Skip to main content

Samsung reveals new home theater gear ahead of CES 2013

Samsung coolly disclosed details on the highlights of its home theater line-up for 2013 last night. The company is laying claim to introducing the world’s first sound bar system to be equipped with a vacuum tube, a new twist on Bluetooth for TV audio reproduction, gyros that improve sound quality, and an all-in-one home theater system sporting an amplifier made with Gallium Nitride (GaN) (say what?). Here’s a quick breakdown of the vital details:

HW-F750 Vacuum Tube Soundbar

Samsung’s sound bar/wireless subwoofer is the latest item in the company’s digital audio arsenal to feature a vacuum tube in the pre-amp stage. The gorgeous glowing tubes could be as much gimmick as anything else, but we’re OK with that, so long as the system sounds as good as the DA-750 speaker dock or HT-E6500W home theater system we tested last year.

Additionally, the sound bar will feature Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming from certain Samsung TVs, and a built-in gyroscope which is supposed to help adjust the speakers’ sound for optimal results based on the speaker’s positioning.

HT-F9750W 7.1 Home Theater System

This year’s flagship all-in-one home theater system from Samsung also sports a vacuum tube in the pre-amp stage, along with an amplifier that somehow uses Gallium Nitride to make its 1,330-watts just that much more awesome. We look forward to hearing Samsung’s explanation on how that works. In the mean time, it is worth noting that the system’s Blu-ray player will provide 4K/Ultra HD upscaling and an audio override feature which powers the system up and mutes a Samsung TV’s speakers with the press of a button.

DA-F60 Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

In addition to serving as a portable wireless speaker, the DA-F60 can double as a miniature sound bar. It features the same Bluetooth capability Samsung touts with the aforementioned vacuum tube model, and apt-x capability for superior sound quality with mobile devices. There’s no mention from Samsung regarding a rechargeable battery for true portability, so we’ll have to wait for Samsung’s press conference to learn more.

BD-F7500 Blu-ray player

Samsung’s top-of-the-line Blu-ray player this year will pack a much faster dual-core chipset than prior years for better image processing and web-browsing speed. 4K/Ultra HD upscaling is included and we’re sure to see a spruced up SmartHub Internet app interface as well.

We’ll be sure to report on how good the new audio line-up sounds, and dig up pricing and availability information when we visit with Samsung during the CES 2013 show.

Editors' Recommendations

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Fluance’s new home theater lineup boasts impressive-looking speakers
Fluance home theater speakers.

Fluance has released its next-generation lineup of Reference Series speakers, consisting of four different speaker options to meet the needs of home theater enthusiasts.

The speakers, which range from $150 to $600, are immediately available through either Fluance’s website or Amazon. The lineup includes floor-standing speakers (the XL8F), bookshelf speakers (XL8S), a center channel speaker (XL8C) ,and bipolar speakers (XL8BP).

Read more
First ‘Tuned by THX’ home theater speakers need no A/V receivers — or wires
tuned by thx wireless home theater speakers wisa platin audio monaco 51

THX has become synonymous with top-notch cinema sound in commercial theaters. However, the George Lucas-founded company (now owned by gaming giant Razer) has been increasingly focused on helping consumers get a better quality of audio (and video) at home. To this end, it has created a new technical service called Tuned by THX, which gives audio companies the opportunity to have their products custom-tuned by the sound experts at THX. While it doesn't guarantee that the speakers and audio components will knock your socks off, it's THX's way of saying that it has adjusted the characteristics of these components to deliver what is (in THX's opinion) the best sound that these components are capable of.

In automotive terms, it's like taking your car to a Formula 1 mechanic for a tune-up. They won't be able to magically turn your Fiesta into a Ferrari, but they'll still be able to coax more performance out of it than it had when it left the factory. With a Tuned by THX audio component, the difference can be very noticeable.

Read more
You can now buy Klipsch’s new WiSA-certified wireless home theater speakers
kilpsch wisa wireless speakers now available reference lifestyle 50

When we first got a glimpse of Klipsch's new wireless reference speakers at CES 2019, we were pretty excited. Equipped with WiSA technology, these speakers can be unboxed and set up in minutes to create anything from a modest 2-channel stereo home theater sound system, up to a 7.1 bone-shaking monster. They're now finally available for purchase at Klipsch.com and select retailers like B&H Photo Video.

The speakers in question are the RW-34C center-channel speaker ($699), the RW-51M Monitors ($699/pair), and the RW-100SW ($499) wireless subwoofer. You can buy these three components for a really good 3.1 system, or double up on the RW-51M Monitors and give yourself a truly surround sound 5.1 setup.

Read more