People will choose from two standard soundbars: Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar or Sonos Beam Soundbar. Both soundbars have unique features. These characteristics could make or break your decision on which one you need.
Do you want Bluetooth or infrared? Do you want a lifetime warranty or a year long? These are two questions you should ask yourself before deciding. Overall, it is up to you which one is better, Samsung or Sonos Beam.
Features of Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar
The Samsung soundbar has many features making it an outstanding option for your household. The two primary features of this particular soundbar are its Bluetooth ability and year-long warranty.
Both features are excellent for most families. You need to decide whether it is a suitable soundbar.
The Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar has many benefits. It has a few shaky opinions, like fixing the soundbar or sound quality.
Bluetooth Connectivity
The Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar connects to your TV and other devices via Bluetooth. Bluetooth earned its rage through its use in wireless cellphone headsets.
Since Bluetooth came out in 1999, it has since gained popularity. Available on almost every cellphone, Bluetooth has evolved to become prevalent in computers and their accessories like wireless keyboards and mouses.
Bluetooth uses radio waves as opposed to infrared, which uses light waves.
Since Bluetooth operates by radio waves, it has an extended range. You can place your devices anywhere with a longer distance range than the Sonos Beam soundbar. Your devices will have different distance ranges.
Another perk of Bluetooth, it will transfer more data faster than infrared. With a data rate of one to three megabits per second, your soundbar is sure not to lag.
12-Month Warranty
The following characteristic of the Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar is the year-long warranty. Samsung offers a few guarantees, varying in coverage and time length.
Several stores will offer a more extended in-store warranty than the manufacturer.
You must register your product to acquire coverage. You must register your product to be able to utilize the warranty benefits. Benefits like fixing a defective device or if the soundbar has blown.
Samsung offers 24/7, around-the-clock customer service. They can answer your questions and provide troubleshooting steps. Though they cannot replace your device if needed.
Depending on the warranty you purchase with your device, Samsung could replace your device at no cost for hardware failures, normal wear and tear, accidents like spills, cracking, or dropping the device.
You already purchased the machine; you want to avoid paying for another brand-new device as it can be costly.
Why not register your product and have Samsung replace it at little to no cost?
Filing a claim to replace your broken device is easy. You can call the customer service number. Otherwise, you could log in to the Samsung portal.
After you file a claim, a Samsung technician will review the claim. When they have decided, they will contact you with options.
If your device can be serviced rather than replaced, a Samsung technician will set up a time to come to your home to service the soundbar.
If your soundbar is irreparable, Samsung can deliver a new one to your home.
Features of Sonos Beam Soundbar
Your next available option is the Sonos Beam soundbar. This option is a bit more pricey than the Samsung HW-S61B Soundbar.
With a few differences to the Samsung Soundbar, you will have to research before deciding between the two. The Sonos soundbar has mostly good opinions.
Whether you prefer infrared over Bluetooth connectivity or need a lifetime warranty, the Sonos soundbar is perfect for any household.
Infrared Connectivity
There are several pros and cons to infrared technology. The Sonos Beam soundbar uses infrared technology as opposed to Bluetooth.
Infrared connectivity is the first feature of this soundbar. It is the main difference in this soundbar as well.
Dating back to 1800, when Sir William Herschel found infrared radiation, infrared is one of the oldest technologies today.
The earliest uses of infrared were in TV remotes, wireless keyboards, and mice. Since infrared operates by light waves, it requires a direct line of sight.
You cannot arrange your soundbar and optional additional speakers anywhere, like Bluetooth. They need to be in direct sight.
Infrared technology is slower at transmitting data than Bluetooth, which could cause issues. Infrared can transfer data at 115 kilobits per second, 16 megabits per second, depending on your device. Which means infrared is much slower than Bluetooth.
Lastly, your Sonos soundbar only operates at a close range due to the direct line of sight requirement.
Lifetime Warranty
The best feature of the Sonos Beam soundbar is the lifetime warranty. It may differ depending on your location. Research your country’s coverage before purchasing this soundbar to ensure coverage. You can check your country’s warranty on the Sonos support website.
The Sonos soundbar warranty covers problems like blemishes in the materials or the quality of the soundbar. As well as a lifetime warranty, they offer a 100-day return policy. This policy allows you to withdraw your purchase if the device differs from your expectations.
They can reimburse your soundbar at the total price if you are unsatisfied with the product. Samsung could reject your claim.
The refusals could include mishaps, misuse, or abuse, soundbars with modified or missing serial numbers or with their housings opened or hindered, troubles due to third-party accessories like cords or components.
Who Needs a Soundbar?
As time goes on, more people are changing their surround sound for soundbars. Soundbars are much easier to set up and less bulky than surround sound. With no cords and cables, it enhances the room’s look also.
A soundbar is perfect if you want to avoid setting up surround sound speakers. You can do a soundbar’s setup in under 5 minutes opposed to surround sound could take an hour or more.
If you enjoy watching movies and want an enhanced cinematic experience, a soundbar would be an ideal addition to your home entertainment system. A soundbar provides direct, more precise, and realistic audio. Soundbars are perfect if you want a proper high to low sound range.
With a clear and natural sound, you do not have to crank your TV’s volume, preserving the life of your TV’s speakers.
Though, a soundbar is ideal for more than cinematic experiences. You could also use your soundbar for listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks!
What Does Social Media Say About The Two?
Social media has lots to say about these two soundbars. A Reddit about which would be better for a smaller, 120-square-foot bedroom stated their opinions on the Reddit.
SAMSUNG HW-S61B
The Samsung soundbar has spread out opinions. Most said Samsung would be your better option. Many people had shaky views of Samsung. Few were good; others stated the opposite.
One person commented her Samsung HW-S61B worked great for two days. After two days, Alexa stopped listening to the wake-up command but would work using the physical button.
Several others agreed they had the same issue with Alexa not listening. Others stated they had had connectivity issues, weird sound quality, or the volume did not stay where it was supposed to.
Sonos Beam Soundbar
In contrast, the Sonos Beam soundbar had many good things said about it. There were not many bad opinions on this soundbar.
The Sonos soundbar has spread-out opinions as well. A Reddit stated the product is overpriced. Other views reported the soundbar came in the mail with flaws. Others mentioned the soundbar has a hard-to-use interface with wifi connectivity issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is up to you which soundbar you think is best. Always do your research before purchasing a soundbar. Both have pros and cons. The two soundbars have specific features, whether you want a more extended warranty, Bluetooth, or infrared. Which soundbar is best suited for your needs?
SAMSUNG HW-S61B Amazon Exclusive Soundbar Review
Sonos Beam