Samsung intros 'Shape' wireless audio system, starts at $400 for one speaker
It's not like Samsung's new to the home audio space -- it already sells speaker bars and the like -- but somehow, it's only just getting into wireless speaker systems. The company today announced its very own Sonos competitor, the Samsung Shape system. Named mostly after their triangular hardware, which can lie horizontally, stand vertically or be mounted to a wall, these speakers come armed with WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC, allowing you to stream music over your home network (or not). Even more than that sexy design, though, Samsung is emphasizing the easy setup process, which involves plugging either the speaker or hub into your router, and then downloading a free app to your Android or iOS device; the network setup just takes care of itself.
As for the app, Samsung's created a drag-and-drop interface wherein you can drag a song to a specific room of the house. In addition to playing locally stored music, you can also stream from Pandora, Rhapsody, Amazon Cloud Player, TuneIn Radio and any nearby devices that happen to be connected using Samsung AllShare. Using the app, you can also control the volume with either an on-screen slider or your phone's volume rocker -- and the volume doesn't have to be the same in each room, either. You can also mute speakers remotely, adjust the EQ or have different rooms play different music. Audio-wise, you're looking at five drivers per speaker, including two mid-range speakers, two tweeters and a woofer.
If, like some of us, you're living in a tiny studio, you can get away with buying one speaker for $400. If you intend to fill a whole house with sound, though, you'll obviously want more speakers, along with a $50 hub to bring it all together. All told, that puts the Shape on par with Sonos' higher-end Play:5 starter kit, which also uses five drivers, though the lower-end Play:3 can still be had for $100 less. For those who might be interested, the Shape system will be available October 13th. Until then, we've got some hands-on shots, including a few of the app in action -- there's no vouching for the sound quality, but hopefully you'll at least get a good idea of how the setup actually works .
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Samsung Introduces New Wireless Audio Multiroom Speaker System to Bring Music to Every Room In The Home
Experience uninterrupted, exceptional sound with Samsung Shape™ M7
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – October 3, 2013 –Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced today the availability of the Samsung Shape™ Wireless Audio Multiroom speaker system (WAM750), enabling music lovers to enjoy tether-free entertainment in any room of the house, from various music sources. The flexible new speaker can be used alone or in combination with the Samsung Hub (WAM250) and additional M7 speakers to create a multi-room system.
Easy plug and play installation makes set-up a breeze: simply connect the M7 or optional Samsung Hub to a router, plug in, and download the free app to effortlessly control multiple speakers and audio sources from a smartphone. With the Samsung Hub (WAM250) consumers are able to connect additional M7 speakers in any room of their home while maintaining superior sound quality and eliminating the need to connect any of the speakers to a router. For one-to-one pairing of an M7 to a smartphone, Bluetooth with NFC functionality is also included.
"In today's homes, consumers are engaging with a multitude of devices for entertainment -- from Smart TVs, to tablets and smartphones," said Jim Kiczek, Director of Digital Audio and Video at Samsung Electronics America. "The Samsung Shape M7 was designed to fit and work perfectly in the Samsung family of home entertainment products, offering simplicity, versatility and incredible sound, all accessed with a touch of a smartphone or tablet."
Untethered Entertainment
The Samsung Shape™ M7 supports dual-band WiFi, which ensures an uninterrupted stream across virtually any device. Additionally, Multi-Channel Mesh Network technology prevents network traffic problems by automatically searching for and finding clear audio data paths. Compatible with a variety of apps including Amazon Cloud Player®, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, TuneIn Radio® and more, the system can be customized to play different music in different rooms, or the same music throughout the home. Customers can also access content from their own library of music whether it is stored on a smartphone, a laptop or a PC.
Designed For Any Room
The Samsung Shape M7 offers visual harmony within any room environment. Its unique design affords a wide variety of placement choices allowing it to fit snugly in the corner of the wall as if it were custom-designed for the space. It can also be positioned vertically or horizontally for maximum versatility. Wherever the user decides to put the unit – on a table, on a shelf or hanging on the wall with the optional wall mount kit, the system's minimalist design and wire-free aesthetics will feel right at home in any décor.
Astonishing Sound Quality
The audio is articulated through speaker technology that delivers warm and natural sound color. The Foam Core Woofer, CNT pulp cone mid-range speakers, and silk dome tweeters with advanced speaker enclosures form the perfect combination for delivering deep, precise bass reproduction and crisp, clean mid- and high ranges.
Samsung's Shape Wireless Audio Multiroom system, which includes one M7 speaker, will be available on October 13th at the retail price of $399.99. The Samsung Hub will also be available on October 13th at a retail price of $49.99.
