Samsung is all about TVs at CES, and there are plenty of splashy new models in all sorts of iterations to gawk at this year, including the wild new Sero model. But when it comes to soundbars, Samsung is playing things pretty close to the vest for CES 2020.
For now, the only model Samsung is highlighting is its new Q800T soundbar, but the latest sound machine from the TV masters is distinctive enough to stand alone.
Like all Samsung soundbars, the Q800T is destined to be paired with a Samsung TV — the brand loves to keep it in the family. But this system takes that idea to a whole new level, pairing with Samsung’s QLED TVs to share its soundstage in a new feature Samsung is calling Samsung Symphony.
Using Symphony with select upper-tier models from Samsung combines the sound coming from the bar with the top speakers from the TV. In theory, this should provide an even more realistic and present soundstage when blended with the bar’s other onboard speakers.
Speaking of which, Samsung’s new Q800T packs 8 different speakers inside, including dual upfiring drivers for a 3.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration. This means that, while you won’t get the full-force immersion of a system with dedicated satellite speakers to bring audio to life from all around you, you should still get some impressive hemispheric sound coming from the front of the room.
In addition, the Q800T incorporates Samsung’s Acoustic Beam technology to create a more accurate soundstage. And of course, a side-firing wireless subwoofer adds the low-frequency audio so movies and prestige TV content comes through with the punch you’d expect from a cinematic audio setup.
Apart from convincing you to pick up one of these bars along with your new QLED TV, the goal here seems to be to cram as much sound quality and as big a soundstage as possible in a bar with a very small form.
And frankly, as long as the speakers in your TV are well matched to the bar (and not too tinny), it makes sense to utilize the speakers that would otherwise just be sitting there out of service.
We’ll be checking out the Q800T from the showroom floor at CES 2020, and we’ll update this post once we know more, so keep checking back with us at Digital Trends as CES 2020 begins to ramp up.
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Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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