Samsung's new soundbars made waves at CES 2025, as the company announced two soundbars tailored for its latest line of TVs. The flagship Samsung HW-Q990F home audio system includes a premium soundbar, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer. However, the real magic lies in the HW-QS700F, which may be Samsung's most innovative soundbar.

The HW-QS700F includes a built-in gyro sensor that can optimize the soundbar's sound depending on how you orient it. Whether you have the HW-QS700F vertically flush to a wall or horizontally flat on a TV console, it should deliver the same room-filling sound.

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Samsung invited me to its QA lab last month to test the HW-QS700F in more detail than the CES demos could offer. During my two-hour period with the soundbar, I watched movies, listened to music, and tested its software features.

Unfortunately, I couldn't test the standout gyroscope feature during my demo; I'll have to reserve my opinion on its performance when thoroughly testing the soundbar in the coming weeks.

Still, there are a few things you should know about the HW-QS700F aside from its flexible orientation. Let's get into it.

Although the HW-QS700F seems smaller and less beefy than the flagship HW-Q990F, it's not a compact soundbar and best compliments a 65-inch or bigger TV. The QS700F includes a subwoofer, the same compact soundbar included with the Q990F sound system.

With three front-firing and two up-firing speaker channels, plus eight speaker drivers, the QS700F creates a 3.1.2-channel listening experience. The internal gyro sensor allows the speakers to change direction depending on how you place the soundbar, ensuring you always have a 3.1.2-channel configuration.

The QS700F is compatible with various spatial audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Eclipsa Audio, an open-source spatial audio format created by Google and Samsung. 

Additionally, you can access Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay to use the soundbar as a smart speaker to stream music from your smartphone. There are HDMI In and Out options, and the QS700F uses eARC to decode spatial audio formats.

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The QS700F supports 4K video passthrough at 60Hz, so it may not be the most suitable for connected gaming consoles.

I trialed the QS700F in the horizontal orientation, listening to Charli xcx'sSympathy is a Knifeand watchingIron Man 3. Overall, the QS700F delivered powerful and robust sound, offering much more volume than my ears could take. Even at higher volumes, there was little distortion. 

The songs I listened to and movies I watched were in Dolby Atmos, and the QS700F did a spectacular job placing the objects in the film and creating a wide and open soundstage for the instrumentals and background vocals in the music.

The QS700F's external subwoofer shares the same form factor as the Q990F but includes one less active driver. Still, for such a small sub, it packs a substantial punch. Lower frequencies lacked distortion, and the woofer wasn't rocked at loud volumes. Like all solo soundbars, I believe a pair of rear speakers would set the QS700F off.

The QS700F includes many Samsung-exclusive audio features, such as Q-Symphony, Voice Enhance Mode, and SpaceFit Sound Pro, all optimized for compatibility with your Samsung TV.

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Overall, the Samsung HW-QS700F is best for people who want a soundbar that can be positioned flexibly without sounding wrong or ill-fitting to their room. Theoretically, whether the soundbar is mounted vertically or placed horizontally, it should offer customers the best sound.

I look forward to testing the QS700F's gyro sensor feature because the different positions may alter the sound. I don't believe one position will sound better, but it may sounddifferent.Stay tuned for a full review.

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