Samsung to Launch New Lifestyle Speaker Series, More Curved Soundbars at CES

In support of its curved TVs, Samsung will bow at CES an expanded lineup of curved soundbars and a new wireless speaker series for music, the company said Monday. According to Samsung, “unlike conventional speakers that project sound in a single direction,” the WAM7500/6500 design allows it to fill “entire rooms with sound.” The speakers -- comprising the tabletop WAM7500 and portable WAM6500 -- use Samsung’s proprietary Ring Radiator technology to deliver music in a 360-degree soundfield with an optimal balance of treble and bass, Samsung said. WAM7500/6500 is a new product concept for Samsung that provides a “rich-bodied sound experience no matter where you are in relation to the product,” the company said. WAM7500/6500 was developed in part at Samsung’s new audio lab in Valencia, California, it said. The portable model has a built-in battery, the company said, and both models connect wirelessly to TVs, soundbars and mobile devices. The company will also unwrap three new series of soundbars, bringing the number of curved soundbar series to four, designed to match screen sizes from 45 to 78 inches, Samsung said. Poor sound quality has been a major consumer gripe as TV speakers have been compromised in the race to thinner TVs, and Samsung hopes to provide enhanced TV sound in the 8500 series of curved soundbars that pack speakers in a 9.1-channel configuration, the company said. The design wraps side speakers around a central speaker, it said.