Choosing a soundbar can be quite complicated due to the wide variety of options on the market. If you are looking for a soundbar of a certain quality, but do not want to pay a very high price, we are going to show you two very interesting proposals.
The two models that we are going to compare in this article are the Samsung HW-Q600A and the Sony HT-G700, which as we will see throughout the comparison are two of the best options for less than 400€. Depending on the moment, the price will vary and there are very interesting offers where you can even find them for around 300€.
The Samsung HW-Q600A is a 3.1.2 soundbar from the Korean manufacturer’s 2021 range that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content. It also has some sound enhancement features such as Acoustic Beam virtual surround technology and Q-Symphony, which synchronizes the bar’s audio with compatible Samsung TVs.
The Sony HT-G700 is a 2020 range soundbar from Sony so it has a little more time on the market, but that’s not really a problem. It has a 3.1 sound system with a wireless subwoofer and like the Samsung HW-Q600A, it can support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content by converting it to stereo and the Vertical Surroug Engine feature.
So let’s analyze and compare the main features of these two fantastic soundbars and give you our opinion about them.
Design
The Sony HT-G700 is a stylish soundbar that looks a lot like other Sony soundbars, such as the HT-X8500. It is made of good quality plastic and has a large metal grille to protect its speakers, giving it a premium look and feel.
The subwoofer is mainly made of melamine and plastic. The port has a glossy black finish while the woofer itself is covered with a nice metal grille. The back of the subwoofer has a plastic plate and is the size of an average desktop PC, so it’s not too big and should fit next to your TV or couch.
Design soundbar Sony HT-G700
We can say that it is a fairly wide soundbar and probably won’t fit between the legs of most 55-inch or smaller TVs. However, it is not too tall and should not block any part of the screen.
If you want to wall mount it instead of tabletop, you can do so as there are mounting holes on both sides of the bar, although it doesn’t come with brackets or wall mounting screws, so you have to buy them separately.
On the front, a small screen is integrated where the source information, volume, etc. is displayed. It comes with a fairly compact knob, with which you can turn on the Vertical Surround Engine option that we will talk about later, as well as other settings.
Sony HT-G700 soundbar remote control
Overall, the build quality of the Sony HT-G700 is good with a dense plastic body and the speakers are protected by a large metal grille. The subwoofer, however, does not have the same quality finish and is mainly made of melamine and plastic.
The Samsung HW-Q600A, on the other hand, has a simple and elegant exterior with a similar design to the top-of-the-line Samsung HW-Q800A. The top and front of the bar are covered with a metal grille, while the rest of the bar is made of plastic. As for the subwoofer it is mainly made of wood and a fabric covering the front has been added. This has a slightly smaller size than the Sony HT-G700 and is also wireless, allowing you to place it anywhere in the room.
Subwoofer soundbar Samsung HW-Q600A
Like the HT-G700 it is a fairly wide bar, so it probably won’t fit between the legs of a 55-inch TV. On the plus side, it’s not very tall either, so it shouldn’t block your view of your TV screen, unless you have a very low stand.
Samsung HW-Q600A Soundbar Review
Unlike the Sony bar, this Samsung model does come with a wall bracket included in the box. It also has a screen on the front, which in this case is placed more to the right to see all the information.
The included remote control looks very similar to the one included in the brand’s TVs and from it, you can control the most advanced functions, such as equalization settings.
Samsung HW-Q600A soundbar remote control
The build quality of the Samsung HW-Q600A is also good including a metal grille to protect the speakers, and the rest of the bar is made of solid plastic. The subwoofer is mainly made of wood, but the fabric covering the front of the subwoofer we don’t like too much, as it could tear and gets dirty more easily.
Conectividad
En la Sony HT-G700 cuenta coThe Sony HT-G700 has an HDMI input as well as an HDMI eARC output, an optical input and a USB port, but it is not a player, it is only valid for upgrades.
Sony HT-G700 integrated connections
In addition, it also includes Bluetooth connectivity to send music from your phone or connect it to your TV wirelessly. However, we recommend connecting the bar to the TV via HDMI cable and leave the Bluetooth for sending music from your phone.
