put the HDMI option in the background if possible. Visually, it limits the audio format you can experience, while HDMI supports all of the 3D sound your ears can handle.

The Q800T has built-in Bluetooth that allows you to easily pair your mobile device and stream music. However, depending on your situation, it is usually better to stream audio into the bar over WiFi to eliminate the failure and quality issues that can affect a Bluetooth connection. The Q800T goes one step further thanks to its built-in Amazon Alexa integration. Asking the soundbar to play music was as rational as possible, and the voice assistant seemed decently responsive to my commands, even when music was playing from the bar.

Being in an environment with other connected smart devices can also improve your viewing experience. I routinely asked my soundbar to turn on the TV, selected a YouTube video to broadcast to the TV, and adjusted the volume accordingly with another voice command. No remote controls were required.

Asking the soundbar to play music was as rational as possible, and the voice assistant seemed decently responsive to my commands, even when music was playing from the bar.

There are some connection options that are unique to Samsung TVs and mobile devices. You can technically connect the Q800T to a Samsung TV via WiFi, although I must imagine a wired connection is more reliable. Samsung mobile devices have an option called "Tap Sound" that allows you to tap the top of the soundbar with your device to play the content. That sounds like a decent, if somewhat unnecessary, benefit, and I didn't have a Samsung device on hand to test this out.

Sound quality

I'm not going to dance around here: the Q800T sounds very good. This may seem like an easy judgment, but don't be fooled – there's a lot that went into this five-word conclusion.

Samsung Q800T soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

First, it's important to consider all of the audio features built into this bar. The Q800T features Samsung's Acoustic Beam technology, which the company says mixes the sound to create the impression that it is "right where the action is on the screen." This works well in conjunction with the bar's Dolby Atmos and DTS: X support, not to mention the Q800T's various sound modes (Surround Sound Expansion, Game Pro, Standard, and Adaptive). Incidentally, of these sound modes, I opted for Adaptive, which, according to Samsung, should optimize the sound for each scene. There have been a few movies where I had to turn up the volume for quiet moments with little dialogue and then quickly climb down when louder action was introduced. But for the most part, Adaptive seemed to be the most useful of the modes.

When all of these functions are tied together, the resulting sound is truly outstanding when you watch movies and TV. The bar provided a wider soundstage than I thought possible and helped create an experience that was just below real surround sound but still had a reasonably inclusive effect. The subwoofer almost stole the show and produced some of the best low-end songs I've heard from a soundbar woofer this year. In films like The Lighthouse, where sound plays such an important role in dictating the tone of the story, it really added depth to the audio and rocked scenes like one from Capone when a deteriorating mob boss was played insane by Tom Hardy rattles rounds from his golden machine gun.

After the tragic news of Chadwick Boseman's death, I queued some standout Marvel products such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame to allay my grief and test the Q800T's 3D sound capabilities. I found the audio to be on par with the Atmos sound on the LG SN7Y. The advantage of the Q800T lay with the Q800T as the rest of the drivers in the ensemble (especially the subwoofer) helped create a bigger, more cinematic sound than the bar, with uploaded speakers nicely added. I don't think Samsung or LG can compete with properly placed speakers in a traditional speaker setup, but I'm sufficiently convinced of the capabilities of these well-executed Atmos bars. And I think most consumers will be too.

I am confident that this soundbar will provide an exceptional listening experience for most ears.

Music playback was solid too, thanks in part to the soundbar's support for a variety of formats including FLAC, WAV, and ALAC. I think watching movies with this bar is the more remarkable experience, but I'd be lying if I said the way Harry Styles' Watermelon Sugar or Chris Stapleton's Starting Over sounded on this system didn't sound to me liked. I feel like I am criticizing soundbars for not being able to create the stereo separation that is critical to the music. While it's well documented that I still prefer the classic theater setup, the Q800T sells its stereo sound very well.

I am confident that with all the settings available, from setting the mid and high channel levels to adjusting the equalizer in the SmartThings app, this soundbar will provide an exceptional listening experience for most ears. For me, the missing piece of this puzzle is the lack of rear speakers, which would have completed a compelling movie theater experience. Sure, you can spend the extra $ 130 on the wireless environment, and some that might be worth it. But for this price, it wouldn't have been inconceivable for Samsung to add rear speakers to elevate the already great sound to the level of excellence. The fact that Vizio did it for $ 50 less only makes this point worse.

Just like the Samsung-specific connections, the Q800T also has an audio function that harmonizes with Samsung QLED televisions. According to Samsung, the Q-Symphony technology is supposed to synchronize the speakers in the QLED TV with the soundbar speakers in order to achieve a “fuller, more haunting” sound. Unfortunately, I have a Sony TV, which means I was unable to test this particular feature.

Our opinion

At $ 750, the Q800T isn't cheap, especially when you factor in the lack of surround speakers. Even without them, Samsung's new Dolby Atmos soundbar offers great sound and a wealth of convenience, especially for those who have already invested in the brand.

Are there any better alternatives?

For $ 500, you can get a similar 3.1.2 experience on the LG SN7Y, even though it lacks the Wi-Fi capabilities. The Vizio SB36514-G6 is a great option that offers 5.1.4 sound for $ 700. However, the setup is more complicated and not quite comparable in the lower area.

How long it will take?

From a technical point of view, the Q800T is relatively future-proof with HDMI eARC, 4K and HDR 10+ passthrough as well as Dolby Atmos / DTS: X support. A one-year guarantee doesn't hurt either.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The HW-Q800T has proven to be a great sounding system that is easy to set up and use thanks to features like Wi-Fi and Amazon Alexa integration. It's expensive, but it won't disappoint.

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