Willie S.
Since Samsung launched its Frame TVs in 2018, they have won the hearts of TV addicts worldwide — thanks to the unique arty design and customization options.
Considering their super-flat profile, Samsung Frame TVs, like other flat-panel models, have no room for robust and deep-sounding speakers. This explains why they aren’t anything near impressive in the aspect of audio output.
To get the best audio from your Samsung Frame TV, you’d have to invest in a good soundbar. In this post, we’d be looking at the best soundbars for Samsung Frame TVs.
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Best Soundbars for Samsung Frame TV: Our Top 6 Picks
The market abounds with soundbars of varying styles by several different brands. But not all models on the market would work perfectly with your Samsung Frame TV.
To help you choose the right soundbar for your Frame TV, we hit the market and compared dozens of options in terms of their compatibility with Samsung Frame TVs, design, durability, audio quality, and brand reputation. And we continued trimming our initially long list until we were left with these top contenders that you shouldn’t go wrong with.
1. Samsung HW-600A
The Samsung HW-600A is a 3.1.2 soundbar that comes with a separate subwoofer. Released in 2021, this bar is the most affordable model in the Q series lineup, boasting a handful of features and a decent performance that is way better than what TV speakers offer.
Design
There are quite a lot of similarities in the looks of the HW-600A and its sibling, the Samsung HW-Q600A, especially in terms of the footprint. The dimensions of the bar are 38.6 x2. 3 x 4.1 inches with a weight of 7.5 inches, so it probably won’t fit between the legs of 55-inches TVs and above. The height is within an acceptable range, which means it won’t obstruct your view of any part of the TV.
Moving further, a perforated metal grille covers the top and front sides of the HW-600A while the chamfered front edge gives it its characteristic Samsung look. The rest of the bar is made of black sturdy plastic. An LED display sits at the far right of the front of the bar, fitting just four characters, while the top side houses the control buttons. The subwoofer is made of wood and a not-too-strong fabric at the front.
On the back of the bar, you will find all the connectivity options in two insets. In all, you have two HDMI ports, a digital optical input, a USB port, and a power connector. For its wireless capabilities, the HW-600A only has Bluetooth, which means it misses out on any online functionality.
Features
Feature-wise, this bar has the basics, but thankfully, it does have Dolby Atmos through both Dolby TrueHD and Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, and DTS.
There’s also the Symphony feature, which is present in all the brand’s 2021 lineup but this depends on whether your TV has the feature too. It allows the TV to play an active role in sound output, therefore enhancing immersion. Plus, the Bluetooth is on/off feature makes it possible for the bar to automatically turn on the Bluetooth when it detects an incoming signal and turn it off when it is disconnected.
Also, the bar has the proprietary Acoustic Beam technology, which Samsung describes as ‘panoramic audio that dynamically moves with the sound’. Add to that the sound enhancement features including Standard, Surround, Game, and Adaptive modes. The Adaptive sound setting enables the bar to determine sound reproduction based on what sound is coming into it.
Performance
The HW-600A has a balanced sound profile that is good enough for you to elevate your audio listening experience. It does a good job at creating an immersive sound field (thanks to the symphony feature) but keeps in mind that even though this bar doesn’t have any side-firing drivers, the top must still be unobstructed to get this result.
It also provides clear dialogue, but the bass output is underwhelming. If you’re keen on getting rumbling sounds, you may need to look elsewhere. This bar performs well when handling less-intensive sounds, but anything high may lead to some loss of cohesion or distortion.
Pros
- Affordable price.
- Dolby Atmos and DTS: X.
- It can be expanded to 5.1.2 channels.
Cons
- The bass is unimpressive.
- No WiFi.
2. Samsung HW-S50A
Unlike most small-sized soundbars that come with few speakers, thereby limiting their sound output, Samsung crams more speakers into its smaller soundbar, the HW-S50A. Its design, internal hardware, the array of features, and top performance reiterate why Samsung is truly a king in the audio gear market.
