Samsung’s New Audio Products

WHILE THE STUNNING 85-inch TV panel unsurprisingly took the limelight at this week’s 2013 Samsung product launch, its small audio range was also claiming innovation.
These include the Vacuum Tube AirTrack, “featuring the first ever integration of a vacuum tube amplifier; and Samsung’s first sound bar that connects wireless to a compatible Samsung TV via Bluetooth.”
Witchdoctor was rather perplexed last year when Samsung introduced vacuum (or tube) amps into both the Blu-ray player at the heart of it’s 7.1 home theatre system, and its iPod dock. It just seemed (and seems) weird that non-audiophile gear should incorporate vacuum amps, even if it’s only the pre-amp stage that utilises the tube.
Well, whether it’s just a cool gimmick or really does have an impact on the sound, Samsung has forged ahead with vacuum amps in its Vacuum Tube Soundbar (HW-F751), which connects wirelessly to the TV via Bluetooth, and “can double as a wireless speaker for smartphones and tablets.”
As the blurb notes, “The product’s sensor gauges height, rotation and slope to help optimise sound quality, whether the soundbar is placed in a horizontal or vertical position.”
Meanwhile, Samsung is calling its HT-F9750W 7.1 Channel Home Theatre System its “flagship” and claims it makes for a viewing (don’t they mean listening?) experience comparable to that of a movie theatre.”
“Powering the outstanding 1330-watt (really?) sound system is a vacuum tube pre-amplifier and Gallium Nitride power amplifier. The Gallium Nitride amp is a hybrid analogue/digital power amp that provides a very similar sound quality to high-end analogue power amps.”
Excuse us if we’re just a little bit cynical when it comes to claims of audio purity, but it’s certainly an eccentric idea.