Samsung Hw-qs700f Soundbar Review: Sophisticated Design, Automatic Adjustments

It’s bully to spot Samsung connection thing caller for 2025. For nan past fewer years, nan institution has been updating existing designs for its yearly refreshes, particularly its astir premium soundbar, the Q990. I was pleasantly amazed to spot thing wholly caller erstwhile nan institution debuted nan QS700F ($700) astatine CES. This exemplary doesn’t person nan immersive sound that its much costly related offers, but location are respective useful features, including nan expertise to accommodate to whichever measurement you spot it.

For each of its might, nan QS700F only beams Dolby Atmos successful a 3.1.2-channel speaker configuration. Eight full drivers supply nan sound here, importantly little than what blasts nan 11.1.4-channel sound connected nan all-in-one Q990F. But nan QS700F costs half arsenic much, and for group who unrecorded successful smaller spaces aliases person smaller surviving rooms, this much affordable, adaptable exemplary will service you conscionable fine.

Design

With nan QS700F, Samsung nixed nan other angles from nan Q990F since location are nary side-firing drivers here. This gives nan soundbar a simplified, brick-like rectangular style that’s little of a distraction successful beforehand of your TV. The QS700F is besides shorter erstwhile laid horizontally connected a array aliases mantle, which intends it doesn’t artifact your TV.

Around nan sides and back, Samsung opted to usage a rigid, circularly perforated speaker grille that wraps nan full surface. Up top, there’s a much refined, horizontal screen that gives nan soundbar a much blase look. It besides intends that you’ll beryllium getting nan speaker’s best-looking broadside erstwhile you flip and rotate it to equine it connected a wall. While nan included wireless subwoofer won’t triumph immoderate creation awards, it’s a compact portion astatine conscionable nether 10 inches square.

To support nan look clean, Samsung put its logo connected nan broadside alternatively than connected nan front. It besides kept nan onboard controls simple, which is important since they’re prominently displayed if nan soundbar is wall mounted. The buttons are basal icons for source, measurement and power, colored truthful they blend successful nicely moreover erstwhile they’re successful plain sight. Around back, you’ll find nan wired connections: an HDMI input (eARC), 1 HDMI output and an optical port.

Like astir soundbars, nan QS700F features immoderate LEDs connected nan beforehand arsenic a ocular cue erstwhile you’re adjusting measurement aliases making different tweaks. However, erstwhile you raise aliases little nan volume, there’s a mini ray show that’s obnoxious. A azygous blinking LED for each clip you property a fastener would suffice. There’s besides an LED that blinks erstwhile nan soundbar is muted, which I besides deliberation is simply a measurement excessively much. You mightiness deliberation you tin debar seeing these if you usage nan soundbar successful its different orientation, but I regret to pass you that there’s different group of LEDs connected nan apical that look if nan QS700F is wall-mounted.

Software and features

There are a number of features to talk connected nan QS700F, but nan astir important 1 is called Convertible Fit. The soundbar has an accelerometer wrong that detects whether you’ve placed nan speaker level aliases if you’ve mounted it connected a wall. It will past automatically set which drivers nan front- and up-firing channels are coming from. The positioning of nan drivers wrong ensures that up-firing units are angled correctly and beaming sound retired into nan room successful some positions. Convertible Fit useful really well, and I couldn’t show a immense quality successful audio value betwixt nan 2 orientations. It sounded for illustration nan halfway transmission (vocals and dialog) was somewhat louder successful nan wall-mount position, but it wasn’t excessively overmuch of a distraction.

Other notable devices see wireless Dolby Atmos pinch compatible TVs and Wi-Fi connectivity powers AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Roon Service and Tidal Connect. Interestingly, nan QS700F doesn’t activity pinch Samsung’s virtual adjunct Bixby for sound controls. Instead, you’ll employment Google Assistant done Google Home for that purpose.

Then location are nan useful features that require a Samsung TV, which you’ll request to see since they’re awesome functions of nan soundbar. First up is Samsung’s Q-Symphony tech, which allows you to usage TV speakers successful unison pinch nan soundbar. The institution says this produces “more robust and nuanced sound,” and that it tin besides heighten clarity pinch definite models of its AI-equipped TVs. As I don’t person a Samsung TV, I wasn’t capable to trial this, but I don’t spot really much speakers could ever beryllium a bad thing.

You tin only usage Samsung’s SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration if you person 1 of its TVs pinch a built-in microphone. The QS700F doesn’t person a mic for this purpose, truthful you’ll person to settee for nan banal tuning if you don’t ain 1 of nan required displays. You’ll besides miss retired connected Active Voice Amplifier Pro arsenic this exemplary doesn’t support nan much robust dialog adjustment. There is simply a Voice Enhance Mode connected nan QS700F, but it’s not arsenic powerful. Hoping to usage wireless Dolby Atmos? It’ll only activity pinch 2022-2025 Samsung TVs — making it yet different company-exclusive feature.

One much spot nan QS700F falls down Samsung’s flagship Q990F soundbar is video passthrough. The second offers 4K astatine 120Hz while nan QS700F only manages 4K astatine 60Hz. I recognize this won’t matter for a batch of people, but for gamers and movie buffs, this will beryllium disappointing.

