Samsung Q Symphony may simply sound like a marketing term, but this technology is a whole lot more than that. So what exactly is Samsung Q Symphony?
In short, Q Symphony is the way that compatible Samsung TVs and Samsung soundbars can communicate with one another to utilise the speaker arrangements from both products simultaneously.
That's no gimmick either: a number of soundbars can suffer from the sense of 'detachment' from a TV's audio signal; furthermore there's often a true lack of height, which TV panels can solve thanks to their physical stature and therefore ability to project audio from a higher position.
Put the two pieces together and it's like solving a puzzle: you'll be able to add height and add more speakers for even more immersion with ease using Q Symphony.
Samsung Q Symphony: Which TVs and soundbars are supported?
Of course to get Q Symphony to work you'll need to buy the right kit. That means not only one of the best soundbars to go with one of the best TVs available, but best soundbar for Samsung TVs in particular.
The shorthand version is that Q Symphony only exists in Samsung QLED TVs* from 2020 onwards and soundbars that list the technology from the same era onwards.
The current list of 2022 compatible TVs is as follows (take a deep breath): QN900B, QN850B, QN800B 8K Neo QLED TVs; QN95B, QN85B 4K Neo QLED TVs; Q80B, Q60B 4K QLED TVs; S95B QD-OLED (*one non-QLED exception); The Frame (2022)
The list of 2021 Q Symphony compatible TVs: QN900A, QN850A, QN800A 8K Neo QLED TVs; QN95A, QN90A, QN85A 4K Neo QLED TVs; Q80A, Q70A, Q60A, Q50A 4K QLED TVs; The Frame (2021); AU8000 & AU800D (*more non-QLED here).
And the list of 2020 Q Symphony TVs: Q950TS, Q900TS, Q850T, Q800T 8K QLED TVs; Q95T/Q90T, Q80T 4K QLED TVs.
The current list of 2022 compatible soundbars is as so: HW-Q990B, HW-Q930, HW-Q800B, HW-Q700B.
The 2021 Q Symphony soundbar list: HW-Q950A, HW-Q900A, HW-Q850A, HW-Q800A, HW-Q700A, HW-Q600A.
And the 2020 Q Symphony soundbar list: HW-Q950T, HW-Q900T, HW-Q800T, HW-Q70T, HW-Q60T.
How to setup Q Symphony
Got both a Samsung TV and Samsung soundbar from the above listings? Good job, you've got Q Symphony potential. But how do you set up Q Symphony?
Thankfully it's very easy. Simply connect the soundbar to your TV using an HDMI or optical cable. Note that while Q Symphony will work with both connection types, optical maxes out at Dolby 5.1, whereas HDMI can support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X including object-based sound.
Once plugged in you'll need to change the source on your soundbar to D.IN. Get your soundbar's remote control, then press the Source button until it cycles through to D.IN – it's as simple as that.
You'll know it's worked as 'TV+Soundbar' will appear under the Sound Output menu setting, letting you know that you'll be getting Q Symphony synched sound from both TV and soundbar in tandem for improved surround sound and immersion.
So there you have it: that's what Samsung Q Symphony is, which products are compatible, and how to set it up. Job done.
