The Samsung HW-Q700A soundbar is a 3.1.2 CH sound system from the 2021 lineup. The soundbar has a relatively neutral sound profile out of the box that suits a variety of types of audio content. However, there are prerequisites for the reproduction of loud bass.
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However, you will not be able to feel the deep bass in action movie scenes. By the way, the soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, DTS: X content and is equipped with many sound enhancement features, including Samsung’s Acoustic Beam virtual surround technology. Consider the review of the Samsung HW-Q700A soundbar as a representative of 2021.
Samsung HW-Q700A review
Samsung’s HW-Q700A soundbar is advertised with Q-Symphony support. Therefore, connecting it to a compatible Samsung TV for audio sync will not be a problem. Unlike the older Samsung HW-Q800A , the Q700A does not have built-in Alexa support. Therefore, to use the voice assistant, you will have to use a separate Amazon Echo device.
Design
Overall, the Samsung HW-Q700A is a sleek soundbar with a design similar to the Samsung HW-Q70T . There is a metal grill on the body that covers the top and front of the bar, the rest of the bar is made of hard plastic. The subwoofer is made of wood. The front of the sub is covered with a thin fabric.
There are no satellites included with the HW-Q700A Soundbar, however Dolby Atmos Wireless Rear Speakers can be purchased separately. The Samsung Q700A is a bit wide (about 98cm), so it won’t fit between the legs of a 55 ”TV. However, its height is not large, and it should not interfere with viewing the TV screen.
The subwoofer is about the same size as a regular PC – 20x35x30 cm. It is wireless and can be placed anywhere in the room. On the back of the Q700A there are two slots for inputs and a power cable. If you intend to install on a wall, then there are universal holes for this. The build quality of the HW-Q700A soundbar is impressive.
Sound
The Samsung Q700A soundbar has a good stereo frequency response. Its sound profile is relatively neutral, but with little gain in the low frequency range. This soundbar should be suitable for most audio content. But reproducing deep bass is difficult and frustrating. In the presets, you can choose the sound to your liking using a graphic equalizer, as well as slightly adjust the bass and treble settings.
The Samsung Q700A soundbar with various settings does not come close to perfect sound. Therefore, it remains a recommendation to use the default settings if you prefer neutral sound. If you want a soundbar with good bass reproduction, then you should consider the Samsung HW-Q800A.
The Samsung HW-Q700A Sound Bar has good stereo performance. The soundstage in stereo is perceived to be about the same width as the bar itself. But nothing more. There are no software improvements in this regard. The Q700A has good focusing, so it is easy to locate objects such as voices and footsteps (in a stereo soundstage).
The e HW-Q700A plays quite loud. Its power is sufficient for use at parties and in large rooms. However, when played back at maximum volume, slight distortion is observed in the low and high frequency ranges. But it depends on the input content.
The Q700A acoustic panel has an impressive center performance. The 3.1.2 CH circuitry has a discrete center channel for clearer and more accurate reproduction of dialogue in vocal-oriented content.
The Surrounds mode in the Q700A soundbar has a little poor performance. First, the surround content is converted to stereo. As a result, surround objects in the soundstage (voices, steps) are not so clearly or precisely localized.
The Samsung Q700A soundbar has mediocre Atmos performance. The bar is equipped with speakers that “shine” into the ceiling. The idea is that the sound should bounce off the ceiling and travel down towards the listener to create the illusion of height. However, this effect does not sound as clear or real as the discrete localization created by the downstream speakers in a home theater.
The HW Q700A soundbar has a decent set of sound enhancement features. For more fine tuning, you can use a graphic equalizer or select one of the presets for the equalizer: “Standard”, “Surround”, “Game Pro” and “Adaptive Sound”. If you go to the Advanced Sound Settings in the SmartThings app, you can also find the Voice Enhancer feature that makes the dialogue clearer.
In addition, the Q700A soundbar features Acoustic Beam, a virtual surround technology advertised for “immersive sound”. The HW-Q700A panel has a SpaceFit sound function. When the panel is connected to a compatible Samsung TV, the TV’s microphone is used to analyze the acoustic characteristics of your room and to optimize sound reproduction.
Connections
The Samsung Q700A soundbar has multiple physical connections. Here we see a full HDMI port, which allows the panel to be used as a hub between various devices. It is noteworthy that there is a micro-USB port, but it is intended only for software updates and its use for playing audio files is not provided.
The HW-Q700A soundbar supports a variety of audio formats through the HDMI ARC port. Found in the Dolby Digital and DTS specifications , which are found on Blu-ray discs and streaming resources. In addition, high quality surround sound formats such as Dolby Digital Plus and DTS: X are available for playback.
The remote control allows you to control the functions of the Q700A soundbar and has a design similar to that of the Samsung HW-Q70T remote control. However, it does not have the ability to be a universal remote control. It is not possible to control the TV through it.
Conclusion
The Samsung HW-Q700A soundbar is suitable for mixed use. It has a fairly neutral sound profile with little bass boost. However, the soundbar tries to reproduce loud lows, but distortion may occur at maximum power. The bar supports Dolby Atmos, which is convenient for movie lovers, although this mode “downsizes” the surround content to stereo.