Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

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Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Model: SC-HTB520
SKU: 2504933
UPC: 885170030381
Enjoy 240 watts of impressive audio with this powerful soundbar and wireless subwoofer. The down-firing subwoofer directs audio downward for dynamic bass.
Average Customer Rating:
4.645 out of 5
4.6
 out of 
5
(31 Reviews) 31
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 31 reviews
5 stars
23
4 stars
6
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
0
97% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
30 out of 31
)
Customer Reviews for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer
Review 1 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Big sound little package.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: mta6942066
from york,pa
on 04/02/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Sound, easy to setup, kickin sub
What's not so great: My neighbors complain. lol
I bought a 50" panasonic plasma 1080p tv 2 years ago and have been looking for surround sound ever since. The problem i'm having is i'm a neat freak with wires and i really didn't feel like running wires in the walls. I've done it before and while its neat and 5.1 or 7.1 sounds awesome for me its not worth it. So I decided to go with a sound bar that match my brand tv. The viera link is awesome. I will say since i was able to use the arc hdmi input on my tv it made things a lot easier. I have not had a problem with my wifi, like others have had. But i did place my wireless sub in the back of the room. The manufacture recommends placing the sub atleast 6.5ft away from a wifi network. The sound is quite good and the sub has plenty of kick. For the price and ease and having a total of three wires (sound bar plug,hdmi cable and sub plug). I really coundn't be happier. I will say i probably woundn't go with a soundbar if you have a fairly large room. Something like a 15x20 or bigger or longer. Also the soundbar comes with little stands to keep it up off the entertainment stand and up over the tv stand base.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options, hdmi arc
About me... Casual movie watcher, gaming, music lover
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

easy installation and good sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Colleen57
from Pasco, WA
on 02/16/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up
What's not so great: none
We were very happy with this sound bar. Very easy to install and provided good sound quality.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

I made the right call

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: ReubenInWisco
from Wisconsin
on 02/07/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Stylish, Easy, Space Friendly, Nice Sound
What's not so great: No EQ
I was looking around originally for a soundbar for around 350$. I did alot of internet research and saw alot oof comments. This bar was slightly more expensive, but is better from what I can tell to the alternative. If you do not want to pay the extra money, the next best Soundbar was the sony in the price range. Both the Polk Audio 3000 and Boston tvee 25 were terrible IMO. Obviously, everything sounds different at the store than it does at home, but anything of a higher mark from these products sky rocket in price. Great sound w/ the ability to control Sub woofer power. I also have a Panasonic TV so the Viera link was nice. If you have smaller the a 42 inch it may look wierd because it is that long. Watching tv with a sub woofer takes some getting used to so dont think it is over powering, you are just getting the lower end sounds. The one knock is there is no EQ or audio controls as they are locked when the tv speakers turn off. For the price I say go for it.
This product has... Easy to use controls
About me... Casual movie watcher, big time video gamer
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Love it!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: rice
from ohio
on 02/01/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: the surround sound it gives you
What's not so great: nothing
A lot of sound in a small package! Great bass, crisp and clear sound. Panasonic products always last FOREVER!(at least 20yrs for everthing I've owned from them)
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options, Great DVD upconversion
About me... Avid movie watcher, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

An all-around amazing surround-sound experience.

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: tboschma
from San Dimas, CA
on 01/26/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Attractrive, exceeds expectations, highly recommended to any audiophile. Too easy to use controls, and I love it.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Casual movie watcher, Love to stream movies, channel-hopper
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

great sound at a great price!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: ktb731
from Jacksonville, FL
on 01/26/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: easy to set up, great sound
What's not so great: didn't have all the cords you need to setup.
I bought this as a Christmas present for my fiance and it was/is a huge hit! The sound is great and it was very easy to set up. The one negative was that it doesn't come with one of the cords you need to connect it with the TV, so we had to buy that before we were able to set it up. Not a big deal, just a little annoying. Overall, we are very happy with this product!
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Average Value

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Mari22me
from San Ramon CA
on 01/25/2012
Ease to Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Value for Price
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: Easy to set-up and use
What's not so great: No sound mode options (movie, game etc), can't be used with iPod, computer etc , no Bluetooth.
If you're looking for a simple plug n play soundbar, this is it. I used a optical digital audio cable to hook it up to my tv and an HDMI cable for the Blu-ray player (no hook-up cables are supplied). Comes with a stand and wall installation hardware. If you have a Panasonic VIERA TV, it can be linked to this soundbar...that's it.
For the same discounted price, I bought an LG (LSB316) 2.1 Ch Home Theater Soundbar w Wireless Subwoofer, which included the optical cable. This unit has different sound modes, inputs for display, FL dimmer, portable audio (like MP3 player or iPhone), and 2 optical digital audio cables and has bluetooth capability. I like this unit better but they didn't have it for the discounted price when I wanted a second soundbar.
While I like the sound better on the LG, the Panasonic sound is comparable. Plus, for some reason, the LG gets the "hiccups" if you adjust the sound too fast and you have to change channels to get it unstuck, which can be a pain. If you want something simple to set-up (including the wireless subwoofer) with really good sound, this is the 'bar for you.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Budget Conscious, Avid movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great, crisp sound quality

