Samsung Sound

On August 20, Samsung is releasing its new HW-N950

and HW-N850 soundbars. These are its high-end audio

devices that it built in collaboration with audio-engineering

firm Harman Kardon. Both soundbars feature support for

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which are next-gen positional

audio standards that more games are beginning to support.

Samsung hasn’t revealed a final price for the N950 or

N850, but you can expect it to match or surpass its previous

Dolby Atmos soundbars that sell for $1,500. The N950’s

main unit features 7.1.4 separate audio channels, which

refers to the seven front, center, and surround speakers,

one subwoofer, and four up-firing Atmos speakers.

Samsung says this is the most channels available in a

soundbar, but it must not count Creative’s incredible Sonic

Carrier which has 11.2.4 audio channels. Of course, the

Sonic Carrier is still $4,000, so it’s in another category

beyond what Samsung is doing.

Still, soundbars are still an easy way to improve the audio

of your home theater, and now they are also a quick and

effective way to add support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

sound processing. These new technology standards are the

future of home audio, and upcoming blockbuster games like

Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

support it. Samsung is serving a market that wants that audio

without having to install speakers into your ceiling, and it worked

with Harman Kardon to ensure a high-quality final experience.