Customer Ratings & Reviews

Pros Soundbar handles everything but the lows Subwoofer can potentially pressurize a small to medium room Virtual surround is realistic for a single sound source Solid build construction Fast startup when using Chromecast Good tonal balance for its size Neutral listening position Cons Wall mount doesn’t slide to match studs Limited adjustment of levels, bass and center Slightly elevated sibilance Considering what type of people this soundbar is targeting, it must be said this review comes from more of a novice audiophile with no technical equipment to do extensive testing or specialized room. Before reading further, it should be known that if your primary focus is on precise placement of sound effects in movies, you are better served by a traditional 5.1 setup with discrete speakers in each location. If your primary interest is in audio clarity, you value a clean and simple setup, and you don’t want to spend the money on a high end 5.1 setup or larger with separate speakers and independent amplifier targeted at audiophiles, then this review hopefully will be of some help. Design From opening the box you will notice that this soundbar isn’t targeting the average person. It isn’t some super slim soundbar with a tiny subwoofer box. It is a respectable large subwoofer and a thick, boxy, heavy soundbar with black anodized aluminum endcaps. It has some real weight to it and feels more substantial than the plastic boxes you are used to. Inputs are on in the center of the back. It has one toslink port, one aux port, and four HDMI ports, three if you use the preferred HDMI ARC option. It can either be placed on a surface or wall mounted. With an included IR blaster, it can pass the IR signal to your other components if they are blocked. The remote is surprisingly sparse. It has a soft touch matte black finish to help with grip with flat buttons. The only controls you have are to select an input, change volume, change center channel, change bass level, and select from three preset EQ levels. The preset EQs are music, night, and movie. Setup Installation is straightforward if you are setting this on the top of an entertainment center. Just choose the desired height and attach the included magnetic standoffs. If you wall mounting, the screw holes are 32” apart to match standard housing studs. Although thoughtful, it is rather rigid in implementation. Often, the studs aren’t exactly centered on the location where your TV is mounted so you can’t use the studs for a solid mount but instead must use anchors. An improvement on this design would be that instead of using two independent isolator discs to use an isolating bar that can be mounted to the studs and then the soundbar can be mounted anywhere on the bar. This would also permit minor adjustments if your measurements or level are slightly off. Included is a paper template to makes accurate placement and level easy. After choosing your exact connection setup, setting up on Wi-Fi is easy. Just add the device via the Google Home app. It’s worth noting that Chromecast and Bluetooth steaming are the only options. There is no Play-Fi, AirPlay, or other option for music streaming so higher resolution audio would need to come from an HDMI source. Performance For a Chromecast audio source, this soundbar has a near instantaneous response. If you haven’t used Chromecast before, some devices have a delay before the music you cast starts playing. From the moment you choose to cast to the Studio Advance to the point at which you are streaming music is rarely more than 1 second which is a refreshing change. Although streaming sources are limited, having a Chromecast device has advantages in that it doesn’t require another proprietary app. Firmware updates are automatic with no need to open the app. Startup when watching TV is also fast only taking a 2-3 seconds. This convenience comes a slight cost as the standby mode uses nearly as much power as when turned on. During testing, the soundbar used 10 watts on standby and 10 to 14 during usage. The subwoofer does at least go into a deeper standby if left alone using 0 watts when left alone for extended periods and between 10 watts on initial standby and average usage and up to 18 watts during times of heavier bass usage. It isn’t a lot but it’s worth keeping track of as you add additional Chromecast devices to your setup. The less that sleep fully, the more it will have an impact on your electric bill. Sound Quality Overall quality does set the Studio Advance apart from others, but the sound quality is where it really sets itself apart. It must be noted that there are other soundbars that can produce more positional sound for movies because of wireless surrounds but what sets the Studio Advance apart is tonal quality and overall sound reproduction. Using larger drivers in the main soundbar affords the Studio Advance the ability to use the soundbar itself for more than just highs. You get respectable midrange and up where it belongs instead of down on the floor like other designs. In fact, even if you unplug the subwoofer you can still get respectable sound. Try that with other ultra slim soundbars and the audio suddenly sounds like it is coming out of a tin can. Overall sound quality seems relatively neutral with only minor coloring. Probably the most noticeable shortcoming is a bit of elevated sibilance. Depending on the artist and volume, occasionally the s sounds can be a bit harsh. Fortunately, this seemed rare and even within songs exhibiting it, it was very brief. Overall perspective seems neither laid back nor forward unless you change the volume of the center channel. The soundstage, although on the smaller side, is quite good for a single soundbar solution. With all sounds coming from one place this is quite challenging so the fact that it can produce any soundstage is impressive. You can hear respectable placement of instruments, but some reverberation is lost in the process. Although lacking reverberation, it doesn’t sound flat but more that the recording was in a sound room versus an auditorium with hard walls. The macrodynamics are better than most, and certainly better than other soundbars, with the drum sounds having a proper amount of power you would expect as if you were there. If the drummer hits the stick on the side of the drum you hear a distinct impact with the nuances of the wood hitting the side of the metal on the drum and the sharp sound that come with it. The microdynamics are similarly better than most with subtle details of plucking a guitar string including the initial strong sound followed by hearing if the guitarist ran their finger across the string or how the note gradually fades away as the energy of the string dissipates. If they strum the string and then stop it, you can even hear their hand stop it and even if they are wearing a ring and it hits the wood of the guitar. During vocals, you can hear subtle breath control and sometimes even other aspects of how they control their voice with a good enough recording giving you more of a sense of a live performance. Of course, there is a good chance at some point you will want to watch movies with the Studio Advance and it doesn’t disappoint. Going back to keeping expectations in check, the surround sound is a virtual 5.1 surround. That said, positional audio is impressive considering the only speakers are directly in front. On some movies, like Bourne Legacy, you question how you are hearing sounds from locations where there are no speakers. In the beginning where the drone blows up the cabin you hear the initial explosion and feel the energy of the explosion and then realize that the sound is coming from all around. The impact of such an effect varies from one movie to the next but the fact that it can do this at all is very impressive. If the room isn’t too large and you have the doors closed, the subwoofer can mildly pressurize the room giving more impact to the scenes. The same happens when they first turn on the game system in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. As the drum sounds increase in intensity the room begins to rumble and you can feel your body shaking as if you are in the movie. It can do this in a 16x18 room with the doors closed but it is unlikely it could do this in much larger of a room. The fact that it is cable of such a feat at all in such a small package is a bit surprising. What also nice is because of the overall range of the soundbar, you aren’t left with dialog coming from the subwoofer on the floor. This translates to male voices being much more audible without turning up the volume unlike lesser systems. Final Thoughts It seems Definitive Technology had a very specific group in mind when they created the Studio Advance. Once could argue that better sound could be had from other systems, but it would be much harder to argue that better sound could come from a similar sized system. The Studio Advance would make a great addition as soundbar in the bedroom for an audiophile who is spoiled by their main system or someone who demands great sound in a compact package.

