X

Samsung's 2021 soundbars have subwoofer microphones because bass

The new range of soundbars include models with Dolby Atmos as well as Amazon Alexa onboard.

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • 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.
Ty Pendlebury
2 min read
samsung-hw-q800a.png
Samsung

Samsung has unveiled its soundbars for CES 2021 and key features include calibration microphones, Dolby Atmos playback and even better matching with QLED TVs.

The company is planning a range of S series and Q series soundbars  in 2021. These include more models compatible with Dolby Atmos, such as the HW-Q800A pictured above.

Features of the 2021 range include a new, one-click Bass Boost mode and Tap Sound, which lets you tap your mobile device to your soundbar to wirelessly pair it. The soundbars will also be compatible with Apple AirPlay 2.

Though Samsung's Bixby voice assistant is seemingly lost in the weeds when it comes to home audio, a number of the company's high-end soundbars will now support  Amazon 's Alexa with onboard microphones.

The entry-level S series offers onboard (sub)woofers but the company says they can be paired with the existing W500 for $299 if you want more bass. Samsung said the S series offers more power than previous models -- they now go up to 70 watts.

Certain bars will also include Space Fit Sound which is an autocalibration routine with microphones on the soundbar as well as on the subwoofer. Samsung says mounting the mic on the subwoofer itself helps improve bass performance.

The company has upgraded its integration with Q series TVs with Q-Symphony, which allows the onboard TV speakers (Q60, Q70 and AU8000) to act as heights. It's also added Object Tracking Sound Pro. In 2021, flagship models' sound will be upgraded from OTS Plus to OTS Pro, with two additional tweeters for better surround placement and clarity.

The company is also producing a wireless Dolby Atmos rears kit for use with the Q series bars.

Pricing, model numbers and availability are yet to be announced, but more is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.