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Sako
from MD
on 01/25/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Very clear sound and great quality porduct
The speakers produce very clear and crisp sound.
Subwoofer is great as well, just loud enough to feel the base.
If you're looking for a LOUD speaker set, this might not be the right choice for you.
Setting up was very easy, I used the HDMI ARC port on my Panasonic plasma TV, which means I have 1 less available HDMI port now.
Speaker has a separate remote, so it has to be turned "on" and "off" separately from TV... 1 more remote to get lost and spend an hr to look for!
Because i used the ARC connection, I can control the volume of the speakers through my TV remote, I'm not sure if TV remote could be used to adjust speaker volume if other connection method is used.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Avid movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Works Great!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: SJM12
from Albany
on 01/19/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I have a smaller living room and the sound from this product fills the room and booms with sound and bass. I love it!
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

great sound and ease of installation

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: dpercell80
from wichita falls, tx
on 01/18/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: sound
sounds very good. all it took was a HDMI to hook up. sound is heard throughout the room very well without having to crank up the bar all the way. once plugged in a separate remote is not needed. the tv remote is all u need so not a bunch of remotes hanging around
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options, good mounting hardware included, low profile
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

great sound without running a bunch of wires

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: drapehanger
from fort worth Tx.
on 01/18/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: simple and lokks good
What's not so great: confusing directions on setup
This unit looks awesome and has great sound. The only thing that irritated me was the instructions. they were not easily understood. After talking to an expert online and 2 trips to the Geek Squad i still had no sound. I purchased 2 HDMI cables and nobody at the store at that time could tell me how to hook it up right. Finally I went and talked to one of the guys in theaudio dept. and he told me all I needed was 1 optical cable. wht do know it worked. Also the picture in the instruction book was very confusing as to how to instll the battery in the remote but finally figured it out. I would like to be able to program my ATT uverse remote to operate the sound bar.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
1out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

E Z Setup, excellent for a small room

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Joe6485
from Beaumont, TX
on 01/16/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: E Z setup, and wireless subwoofer
What's not so great: Small subwoofer
I purchased this product along with a Panasonic P65VT30 3D Plasma TV and a Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray DVD player just before Xmas. This product complements my P65VT30 Plasma 3D TV. Set-up is very easy, however you need an HDMI cable to complete connection to the TV. If your wireless router or other wireless games are within close proximity of the sound bar or wireless subwoofer, you need to separate them by about 6' from the sound bar or subwoofer as the sound bar signal interferes with all other wireless systems in vicinity. At first, I experienced wireless connection problems when I attempted to connect my new TV and DVD player to the internet to check for updates. After losing connection several times, I finally relocated my wireless router to the opposite side of my stereo cabinet (5.5') away from the wireless subwoofer, and all worked well. The sound bar comes with its own compact remote to control volume and bass. However, once connected to the TV using the Viera Link program, the sound bar volume is controlled with the TV remote. This works well, however, you lose the ability to control the bass once connected using the Viera Link program. Volume is excellent, however, bass is a little week. I had my subwoofer on the carpet, and then place it atop a piece of laminate flooring. The bass improved significantly, however, still not as loud as I had expected. This unit will sound terrific if used in a small room of a size no larger then 11'x11'. Overall, a good purchase, at a good sales price, and easy to connect. The wireless subwoofer is a nice feature, however, sound quality could benefit from a larger subwoofer for a much deeper and louder bass.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options, excellent sales price @ best buy
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher, avid techy person who stays updated on latest, electronics especially tv's dvd and phones.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

simple set-up and great sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: CVCJ
from Green Valley
on 01/14/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up
5 stars
Great sound for the money. Easy set up. Would recomend.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Avid movie watcher, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great compliment to 46" Plasma TV!!!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: nuvifile
from Mn
on 01/13/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Sound quality fills the room perfectly, and easy to set up.
I love how the sound fills the bedroom we use this system in. Perfect.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Casual movie watcher, Parent with movie watching kids, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Awesome product!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: RHowerton
from San Antonio, Texas
on 01/12/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Nothing yet!
Love this soundbar. It delivers great surround sound and was easy to install! I have all Panasonic products, so the Viesta link makes set up so simple.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Great Product

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Acerqueira703
from Somerville, MA
on 01/11/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: great price, great quality, great sound
What's not so great: missing required pieces to put together
I definitelt recommend this product. The quality is great and the sub is amazing. My only complaint is that it doesn't come with one of the cables needed to set it up and no screws if you want to wall mount it but that's it. Great job and works really well with our TV.
This product has... Easy to use controls
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Good, not great. WiFi issues with other devices.