Design
The Samsung HW-S50A is largely made of plastic, but it looks and feels well-constructed. It isn all-in-one soundbar with internal subwoofer. With a width of 30.1 inches and a height of just 2.4 inches, this soundbar will fit under most TVs while its low center of gravity gives it firmness so the soundbar won’t be knocked over. Its small footprint makes it perfect for those looking for a model that won’t take up much space in their home. You can place it underneath your TV or wall-mount it using the brackets in the package.
Aesthetically, there’s nothing wowing about the HW-S50A as it’s not designed to call attention to itself. A fabric mesh runs from the front to the back of the bar while the sides and underneath are made of plastic. The top panel features touch controls such as power, volume up/down, source selection, etc.
The HW-S50A is a letdown in terms of connections as Samsung aims to keep clutter at a minimum with 1 HDMI (ARC) and 1 optical port. There’s also built-in Bluetooth connectivity that enables you to wireless stream music from your mobile devices with the tap of a finger from anywhere in the room.
Features
Tons of features are not what you should expect to see on an entry-level bar of this price category. Apart from the standard mode, the HW-S50A has the Adaptive Sound Lite, which automatically detects what sound is coming into it and optimizes it for a better audio experience. This preset works regardless of the type of content including movies, games, and music.
Additionally, Samsung throws in the multi-connection feature, which allows you to connect two different audio sources at the same time so you can switch simultaneously from one source device to another. Plus, there’s Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, indicating that the HW-S50A can produce surround sounds.
Performance
If you had written off this bar before reading up to this point, it will interest you to know that the HW-S50A does offer value for money. It seems to shine just where it needs to. A major contributor to its good sound quality is its 5 channels including a dedicated center speaker for voices when watching TV and movies. The outcome is clear sounds that make it possible to discern every single word characters in the movies are saying. It also manages to handle the sudden change from quiet to loud.
However, it leaves much to be desired in the amount of bass it knocks out. This should come as no surprise seeing that it doesn’t have the support of a separate subwoofer. The bass may not be explosive, but it is good enough to deliver a positive experience.
Pros
- Great sound quality.
- Decent bass.
- Small size.
Cons
- The fabric cover is a dust collector.
- Sparse connectivity options.
3. Bose Smart Soundbar 300
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is one of the smallest and least expensive models in the company’s portfolio, yet it possesses some features you’d find in the midrange and pricier units. It is a one-piece audio solution that’s suitable for a variety of audio content.
Design
The Smart Soundbar 300 is rather small, which is not a problem if you’re looking to place it under your TV between the legs. Its simple and minimalistic design helps it achieve a good level of invisibility so it doesn’t draw attention away from your TV to itself. What’s more, it’s only 2.235 inches tall and 27.5 inches wide, so it won’t obstruct the bottom of your TV.
As expected, the metal grille wraps around the front and sides of the bar, hiding the strategically placed speakers away from sight while the rest of the body is made of durable plastic. The top left side of the bar has a small multicolor LED light strip to indicate the status of the soundbar. Bose adopts the button-free exterior style here, so the remote is the only way to control the Smart Soundbar 300.
Around the back, you will find the connection ports including one HDMI (ARC), one optical input, a micro USB port, and an IR controller. There’s also a bass port for wiring a subwoofer, but it’s proprietary, so you won’t be able to use it for a sub made by another company. If you’re looking to go wireless, you have both Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity options to choose from.
Features
The Smart Soundbar 300 does have a couple of features that provide value. One of them is the bar’s infrared emitter. Normally, using an optical connection means you miss out on the kind of TV-control features that HDMI enables, but the Smart Soundbar 300 allows you to use Alexa or Google Assistant to operate TV functions without HDMI, thanks to the infrared emitter.
Also, the bar comes equipped with the SoundTouch WiFi music system, with which you can connect directly to different audio streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, and more. Although there’s no Chromecast support, you can still get audio to the speaker using AirPlay2 and Spotify Connect.
Additionally, the bar supports virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, which means all smart functionalities you would find on Echo devices can be handled the same way here. Plus, the bar also has a Simple Sync feature, which allows you to pair the Smart Soundbar 300 seamlessly with other Bose products.
