Samsung hosted a launch event last night in Sydney for its 2015 SUHD TV range. While the TVs themselves aren’t very “Androidy”, the company also launched an update to its Multiroom Audio app and demonstrated its wild new 360-degree speaker.
Multiroom Audio 2.0
When I looked at Samsung’s Multiroom Audio system last year, I enjoyed the hardware though I wasn’t very impressed with the app, but was hopeful that there might be an update to improve the experience. That update has arrived now, with version 2.0 of Multiroom Audio (confusingly, version 3.x of the app) bringing a fresh new look.
While it’s neither Holo nor Material, the app is bright and friendly, and the update is already available on Google Play (and something called the App Store – which cheekily seems to be using the same images).
WAM 7500 / 6500
Samsung was pretty excited to demonstrate its new speakers, the WAM7500 and WAM6500 which use “ring radiators” to bring 360 degrees of sound instead of in a single direction like most speakers. They look a little like a cross between an egg and EVE, and use look pretty amazing with premium materials to look good no matter where you put them.
The WAM7500 is intended for fixed installations, requiring wired power while the smaller WAM6500 is a portable, battery-powered unit. Both of them play nice with the Multiroom Audio system.
We were treated to a demonstration in a quiet room with audio being played from four corner-mounted speakers that were turned off one-by-one and replaced with a WAM7500 mounted in the middle of the ceiling, pointing down. To say the room was filled with sound would be an understatement.
Samsung’s crediting its new audio lab in California with the creation of its new WAM speakers, and says they’ll be available here later in the year. Not surprisingly, they’re not ready to talk price yet but if you’re replacing four speakers with one, it doesn’t seem likely to come cheap.
Will you be checking out Samsung’s new speakers later this year? What do you think of the new Multiroom Audio app? Tell us in the comments!
I am sold on the WAM but it must be able to play from devices such as the phone and/or the computer. Imagine replacing the 2.1 speaker with one of these. But, the caveat is the price. Not willing to purchase one at any price.
And the Price?
As mentioned in the article – no price yet, products are coming later this year.