Like different caller Samsung soundbars, nan QS700F tin beryllium controlled via nan SmartThings app. It contains each kinds of presets, settings and different options, including nan expertise to set transmission output, fine-tune audio sync and move inputs. Since astir of what you’ll do present pertains to audio performance, I’ll talk nan app much later.

Sound quality

The QS700F offers 3.1.2-channel audio pinch support for Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X. Thanks to nan up-firing drivers, this is existent Atmos sound, dissimilar connected immoderate soundbars that only connection a virtualized type of nan immersive audio. Across 8 speakers successful nan soundbar, nan QS700F has 3 main channels and 2 up-firing channels. And, of course, nan “1” successful nan mediate is nan wireless subwoofer.

Overall, sound from nan QS700F is crisp and clear, providing ample item for movies and euphony alike. Despite nan smaller package, nan compact sub still produces plentifulness of booming bass, truthful there’s tons of thunder for action scenes successful Top Gun: Maverick. The soundbar besides capably handled each of nan directional audio successful Formula 1: Drive to Survive. I did announcement that nan wide consciousness of immersion wasn’t arsenic precocious arsenic nan Sonos Arc Ultra I conscionable moved retired to instal nan QS700F. That’s not really surprising, but it did item nan limits of 3.1.2-channel soundbars. They’re bully capable for smaller spaces pinch 4 correct angles, but taller ceilings and irregular rooms really request much channels and rear speakers.

In music, vocals are salient done nan halfway channels, and for immoderate listeners, they whitethorn beryllium overly so. You tin set this successful nan app, but I didn’t mind it. Highs, mids and lows are each appropriately present, pinch nan subwoofer bumping on erstwhile a opus calls for it. If you’re hoping nan QS700F tin service arsenic your euphony setup successful summation to boosting TV audio, you’ll beryllium good served by nan soundbar. And arsenic I already mentioned, it supports a assortment of methods for beaming tunes from your telephone without having to get disconnected nan couch.

There are a number of sound modes to thief you find nan correct tuning for your content. Those see Surround, Game Pro, Adaptive, DTS Virtual:X and Standard. I recovered Adaptive to beryllium champion suited for all-around usage since it automatically adjusts nan audio based connected nan contented being played. And unless you really want to messiness astir pinch nan settings connected a regular basis, Adaptive allows you to “set it and hide it” while still letting nan QS700F’s sonic prowess shine.

In nan “Advanced Sound Settings,” location are options for sound and bass enhancement arsenic good arsenic nan useful Night Mode that makes debased frequencies little boomy erstwhile personification successful your location is sleeping. There are besides settings for Moderate Bass, which delivers “deep, rich | bass sound,” and Virtual that simulates a wider soundstage successful nan absence of rear speakers. You tin intelligibly perceive that nan presets and modes each alteration nan audio to immoderate grade erstwhile enabled, truthful their inferior will apt dangle connected erstwhile and wherever you’re utilizing nan QS700F.

The competition

Samsung and Sony some person caller 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbars for 2025. Of course, Sony’s Theater Bar 6 doesn’t do nan neat predisposition instrumentality that nan QS700F does, but location is still a number of nonstop similarities betwixt nan two. They some travel pinch a subwoofer successful nan container and connection various sound modes. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio connected nan Bar 6 is greatly aided by up-firing speakers and Sony’s virtual situation sound tech. And for illustration Samsung, location are definite features that require 1 of nan company’s TVs — for illustration nan AI-powered Voice Zoom 3 dialog boost. At $650, Sony’s soundbar won’t prevention you overmuch complete nan QS700F astatine afloat price.

Let’s not hide astir Sonos. The second-gen Beam is nan closest point to nan QS700F successful nan company’s lineup, but location are immoderate caveats. The Beam doesn’t person up-firing speakers, truthful nan Atmos sound is wholly virtualized, and you tin show nan difference. You do get nan use of TV Audio Swap pinch nan Ace headphones, but you person to contend pinch nan ongoing conflict that is Sonos’ app overhaul. The newer Beam is cheaper astatine $499, but adding a subwoofer that you’ll astir surely want costs different $429 (Sub Mini) aliases $700 (Sub 4). That add-on makes this action overmuch pricier than nan QS700F.

Wrap-up

The QS700F is simply a activity of caller aerial successful Samsung’s location theatre lineup, offering thing caller erstwhile it’s flagship Q990 exemplary only sewage a humble refresh. Sure, immoderate of nan handiest features require 1 of nan company’s TVs, but that’s really Samsung and immoderate of nan title person operated for years now. The biggest point you’ll miss retired connected location is room calibration, particularly if you scheme to usage nan QS700F successful a abstraction pinch precocious ceilings aliases tons of angles.

Caveats aside, nan champion point astir nan soundbar is its automatic predisposition adjustment. This gives you a 2nd action for installation down nan roadworthy if your TV and/or its location alteration earlier you’re fresh to upgrade your audio setup. The QS700F is easy connected nan eyes too, which isn’t ever nan lawsuit pinch these devices. So, successful nan end, nan operation of features, creation and audio capacity make this soundbar a worthy contender astatine nan apical extremity of nan midrange, if you’re consenting to unrecorded pinch nan limitations of Dolby Atmos successful 3.1.2.