S800D

Overview

HW-S800D is Samsung's 2024 ultra-slim soundbar, with a wireless subwoofer in the box. HW-S801D is the same bar in white. The soundbar is 1160 mm wide, 38 mm high and 39.9 mm deep and can be wall-mounted; the wall-mount brackets are included. Rear speakers are not included: the manual names the SWA-9500S wireless rear speaker kit for this model.

The TV connects over HDMI eARC. There is no HDMI input for other devices and no optical input. The bar has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; over Wi-Fi it supports AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Chromecast. Samsung lists Amazon Alexa as built in and the bar as working with Google. With some Samsung TVs it also offers Q-Symphony, wireless Dolby Atmos over Wi-Fi and SpaceFit Sound.

You can control it with the buttons on the bar, the included remote, the TV remote, or the SmartThings app on iOS and Android.

What the specs mean

• 3.1.2 speaker setup: three main channels (left, centre, right), one subwoofer channel and two height channels from up-firing speakers, which is how the bar plays Dolby Atmos with sound from above.
• HDMI eARC: the enhanced Audio Return Channel sends the TV's sound to the soundbar over one HDMI cable, including high-bitrate formats such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos and uncompressed multichannel audio. The bar's port is micro HDMI; the box has an HDMI to micro HDMI cable.
• Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Digital Surround and multichannel PCM, plus a DTS Virtual:X sound mode.
• Room correction (SpaceFit Sound): the manual says the bar analyses the listening space and optimises the sound. It can be switched on from the soundbar's own remote, or from the menu of some Samsung TVs.
• Voice and night modes: Samsung lists Voice Enhance Mode and Active Voice Amplifier for dialogue, and a Night Mode that lowers the volume but keeps dialogue clear.