Back in April, I had the pleasure of reviewing Samsung’s N650, a groovy soundbar/subwoofer combo aimed squarely at games and gamers. After all, the soundbar had Acoustic Beam Technology, which was marketing-speak for specially engineered holes atop the bar that greatly improved directional sound. I really, really loved that system and up until this point, didn’t think much could top it, at least in terms of that specific price category.
Well, the good folks over at Samsung seem determined to ruin my audio contentment, because they sent over the HW-N950 for review, a $1,700 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X-compatible speaker package developed in collaboration with Harman Kardon. And let me tell you, it has obliterated my expectations and opened up a whole new level of entertainment possibilities. The N950 is definitely one of the best home theater sound systems I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing, in that movies, music and TV shows all sound downright amazing. But for video games, oh man, it’s the undisputed king of the hill (apologies to the very worthy N650). You’ll obviously pay handsomely for this kind of premium experience, but read on to find out why it’s worth the cash.
Setup
Something you’ll notice way before you even begin setting up the N950, probably as you’re gasping for air and trying to drag the retail box up a flight of stairs, is how damn heavy it is. Truth be told, the burdensome mass mostly falls on the beefy soundbar, though the accompanying subwoofer is no slouch in the heft department, and the small satellite speakers do add some extra weight as well. Should it slip and fall, the soundbar is probably heavy enough to break a toe, or at the very least, really ruin someone’s day. That said, I’d advise extreme caution when pulling this stuff out of the box and setting it down, whether that’s on the floor for inspection or on your entertainment stand for general use. Speaking of which, make sure you have a solid, sturdy piece of furniture to set the soundbar on, as I’d wager it’d make short work of anything from IKEA (no hate to IKEA products, I’m just trying to keep you all safe)
So what do you get in the giant, awkward-to-carry box? A beastly soundbar containing 17 (!) multi-directional speakers, an equally monstrous subwoofer, two rear speakers with forward and upward firing drivers, a handy remote to control everything, as well as a smattering of AC cords to power all of this insane sound. Getting all the components up and running is a simple as booting up each device in the order Samsung’s instructions recommend, and as you move along, pairing happens automatically. Since the subwoofer and rear speakers are wireless, you can place these anywhere in relation to the soundbar, though these extras do need power, so chosen locations will need outlet access.
Beyond placement, you’ll just need to plug in media devices (game consoles, Blu-ray players, etc.) to the soundbar via HDMI or optical and feed the cords through the convenient cutout on the bottom of the bar. Connect everything to the Samsung Smartthings app and you’re good to go (you don’t need to do this if you don’t want to, by the way).
Slick Aesthetics
I was really impressed with the N650’s minimalist design, but the N950 takes it to a whole new level. Yes, the soundbar is absolutely gargantuan, and it should be said that, without even trying, it will all but overtake your entire entertainment hub/stand/whatever. So sure, you’ll need lots of room, but potentially prohibitive size aside, the bar itself just screams quality. The weight contributes to that sentiment, but it’s also the stylish engineering.
On the top, you’ve got the Samsung and Harman Kardon logos, plus a minimalist control panel that allows you to power on the equipment, switch sources and adjust volume without the remote. Besides that, it’s basically a clean grill, with rounded edges up front and a sort of box-to-wedge shape running the entire length of the soundbar. You can see the side-firing speakers through the mesh on either end, which is a nice touch. On the front of the bar, you’ve got a bright LED display that shows things like volume, sources and general notifications. Using the remote, you can also adjust the system’s settings from here, which makes tweaking things like speakers levels, treble and bass really easy. You can additionally connect to the setup via Samsung’s SmartThings app, through which firmware updates can be applied, or you can even use your mobile device as a remote.
Gaming Nirvana
I was able to try a ton of games out with the N950, and without fail, they all sounded absolutely incredible. I spent around 30 hours playing Starlink: Battle for Atlas through this setup, and it turned out to be a great showcase for the surround sound. Spaceships zooming by, lasers zipping past and teammate transmissions coming through via intergalactic communication lines all sounded crisp and ultra-directional. Surprisingly, Spyro Reignited Trilogy sounded excellent as well, with enemies making noises from behind or off to the side. Nice little demo of how the N950 handles the pinpointing of objects in 3D space.
Additionally, I played some Shadow of the Tomb Raider through the N950 in Dolby Atmos, and this one was probably the most impressive software I tried. Maybe it’s the nature of its jungle setting, but hearing howler monkeys hooting and birds calling in the treetops against the backdrop of rushing rivers and ancient percussion—it honestly can’t be beat. Red Dead Redemption 2 sounded amazing, too, and I’ll be sure to update this article with more impressions as I play through it. When it comes down to it, games really show off the side-firing and upward-firing drivers on both the soundbar and rear speakers, and the effect envelops the player in waves of dimensional sound. Quite handy for titles like Fortnite or Overwatch where you need to hear where opponents are coming from, or more atmospheric single player experiences like God of War.
Something I noticed—and this could be because I’m doing something incorrectly—is that I couldn’t get proper 7.1 surround sound through my ARC connection. In other words, I needed to directly connect my Xbox One X and PS4 Pro to the soundbar and use the passthrough function, otherwise I could only get basic sound. I think this might be an outdated limitation of ARC technology rather than any fault of the N950. Any readers who fancy themselves audiophiles, please let me know what might be going on here.
Let’s All Go To The Lobby
My time with the N950 was largely focused on games, but in between extended sessions of Spyro, Tomb Raider and Red Dead Redemption 2, I did manage to try out a bunch of streaming shows and Blu-rays that supported everything from Dolby Atmos to DTS:X and everything in between. I watched stuff like Jurassic World and Jumanji in 4K (man, what a classic), and really, it was just like being in a movie theater. I also tried less-action oriented films like Pitch Perfect 3 (don’t judge), Coco, and Planet Earth II, all of which were amazingly immersive. That subwoofer provides some killer bass in appropriate scenes.
On a side note, I finally started watching Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, and without spoiling anything, that first scene with the girl crying…it sounded like she was far behind me, like I was in the house and I could hear her weeping in another faraway room. Those rear speakers turn scary into SCARY. Just incredible stuff, and horror content seems like an especially solid fit for Samsung’s premium soundbar.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
While the N950’s significant size allows it to house all those powerful speakers, it does introduce one tiny problem in regard to placement. The soundbar is around 3 inches tall (the N650 is about 2 inches by comparison) so if your TV isn’t mounted to the wall or has a particularly short stand, you’re going to experience some measure of screen obstruction. I’ve been testing the N950 with Samsung’s Q9FN, a 65-inch QLED with a very minimalistic stand, and the soundbar blocks a good several inches of the display when sitting on my entertainment center. It’s not a huge deal, really, only a minor annoyance, but potential buyers should be aware. Honestly, bolting your TV to the wall would completely eliminate this problem, but if you’re using your display with a stand, be aware of this potential roadblock.
On that same note, if you do plan on having this soundbar situated on top of an entertainment stand, it’s most likely going to take up a large portion of the available space, possibly the entire length as well as some significant depth. The subwoofer is also understandably big, but it’s way easier to find space for that piece of equipment, seeing as you can just place it basically anywhere on the floor.
The End Result
So what’s the honest truth? The N950 is huge. It’s way too heavy for its own good. It’s stupid expensive. But even with those drawbacks, it’s an incredibly well-made piece of technology that delivers pure surround sound bliss, most notably for gaming. Even if you’re not into games, music and other content still sounds crazy-compelling through this system, so if you’re willing to plunk down the cash, this might be one of the best soundbars money can currently buy.
Disclosure: Samsung provided review product for coverage purposes.
