Next we will be looking in the ways you can control the HW-Q700A which is pretty much the same across the entire lineup. As per usual the soundbar has some built-in buttons that Samsung has placed at the top side. There are four touch sensitive buttons and from left to right we find a power button, volume controls and a source selection button. When you come from TV audio the first time you will hear the HW-Q700A will certainly surprise you. The front soundstage is more alive and with more volume. You get some nice extension to all axis although it was not as much as some other units we had tested before. The unit doesn’t have any side firing drivers that could help with sideways extension but even like this the sound wall in front of us was very satisfying. The HW-Q700A looks like a decent offering with many things we would call as standards in this performance category. It is its actual output quality that will make or break this unit so without further delay let’s start our analysis… Despite its inability to support voice assistants, it is compatible with the Samsung SmartThings app, allowing you to control a number of the bar’s features. That includes the sound enhancement features in which you can adjust bass and enhance dialogue. Connectivity For the two main channels the Q700A is using a single round woofer in combination with an oval one. The center channel uses a single tweeter while for Atmos there are two round woofers.

Again we didn’t sense any exaggerations towards the higher end and all vocals had good energy and enough life into them to make the whole performance worthwhile. The dedicated center channel surely helps in this regard. The unit fared as good as you would expect from such a device. There were no real disappointments here but no surprises either. It felt like the Q700A played it safe and to be honest this is how it should be. The front soundstage was very satisfying without pushing the physical limits of the soundbar itself. Sound imaging was good enough and the unit provided enough transparency for the hardware it comes with. Using the HDMI ARC port, the Samsung HW-Q700A is able to support DTS and Dolby Digital audio formats, found on streaming platforms and Blu-ray discs. Additionally, it also supports DTS:X and Dolby Digital Plus which are premium surround formats.Inevitably, what you don’t get is a sense of front to rear movement, or side-fills. This is more a consequence of the soundbar form factor than anything else. For full surround sound, you can’t beat actual physical speakers placed at the rear of a room. What we get is not actually so much different than what Samsung offers in many of their soundbars. In one inset we find the two HDMI ports available while on the other there is a micro-USB for service only, a digital optical input and a round power connector. By having both input and output HDMI means that the unit can be used to pass-through any signals but it cannot be used as a hub. So in case you have multiple input sources you have to be creative with how you connect everything. Q-Symphony is compatible with 2021 Samsung TV (AU7000 TV and above). For a complete list of compatible models, please refer to samsung.com for more information. Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information about Subwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.

The HW-Q700A is a very decent attempt from Samsung at creating a soundbar that combines a compact enough design which is very easy to use but also be able to perform at high standards as any unit bearing the Dolby Atmos logo should. It may not be the extreme design we saw in the Q950A but this was never meant to be. The Q700A shares many of the same technologies on a smaller scale and does that with enough success. Basic controls can be accessed at the top of the bar where the buttons are located. From there, you can adjust the volume, change the input and turn the bar on or off. There’s plenty of subtle detail in the wider soundstage too. Spatial placement is wide, and panning is speedy. The result is an exciting, entertaining listen. With more bass intensive songs the soundbar did show its weakness as it just couldn’t hit the lower end with the strength we would like it to. Not that what we heard was overall bad but we would like something more than what we ultimately got. And while this was not so apparent in many songs we tried, those that kept hitting the lower frequencies with intensity made it obvious that the soundbar couldn’t follow as faithfully as these required. Don't let your audio stand still. Samsung Acoustic Beam technology mixes and delivers the sound so it appears to come precisely where the action is happening on screen. Perfect for movie and gaming, it's true 3.1.2ch sound that really moves you.

The main problem with the HW-Q700A is the single HDMI input it has as it doesn’t leave you with a lot of options in terms of connections. This means that in a full home theater system with many sources you will have to resort to the TV HDMI inputs and use the ARC/eARC connectivity to pass the audio to the soundbar. Other than this, what the Q700A offers is pretty much the standard nowadays in this category. Control Options Moving into the sound enhancement features, the HW-Q700A has a plethora of options to choose from. For example, you can either use the graphic EQ or select one of the presets provided. There is ‘Standard’, ‘Game Pro’, ‘ Adaptive Sound’ and ‘Surround’ for you to choose from. The HW-Q700B boasts a number of audio presets and sound modes which are worth exploring. These include Standard, Adaptive Sound, Surround and Game. The Adaptive mode is particularly useful, as it makes full use of the speaker array, regardless of the source material. After all, not everything comes mixed for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. You’ll know that you’re listening to native Dolby Atmos, as the front facing display spells it out for you.

The whole system is rated at 330 watts of output power so let’s brake this number down. The main unit is rated at 170 watts with a (30 W x 4) + (20 W x 2) + 10 W) configuration while the subwoofer comes at 160 watts. Connectivity The Q700B doesn’t have a detailed status display or onscreen interface. Instead it communicates via a front-facing LED display that’s designed to be read through the perforated grille. This is fine if you’re sitting face-on, but it becomes less legible when viewed from the side. There’s also limited on-body controls for volume, source selection and power. The remote control, on the other hand, allows you to control all the bar’s functions. Unfortunately, it does not have the universal remote feature and therefore, the remote cannot be used to control the TV.

You don't need several remotes. Control key soundbar functions like power, volume, and even sound effects with the Samsung TV remote - right from your TV. Samsung soundbar analyses the sound signal to automatically deliver optimized sound based on each scene. Adaptive Sound lets you hear voices clearly even on low volumes so even quiet conversations are heard.

The partnering wireless subwoofer is relatively compact and decor friendly, with a fabric frontage, and port to the rear.

Once again we tried comparing the different sound modes available and the Adaptive Sound mode is a good choice if you want to set it up and forget as it will adjust sound according to the content on screen. Panning effects will give you the sense of moving sounds in space, dialogue was distinct and clear even during hectic moments and you will get some elevation on the Atmos sounds even if not as much as we would like.