Design and build:

Samsung HW-A650 and HW-B650 soundbars have a black rectangular design. The B650 is slightly larger in width than the A650. The bars are made of plastic and covered with metal grille. It also has a fabric covering which will need care. You need to clean off the dust and protect it from kids or pets. The subwoofer is made of wood and fabric. They are wall mountable and overall, the build quality is great.

Performance:

Samsung HW-A650 and HW-B650 are 3.1 channel soundbars. They have a total of 6 speakers. They both come with 6” subwoofer. Comparing Samsung A650 vs B650, the differences are subtle. You can say the similarities are more than the dissimilarities. Both the soundbars have high SPL around 95 dB. They are great for parties, but they should be placed in small to medium sized rooms so that they do not sound ‘too tiny’.

Samsung A650 soundbar has a good and wide soundstage with an average accuracy. While the sounds can follow objects on screen, it could be better. In terms of surrounds, the performance is somewhat poor, but we did not expect much from a 3.1 soundbar system. To get more powerful surrounds, simply add the compatible Samsung SWA-9100S surround speakers. Bass response is quite good for compact spaces. It is refined and adds punch to the sound. That said, it will not be room shaking.

The bar has balanced mids and with a dedicated center channel, the dialogues are crystal clear. This means the bar is suitable for dialogue-heavy contents and TV shows. Instead of Dolby Atmos, the bar works with Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual: X to deliver a broad soundfield. This works and is a great improvement compared to TV sound. Use the equalization option to tweak the sound as per your preference. Also, try using the Adaptive Sound Lite that enhances the sound as per content type.

Samsung HW-B650 follows the same path of the A650 model. It is released a year after A650 in 2022. It focuses on producing a realistic 3D sound. Voices are intelligible even during whispers or quiet conversations. Bass from the 6” subwoofer is tight and enjoyable. Use the Bass Boost option to enhance the low ends. Similar to the A650, it has a wide soundstage. Compared to A650, the B650 might add a little brightness to its sound.

The soundbar has decent surrounds and it will work with SWA-9100S and SWA-9200S speakers. With dedicated rear speakers, the overall bubble of sound will be more powerful, and you will feel like you are in the middle of movie scenes. While playing music, the sound remains enjoyable and there were accurate representations of instruments. The bar can get slightly louder than the A650 model. It does not have any noticeable distortion at high volume.

Features: 

Samsung A650 and B650 have limited features as they do not support Chromecast or Airplay. With the absence of Wi-Fi, there is no playback of contents from online sources. For these, you can have a look at Samsung Q990C model.

Connectivity:

The bars have similar connection ports with 1 optical port, 1 HDMI out, 1 HDMI In and USB port. With both optical and HDMI, users can connect both new and older TV models. These models will connect to Bluetooth TVs wirelessly eliminating the need of wires throughout the room. None of them support Wi-Fi, they only have Bluetooth.

With Bluetooth, you can connect to two devices at once. This means you will not be able to access online contents from well known streaming services like Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora, etc.

Control options:

The soundbars have the following physical controls: volume, power and switch input. A handy remote is available that can be used to control settings, sound modes, sub volume, etc. None of the bars have voice assistant support. For that, you can have a look at Samsung Q990B model.

Settings:

Along with features and controls, the soundbars have similar audio settings. They have virtual surround mode, bass and treble level adjustment. You can also choose different sound modes (Surround Sound Expansion, Adaptive Sound Lite, Bass Boost, Game Mode, Standard). Comparing Samsung A650 vs B650, some additional options are available in the B650. It has voice mode and night mode. The night mode is a great option to use if you do a lot of nighttime watching.

Both these soundbars are available for around $200. The A650 model is slightly cheaper than the B650.

FAQ:

How to improve the surround sound of Samsung B650?

Since Samsung HW-B650 soundbar is upgradable, you have the option to simply purchase and pair an additional surround speaker. The price of Samsung SWA-9100 and 9200 are also affordable. Instead of having surrounds speakers, you can choose virtual surround mode or adaptive sound lite options. Or, you can simply replace the bar with a better model like Samsung Q990.