Since introducing their very first soundbar at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2008, Samsung Electronics has continued to release soundbar solutions packed with innovative technologies so that users can enjoy truly immersive TV experiences.

Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about the history of Samsung’s leading soundbars and to find out how they have been charting new territories in audio quality since 2008.

In addition to holding first place in the global TV market for fourteen straight years, Samsung Electronics has also maintained the number one position in terms of market share for soundbars.¹ What’s more, Samsung’s ‘Q-Symphony’ feature now allows joint playback once a soundbar is paired with a television. With its ability to produce rich, immersive surround sound from both the TV speakers and the soundbar, Q-Symphony picked up the ‘Best of Innovation’ award at CES 2020.

Following on from our previous piece exploring the sound technologies of Samsung’s QLED 8K TVs, we present Samsung’s soundbar solutions, which are bringing dynamic surround sound to the home entertainment environment.

Perfect Harmony – The Building Blocks of Q-Symphony

Until recently, using conventional TV speakers and soundbars simultaneously could lead to the audio playback getting out of sync with the scenes playing on the screen, meaning that TV speakers had to be muted when using a soundbar. However, Samsung’s 2020 QLED TVs are equipped with upper speakers, enabling simultaneous use of TV speakers and a soundbar. Furthermore, Q-Symphony technology has unlocked compatibility between the 2020 Q80T TVs (which include the moving sound feature for models 55 inches and wider) and the 2020 Q Series soundbars.

The idea for Q-Symphony started from an idea to provide higher quality surround sound by using the upper TV speaker in combination with a soundbar. To make this hybrid solution a reality, the sounds from the TV speakers and soundbar had to be synchronized in terms of timing and volume.

Moreover, in the latest technology, the respective roles of the TV speakers and the soundbar have been clearly distinguished to allow for better harmonization of sounds. While the soundbar delivers primary sounds such as human voices, the upper speaker delivers the ambient sound effects. In this way, the two devices avoid interfering with one another, and provide a richer sound experience.

Hearing is believing ­- experience the reality of Q-Symphony above.

A Top-tier Soundbar – Nine Channels with Just Four Speakers

The current top sound specifications for a home theater system are a 9.1.4-channel set-up, which would ordinarily require a total of 14 speakers. However, the top-of-the-line HW-Q950T Soundbar from the 2020 Q Series is capable of realizing these excellent channel specs with only four speakers.

Following the advent of the home theater market in the 1990s, users were afforded the chance to experience surround sound that covered not only the left and right-hand sides, but also the front and rear too. Further down the line, the 2014 introduction of Dolby’s ATMOS technology enabled 3D surround sound that covered sounds from the top and bottom too.

Samsung’s development of premium surround sound hasn’t happened overnight though. In 2016, Samsung released the HW-K950, a soundbar that only required four speakers to provide 5.1.4-channel surround sound. Samsung didn’t stop there though, instead introducing the HW-Q90R, a 7.1.4-channel soundbar that featured a rear surround channel. This year, Samsung took another step forward with its introduction of the HW-Q950T, a 9.1.4-channel soundbar equipped with two additional wide channels.

Dynamic Sound from a Wide Range of Angles

Representing the next stage in the progression from the HW-Q90R soundbar, the aforementioned HW-Q950T 9.1.4-channel soundbar, features two wide channels that deliver sound at angles of 60° to either side of the center. To provide fuller sound, the speakers at the far right and left, which provide the surround sound, have been moved to the edges of the soundbar. Furthermore, two additional speakers that are oriented at an angle that is optimized for wide channel functionality have been incorporated in the far left and right positions.

With wide channel functionality, users can benefit from sound being emitted from a host of different angles and benefit from a more complete audio experience. This effect additionally provides a broader sense of realism, and, by adding vitality to the movements on the screen, guarantees a better experience when watching content such as concerts, musical performances and films.

Maximizing the Audio Experience

Before being finalized, all of Samsung’s soundbars undergo a final tuning process at Samsung’s Audio Lab in Valencia, California. The high-level expertise of the Samsung Audio Lab are well established, as was demonstrated when three of the lab’s papers were selected among the top 10 papers by the Audio Engineering Society at AES 2019. Likewise, Samsung more broadly is working to optimize users’ audio experiences by applying powerful, innovative technology to its soundbars.

Over recent years, the home audio experience has been constantly evolving and diversifying to offer users increasingly vivid sound experiences. Now, as the industry looks to realize the next stage in the evolution of sound, Samsung is providing comprehensive sound solutions for the future of top-tier audio experiences.

¹ According to global market research firm FutureSource, from 2014 (the first year to officially include soundbars in the survey) until 2019, Samsung has maintained the top spot globally in terms of soundbar market share.

The HW-Q950T delivers the audio quality of 9.1.4-channel, the maximum number of channels for currently available home-theater systems in a single soundbar. The model packs in extra-powerful sound with two wireless rear up-firing speakers and also adds left and right wide channel speakers to the previous 7.1.4-channel system, allowing the audio output to express the motion on the screen in a more realistic way with greater immersion.

Both the HW-Q950T and HW-Q900T support Dolby Atmos^® – which transports listeners with immersive, moving audio that flows all around you, along with DTS:X from DTS for multi-dimensional audio technology. They also include eARC support to produce full, rich and high-quality surround sound like Dolby TrueHD.

Consumers can further enhance the immersive experience by connecting the soundbars to Samsung’s 2020 QLED TVs. Q-symphony activates and plays surround sound from both the TV and soundbar, creating incredible audio synergy with compatible TVs.

Improvements have also been made to the product design, on the top of the advancements in overall functionality. Compared to 2019 soundbar models, Samsung reduced the height of both of models to 69.5mm from 83mm to fit perfectly with the TV. The soundbars are also wrapped in Kvadrat textile, adding premium elegance while maximizing sound penetration.

“In collaboration with Audio Lab in the US, we have been able to develop multi-dimensional surround sound that can be more accessible at home, which was previously only possible with a separate home-theater system,” said Seong Cho, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Product Marketing of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “In addition to improving sound quality, we also focused on fine-tuning the soundbar’s design aesthetic by using eco-friendly textiles, made by Danish premium brand Kvadrat.”

The two new models also feature SmartThings App and Alexa voice service, allowing users to command their favorite music streaming services, like Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, and iHeart Radio.¹

Music lovers can also now enjoy their favorite music with a simple tap. The Tap Sound feature allows the music from your smartphone to be sent directly to the soundbar.

All Samsung soundbars are tuned at the Samsung Audio Lab in Valencia, California.

For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

¹ Services may vary by country.