Compare Ultimea Nova S50 Soundbar vs Samsung HW-B650 Soundbar

Build quality receives a low mark from the most detailed written review, which describes the soundbar as visibly cheap.

Build quality was praised for sturdy construction, metal grilles, and a finish that felt premium for the price.

Design opinions are mixed: reviewers liked the tiny, slim, setup-friendly form, but one review said the bar itself looked cheap.

Design feedback was favorable, emphasizing a compact, sleek, premium-looking bar that fits neatly under TVs.

Voice clarity is a weakness in tougher scenes, with reports of clipped speech and muffled voices when bass dominates.

Vocal clarity was repeatedly praised, especially with the center channel making voices more focused and easy to hear.

Inter-speaker connectivity is a compromise: the wired subwoofer works, but reviewers disliked the non-wireless setup and tangly cable.

Optional rear speaker compatibility was viewed as useful upgrade potential, including a path toward a fuller surround setup.

Frequency balance is a recurring weakness, with pinched treble and excess bass or midbass depending on mode and bass setting.

Most reviews described balanced mids, neutral sound, or good music playback, though some modes could sound tinny and low bass was not always deep.

Detail retrieval is uneven, with one review saying treble nuance was lost while another heard very good definition in Atmos test material.

One detailed movie test praised the soundbar for keeping tiny effects audible and clear.

Presentation is mixed: one review found some TV scenes balanced, while another warned that excessive bass can overtake the sound and reduce clarity.

The system was described as balanced and cohesive, with components complementing each other well.

Dialogue clarity varies by content: some reviewers heard clear centered speech, while the written review found some dialogue hazy or clipped.

Dialogue clarity was the strongest point across reviews, with the dedicated center channel repeatedly making speech crisp, clear, and easy to follow.

Loudness is a consistent strength, with reviewers repeatedly surprised by how powerful and loud the small system can get.

Reviewers generally found the soundbar loud and powerful for small or medium spaces, but one review warned it may lack power and depth in larger rooms.

As a TV-speaker upgrade, it performs well for casual viewing, but reviewers do not treat it as a serious movie-lover soundbar.

Reviewers framed it as a strong home-theater upgrade over TV speakers, with useful connectivity and rear-speaker expansion potential.

Status indicators are useful because the front LEDs can be turned off to avoid distraction.

The front display/status indicator was considered simple but handy for seeing the selected input or mode.

Distortion performance is split: Tom's Guide heard bass peak at medium volumes, while video reviewers found it stayed clean at high volume.

High-volume performance was mixed: one review heard tinny or crackly treble, while others said it stayed clean without distortion.

HDMI ARC/eARC works well in use, with reviewers praising auto power behavior and TV remote volume control.

HDMI ARC/eARC was praised for letting the TV remote control volume and for clean, synced daily use.

Atmos height performance is the biggest caveat: reviewers found the effect virtual or misleading rather than true height-channel Atmos.

Reviews agreed that true Dolby Atmos is missing; DTS Virtual:X can help, but it does not fully replace real height-channel performance.

High-volume headroom impressed one reviewer, who said the bar still delivered its best at high volumes.

Dynamic handling was positive, with reviews noting less need to adjust volume between quiet and loud moments.

Remote usability is mixed-positive: one reviewer loved the remote, while another noted the play/pause button did not work for TV playback.

Remote feedback was mostly positive for comfort, responsiveness, and ease of use, with some caveats about limitations or the slim remote being easy to lose.

Low-volume performance is weak in the written review, where high frequencies still pinched even at low levels.

Low-volume and night listening received positive evidence through audible quiet effects and a night mode that keeps movies usable.

Audio format support is limited in practice: the S50 can decode Atmos, but a reviewer said it cannot really output it with only two front speakers and a subwoofer.

Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Virtual:X support helped create cinematic sound, but the lack of Atmos and surround downmixing limited the format story.

Soundstage height is limited because the soundbar lacks true height-channel capability, even if virtual effects can be spacious.

Virtual height effects were present and sometimes convincing, but they remained simulated rather than true Atmos height.

Subwoofer performance is mixed: it can deliver surprising bass and depth, but it can also become too much, peak, or hurt clarity.

The subwoofer was widely praised for punch, rumble, and movie impact, while a few reviews noted limited deep low-bass or large-room power.

Surround simulation is stronger than expected for a tiny 2.1 system, with reviewers hearing immersive movement and voices around them.

DTS Virtual:X and surround modes often created an immersive effect, but reviewers also noted that it is simulated and less reliable than true surround systems.

Optical input sounded similar to HDMI ARC to one reviewer, though ARC kept the advantage for TV remote volume control.

One owner recommended the wired optical connection as the best connectivity option for their setup.

Value for money is the strongest point, with reviewers repeatedly calling the S50 cheap, hard to beat, or astounding value.

Value was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling it impressive, affordable, or worth the money for the performance.

Setup simplicity is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers describing setup as easy, fast, and nearly plug-and-play.

Setup was consistently described as quick, easy, and straightforward across HDMI, optical, and Bluetooth use.

EQ customization is useful but inconsistent: reviewers liked having modes and bass adjustment, yet Music mode and bass-heavy presets drew criticism.

EQ and sound-mode customization helped improve playback, but several reviews said manual control was limited.

Bluetooth was described as quick through Bluetooth 5.3, with no reviewer reporting instability.

One review found Bluetooth streaming fast, stable, and free of dropouts for common apps.

On-device controls were described positively as discreetly placed on the side of the soundbar.

On-device controls were considered basic but useful and cleanly implemented.

One reviewer liked that the passive subwoofer did not need its own power supply, calling the setup neat.

The subwoofer cabinet construction received positive evidence because the wooden cabinet was linked to warmer, deeper bass tone.

The remote/control buttons drew praise for being tactile, even though broader control behavior was not uniformly perfect.

Room calibration evidence was mixed: one review called out the lack of room correction, while another praised AI Sonic-Adaptation.

Sustainability evidence was limited to one unboxing impression that the packaging looked eco-friendly.

One month-long user review reported intermittent TV disconnection, even though the soundbar otherwise worked well.

Weight and footprint are advantages, with reviewers praising the tiny, lightweight form and easy placement.

Bluetooth multi-connection was valued for easier switching between devices and phones.

Smart assistant integration was a weakness because reviewers noted the lack of voice assistant support.

Smart features were limited overall, but adaptive sound and phone/app control were useful where available.

One review specifically praised DTS Virtual:X for a 360-degree-like sound effect.

One review praised the separation of vocals and instruments during music playback.

Wired connectivity was a strength, with reviews praising the broad and versatile port selection.

Video passthrough was a weakness because one review noted the HDMI input does not support 4K passthrough.