X’mas Gift Idea 9: Bring your home entertainment audio to the next level
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X’mas Gift Idea 9: Bring your home entertainment audio to the next level
Samsung Harman Kardon HW-N950 - A one-of-a-kind soundbar audio system
Let’s face it: most built-in TV speakers are serviceable when watching regular TV shows, but suck for movies. If you want a good soundstage or deep bass, external speakers are often the way to go, but the reality is not everyone has the space in the room to accomodate big 5.1 or 7.1-speaker setups.
That’s why soundbars are a thing. In the beginning, soundbars mostly tried to mimic 2.1-channel setups; but technology has progressed quite a bit since then, and many soundbars today are able to match the features and replicate the experience of high-end home theater speaker systems.
The Samsung Harman Kardon HW-N950 is one prime example. It uses a total of 17 speaker drivers (including upward and side-firing speakers) to deliver sound that’s around and above you. In addition to the main unit, the HW-N950 includes two wireless rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer to simplify installation and reduce cable clutter.
Because of the four upward- and two side-firing speakers, the HW-N950, which integrates seamlessly with most Samsung TVs, is a true 7.1.4-channel system - and that’s great for the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based surround sound formats that it supports. Thanks to 4K passthrough, you can just use a HDMI connection to hook up your 4K source (e.g., 4K Blu-ray player, game console) to the soundbar and the soundbar to your 4K TV. The soundbar can even upscale low-res audio to “ultra high-quality” 32-bit audio.
But that’s not all. The HW-N950 also plays nice with Samsung’s own SmartThings smart home tech, which means you can add the soundbar to your network and control it with the SmartThings app on your phone. The soundbar also works with Amazon Alexa, so if you’ve an Echo device, you can use your voice to control the soundbar (e.g., adjust volume, play music).
The Samsung Harman Kardon HW-950 is available at all authorized Samsung dealers for S$2,399.
Guess the Next Day’s Gift Suggestion and Stand a Chance to Win One!
That’s right, we have got hints packed at the end of our daily Christmas gift suggestions and it’s up to you to guess what the next gift suggestion might be. This routine will take place every day leading up to the 29th December 2018 and HardwareZone Members (residing in Singapore) who get the most number of correct guesses will stand a chance to win some of the gift ideas in this series!
Bonus Step: Discuss about the prospective gift idea in the forum and you might just get a bonus prize for being constructive and helpful. Don't forget to share our gift ideas with your friends and get them to participate too!
Riddle Me This: What is the Next Gift Suggestion? (Contest Hint)
Our next (and final) festive gift suggestion is for collectors and fans-alike, is not a tech product, but is associated with cars and toys, and has 1,295 pieces. What could it be?!
Post your ANSWER in our Discussion Thread!
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