Unlike other conventional soundbars, the Smart Soundbar 300 doesn’t come with a range of audio presets to choose from. Instead of sound modes, Bose provides an audio tuning system that detects all incoming sounds and optimizes them to give great sound reproduction.
Performance
If you’re looking for a bar that delivers room-filling sounds, look no further than the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 as it delivers the goods. It is a loud performer, which is surprising given its physical proportions, yet, it manages to achieve a pristine, clear rendition of any sound so you can clearly hear every word and every note of your favorite music.
The sound optimizing tech works decently well, but sometimes, the bass output can be disappointing. Bose probably anticipated this challenge, so they provided a Music app that allows you to tweak the bass reproduction to get the booming sounds you want. Overall, the Smart Soundbar 300 gives great value for its pricing and is capable of delivering a home theater experience.
Pros
- Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant.
- Integrated audio services.
- Beautiful, minimalist design.
- Reasonably wide sound field.
Cons
- Slightly expensive for a standalone bar.
- No Dolby Atmos, DTS support.
4. Sony HT-X8500
The Sony HT-X8500 is a truly entertaining Dolby-Atmos soundbar, bringing with it a good performance, especially since it doesn’t have an external subwoofer. It is also modestly priced, as you may have to spend twice as much for a rival system, making it one of the best soundbars you can buy.
Design
Many manufacturers are gradually moving away from the soundbar plus subwoofer arrangement in favor of single units, and Sony tows that line with the HT-X8500. It is basically a long, narrow slab of a speaker with two wide-range drivers at the ends and a dual subwoofer in the center. If the bar is too tall to sit happily underneath your TV, you can leverage the integrated wall fixings and supplied template.
A grey metal grille covers the drivers and curves around the corners and top edge. There is no display on the HT-X8500 but to make up for it, there are indicator lights on the top panel for Atmos, DTS: X. Vertical Surround, TV, HDMI, and Bluetooth. There are also touch-sensitive buttons for power, source selection, Bluetooth, and volume control.
The HT-X8500 doesn’t have a lot of ports and inputs as it has just two HDMI ports, a single optical port, and an input for power. The speaker is limited to only Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. If you want to add WiFi functionality, then a Chromecast dongle will do.
Features
There’s a dearth of features on the HT-X8500. Of course, inevitably, it does have a variety of sound modes: Standard, Auto Sound, Cinema, Music, News, Sports, and Game. The Auto Sound allows the bar to optimize all incoming sounds so you don’t have to go back and forth with changing modes. To further improve the capabilities of the bar, Sony equips it with the S-Force Pro front surround audio processing, coupled with the brand’s Vertical Surround Engine.
Additionally, the bar supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. They kick in when you play compatible content and have supported hardware. Although the bar comes with its own remote control, the HDMI-CEC support makes it possible to control the power and volume on the soundbar using your TV and source device remotes. This means you don’t have to worry about swapping remotes.
Performance
The HT-X8500 offers fun right from the moment you fire it up, proving that good sound quality doesn’t have to be expensive. The vertical surround engine combines the support of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to process standard audio and upscale it to simulate a near 7.1.2 surround sound effect. It doesn’t create a compelling overhead, but the sound field is as high as it is wide.
The dialogue in the movies is crystal clear, and you can hear every word being said when used for music playback. It paints with a joyous sense of rhythm and clarity. In terms of loudness, the HT-X8500 is a gutsy performer and doesn’t run out of steam in an average living room. It surprisingly thumps in a way that you’d only expect from a pricier model. Its 50Hz of bassy power is capable of making you shiver and shudder.
Pros
- Loud performer.
- Dolby Atmos and DTS: X.
- All-in-one compact design.
- Easy to set up and use.
Cons
- No WiFi support.
- No up-firing drivers.
5. LG SN6Y
If your gorgeous TV screen produces lackluster sound, the LG SN6Y can help bring back the highs, lows, and midrange to your audio experience without taking up a lot of space in your room. The SN6Y is a soundbar and subwoofer combination that delivers a relatively bass-heavy sound profile.
