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Samsung goes minimalist with new Soundbar+, adds smarts to its 4K Blu-ray player

While Samsung’s annual New York City product show was canceled on Tuesday due to inclement weather (which wasn’t quite as inclement as expected), the company did take the wraps off its new 2017 home theater lineup. While the company’s new flagship QLED TV line took the big headlines, Samsung also unveiled availability of some intriguing new home theater gear outside of its splashy new TVs, including the new Sound+ soundbar, and the company’s shiny new 4K Blu-ray player

MS750 Sound+ Soundbar

It can be easy to let your eyes blur at the announcement of yet another soundbar, but with the new MS750 Sound+ Soundbar Samsung has worked hard to reshape the way you think of your low-profile audio companion, hoping the system will all but disappear below your TV.

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That plan begins with the brand’s new “one body” design, which loads the bass drivers directly into the bar, eliminating the need for a separate subwoofer. Samsung claims the system is able to reach down to the sub-bass frequencies at 35Hz with authority thanks to the use of “anti-distortion technology.” Tweeters are mounted at the top and front of the bar, alongside midrange drivers arranged in a five-channel setup (though any surround sound will be of the DSP-powered virtual variety).

Continuing with the minimalist design, the bar can sit below your TV or be mounted directly to the base of your TV with an optional bracket. In addition, the TV itself can plug directly into the bar, eliminating the need for an extra wall outlet. There’s no pricing announced as of yet, but the MS750 Sound+ Soundbar is slated for availability sometime this summer.

UBD-M9500 4K UHD Blu-ray player

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the extremely popular UBD-K8500, Samsung’s latest 4K Blu-ray player has been upgraded for better smart functionality. Employing the same Tizen interface the company uses on its latest smart TVs, the UBD-M9500 designed to be not only your 4K Blu-ray player of choice, but also a smart home hub for streaming video thanks to the employment of a similar Tizen interface to what’s used for Samsung’s TV lineup.

Along with the same HDR support and 4K resolution as the original K8500, the M9500 also adds a new feature called “Blu-ray to Mobile,” which allows you to stream a Blu-ray straight to your phone or tablet. The UBD-M9500 is slated for release in April at a price point of $399.

Ryan Waniata
Former Home Theater & Entertainment Editor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
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