Having an eARC HDMI port, it can play uncompressed Dolby Atmos sound with Dolby True HD from a TV.
The HW-Q600A on the other hand, also includes an HDMI ARC input and output, an optical output and a USB port, which in this case does play audio files.
In this case, the Samsung HW-Q600A, has HDMI ARC, but not eARC, so to listen to uncompressed Dolby Atmos audio, you have to connect the compatible player to the bar and this to the TV to pass the video signal (4K Pass Through). If we connect the player directly to the TV and the TV outputs the audio to the bar, we can listen to Dolby Atmos sound but compressed with Dolby Digital Plus.
It is time to analyze the sound performance of both soundbars and see which one provides better sound.
We start with the Samsung HW-Q600A, which features a 3.1.2-channel sound system. It delivers excellent center channel performance, reproducing dialogue in speech-heavy content such as TV shows with good clarity and accuracy. The frequency response is a bit bass heavy, but this should not be too noticeable, as not much bass is normally reproduced through the center channel.
Review and opinion 3.1.2 Dolby Atmos sound bar Samsung HW-Q600A
It has a very good stereo frequency response with a very neutral and balanced sound profile, suitable for listening to many types of audio content. In the mid-bass range it performs very well, although, it struggles a bit to reproduce the somewhat lower frequencies, which can be noticed in the rumbles of action movies and music with a lot of bass.
The Samsung HW-Q600A has been designed in the Samsung Audio Lab that the company has in California and in which engineers from the Harman Kardon brand work and which was acquired by Samsung a few years ago. The difference in sound provided by this HW-Q600A with respect to the A series ranges is very noticeable.
It has many sound customization features, such as a graphic equalizer with presets and bass and treble settings. With calibration, the Samsung HW-Q600A has a very good stereo frequency response. We recommend setting the bass to ‘-2’ and the treble to ‘1’ for a slightly more neutral sound profile, making it suitable for many types of audio content.
Although we have commented that it is difficult to reproduce the lower frequencies, the truth is that raising the bass range, it does not improve and really eats a little the middle tones, so we recommend the settings that we have indicated.
In addition to offering a graphic equalizer to customize the sound, it has a few sound modes such as “Standard”, “Surround Sound”, “Game” and “Adaptive Sound”. The adaptive sound preset analyzes audio content to optimize its performance, allowing you to enhance dialogues to make them clearer and crisper. You can also press and hold the ‘Sound Mode’ button when the bar is off to activate the automatic volume mode, which balances the volume level between different programs.
The Samsung HW-Q600A offers a decent stereo soundstage and the focus is also good, so objects seem to come from a specific, sharp place rather than a general area.
The HW-Q600A series, in our opinion, has very good stereo dynamics, with a fairly high volume, which is handy if you want to use it in a large room or want to turn up the volume for parties. Also, there is not much distortion when listening at high volumes, resulting in a clear and pure audio reproduction.
One of the main features of this bar, is that it is compatible with Dolby Atmos, to listen to a more immersive sound. It has the Acoustic Beam system and projects the sound to the ceiling to take advantage of the channels for Dolby Atmos. If the ceiling is not very high, you get a good feeling, and you will be able to hear sounds above your head, although it is not as good as with the top model the HW-Q950A that has two physical speakers in the bar for Dolby Atmos plus two more in the rear speakers. This is because the sound that is emitted by the upper channels, is not very high so you get a good feeling but that could have been improved.
The soundbar also comes with sound enhancement features like Acoustic Beam virtual surround technology, which is supposed to help you get immersed in the sound. It also features Q-Symphony, which synchronizes the sound from the bar with that of a compatible Samsung TV to create a more immersive sound.
And if you want to enjoy more immersive sound, another advantage of the Samsung HW-Q600A is that you can buy the SWA-9100S rear speaker kit to form a 5.1.2 system. These two speakers connect to a wireless amplifier, so you don’t have to run wires from the speakers to the bar.
