Samsung HT-X810
June 2nd, 2008 | by Mike Kobrin
Full Review
Features and Design Setup and Use Operation
The HT-X810 consists of a full-size soundbar (39.3 x 7.1 x 5.6 inches) and a large powered subwoofer (10 x 12.7 x 16.2 inches). The bar has a straight front that curves very gently, while the back is a convex arc, and its width is the same as that of our 40-inch Samsung HDTV. The soundbar taller than many of the other models we've seen, but it blends in very nicely in our living room.
On the front face along the top, there's a small blue LED readout, a door for the slot-loading DVD player, and a series of touch-sensitive controls. Behind the black metal grilles is a pair of full-range speakers (75W each). On the back are outputs for component video, composite video, and HDMI, as well as analog (RCA) and optical audio inputs and a coaxial antenna connector. There's a 3.5-mm audio input jack and a USB port for connecting a camera, MP3 player, or flash drive on the unit's right side.
We're impressed with some of the soundbar's extras: Built-in Bluetooth lets you wirelessly connect devices that support stereo Bluetooth for audio playback. There's also on-board digital FM tuner, which supports up to 15 presets. But most important is a 5.8GHz transmitter that sends low frequencies to the 150W subwoofer.
The included wireless remote has controls for the soundbar, but it can also control HDTVs from Samsung and several other companies. Unfortunately it's not a universal remote, so we couldn't use it to control our cable box. It runs on two AAA batteries (included).
Aside from performance, the key for any all-in-one home theater system is ease of setup, and the X810 comes through beautifully. All we had to do was plug in both components, connect the soundbar to our TV, and turn everything on. Sadly, the only cable that comes with the X810 is for composite video. For $700, we'd at least like component cables or better yet, an HDMI cable.
The soundbar automatically detected the sub and paired with it in seconds, indicated by the solid blue LED on the sub's front. And since the system uses the 5.8GHz frequency band, you don't have to worry about interference from WiFi networks or cell phones. Our only gripe is that you can't turn the subwoofer on via the remote; you have to use the power switch on the unit's back.
On the back of the main unit, there's a pair of screw holes for the mounting studs and bracket, though screws for mounting the bracket onto your wall are not included. The system weighs 16.4 pounds, so mounting it is a one-person job.
The controls on the remote are a little less than intuitive, but the documentation provides adequate help. The soundbar's menu system isn't great, mostly because the LED readout is tiny and can be tough to see from 10 feet away; this was less of a problem when we used the soundbar's HDMI output so we could see adjustments on our TV screen.
The X810 requires some patience: When switching inputs, it takes about 5 seconds after you press the button for the new input to start coming through the speakers. Also, any time you change audio settings, the sound cuts out for a few seconds. Loading and ejecting CDs and DVDs is also quite slow. And when the soundbar was connected to our TV via HDMI, it switched our TV's input automatically when we put a CD in or connected a USB device, making it a chore to listen to music while watching a muted TV show.
Although these seem like minor quibbles, it prevents the soundbar from being a smooth operator.
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by Ines Thornburg on October 22, 2008:
“I got my soundbar set up today and am trying to figure out if I can use my ipod with it via the USB port. Has anyone gotten that to work? Other than that, I love it so far.” More...