Samsung Music Frame hands-on: A speaker to match your Frame TV
Hide your Dolby Atmos audio gear behind framed photos.
Samsung's The Frame TV has become a key part of its home entertainment lineup since the product debuted in 2017. The company has upgraded it a few times over the years, but at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Samsung revealed a new audio accessory to accompany the TV that doubles as a showcase for art and photos. The company calls it Music Frame (HW-LS60D): a wireless speaker that once pulls double duty as home decor, much like its television counterpart. This unit doesn't have a screen, though, instead it holds printed photos or art that you'll need to swap out manually. However, the basic idea is the same: a piece of home theater gear with the appearance of a picture frame.
Inside are two woofers, two tweeters and two mid-range drivers. The speaker array is capable of Dolby Atmos audio and it leverages Samsung's SpaceFit tech to calibrate the sound to the room. The company says the Music Frame has a "wide radial sound range" so that it can deliver quality audio wherever you're sitting around it. The two woofers are rear firing while the other four drivers are front firing, a setup the company explains contributes to the speaker's clear, natural sound. Music Frame is compatible with Samsung's Q-Symphony technology that uses TV speakers along with any additional home theater audio gear to boost overall sound quality.
The Music Frame can be used as a standalone Bluetooth or Wi-Fi speaker or as part of a home theater setup alongside a Samsung TV or soundbar. You can also install two of them on either side of a Frame TV for as a stereo pair or employ the Music Frame as rear speakers or even as a subwoofer. The device is ready to be wall mounted and it has a built-in stand if you'd rather set it on a table. Samsung also packed a full IoT hub into the Music Frame and made the speaker voice-enabled so you can employ your go-to virtual assistant to control music and more.
I actually got to hear the Music Frame at Samsung's CES first look event. I was shocked by how robust and clear the overall sound quality is coming from the speaker. Highs and mids are adequately represented with great detail, while the bass is more restrained. That could be a product of a noisy demo area, so I'll reserve final judgement on the low-end tone until a full review. I also only heard selected music tracks played on the unit as the company didn't have a home theater setup along with a Frame TV to show off the Dolby Atmos abilities.
No word on pricing or availability for the Music Frame just yet, but that's usually the case for Samsung's CES product announcements. Those key bits of info typically come closer to the devices shipping, which is almost always after their January unveiling.
We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.
