Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Enjoy crisp audio with our Samsung Sound + soundbar setup and unboxing guide

Soundbars provide a great way to boost your TV’s audio output for a reasonable price. At less than $500, Samsung’s Sound + HW-MS650 is an excellent option, offering powerful, balanced sound and a litany of useful features to bolster your home theater. To help you get started, our Samsung Sound + soundbar setup and unboxing guide will walk you through all the important information, so you don’t have to call customer service to get everything up and running.

What’s in the box?

In addition to the Sound +, you will find the following:

  • An A/C power cable
  • An optical cable for digital connection
  • A remote with two batteries
  • A wall mount template and a user manual
  • Wall mount brackets
  • Feet extensions
  • A cable management clip
Recommended Videos

The soundbar does not come with HDMI cables or the drywall anchors or screws you need for mounting purposes.

Hardware setup

All the ports and jacks are located on the bottom of the soundbar, rather than its rear. There is a power port, an optical port, a jack for a wireless subwoofer dongle (not included), an auxiliary jack, and HDMI in+out (with ARC support). There is also a port which routes power to a Samsung TV so you can reserve an extra wall outlet if need be.

Speaking of HDMI ARC, that should be your first priority when it comes to TV connection. If you don’t have an appropriate cable, though, optical will work fine as well; just make sure to remove the plastic caps from the ends.

There are also two buttons hidden in a small alcove to the right of the ports. Here you will find the “Wi-Fi Setup” button, which will enable the soundbar to connect wirelessly with a Samsung TV, and the ‘SPK ADD” button, used to connect with the Samsung mobile app.

Features and design

The attractive soundbar is clothed in black and carbon gray, with speaker mesh across the front and a few onboard control buttons on the right side. Frankly, it is unlikely you will be using these, given the inclusion of a remote, but it is nice to know they exist in case you run out of batteries (or if the remote decides to disappear inside a couch).

The remote itself has some cool features, including dedicated bass control, surround sound activation, and sound mode switching. If you have a Samsung One Remote and a matching Samsung TV, you can use that remote to control the soundbar via the TV’s interface.

Software setup

To get the soundbar working properly with your TV, head into the audio settings and switch “sound out” to Optical/HDMI ARC. If you want to listen to music with the soundbar, Samsung’s Connect app can be fairly useful. Once downloaded, it will walk you through the steps to connect to your soundbar, and it offers compatibility with tons of popular music streaming apps.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
These 8 out of 10 headphones have an incredible early Prime Day deal
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4

Amazon's Prime Day 2025 is fast approaching, but there's no need to wait if you're looking for headphone deals as we've already found one that you shouldn't miss. The retailer has slashed the price of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 by 30%, bringing them down to $315 from $450 originally. The $135 discount on these wireless headphones may not last long though, so if you want to get them for a more affordable price than usual, hurry with your purchase so you don't lose this chance.

BUY NOW

Read more
You Asked: Budget Sony OLED? Does TV Tech Surpass Human Perception?
You Asked Ep 97

On today’s episode of You Asked: Panasonic Mini LED or LG QNED? What’s the best Sony OLED to get that won’t cost you as much as the A95L? And with such good sound and picture quality from the latest TVs and speakers, how much more can they even improve?

Panasonic W95A vs. LG QNED80T

Read more
Hisense U6 4K TV on sale in early Prime Day deal — 85-inch model is 30% off
Hisense 2025 ULED TV U6 Series.

Prime Day 2025 won't officially start until next week, but Amazon already slashed the prices of some 4K TVs for those who can't wait to buy upgrades for their home theater setup. Here's an offer that you should consider -- the 85-inch Hisense U6 Series 4K TV for $1,398, following a 30% discount on its original price of $2,000 for savings of $602. If that screen's too large for you, you can also get the 65-inch model for $662 instead of $1,000 for a 34% discount, or savings of $338, and the 55-inch model for $480 instead of $800 for a 40% discount, or savings of $320. These TV deals will only be available for a limited time, so you better hurry as it doesn't look like they'll still be around when Prime Day launches.

Buy Now

Read more