Samsung details pricing for 2019 sound bars, starting at $200
Samsung has priced out its full range of 2019 sound bars, including the Q-series which includes Dolby Atmos and future Amazon Alexa compatibility.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Samsung Q60
Samsung has announced pricing for its 2019 range of sound bars , which include the Dolby Atmos compatible Q-series, developed in collaboration between Samsung Audio Lab and Harman Kardon.
Samsung's complete sound bar lineup for 2019 is as follows:
- Q90: $1,700
- Q80: $1,200
- Q70: $800
- Q60: $500 (£600, AU$799)
- R650: $400 (AU$699)
- R550: $280 (AU$549)
- R450: $200 (AU$349)
The Q90, Q80 and Q70 offer Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback, which enables surround and height effects from compatible Blu-ray discs and streaming services. Even though the Q70 speaker is only 2.3 inches high, it also includes up-firing speakers.
The Q-series range (which includes the Q60) offers wireless subwoofers and Acoustic Beam technology that "uses an array of holes in the speaker to create a more dynamic, panoramic soundscape." The models also include Adaptive Sound technology, which is designed to tailor the sound to the content playing on your TV.
The Q90 is a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos system for $1,700.
Samsung once touted Wi-Fi music on its midlevel sound bars, but the Bluetooth -only Q60 misses out, and instead the three higher models include Smart Things compatibility. Samsung says these sound bars will be able to be controlled via Alexa with an update later in 2019. In comparison, models from rivals Klipsch and LG not only offer Chromecast compatibility but also Google Assistant onboard, which gives them an edge, especially at the $500 point.
Meanwhile the R-series sound bars feature 6.5-inch wireless subwoofers and Bluetooth streaming. The R-series offers a number of different sound modes, including Smart Sound, which optimizes the audio according to the content, and Game Mode, which "delivers a highly directional sound as if gamers are wearing a headset."
In an unusual move, Samsung didn't announce any new speakers at CES in January, focusing instead on its 2019 TV range.
The Q70 and Q60 will be available in April, and the Q80 and Q90 in June. The other models are yet to be announced. (UK and Australian prices were only announced for some models, as listed above.)
Originally published March 26.
Updates, March 28: Samsung initially claimed that the HW-Q70R doesn't include Dolby Atmos height speakers, but later clarified that it does. Also adds that the HW-Q70R will do Wi-Fi streaming; April 9: Adds pricing and model numbers for the entire 2019 range.