Samsung took the long road in filling out its obligatory multi-room speaker family, but today at IFA in Berlin, the company unveiled the latest (and smallest) piece of its multi-room speaker lineup: the Shape M3. The speaker will join the rest of Samsung’s Shape multi-room speakers, all of which are able to communicate over Wi-Fi via a centralized app. In addition, Samsung revealed what it’s calling the first sound bar “with a curved form factor,” the HW-H7500, built to accentuate its curved LED TV lineup.
Related: LG dives into multi-room speakers with its new hi-res Music Flow system
Shape M3 speaker ($200)
The compact M3 (WAM350) speaker joins Samsung’s already rich multi-room speaker stable, as the most affordable of the bunch. With its new entry-level model, Samsung now boasts one of the most diverse speaker systems available. The lineup includes the larger pyramid-style Shape speakers, the M5, and the flagship M7, as well as Samsung’s HW-H750 sound bar, the HT-H6500WM home theater system, and the BD-H6500 Blu-ray player.
Following the rise in popularity of the multi-room speaker archetype, it was only a matter of time before the M3 appeared. The Sonos blueprint, which seems to be almost akin to the constitution of multi-room speakers, offers three sizes (and price ranges) of speakers, with the Play:1 as the most price-friendly of the bunch. At the same price and general size, the M3 looks to compete with the popular Play:1 directly. Copycats from the likes of Denon, and more recently, LG, have all carefully carved out similar three-tiered offerings (often with a sound bar in the mix), and Samsung’s latest piece completes the trifecta, as it were.
As those familiar with multi-room speaker systems can guess, all of the pieces in Samsung’s lineup can work individually, or together throughout the home with virtually zero latency, through the company’s Wireless Multiroom App from a phone or mobile device. The app allows users to choose music from their own catalog, or play tunes from a variety of Internet radio services including Amazon Cloud Player, Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody, TuneIn Radio, and others.
Related: Sonos Play:1 review
HW-H7500 Curved Sound bar ($800)
While the H7500 doesn’t fit into Samsung’s growing multi-room family, it does present another missing piece we’ve expected from the company that helped pioneer the curve in home theater design. Users who love the sleek bend of Samsung’s curved 55 and 65-inch HD and 4K/UHD TVs can now accentuate the design with a matching piece of supplementary sound.
Related: Are curved TVs a gimmick? Yup, but we still love them. Here’s why
The $800 bar and wireless subwoofer offer some top-shelf features to go along with the system’s ambitious pricing, including a brushed aluminum finish, and support for 8.1 channel sound. In addition, Samsung TV owners are rewarded with a few extra features, including the ability to control the EQ from their TV remote, and wireless connection over Bluetooth via Samsung’s proprietary “TV SoundConnect” system. As per usual, Samsung’s latest gear rewards users for sticking with the brand across the board.
Both of Samsung’s new pieces appear to be available immediately for purchase. The company will be showing off the new components this week at IFA, so stay tuned as we look for a chance to go ears-on with them to see how they hold up.
