If you love hosting parties, whether big or small, then you might want to consider getting a proper party speaker, such as the Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50.
Samsung had one goal when it entered the party speaker market: to provide an all-in-one solution to amp up your parties. Whether it’s for playing tunes that people can dance to, chill beats for a cozy dinner, movie night with friends, or even Filipinos’ favorite karaoke night.
In our Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 review, we’ll see if this sub-Php13,000 speaker is really powerful enough to be the life of the party.
Design and Build Quality
Unlike other battery-powered speakers from JBL and Sony, the Samsung MX-T50 is meant to stay near an outlet, but it does so in style. Whether it’s near your entertainment console, living room, patio, or anywhere in the house dedicated to hosting guests and parties, the speaker was beautifully designed to blend in. It’s not meant to stand out, yet it’s still good looking in its own right.
It has a triangular shape, similar to other Samsung party speakers we’ve seen in the past. It has a chic structure that looks incredibly elegant and stylish wherever you put it.
Apart from providing good aesthetics, this distinct shape has three sides. The two on the front give the speaker its bi-directional sound that can easily fill up a living room (more on that later).
As with most speakers, the MX-T50 is predominantly plastic. It has a matte surface all around, keeping it clean from fingerprint marks and smudges. However, the rubber control panel on the top is prone to lint and dirt, so I suggest wiping it off from time to time.
The biggest advantage of using plastic is its weight. Paired with the convenient and inconspicuous handle on the back, the MX-T50 can be easily transported and moved anywhere.
Weighing just 11.6kg, even a relatively petite person can carry it anywhere. It’s better to have some help to avoid accidentally dropping it, though.
The product’s webpage claims it’s water-resistant, but with no official IP rating. It did say that it can handle “accidental water drips and splashes” — the kind of occurrences common at parties. But when you’re partying outside and the rain starts, make sure to quickly put it back inside.
Taking a tour, the top has a round rubber surface for the buttons. The Play/Pause button is in the middle, surrounded by the power button on top, Input selection, volume control, light control, and the Bass Booster button. The buttons are tactile and clicky.
We also have the slit to dock smartphones or tablets in and a tiny screen that shows some information about the audio playing. This makes it perfect for impromptu karaoke sessions using YouTube videos.
Delivering 500W of power, we have four speakers on the front, firing on the left and right. Each side has two drivers: 2.5-inch 8-ohm tweeters and 6.5″ 3-ohm mid-woofers.
The rear is quite busy. We have dedicated buttons for the Group Play and add stereo. Oh, and if you’re worried where the Bluetooth pairing button is, it is back here too.
We also have the mic port with its dedicated volume and echo adjustment dials, a USB-1 (USB-A 5V 2.1A) and USB-2 (5V 0.5A) for charging and media playback from flash drives, red and white RCA connectors for audio in and out (group play), and a 3.5mm AUX 1 port. The aforementioned handle is also back here, as well as the DC power input.
The bottom only has the vents and rubbers on all three feet that keep it planted to the ground. Even at loud volumes with heavy bass, it doesn’t really move an inch.
Connectivity and Input
While the Bluetooth version of the Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 was not mentioned, they did say it has a Bluetooth Multi Connection feature. In our testing, two devices were able to seamlessly use the device by playing music on one, and pausing on the other.
The Bluetooth Power On function is also here and supports the Qualcomm aptX codec. Wireless connectivity was pretty solid, but it will start struggling when there are obstructions and you’re around 15 feet away from the speaker.
Music playback from the USB ports also worked fine, as well as through the 3.5mm port. Unfortunately, there’s no support for HDMI ARC.
We also had no issues with the mic input. We tested out the free microphone Samsung shipped with it and used it for hours with no problems. Plus, the two dials are very responsive when adjusting the mic volume and echo.
Interface and Features
The Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 is really easy to operate. But we must admit, we got confused with the initial pairing process. Traditionally, you enter pairing mode by long pressing the power button. But for this speaker, that pairing key is placed on the back.
This design choice actually makes a lot of sense, as the pairing button is next to the other connectivity buttons and ports.
And besides, there’s an included remote control that will make your life ten times easier. It offers more controls and has a dedicated Bluetooth pairing button. You can also play/pause/skip media, adjust the volume, open/close folders from the USB drive, switch between DJ effects and sound modes, and more.
Unlike the speaker itself, the remote predominantly has a piano black surface, so it’s really prone to smudges and dirt. No big deal, though. There’s an IR blaster on top that offers a good range as long as there’s no obstruction in the line of sight. We also appreciate the included 2x AAA batteries so you can get started right away.
The LED screen is quite handy. It’s a good indicator when adjusting the volume, sound modes, input, and DJ effects.
When you’re not adjusting anything, it will perpetually show the title of the music/video you’re playing. Sadly, the title only scrolls once, so you only see the first 5-6 letters of the title. Also, the visual is blocked if you have a phone or tablet docked.
The DJ Modes are basically filters or effects that alter the music currently playing. There are four DJ modes available: Noise, Filter, Crush, Chorus, and Wahwah.
They are fun to play with, and the level of each effect is adjustable via the remote or mobile app. But as expected, they offer far less customization than actual DJ equipment.
The Samsung Sound Tower app, available on Google Play Store and App Store, is quite handy if you lose the remote, can’t reach it, or if it runs out of battery. All the buttons on the remote are here as well.
What’s more, you can fine-tune the levels of the DJ effects and choose a specific color for the lights, albeit it only shows one color at a time.
Speaking of, the RGB light is a nice touch. You get different lighting modes such as Ambient, Dance, Thunderbolt, Star, and Party, which dance with the music.
While the lights on the MX-T50 look nice, it is definitely inferior to the ones from JBL or Sony.
Sound Quality
Boasting 500W of power, the Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 sounds very solid for the price. The bass is fairly clean and accurate by default, but instantly becomes thumping and deep when you enable the Bass Booster feature.
Treble can sound a bit muddy compared to other higher-end speakers, but still superb for what you’re paying for. The volume, which maxes out at level 50, is more than enough for parties and karaoke nights indoors and even outdoors.
In our testing, the Samsung MX-T50 provided a superb sound quality when playing different types of music. From upbeat tunes we can dance to, neck-breaking rock anthems, and singing our hearts out from day to night, with its karaoke function.
It is also a decent companion to your Smart TV when watching movies and gaming, but obviously, you can’t expect much from the stereo separation.
Verdict
Having spent quality time with it, we can safely say that the Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 is one of the most powerful, fun, flexible, and value-oriented loudspeakers available in the market right now.
Sure, it’s not perfect. The lack of an HDMI port is a bummer, the LED lights feel underwhelming compared to the competition, and the lack of a built-in battery limits portability.
Still, it offers a really compelling value for the price. The beefy 500W output offers solid audio quality and volume, and the elegant yet inconspicuous design helps it blend with any environment you put it in.
It also ships with a remote control for convenience, a robust mobile app, wired and wireless input, and a feature that a lot of Filipinos would love: the microphone input for impromptu karaoke nights.
As of writing, the Samsung Sound Tower MX-T50 is discounted at Php13,389 in the Philippines, making it an even better value for the price.
Pros
- Powerful 500W output
- Solid audio quality
- Sleek, elegant, but inconspicuous design
- Fun LED lights and DJ modes
- Mic input with dedicated controls
- Flexible connectivity
- Handy remote control
Cons
- No built-in battery
- No HDMI input
- Competition has flashier LED lights