Samsung HW-QS700F Review

In an audio satellite wherever situation dependable and Dolby Atmos are becoming much and much accessible with each passing moment, Samsung is retired to beryllium that there’s inactive a marketplace for a coagulated soundbar that forgoes rear speakers successful favour of leaning into its beforehand soundstage. The brand’s caller HW-QS700F is conscionable that, a 3.1.2-channel strategy that sounds excellent, but for the times erstwhile it leaves you wishing it had those elusive rear channels to implicit the ensemble. Still, it’s a Dolby Atmos-enabled barroom that steals a fewer pages retired of its flagship sibling, delivering large dependable that’s definite to impressment for a terms that’s acold much comfy than its aforementioned relative.

Specs

• Price: $699.99
• Channels: 3.1.2
• Drivers: 8 full speakers
• Connections: HDMI eARC 2.1, Bluetooth 5.3, Optical Digital Audio
• Audio formats: Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos (Dolby Digital Plus), Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos (True HD), Multichannel PCM, Dolby Multichannel PCM, DTS Digital Surround
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 116 x 51 x 120 inches
• Weight: 4.4 pounds

Samsung HW-QS700F – Design and Features

If you squint astatine the HW-QS700F, you mightiness mistake it for Samsung’s flagship Q990F. It borrows overmuch of that aforesaid sleek, minimalist plan connection – which is large quality if you similar your AV cogwheel to blend in, not basal out.

Samsung's connectivity perks are each here, including wireless Dolby Atmos erstwhile paired with a compatible Samsung TV. In theory, this is useful for wall-mounted setups oregon anyone who breaks into hives astatine the show of dangling wires. In practice? It works, but similar astir wireless tech, it’s not infallible. For those who worth rock-solid awesome reliability, wired volition inactive beryllium the mode to go.

Samsung’s much-touted Q-Symphony besides makes a return, letting your Samsung TV’s speakers play successful unison with the soundbar. It’s a neat trick, but again – much of a enactment instrumentality than a necessity. You’re improbable to miss it if you ne'er usage it.

What does genuinely basal retired is SpaceFit Sound Pro – Samsung’s automatic country calibration tool. While not rather connected the level of pro calibration gear, it’s an earnest effort astatine tailoring dependable to your room’s acoustics. It adds value, particularly for radical who don’t privation to fuss with manual EQ tweaking.

Samsung HW-QS700F – Performance

The HW-QS700F wastes nary clip showing off. The bar’s dependable is crisp, bold, and wonderfully balanced crossed bass, mids, and treble. I tested it with a smorgasbord of contented – Season 2 of The Last of Us, which navigates betwixt whispered dialog and chaotic action, and Deadpool & Wolverine, which mixes immoderate genuinely awesome enactment with a large soundtrack. The QS700F handled it each with awesome poise.

When it came clip to enactment Dolby Atmos to the test, The Greatest Beer Run Ever connected Apple TV+ has been my go-to acknowledgment to its bonzer depiction of wartime Vietnam and the sights and sounds that travel with it. It offered plentifulness of dynamic vertical effects that the up-firing drivers translated nicely. But it ne'er rather enveloped maine the mode a existent situation strategy does. The audio soared supra and to the sides, definite – but the rear was noticeably vacant. That consciousness of immersion – the feeling that thing (or someone) is creeping up down you successful a acheronian wood (TLOU vibes) – conscionable wasn’t there.

To Samsung’s credit, you tin adhd rear speakers. But they’ll tally you different $300, bringing your full dangerously adjacent to the terms of a Sonos Arc Ultra. That’s wherever the worth proposition starts to fray a little.

Beyond the barroom itself, I consciousness the request to erstwhile again springiness Samsung’s SmartThings app its flowers. The soundbar companion is casual to use, good laid out, and afloat of adjuvant controls, taking a batch of the symptom retired of customizing your sound. Whether you’re adjusting EQ, toggling modes, oregon switching inputs, the app keeps things intuitive. No steep learning curve, nary frustration.

Samsung HW-QS700F – The Competition

The HW-QS700F sits successful an progressively competitory mid-tier soundbar market, and determination are a fewer worthy alternatives that mightiness sway your determination depending connected your priorities. The Vizio 5.1.2 Elevate stands retired arsenic a budget-friendly enactment that includes rear speakers and inactive supports Dolby Atmos, making it an enticing prime for those craving afloat situation dependable without spending other connected add-ons. It whitethorn deficiency the refined polish of Samsung’s offering, but it delivers beardown show for the price.

Then there’s the Klipsch Flexus Core 200, which undercuts the QS700F successful terms and brings on bigger, much assertive bass and amazingly coagulated Atmos performance. While its plan and ecosystem don’t lucifer Samsung’s seamless feel, it's a compelling alternate for bass lovers. Finally, for those consenting to agelong their fund a spot more, the Sonos Arc Ultra becomes an intriguing option. Even without rear speakers oregon a subwoofer, it delivers a beautifully wide and elaborate soundstage.