Bearded audiophiles might turn up their noses at them, but all-in-one systems are the saviour of the budget buyer. Samsung’s HT-BD1252 provides cash-strapped punters a way of upgrading to Blu-ray and getting a full 5.1 sound system into the bargain. But is it a false economy? Read our Samsung HT-BD1252 review to find out.
In the box are two ‘tallboy’ fronts, bookshelf speakers for the rear channels and a pencil-thin centre, while the HT-BD1252’s main unit plays host to a Blu-ray player and 1000W amplifier. The whole lot has been pimped up Samsung style – the gloss black finish, alluring curves and touch-sensitive buttons on the main unit will have guests going weak at the knees.
It may look fine from a distance, but up close build quality is poor. The speakers are hollow and light, plus they sport cheap springclip terminals for the cables. For £500 we expected better.
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But features-wise, this system rocks. The Samsung HT-BD1252 is BD Live ready, supports Wi-Fi and PC network streaming with an optional £50 USB dongle, pings YouTube vids to your telly and plays MP3, DivX and JPEG from USB flash drives. BD Live downloads also have to be stored on a USB stick as there’s no built-in memory.
The Samsung HT-BD1252 backs up its stellar feature set with fast disc loading and kick-ass performance. Thanks to the sensitive Bio-Kelp seaweed cones, detail bursts through from every speaker, and with demanding action scenes the system’s drive and power can be thrilling. Hi-def pictures are crisp and punchy too.
On the downside the passive sub is a tad flat and boomy, while the centre delivers dialogue with a tad too much brightness. Chuck in strained high-frequencies at loud volumes and you can hear where corners have been cut.
On the whole though, you can forgive the Samsung HT-BD1252 a few sonic discrepancies when you consider how much you get for your money elsewhere.
