I exchanged my Multi-Box Samsung Soundbar for Marshall’s all-in-one alternative-this is why I don’t get back soon
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As Resident Reviews Writer here at TechRadar, I have tested a number of real phenomenal gadgets and gizmos, ranging from the Best headphones on the planet to the Best Bluetooth -speakers. But despite how much impressive products I see, there is an occasional striking release and the Samsung HW-Q800D Soundbar was certainly one of them.
With roaring bass well, great Dolby Atmos effects and an abundance of smart functions, I was happy with the talents of the soundbar, granting four and a half stars in my Samsung HW-Q800D Review.
But recently I decided it was time for change and I exchanged my multi-box Samsung setup for an all-in-one alternative. Why? Well … I’ll reveal that immediately. But the soundbar in question is the Marshall Heston 120who packs the room-swallow bass, stellar spatial audio effects and breathtaking beauty in a stand-alone bar.
Yet was it really worthwhile to drop my 360W setup with a rumbling sub for a 150W rival with one box? Yes, yes it was. So let’s discover why that is the case …
The noisy neighbor … I was all the time
I live in an apartment, and not someone on the ground floor. And look, I love flowering bass as everyone else … More than most, in fact but the raw power of the HW-Q800D sometimes felt like transferring for my neighbors.
When watching films at night, especially those with impressive, bass-heavy scores, I hurry to switch on the night mode via the Samsung Smart Things app. And even then I would sometimes have to call the sub manually, to ensure that I had not called my neighbors on the lower floor of deep sleep.
So if you live in an apartment complex just like me, especially if you are in a smaller room and not on the ground floor-a large sub is perhaps not the best for you.
Since I switched to the Marshall Heston 120, I have noticed that the night watching is much seamless and carefree more. Yes, the Heston 120 produces incredibly impressive low-frequency audio for an all-in-one bar, but I don’t get the same floor-shaking rumbling that came out the Q800D.
And if Baskracht is still A bit much, I can still just switch on the night mode and adjust the level to ‘High’ in the renewed Marshall app. Easy if you want.
Even if you live in a detached house or for whatever reason do not have to worry about neighbors, I would still highly recommend the Marshall Heston 120. For most it will have enough power to make film evenings that are a little more memorable.
But it also has an RCA port, so you can connect the soundbar to any external wired sub. I tried to connect the Heston 120 to a Mega Sub from Q Acoustics Recently, and the results were mind -expanding.
There will also be a compatible subwoofer who arrives directly from Marshall in the future, called the Heston sub 200. So if you have the capacity for a multi-box setup, I am sure that this will also make your viewing experiences incredibly compelling.
If appearance could kill …
Okay, so I am much less worried about sound complaints, but there was something else that really pulled me to the Marshall Heston 120. And that is the incredibly charming retro design that hooked me from the moment I saw eyes on it.
I attended the unveiling of the Heston 120 on Marshall’s Stockholm HQ and I was told that the team was incredibly wanted his very first sound bar standing out between a homogeneous market full of colossal black bars. And this is exactly what they did.
The Heston 120 is, to be honest, a colossal black bar. But it is not only that it has Marshall’s amplifier heritage in his DNA, a wrapper speaker grid, three serrated metal control choices and a Golden Marshall logo placed straight in the middle. Gold details and stylish red LEDs are a beautifully manufactured product that is striking, yet stylish.
I don’t mind the appearance of the Samsung HW-Q800D at all. It has a solid, angular build that screams sustainability. But in all honesty, it is somewhat fat and misses the finesse of the Heston 120. If you want your soundbar to be a statement piece and a source of sensational cinematic sound, Marshall’s only soundbar is a cut above.
A musical maestro, exactly in the heart of my living room
I have spoken a lot about design elements that fit the Heston 120 better for my living space, but something that I wanted to touch is performance – in particular musical performance.
When I tested the Samsung HW-Q800D, I was generally impressed by music. I was treated to an excellent depth for dark bashhits, fixed instrument separation and rich midtones to start up. But the Heston 120 brought things to a new level.
Marshall’s Soundbar saved an incredibly extensive, broad impression when I listened to Deuntjes via Flood Connect. With Atmos music, guitars sounded as if they came from the corners of my room, pushed singing forward and percussion danced across the width of the bar.
But stereo music really surprised me, with the Heston 120 trouble -free channel separation, subtle details and a lot of breathing space for each instrument to express itself as intended.
If you want to open yourself for the best musical experience that a soundbar can deliver, the Heston 120 is a no-brainer choice. A sides for that is that you even have one of the Best record players Until the soundbar via RCA (as long as it has built in a phono stage)-best cool!
One final comment
So there you have it, the Marshall Heston 120 is the soundbar for me. It fits with my living space, it is a real work of art and it has the performance, especially musically, to keep me more than satisfied.
But I want to hammer one thing at home-the Samsung HW-Q800D is still one excellent Multi-box soundbar. I mean, it’s our overall choice for Best Dolby Atmos Soundbar For a good reason!
It may not be optimal for my small apartment, but if you have the right setup, I strongly recommend it. Especially since it can now be found quite regularly for sale – as low as £ 549 in the UK. That is a considerable piece less than the Marshall Heston 120, which has a catalog price of $ 999 / £ 899 / AU $ 1,799.
So, are you grabbing the Marshall Heston 120? What does your setup look like? I would like to hear your thoughts and insights in the responses, so let me know!
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