Sound quality: In the Music mode Definitive Technology's W Studio Micro Sound Bar delivers sound quality that falls in the good range - it reproduces music and dialog reasonably well despite obvious shortcomings. Bass has good impact, but is prominent, boomy and doesn't go deep. Midrange is fairly even, but is somewhat hazy and soft. Treble is extended, but the upper treble is prominent and sizzly. Doesn't do a good job of recovering room ambience (the sense of the acoustic space in which the music was recorded), sounds a bit congested, and lacks detail. In the Movie mode the sound gets echoey. There was no significant difference in sound quality between the optical, analog, or Wi-Fi inputs when they are in the same mode. The sound bar can provide satisfying volume in a medium sized room.
TV setup and ease of use: TV setup and EOU is very good overall. Setup: Programming to respond to a TV remote was quick, very easy, and straight forward; the instructions that came with the soundbar didn't mention programming specifically but did refer to on-line instructions that cover this feature. An optical cable is included for TV connection; a stereo analog cable must be purchased separately if needed or wanted for TV connection. Ease of Use: If the soundbar has been programmed to respond to a TV remote control's volume and mute commands it can work seamlessly with most TVs. If you decide to use the soundbar's remote instead you'll find that although there is very little differentiation between its buttons it is not difficult to use. App remotes that operate via WiFi can also be downloaded onto Apple and Android mobile devices. We found that the general use section of these app remotes (used to control the soundbar for TV use like a physical remote) could only be used for muting the soundbar and adjusting its volume. Switching to the soundbar TV input couldn't be done with the app remotes themselves - it had to be done using the controls on the soundbar console or the physical remote supplied with the soundbar. The console has power, source, and volume controls; it lacks a mute control, but if muted from the remote pressing one of the console volume buttons unmutes it. The controls are generally well marked and are on the top of the soundbar where they are easy to see and access. The console display provides device status info. It has a power status indicator, and a source display that consists of persistent unlabeled patterns of lights to indicate the input selected which require referring to the instruction manual or the back of the soundbar to decode. The volume display is graphical, momentary, and has rough increments. The muting status indicator is persistent and highly visible, while the DSP mode indicators are momentary and need instructions to decode.
Features setup and ease of use: Non-TV features setup and EOU is good overall. Setup: WiFi setup requires an app download to an Apple or Android mobile device; if it is done using an app it is straight forward (however it is slightly easier with the Android app than with the Apple app). If you have a router with a compatible WPS feature setting up via WPS is straight forward but harder than it needs to be. WPS setup is not mentioned in the instructions that come with the unit or in the on-line user manual; they are buried in the setup app, and details that would avoid some possible confusion during the connection process are left out. Ease of Use: Although the remote has very little differentiation between its buttons, it is not difficult to use. App remotes that operate via WiFi can also be downloaded onto Apple and Android mobile devices. These apps have general sections that are used to control the soundbar like a typical physical remote, and streaming player sections that are used to play audio streamed from a number of Internet content providers, the mobile device the app is downloaded on, and computes on the same network. The general section could only be used for muting the soundbar and adjusting its volume. Switching between the soundbar's inputs couldn't be done with the app remote - it had to be done using the controls on the soundbar console or the physical remote supplied with the soundbar. The streaming content player section can switch between streaming sources, has all of the needed controls, and was easy to use. The Android version of the app may ask the user for access mobile device's contacts and/or phone management functions in order to use a particular Internet streaming service. Audio content can also be streamed directly from Spotify to the soundbar using their Connect app. The soundbar's console has power, source, and volume controls; it lacks a mute control, but if muted from the remote pressing one of the console volume buttons unmutes it. The controls are generally well marked and are on the top of the soundbar where they are easy to see and access. The console display provides device status info during general use, and can be used in conjunction with app remote screens during WiFi use. It has a power status indicator, and a source display that consists of persistent unlabeled patterns of lights to indicate the input selected which require referring to the instruction manual or the back of the soundbar to decode. The volume display is graphical, momentary, and has rough increments. The muting status indicator is persistent and highly visible, while the DSP mode indicators are momentary and need instructions to decode.