Design
The SN6Y comes with a simple and traditional style that reinforces the idea that soundbars should essentially be pleasing to the ears and not necessarily the eyes. It has a metal grille covering the front side of the bar with slightly curved edges while the rest of its body is made of plastic. It looks very much like its forebear, the SLY6, except that it is a little wider, so it won’t fit between the legs of 55-inches TVs and lower.
Although the top panel of the bar is made of plastic, it rocks a leather look and feels in an attempt to give off a premium aura. The right side is created with the company’s logo in white alongside a silicone pad that houses controls for volume, source selection, and power. The accompanying subwoofer is made of wood with a fabric mesh on the front and is about the size of a PC.
The back of the bar has an opening for you to access the ports and inputs, and these include HDMI ARC, optical audio, and USB. There’s no 3.5mm aux port, but you get Bluetooth for streaming music from your mobile device.
Features
The SN6Y is a plug-and-play product, so you can set it up in seconds. To allow for surround sounds, LG adds support for DTS:X Virtual X, a psychoacoustic processing technology that creates 3D spacious sounds. This helps to create dimensional, virtual surround sound.
Furthermore, the SN6Y features regular audio presets alongside the brand’s Adaptive Sound Control mode (AI Sound Pro), which automatically detects what’s on the screen and adjusts the audio settings of the bar to give out high-quality sound output.
Performance
The SN6Y has a really good bass output with a lot of thump and punch, but bass lovers may find it insufficient as it struggles to produce the deepest rumbles of explosions or electronic music. It can also get very loud, but this depends on the size of your room.
When used for movie playback, the SN6Y does a good job of delivering clean, clear dialogue so you hear every word. The auto-optimizing tech further helps to adjust background noise so you can both hear what is being said while still being caught up in the action.
The only drawback to the SN6Y is that its surround sound capability is weak, but you can get that fixed by adding a rear speaker kit (which is available separately) to enhance depth and create an immersive soundstage.
Pros
- Compact size.
- Excellent center channel performance.
- Good stereo dynamics.
- Premium design.
Cons
- The companion app lacks some functionalities on iOS.
- No surround sound.
6. Polk Audio Signa S2
As TV speakers get worse by the day, brands like Polk Audio are also churning out astonishingly good soundbars that do not jeopardize quality with their reasonable prices. The Signa S2 is a budget-friendly 2.1 soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer with superb performance.
Design
The Signa S2 has a very straightforward design in that it is styled like most soundbars out there. There are no mirrored finishes or anti-fingerprint metals or other decals for your place. The central unit is about 2.2 inches tall and 35.4 inches wide, which means it won’t block any part of your TV and it should fit between some 55-inch stands.
The bar is fronted by a mesh-like fabric while the brand’s logo is on its extreme end. At the top, the touch controls are clearly labeled in case you lose your remote. As for the subwoofer, it’s smaller than most of its rivals and connects wirelessly to the central unit although a wired connection is also possible. Both the main unit and sub adorn a solid black color, so they should blend into your home decor easily.
On the back of the bar, you will find a range of inputs and some unique slot spaces to mount them. The inputs include HDMI ARC, optical, and a jack for axillary output. The Signa S2 also features Bluetooth connectivity.
Features
The Signa S2 comes with a power-saving feature that makes it go into standby mode after a few minutes of inactivity, although there’s no specific timer. For the best audio experience, the bar sports the Polk Adjust Technology, which detects the content that’s being played and automatically adjusts the sound output to guarantee the best quality. It also provides three preset modes namely: Music, Movie, and Night modes.
Performance
Now we come to the real deal of the Signa S2: the sound quality department. The major selling point of this bar is that it can make dialogue sound clearer and it delivers impressively well on that promise. It produces pretty intense sounds that will leave you fully satisfied.
As a 2.1 channel, its surround sound capabilities can be limited, but this device manages to perform well in delivering a decent room-filling theater experience. Plus, this bar has one of the best frequency ranges of bass you can find in its price category.
Pros
- Good front soundstage.
- Solid bass performance.
- Very easy to set up.
- Great price.
Cons
- No surround depth.
- No Wi-Fi.
- Audio adjustments are limited.