My family loves movie nights, and having a great home cinema makes it more enjoyable. This Definitive Technology soundbar system provides a powerful and high-quality sound for perfect setup home theater. The system came well packaged with enough protective foam and a soft cloth cover for each component. Connecting the sound system to the TV was quick and easy. The sub woofer automatically connected to the soundbar. Then, in my first attempt to connect the system to the TV using HDMI “ARC” (Audio Return Channel), the sound was not being transmitted. The HDMI ARC connection seams are the preferred method based on the manual. Since that did not work, I opted for the second-best option, Optical cable connection, and the speaker was receiving the audio. The following day, I gave the HDMI “ARC” connection another try but this time played with the TV’s system settings, and I was able to solve the issue. I had to let the TV know that the HDMI “ARC” port was to start sound all the time. Now when the TV gets turned on, the speaker automatically gets turned on. Also, the TV’s remote controls the sound systems whenever the TV is being used. I am glad I was successful in using the HDMI “ARC” connection because it enhances the use of the sound system. The system has three different modes to enhance the entertainment experience-- Music, Night, and Movie. The soundbar box has the four primary buttons-- “Power, source, Bluetooth, and the +/- Volume.” You will enjoy songs, movies and TV shows with its powerful 200-watt peak output wireless subwoofer and 5.1 front surround sound. Every sound comes to life in volume and clarity it deserves. The soundbar delivers precise mid and high frequencies, with deeper, more vibrant sounds. The subwoofer provides excellent deep, tight bass and no overhang sound. Vocal sound voices can be heard clear and more distinguishable from other sounds. The Bluetooth connects always work without any issue, and it allows for easier and wire-free connection from any device. Chromcast connection is another alternative to Bluetooth to connect a mobile device, but with this method, the mobile device must be using the same network/Wi-Fi as the sound system. The entire system is elegantly designed, sturdy and not made with cheap material-- the casing has a sleek side metal finish. Overall, this sound system does an excellent job.

