A couple of months back, I got my hands on the Marshall Heston 60, a great small-sized soundbar that delivered impressive Dolby Atmos, fantastic dialogue clarity, and a gorgeous design. It’s a compact model, and a more-than-capable rival to the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which for some time has been well ahead of the competition, as far as small Atmos-enabled soundbars go.
But alongside the Marshall Heston 60, I also got to try out the Marshall Heston Sub 200. This wireless sub can pair with the Heston 60 – or indeed the larger Marshall Heston 120 – and is designed to take deep cinematic soundtracks to the next level. I paired it with the Heston 60 for some additional testing, and as you may expect, I was very satisfied with the performance on offer.
The real question, though, is: should you really splash the cash to get this combo? The Heston 60 may be one of the best soundbars in its size class, but even alone it costs $699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999, while the Sub 200 comes in at $599.99 / £429.99 / AU$899. That’s just under $1,300 / £930 / AU$1,900 in total. Considering that a fantastic pre-packaged combo like the Samsung HW-Q800F regularly sells for less than $750 / £600 / AU$800, Marshall has some serious competition.
So, I tried the Heston 60 and Sub 200 together and compared it to the Samsung HW-Q800F, in order to find out if Marshall’s duo is really worth buying. Here’s my verdict after hours of testing.
Soundin’ good
Let’s start where it matters most, and talk about sound quality. As you’d expect, both combos excel in this department. For example, when I threw on a 4K UHD disc of The Mask, I was struck by The Heston 60 and Sub 200’s ability to accurately map the titular character’s chaotic and cartoonish movements as he spun across the TV screen. Atmos effects were generally replicated nicely, with accurately positioned dialogue, and expansive overall audio.
One small difference I realized was that the Samsung HW-Q800F – which is one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars – is that it created a more believable sense of verticality. In Top Gun: Maverick – during the scene in which Tom Cruise flies a fighter jet up and over Ed Harris – the height of the move was noticeable from Marshall, but the Q800F conjured up a more defined and convincing upward impression.
But how about bass? When I tested the Heston 60 on its own, I thought that it delivered fairly strong low-end output for a small-sized model, but adding the Sub 200 changes everything. When watching The Boy and the Heron, low-end rumble during a high-octane scene was powerful and regimented, never overpowering dialogue or sounding uncontrolled. The Sub 200 has a 236W maximum power output, and that raw energy really helped add some oomph to the sound of a jet engine firing up in Top Gun: Maverick, for example.
I have to say, the Samsung HW-Q800F sounded phenomenal in the low-end, though, supplying mesmerizing bass in the aforementioned scene from The Boy and the Heron. It really was room-swallowing stuff, but again, there was never a sense that details in the mid or treble ranges were obscured or lost.
Overall, I thought that both of these soundbar-sub combos sounded brilliant. The Samsung duo was overall stronger, in part due to the bar being full-sized, with more power and expansiveness on offer.
But given the stricter confines of the Heston 60, it still held its own to a commendable degree. And adding the Sub 200 into the mix makes for a powerful and well-balanced pair. In fact, both the Sub 200 and the Q800F’s compact subwoofer performed fantastically, and are ideal for anyone hoping to experience that cinematic low-end rumble.
The look of luxury
Outside of sound, the Marshall Heston 60 and Sub 200 have plenty of positives going for them. When it comes to features, there’s a lot to drill into, with placement compensation, EQ options, Auracast connectivity and more. You can link the soundbar and sub together in the Marshall app too, which makes it easy to adjust their respective levels, volume, and sound modes.
It’s a similar story for the Q800F too. There’s a ton to check out in the SmartThings app from Samsung, which also lets you alter channel levels, sound modes, speech or bass enhancements toggles and the like. There’s not a whole lot that separates the two models in this regard – both deliver heaps of functionality.
I’d argue that one of the main reasons to buy the Heston 60 and Sub 200 over a pre-packaged rival, though, is their gorgeous design. The soundbar has gorgeous golden details, appealing frets, and eye-catching faux-leather outer casing. Meanwhile, the sub is compact, understated, and beautifully finished, meaning the duo just ooze luxury.
While the Q800F is well-built and also offers a smaller-sized sub, it looks like just about every other soundbar on the market. A chunky black bar and box, with nothing particularly stand out. The model is well built, and by no means bad to look at, but it offers nothing special in the looks department.
My verdict: is the Heston 60 and Sub 200 combo really worth it?
Ultimately, do I think you should buy the Marshall Heston 60 and Sub 200 over a top-notch pre-packaged soundbar and sub combo? Honestly, my answer would depend on your specific needs.
If you need a compact bar for a smaller TV or unit, then the Heston 60 is an excellent choice, and the Sub 200 unlocks some serious low-end potential. Yes, buying them separately will cost you a small fortune, but both units are fantastically built, wonderful-looking, and highly repairable through Marshall directly.
For anyone with a little more space, I think that you could get a bit more bang for your buck, though. The Samsung HW-Q800F is an unbelievably good soundbar-sub pair – I mean, I even scored it five stars in my review! It can do just about everything Marshall’s duo can do, sounds even better, and won’t set you back anywhere near as much. It does, however, lack the premium aesthetic of the Heston 60 & Sub 200, which leads me to my alternative option.
Yes, there is another way! Instead of buying either of these, you could instead go for the Marshall Heston 120. This is a full-sized all-in-one soundbar, which is not only a terrific performer, but an absolute joy to behold.
The Heston 120 dishes out seriously deep bass on its own, so even though you can pair it to the Sub 200, most will likely be satisfied with its standalone performance. It also brings crystal clear dialogue clarity, top-notch musicality, and awesome Dolby Atmos to the table. It can’t compete with these combos for pure power, but it’s got plenty of it regardless. If you want to combine that classy retro-style aesthetic with premium performance, this is well-worth considering.
The best soundbars for all budgets
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