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: xDARTHTIMMYx
from Fraser, MI
on 01/10/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up.
What's not so great: Subwoofer seems to have quickly shorted out within days, WiFi issues with other devices
We recently purchased this SoundBar and while I like it I am not in love with it as there are some slight things I am not a fan of.
First and foremost as mentioned in the title there may be WiFi issues you come across. If the wireless Subwoofer is in the same room as say your Xbox, PS3 or Laptop and the internet keeps dropping it is more than likely because the frequency the Subwoofer uses is the same as the WiFi on those devices and therefore causing interference. I thought I was going crazy at first and then after reading another review and thinking about it made total sense. The frequency it uses is 2.437GHz which is the default frequency that most Wireless Routers are set to. To fix this issue simply log in to your Router and under the Wireless Settings set the Channel to something else. I set mine to 2.462GHz. Problem solved.
While that was one of my gripes I cannot really factor that in to why I just like this SoundBar as it is something that once fixed is no longer a concern. I like a deep Bass sound when watching movies that benefit from it like Transformers, Top Gun, Star Wars etc. and was told by numerous people at my local Best Buy this one had in their opinion the best "Bass for the Buck". The sample system we demoed seemed great and even the first night we used it at home sounded awesome too, but I have started to notice that it makes a popping/grumbling sound, like when you are hungry and your stomach gurgles back at you, but much louder. It is not all the time, but maybe happens a few times an hour. Enough to notice and be annoyed by. I thought maybe it was just the show I was watching, but I happens on almost everything now.
Is it possible the Subwoofer already blew out and I need to have it replaced? I haven't even had this thing a whole week if that is the case. If so that is very disappointing. They even have it set so that the max you can go with it doesn't seem like it would blow it so maybe mine is faulty.
The SoundBar itself will make a crackling sound too now and then when a show switches to a commercial or I change the channel. That is not as frequent as the Subwoofer issue and is only noticeable if you pay attention. It is very quick when it does it. I know that can be the case when you switch between shared devices, but how I have mine set up is that the Digital Optical Out cable from my TV is going in to the SoundBar so essentially any sound that would play through the TV speakers will now play through the SoundBar. This way I do not have to have a million cords going from the SoundBar to all of my devices.
I am going to play around and do some basic troubleshooting with things and see what I can find regarding the Subwoofer. Hopefully it is something simple that needs to be adjusted so I do not have to have it replaced or return the whole unit because other than that I am for the most part pleased with it.
This product has... Easy to use controls
About me... Budget Conscious, Casual movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

Good Not Great

Customer Rating
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Posted by: gbpack
from milwaukee, wi
on 01/09/2012
Ease to Use
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Value for Price
3.0 out of 5
3.0
What's great about it: Ease of Hook up
What's not so great: Sub woofer
System is very easy to install and use. It allowed me to get away from all the wires that my old speaker system needed. While sounds are clear and it provides more than adequate loundness it does not provide the theater sound of my former system. The sub woofer is the weak link in this unit, so don't expect that deep bass to rock the room.
This product has... Easy to use controls, Good connection options
About me... Budget Conscious, Avid movie watcher
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
3out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

2.5

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: Bent007
from Baton Rouge, La.
on 01/08/2012
Ease to Use
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Features
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Value for Price
2.0 out of 5
2.0
What's not so great: Having to use separate controller for volume.
Was not told when sold to me it would require a separate controller to adjust volume.
About me... Casual movie watcher
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-7points
2out of 11found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Panasonic 2.1-Ch. Home Theater Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer

What a buy!

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Chiller84
from Rochester, MI
on 01/07/2012
Ease to Use
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Features
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Features for price, ease of use.
What's not so great: Sluggish online menu system.
I got this player on sale for $139 and it works great. Even better when used with a Panasonic TV. The online menu system is a little sluggish. However, for the price and the high Consumer Reports rating this player has, I highly recommend it.
This product has... Useful Internet-enabled features, Good connection options, Great DVD upconversion
About me... Casual movie watcher, Parent with movie watching kids, Love to stream movies
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
2out of 5found this review helpful.
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