In December of 2000, Best Buy purchased Magnolia Hi-Fi for 87 million dollars. At the time, Magnolia had only 13 stores (compared to Best Buy’s 400). While the original plan was to keep Magnolia stores open, Best Buy grew to over 1,000 physical stores and decided to merge the two businesses by morphing Magnolia into a showroom space that now houses the high end electronics that the average customer loves to demo, but typically cannot afford to take home. It is the Magnolia showroom that proudly features the 5.1 Studio Advance soundbar. While Definitive Technology has produced an excellent Soundbar system, I believe that the high price point will over shadow the quality and continue to shock most consumers away from the upper echelon electronics that Magnolia offers. In this case, the StudioAdvance Home Theater Soundbar does produce excellent quality sound with brilliant clarity and exceptional balance - But, Definitive Technology seems to prove that in order to experience true surround sound, you simply cannot place the source of all audio in one location (in front of the user). The downward facing subwoofer maintains a wireless connection without difficulty and produces a thunderous rumble with ease, but the soundbar simply doesn’t create an immersion that rivals less expensive surround sound set-ups (with front, center, & rear speakers). Where the system shines is with balance & power. Even at lower volumes, the audio is powerful and clean with the distinct ability to appropriately amplify dialogue in a way that is not lost among boisterous action effects. Thankfully, this set-up does correctly feature HDMI ARC with the ability to pass along 4K HDR from 3 sources. Your Roku or Apple TV, 4K Bluray Player, Video Game Console, etc are all plugged directly into the soundbar which is then connected to your TV’s HDMI ARC port with a single cable. This allows your television remote to automatically control the soundbar volume without the need for an extra remote. And while eliminating an additional remote is convenient, the soundbar does take a few seconds to interpret which source is passing along a signal to your tv. This means that when you turn your TV on, the user will often see a black screen while the Soundbar waits to receive a signal. The high cost may have been put to good use - as both build & overall sound quality are undeniable, but until the audio becomes more immersive - I simply cannot convince myself that the money is worth spending on this set-up. If the price is not high for you and you are not expecting surround sound - then this soundbar is worth purchasing. The rich / full audio is very pleasing and the soundbar and subwoofer are built to last. But, if you typically cannot afford electronics at this price range and are saving up for audio that will blow you away - I do not believe you will be satisfied with a soundbar. Definitive Technology checked all of the right boxes as they developed and build this system, but this home theater costs 5 times more than most soundbars and it simply does not sound 5 times better. CONS: - The 5.1 surround sound does not truly engulf the room or create the level of immersion that is produced with separate speakers placed around the room. - When using HDMI ARC, the soundbar takes several seconds to recognize which HDMI input is sending a signal to your TV. This means that your accessing your TV’s menus & shows takes longer than it would without the speaker. - The remote does not have the same impressive build quality as the speakers. The matte rubber attracts dust and oils from hands and feels as though it will not last as long as the soundbar & subwoofer. - The system does not come with hardware to mount the soundbar on the wall. It comes with spacers, but no actual screws - which at the premium price is unacceptable.

So opening the box was super great and the details that went into the Studio Advance were very specific which had me at first glance! When opening the box which was not overly big I saw these soft, cotton pouches which housed the soundbar and subwoofer. I would compare it to going to the jewelry store and taking home a piece and then opening up your purchase to see they put it in this very pretty satchel to house your high end belonging. Then came setup which was easy: unpackage, plug media into the speakers, point the silky matte black remote and test it out. I was up and going quickly. The sound was amazing and I played music videos all night from Fleetwood Mac, Marshmallow, Elvis, to sleep sounds (love the sound of thunder and rain). The crisp sound makes you just want to play more and more. We chose this for a condo out in the country that needed something that packed great sound and various features while saving space and not compromising in sound. My family always jokes about my Google Assistant but the minute they want to have a mini dance party they learn to appreciate it, so I am glad that the soundbar has it built in! We recently picked up VR games with music which has been muscled up by adding the Chromecast feature to the Studio Advance. I could honestly go on so please feel free to ask more about it and I'll answer! There are movies, music and night mode. Another primary reason for getting the Studio Advance was to be conscious of my neighbors and with the built-in Night Mode, it alters how sound is played at night. The subwoofer being Bluetooth makes it easy to move and finally, you can tailor the center speaker to make sure the quality of sound makes sense for me and my movies, gaming or music. I have complained for years that soundbars are great but sometimes you lose the voice-over loud bangs in movies. With the ability to adjust the center I have full control of my user experience based on what I am doing. If I could have one in each bedroom I would just because I am in awe of the simplicity and beauty!

I previously had Polk, Boston, and Klipsch 5.1 systems. Wife was tired of black boxes and wires. We moved to new house and went with two of these soundbars for streamlined looks. Dialogue with highs and lows is very good. Sound is better than LG, Samsung, Sonos, and Bose. However, it's not as emersive as rear speakers can be added to these systems. DT must add speakers, Atmos, and second sub ability to future systems. I believe there is a market for a system at the 2k price point. Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar is the new gold standard but too expensive.

