Samsung hones Q-Symphony with its 2023 soundbars

Rather than breaking ground with its 2023 soundbar lineup at CES, Samsung is taking a more iterative approach, unveiling a third generation of its TV speaker-syncing technology that gives special treatment to voice and surround cues.

Samsung also had a new 11.1.4-channel flagship soundbar to show off in Las Vegas, along with a pair of new all-in-one soundbars.

Q-Symphony 3.0 will tap into a Samsung TV’s Neo Quantum Processor to pluck out dialogue audio and pipe it through Q-Series soundbars, while surround audio will be channeled through the TV’s speakers, with the goal being “more detailed and three-dimensional sound,” Samsung said.

Samsung debuted Q-Symphony back at CES 2020, with the feature allowing the manufacturer’s Q-Series soundbars to sync with a subset of speakers on a higher-end Samsung TV. In 2022, Samsung introduced an enhanced version of Q-Symphony that let its soundbars sync with all the drivers on the Samsung TV rather than only some of them.

Meanwhile, the revamped room-calibrating SpaceFit Sound Pro feature will extend its audio analysis to lower frequencies rather than focusing on surround sound, for a more “realistic soundstage,” while AI-powered Sound Remastering will remaster “each sound object,” including voices and environmental audio, to help deliver “totally enveloping” sound, Samsung says.

Finally, there’s Adaptive Sound 2.0, a sound mode that automatically optimizes the soundbar’s audio based on the content that’s playing. The updated version of Adaptive Sound will do a better job of adjusting the audio at lower volumes, particularly when it comes to voice playback, Samsung said.

We can expect to see–and hear–the new versions of Q-Symphony, SpaceFit Sound Pro, and Adaptive Sound in the HW-Q990C, Samsung’s upcoming flagship soundbar (pictured above).

As with the two prior versions of this flagship (the HW-Q950A and the HW-Q990B), the HW-Q990C delivers 11.1.4 channels of audio, good for immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback.

The soundbar will come with a wireless subwoofer and a rear speaker kit.

Meanwhile, Samsung is also showing off the HW-S800B, an “ultra-slim” 3.1.2-channel soundbar that packs Dolby Atmos into a cabinet that’s 40mm tall and 38mm deep.

Also on tap at CES is the HW-G60C, a gaming-focused, all-in-one soundbar that packs Dolby Atmos support along with ambient LED lighting.

The HW-G60C will come equipped with an “echo-cancelling” four-microphone array for in-game chat as well as “interacting with virtual assistants” and smart devices, Samsung says.

Samsung didn’t reveal availability dates or pricing for the new soundbars.