I swapped my soundbar and sub combo for an all-in-one alternative – here's why I'm never going back

As a resident Reviews Writer here at TechRadar, I’ve tested some truly phenomenal gadgets and gizmos, ranging from the best headphones on the planet through to the best Bluetooth speakers. But despite how many impressive products I see, there’s the occasional stand-out release, and the Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar was certainly one of them.

With roaring bass output, awesome Dolby Atmos effects and an abundance of smart features, I was delighted with the soundbar’s talents, awarding it four-and-a-half stars in my Samsung HW-Q800D review.

But recently, I decided it was time for a change and traded my multi-box Samsung set-up for an all-in-one alternative. Why? Well… I’ll reveal that in a moment. But the soundbar in question is the Marshall Heston 120, which packs room-swallowing bass, stellar spatial audio effects and jaw-dropping beauty into one standalone bar.

Still, was it really worth dropping my 360W setup with a rumbling sub for a 150W one-box rival? Yes, yes it was. So, let’s uncover why that’s the case…

The noisy neighbor… was me all along

I live in an apartment, and not one that's on the ground floor. And look, I love booming bass as much as anyone… more than most, in fact – but the raw might of the HW-Q800D sometimes felt like overkill for my neighbors.

When watching movies at night – especially those with imposing, bass-heavy scores – I would be hurrying to switch Night mode on through the Samsung Smart Things app. And even then, I sometimes would have to dial down the sub manually, to ensure I wasn’t rousing my lower-floor neighbors from deep slumber.

So, if like me, you live in an apartment complex, especially if you’re in a smaller-sized room and not on the ground floor – a big sub might not be the best move for you.

Since switching to the Marshall Heston 120, I’ve found that night-time viewing is a lot more seamless and worry-free. Yes, the Heston 120 produces incredibly impressive low-frequency audio for an all-in-one bar, but I’m not getting the same floor-shaking rumble that the Q800D dished out.

And if bass power is still a little much, I can still simply switch on Night Mode and adjust the level to ‘high’ in the revamped Marshall app. Easy as you like.

Even if you live in a detached property or don’t have to worry about neighbors for whatever reason, I’d still highly recommend the Marshall Heston 120, though. For most, it will already have enough power to make movie nights that bit more memorable.

But it also has an RCA port, enabling you to connect the soundbar up to any external wired sub. I tried hooking the Heston 120 up to a mega sub from Q Acoustics recently, and the results were mindblowing.

There’ll also be a compatible subwoofer arriving directly from Marshall in the future, dubbed the Heston Sub 200. So if you have the capacity for a multi-box setup, I’m sure this will make your viewing experiences incredibly immersive too.

If looks could kill…

OK, so I’m a lot less worried about noise complaints now, but there was something else that really drew me to the Marshall Heston 120. And that’s its incredibly charming retro design, which hooked me from the second I laid eyes on it.

I attended the unveiling of the Heston 120 at Marshall’s Stockholm HQ and I was told that the team was incredibly keen to make its first ever soundbar stand out among a homogenous market filled with hulking black bars. And this is exactly what they did.

The Heston 120 is, to be fair, a hulking black bar. But it's not just that – it has Marshall’s amp-making heritage in its DNA, rocking a wraparound speaker grille, three knurled metal control dials, and a golden Marshall logo positioned right in the center. Golden details and classy red LEDs top off a beautifully crafted product that’s eye-catching, yet classy.

I don’t mind the look of the Samsung HW-Q800D at all. It's got a solid, angular build that screams durability. But in all honesty, it's slightly chunky and lacks the finesse of the Heston 120. If you want your soundbar to be a statement piece as well as a source of sensational cinematic sound, Marshall’s one and only soundbar is a cut above.

A musical maestro, right at the heart of my living room

I’ve spoken a lot about design elements that make the Heston 120 a better fit for my living space, but something I wanted to touch on is performance – specifically, musical performance.

When I tested the Samsung HW-Q800D, I was impressed, overall, with its handling of music. I was treated to excellent depth for dark bass hits, solid instrument separation, and rich mids to boot. But the Heston 120 took things to a new level.

Marshall's soundbar whipped up an incredibly expansive, wide impression when I listened to tunes via Tidal Connect. With Atmos music, guitars sounded as if they were coming from the corners of my room, vocals were pushed forward and percussion danced across the width of the bar.

But stereo music really wowed me, with the Heston 120 offering trouble-free channel separation, subtle detailing and plenty of breathing room for each instrument to express itself as intended.

If want to open yourself up to the best musical experience a soundbar can supply, the Heston 120 is a no-brainer pick. A sidenote to that is you’re even able to connect one of the best record players up to the soundbar via RCA (as long as it has a phono stage built-in) – pretty cool!

A final note

So, there you have it, the Marshall Heston 120 is the soundbar for me. It suits my living space, it's a real work of art and it has the performance – especially music-wise – to keep me more than satisfied.

But I want to hammer one thing home – the Samsung HW-Q800D is still an excellent multi-box soundbar. I mean, it’s our overall pick for best Dolby Atmos soundbar for good reason!

It might not be optimal for my small apartment, but if you’ve got the right setup, I highly recommend it. Especially as it can be found on sale quite regularly now – as low as £549 in the UK. That’s a considerable chunk less than the Marshall Heston 120, which has a list price of $999 / £899 / AU$1,799.

So, will you be grabbing the Marshall Heston 120? What’s your setup like? I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights in the comments, so please let me know!

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