DTS Headphone X Surround Sound From Stereo Is Astonishing Though Z Music App Disappoints

Although improved surround sound through two-speaker headphones has been promised by various means of delivery from true 5.1 or 7.1 gaming headsets that pack multiple tiny speakers into the earcups - to DSPs and special recording methods like Binaural + a specialty of the Chesky record label found on some of its high-res digital downloads. The results were sometimes impressive, but more often than not failed to bring the full surround effect to your headphones.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is a 3.1.2 setup from the manufacturer's 2021 lineup. It has a balanced mid-range that can reproduce clear and accurate vocals and lead instruments. However, it struggles to reproduce the thump and punch in the bass range, so you don't feel the deep rumble in action-packed movie scenes. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content, though, and it comes with lots of sound enhancement features, including Samsung's Acoustic Beam virtual surround technology, though we don't test for this.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is good for mixed usage. It has a pretty balanced mid-range that can reproduce vocals and lead instruments clearly. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy, punchy bass, which can be disappointing if you like bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. It supports Dolby Atmos, though, which is handy for movie fans. However, it has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it, which isn't as immersive-sounding.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is satisfactory for music. Out-of-the-box, it struggles to reproduce the thump and punch found in bass-heavy genres like EDM. Its balanced mid-range can still reproduce voices and lead instruments pretty clearly, though. Also, there are a lot of sound customization features available, including a graphic EQ, several presets, and bass and treble adjustments.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is satisfactory for movies. Its balanced mid-range can reproduce dialogue clearly and accurately, but it struggles to reproduce low and mid-bass, so you may not feel the deep thump and punch in action-packed scenes. It gets pretty loud, though there's some compression when you play it at max volume. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content, but it has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is a 3.1.2 setup with a dedicated subwoofer. Compared to the Samsung HW-Q800A, it lacks a thumpy, punchy low-bass, which might disappoint fans of bass-heavy music. It comes with lots of sound enhancement features, including a graphic EQ and bass and treble adjustments. It also comes with features such as SpaceFit Sound, which is advertised to optimize audio reproduction based on the acoustic characteristics of your room using the microphone on compatible Samsung TVs, and Tap Sound, which mirrors music from your phone when you tap it against the bar, though we don't test for these.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is a marginally better soundbar than the Samsung HW-Q600A. The HW-Q700A has a better soundstage performance, it comes with more wireless playback options, and it's compatible with the SmartThings app, so you can control many of its features from your smartphone. Also, its surrounds and Atmos performances are better, and it supports Amazon Alexa voice assistant when you connect it with a third-party Echo device. That said, unlike the HW-Q700A, the HW-Q600A's USB port supports audio playback, which can be handy for some listeners.

Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Samsung HW-Q70R or the Samsung HW-Q700A. The HW-Q70R reproduces a more extended low-bass, meaning you can feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed scenes. However, the HW-Q700A offers better soundstage and surround performances, and it supports Apple AirPlay 2. It also comes with an auto-volume mode, unlike the HW-Q70R.

The Samsung HW-Q850A is a bit better soundbar for mixed usage than the Samsung HW-Q700A. The HW-Q850A comes with dedicated satellite speakers, and it offers a better surrounds performance since it doesn't have to downmix this content into stereo to play it. It also comes with built-in voice assistant support, and it reproduces a more extended low-bass.

The Samsung HW-Q700A is a 3.1.2 setup that's better than the 2.1 Samsung HW-A550. The HW-Q700A is better-built, and unlike the HW-A550, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. There are even more wireless playback options to choose from.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 with Speakers + Bass Module is a bit better for mixed usage than the Samsung HW-Q700A. The Bose is better-built, and its discrete satellites help create a better surround performance. It also has a better stereo soundstage, and its default sound profile is more neutral. It even comes with a room correction feature. However, only the Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content. It also comes with a graphic EQ and presets as well as a Full HDMI In port.

The Samsung HW-Q700A has a satisfactory stereo frequency response. It struggles to reproduce the thump and punch in the low to mid-bass, which is disappointing if you like to feel the rumbles in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. Its balanced mid-range can still reproduce vocals and lead instruments pretty clearly, though. You can also customize its sound to your liking using the graphic EQ and presets as well as the bass and treble adjustments. Also, you can take a look at another 3.1.2 bar, the Samsung HW-S800B, which reproduces a more extended low-bass despite the smaller size of the subwoofer.

The Samsung HW-Q700A has poor surrounds performance. It has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it. As a result, surround objects in the soundstage such as voices and footsteps aren't as clearly or accurately localized as setups with dedicated surround speakers. Audio can seem like it's coming from in front of you, rather than from speakers placed all around you.

Like most soundbars, this manufacturer has included a feature that they advertise to enhance the sound when it's paired with a compatible Samsung TV. Samsung calls the feature SpaceFit Sound, and unfortunately, as with most of these features, it really doesn't do much to change the sound or the soundstage. There's also Tap Sound, which lets you mirror music from your phone when you tap it against the bar. You can still stream audio wirelessly over Bluetooth, though.

The Samsung HW-Q600A is a 3.1.2 setup that comes with a dedicated subwoofer. It has a pretty neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box that makes it suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content, though it lacks some low-bass. Like other Samsung soundbars from the 2021 lineup, including the Samsung HW-Q800A and the Samsung HW-Q700A, it offers many sound customization features, including a graphic EQ and presets like 'Game Mode Pro' and 'Adaptive Sound'. There's also Acoustic Beam technology built-in to the bar, advertised to help create a more immersive sound, as well as Q-Symphony, which enhances audio reproduction when connected to compatible Samsung TVs, though we don't test for this. However, it lacks extra features like voice assistant support and Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay2 compatibility.

The Samsung HW-Q600A is good for mixed usage. It has a pretty neutral sound profile out-of-the-box that makes it suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content, and dialogue is reproduced clearly and accurately. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing for fans of action-packed movies and bass-heavy music. It supports Atmos and surround content, though its performance isn't very immersive. That said, there are lots of sound customization features available, which is handy.

The Samsung HW-Q600A is decent for movies. While its balanced sound profile can reproduce dialogue clearly and accurately, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It supports surround content, but it has to downmix it into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound very immersive. Its Atmos performance is also disappointing, and its height channels don't get very loud. That said, there are some sound customization features available, which is handy.

The Samsung HW-Q600A is a 3.1.2 soundbar from Samsung's 2021 lineup. It has a similar design and performance compared to the Samsung HW-Q700A and the Samsung HW-Q800A, and it also has Q-Symphony and Acoustic Beam technology built into the bar, though we don't test for this. However, unlike the other 3.1.2 setups, it doesn't offer any voice assistant capabilities, and it doesn't support Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay2 connectivity.

The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q600A. The Vizio comes with discrete satellites and offers a better surround performance. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass, and has a better soundstage. The Samsung is better built, though.

The Samsung HW-Q600A is a significantly better soundbar than the AmazonBasics 2.1 Channel Bluetooth. The Samsung is a 3.1.2 setup that's better-built and comes with center and surround channels, unlike the Amazon. It also supports Dolby Atmos content, and it offers a better stereo soundstage. There are even more sound enhancement features, like a graphic EQ and presets, as well as ARC and Full HDMI In ports. Some listeners may also prefer its more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. 1e1e36bf2d