Great sound but had issues setting it up at the house.

The Definitive 5.1 Channel soundbar provides an excellent quality sound when watching movies, sports and music channels on our television. I needed a better, higher quality home theater sound due to the large den where our television is mounted. The Definitve soundbar has an excellent subwoofer base and overall surround sound that has made a huge difference when watching television.

Had the original W Studio bar and purchased this since now all my sources and displays are minimum 4K capable and this will do 4K pass through. Integrating with Google Home is interesting but effective. My recommendation is to run your sources to your display and then use the ARC out to the soundbar as opposed to running your sources to the bar then to the television. Sound quality is great with clear vocals and punch bass. Recommended!

Bought this on sale and I feel it was well worth the price. Clarity & bass is amazing !!! My only real complaint is that it isn't expandable to add rear speakers in conjunction.

The best sound quality hands down! I never expected this Soundbar would produce such detail and crisp. And the subs just deliver good lows. I have been using AV receivers for a long time from 5.1 to 7.1.2 setup and had owned several speaker brands from wharfedale, Fluance, Polk and Klipsch. I decided to get a Soundbar For a minimalist setup for our living room. Had listened to several samsung bars but it lacks treble and lows. Those advertised having Dolby Atmos and surround sound does not really deliver in actual listening. The Sony Soundbar sounds better but didn’t like the design. I only read few reviews for this Definite technology studio advance But this was on Magnolia area so I was thinking this was high end. First time I’ve heard and it surprised me a lot! Playing music was like listening to my earlier stereo setup on Denon receiver+Polk speakers. Watching movies was also great. Although it does not have Dolby Atmos or surround speakers, selecting the MOVIES preset produced its own surround implementation to have a pseudo 5.1 effect. If you’re an audio purist and want a minimalist setup, this is the soundbar you should try.

I purchased a couple of sound bars prior to this one, including the LG SN10YG and the Samsung Q80. The performance of those was decent at best, with inconsistent performance on vocals, especially when the movie scenes have a lot of other sound going on. The LG actually distorts quite a bit at mid-high to high volumes. I was very nervous to get this sound bar for two reasons: 1) It doesn't have Dolby Atmos and 2) I had never heard of Definitive Technology, so I was afraid it was going to be one of those brands that charge more money for just the looks of "class." I was dead wrong on the second one. This sound bar sounds incredibly good. The lack of Atmos is also not that big of a deal given that a sound bar can't properly replicate it anyway. I am very picky about sound and this sound bar has checked every box on the sound quality front, wether it is movies or music. It's also very well built with quality materials. I am now a "DefTech" fan. Will be purchasing more of their products. At regular price, it is worth it, but has some competition. At sale price.... Don't get anything else.

I love the Bose 700 sound bar with its sw module. However, you pay a hefty, hefty price for both $1500. This DT sound bar comes with the subwoofer half price of the Bose. I am very happy. Its sound quality is crystal clear and I get more bass from the subwoofer.

Definitive consistently produces to notch sound. Beyond happy with this purchase regardless of the fact it doesn’t have Atmos. The sub thumps real good!

I’m really pleased with the sound quality of this sound bar. I’ve been impressed with DT after hearing their surround sound setups and being impressed by their subs. I wanted a new sound bar for our bedroom and the sound quality of this is crisp and clear. Enjoyable at low volumes while our daughter is asleep down the hall while still having clean bass. At higher volumes it’s still as you’d expect. The construction is solid and has good weight to it definitely doesn’t feel cheap like so many things today. Very nice high quality sound bar you should really enjoy!

Fantastic system. The sound quality is surprisingly great especially for a soundbar and the price when I purchased it was amazing!

Great sounds. Woofer has great base. Don’t need extra speakers

Exceptional sound quality. Very easy to setup works with both my Alexa and google products. Everything bluetooth custom setting no complaints at all very satisfied with my purchase.

Audiophile alert. Very nice sounding system. Tight bass and crystal clear mid and high range frequencies. Sleek and stylish. Watching movies and playing music is a pleasure. The set up app is a bit clunky and connectivity was an issue a first but this is a good product comparable to other high sound bars.

Awesome sound quality and wonderful improvement in clarity. Easy to set up. Well worth the money.

Everything stated in previous reviews holds up. I’m impressed with the quality here and though the price was steep (even being $300 off) it’s the perfect size for my entertainment center. Nice full dynamics, clear L/R panning, very easy to setup and use for just about anything. Packaging was also nice and thoughtful: included HDMI, Optical, Magnetic Risers, Wall Mount, and of course basic power supply and cables.