Samsung HW-D450

Samsung HW-D450

Your HDTV probably has decent speakers, but they can't come close to a dedicated sound system when it comes to power or audio quality. Fortunately, soundbars can give your HDTV's audio a boost while keeping a low profile, mounted below or sitting just just under your screen with a subwoofer you can hide. The Samsung HW-D450 ($299.99 direct) is one such soundbar, built for HDTVs around 40 inches. It seems extremely similar to Samsung's higher-end soundbar, the HW-D550 ($499.99, 4 stars), but while it packs a decent punch it doesn't quite meet the more expensive version's clarity or depth, considering the builds are very similar and they seem to use the same drivers and power output. Its controls have too many vestigial features that are useless without the HDMI passthrough the HW-D550 offers, and it simply doesn't sound as good in the midrange as the more expensive model. DesignOn the surface, the HW-D450 looks nearly identical to the HW-D550. It has the same thin, attractive profile with three visible drivers on each side of the bar, and a similar-looking wireless subwoofer you can tuck out of sight.