Samsung has announced a new addition to its audio lineup with the S-Series, launching two new soundbars kicking off the launch of the range - the S60T and S61T. Samsung is no stranger to the soundbar market, with its Samsung HW-Q90R currently topping our best soundbars guide thanks to its “unmatched audio quality”. So what do these new models bring to the table (or should that be TV stand?)
There doesn’t seem to be any functional difference between the two beyond the color - the S60T comes in black, while the S61T is a stylish silver grey. Both soundbars feature four channel sound (what used to be known as Quadraphonic sound), with dual-sided horn speakers and Samsung’s acoustic beam technology to ensure excellent sound quality across the entire room.
Samsung is also touting its Adaptive Sound technology, which helps optimize your audio experience based on what you’re listening to. This means that quiet scenes will be audible and clear, while bombastic action scenes will still reverberate across your living room with suitable intensity.
The S-Series soundbars also come with Amazon Alexa support built-in, so you can pause and play content, adjust the volume, or even ask Alexa questions and she’ll respond through your swanky soundbar. You can also connect to the S-series soundbars via WiFi for music streaming, with support for the biggest music apps including Spotify and Deezer.
Which Samsung soundbar should you go for?
Both the Samsung S60T and S61T have an MSRP of $329.99 (£399 in the UK), so neither is competing in the same space as something like the Samsung HW-Q90R, which is triple that price. Instead, these will sit as more mid-level soundbars like the Sony HT-X8500. These are for people who want to boost the sound output of their TV without dropping the big bucks.
Both devices measure in at a smidgen over 30-inches long, so they'll happily sit underneath the most common TV sizes. If you're looking for something a little smaller, Samsung is also launching the S40T later in July. This diminutive soundbar will also feature Bluetooth connectivity with multiple devices, so you can have your soundbar set up with the TV and your laptop and switch between them.
We’ll be reviewing these new S-series soundbars shortly, so we’ll let you know how they stack up against the competition, but on paper we think these could be a great first soundbar purchase for people who are on the fence.