As for the Sony HT-G700 series, it features a 3.1 system with an excellent center channel. Thanks to its dedicated center speaker, it delivers clear and accurate audio reproduction of your favorite movie dialogue.
Sound quality Sony HT-G700 soundbar 3.1 Dolby Atmos sound bar
Sony’s HT-G700 uses Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine to simulate a Dolby Atmos experience by using its left and right speakers to mix that content in stereo. While its performance isn’t bad, it doesn’t provide as immersive a feel as the Samsung HW-Q600A which has two upward facing speakers.
Let’s explain a bit about how Sony’s Immersive AE mode works, which is actually a combination of two Sony audio technologies – Vertical Surround Engine, which provides height effects, and S-Force Pro for side-to-side surround effects. These two technologies may or may not be applied depending on the content you are listening to and the sound mode you have chosen. There is a dedicated button for this feature to enable or disable it.
Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro are automatically enabled, and are required, when viewing Dolby Atmos or DTS:X object-based content. When viewing 5.1 or 2.0 content, press (for example) the Cinema button and enable Immersive AE mode to enable both the Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro; disabling Immersive AE in Cinema mode disables the Vertical Surround Engine, but keeps S-Force Pro enabled.
With Music Mode, it behaves a bit differently, in that while Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro in Cinema Mode are turned on when you turn Immersive AE Mode on, both are turned off when you turn Immersive AE Mode off.
The Sony HT-G700 does not have a room correction function, so the sound may vary depending on the room. While you can adjust the subwoofer level, there is no bass or treble adjustment, which is a bit disappointing.
There are seven equalization presets to help you get the best sound for your audio system. There’s also a virtual surround function called S-Force PRO that’s always active, as well as its vertical surround engine ‘Vertical Surround Engine’ and DTS Virtual:X.
The frequency response of the Sony HT-G700 is decent. In ‘Standard’ mode, its subwoofer struggles to produce significant bass. However, the rest of the bass range is punchy and boomy, which may be appreciated by some listeners. Its treble is a bit underexposed, but can sound bright on some particularly high-pitched tracks.
The stereo soundstage is quite satisfactory and coupled with its high power, it is recommended for large rooms. However, at maximum volume, there are some compression and distortion artifacts that are audible when squeezed to the max. But at normal listening volumes, harmonic distortion is within good limits, resulting in pure and clean audio reproduction.
Final opinion Samsung HW-Q600A vs Sony HT-G700 Which is better?
Both the Samsung HW-Q600A and the Sony HT-G700 are two highly recommended options in the sub-€450 price range. They offer high power and punchy bass along with good clarity in vocals thanks to their center channel.
Both models feature Dolby Atmos audio support for a more immersive experience by being able to hear overhead sounds and a wider sound field.
But in our opinion, between the two soundbars we prefer the Samsung HW-Q600A to get an enhanced experience with Dolby Atmos. It gets a more realistic and more immersive sound thanks to the Acoustic Beam system. It also allows a more precise equalization adjustment being able to increase bass and treble and also has an audio system adaptable to the dimensions of the room.
Samsung HW-Q600A 3.1.2 soundbar review
Another benefit of the Samsung HW-Q600A is that it offers the possibility of adding two rear speakers via the SWA-9100S kit.
In summary, although we think both options are great products, in our opinion, the Samsung HW-Q600A is the one we recommend the most.
The price difference is not too great, although the Samsung HW-Q600A series is usually priced higher. However, there are occasions when the price is practically the same. Below are the prices of both models on Amazon, where you will always find the best price along with the best exchange and return service.
Features comparison Samsung HW-Q600A and Sony HT-G700
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether it is possible to add rear speakers to the Samsung HW-Q600A. The compatible rear speaker kit is the SWA-9100S, which consists of two speakers and a wireless module. The speakers are wired to this module and this module is connected to the light and connects wirelessly to the bar. With this, you would have a 5.1 channel system.
The Sony HT-G700 can deliver slightly more power than the Samsung HW-Q600A at 400W versus 360W.
