Samsung has just announced its brand new N950 soundbar — the first in Australia to have 7.1.4 cinematic sound. Developed in Samsung’s Audio Lab in LA, it takes sound quality to the next level by offering an aural cinematic experience in the comfort of your own home.
It is also bringing its new N850 to Oz, which is a smaller setup with with speakers.
I had a chance to hear the N950 in action at a recent demo day, where a small screening room had been fitted out with the completes N950 package. And to be perfectly honest, it was like a proper movie-going experience.
And by that I mean it was loud. Really loud. This bad boy will absolutely let you get revenge on your jerk neighbours for whatever sins they may have committed against you.
But it also offered proper surround sound, exactly like a cinema. I could absolutely hear a chopper and The Rock’s manly roars above my head during Jumanji. Meanwhile, The Dark Tower’s dialogue echoed, as if we were there in the tower ourselves.
There was some noticeable distortion during the Ready Player One demo, however simply turning the sound down to a more residential-friendly level in your house would most likely help with that, as well as make it more comfortable. Blasting it out at 80 hurt my ears.
We also did Leaf and 7.1.4 tests, which the N950 performed beautifully in.
The immersive experience offered by the N950 hardly surprising considering the 17 speaker setup — complete with dedicated amplifiers, including upward and side-firing speakers which are placed on each end, wireless rear speakers and a wide range tweeter.
“Australians are increasingly looking to soundbars to complete their home entertainment set-up and we are seeing greater demand for products that deliver a rich and immersive audio to support the TV viewing experience,” said Hass Mahdi, Head of Audio Visual, Samsung Electronics Australia.
“The N950 and N850 are defining products for Samsung and a testament to our deep commitment to
deliver products that break new ground for our offering and give Australians an incredible experience.”
Part of this experience includes being both Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X compatible. It also has 4K passthrough and 32 bit upscaling. Upscaling, like with TVs, is always an important factor for me. If you’re dropping several thousand dollars on an audio setup, you want everything to sound good — not just the media that has been optimised for it.
The N950 is being integrated into Samsung’s smart home offering by being accessible through the SmartThings app, Family Hub fridge or even Amazon Alexa. And if you have a Samsung TV, you’ll be able to control the soundbar right from your One Remote.
The N950 and N850 will be available at select retailers from mid-August with an RRP of $1,999 (including subwoofer and rear speakers) and $1,499 (including subwoofer), respectively.