Three years ago, I joined The Insiders. The Insiders partner with great brands that offer exciting products and samples, Insiders spread the word and share their opinions. Since then, we have been able to buy products at deep discounts (50-70% off) in exchange for giving honest reviews and insights.
Through The Insiders we purchased a Samsung 65-inch Q80R QLED TV in 2019. This year, we joined a campaign for the Samsung HW-Q800T Soundbar with them. We did not know what we were missing until we paired these two Samsung products together. Now we have an exceptional surround sound home theater experience, just in time for a Thanksgiving movie streaming marathon.
First, we calibrated the Samsung Q80R QLED TV followings this detailed settings by RTINGS.COM. I recommend you calibrate your TV by their recommended settings if your TV model is available on their website. Rtings.com tests picture settings intensively, recommending close to cinema quality viewing the way movie-makers intend their works should be seen even at home. The Samsung Q80R gave crystal clear viewing but the sound quality left a little to be desired. This was certainly good as built-in TV speakers go but not exactly the full optimum audio experience.
That was our experience, until the Samsung HW-Q800T Soundbar arrived.
Unboxing was simple. Everything we needed was included and packed in a logical manner: the Soundbar Q800T with power cable, subwoofer with power cable, HDMI cable, soundbar wall mounts, paper wall mount guide, instruction manual, remote control and 2 triple AAA batteries for the remote. Plug in the subwoofer first. Connect the Soundbar Q800T to the TV’s HDMI eArc port using the supplied HDMI cable. Plug soundbar to power. Even if our Samsung Q80R TV was the 2019 model, it paired almost instantly with the Soundbar Q800T. We did this to test the soundbar. It worked perfectly. We disconnected soundbar from the power source. Next, we used the measuring guide to center-align the Soundbar Q800T for mounting to the wall. Per instructions, the Q800T can be mounted a mere 2 inches below the TV. However, to be able to access the controls behind the TV with ease, we mounted it 4 inches below the TV. We mounted the soundbar at our ear level to get the best listening experience. Against the matte black wall, the Soundbar Q800T is stylish and sleek matching the minimal modernity of the Samsung Q80R QLED TV. The TV was mounted using Samsung’s own WMN750 Mini Wall Mount for a very slim, close to the all profile.
We regularly pair the soundbar with the Apple iPhone to listen to music, podcasts and streaming radio programs. At first, I couldn’t get the pairing to work even if the iPhone indicated it was already connected through Bluetooth. Eventually, all I needed to do was to disconnect the soundbar from the power source. This reset the soundbar and allowed it to pair properly. After that, everything was easy and smooth. Adding the Soundbar to the Smart Things App and using Alexa voice control was also quick and straight-forward.
This brings us to the sound quality of Samsung Q800T Soundbar. We are completely satisfied with the sound quality. It is amazing how much fuller and better everything sounds with the Q800T. It makes our same 2020 Samsung Q80R feel like a completely new and improved TV. It is such an enjoyable experience. We tested it re-watching Hamilton on TV and the experience was much more elevated this time around. We tested the Soundbar re-watching The Mandalorian episodes. The explosive sounds and action complete the home theatre experience. We keep the volume at an average of only 25. This is way below this soundbar’s maximum volume of 100. Hamilton (at 35 volume) provided clear, crisp dialogue and lyrics. The Mandalorian (at 30 volume) provided sound that was full, rich, and detailed. We are still experimenting with the subwoofer for preferred bass levels. Turning on the Adaptive Sound mode seems to work well. Late at night I have to bring the sound even further down since even 25 can be too loud. We sit 10 feet away from the TV/soundbar and we get a full, well-balanced spatial sound experience with Samsung Q800T.
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