Home entertainment has evolved light years beyond the basic TV speakers of old. Today‘s premium soundbars and speaker systems promise theater-grade audio immersion that can transform movies, music and games into experiences which engage all the senses.
But with so many options now flooding the market, choosing the right soundbar can prove overwhelming. Should you invest in a future-looking Dolby Atmos model from a home electronics giant like Samsung? Or perhaps splurge on the handcrafted musicality of an elite HiFi brand like Bowers & Wilkins?
In this guide, we‘ll analyze flagship models from these two audio heavyweights to see how they compare for features and most importantly, sound quality. You‘ll learn enough to decide whether Samsung‘s surround sound theatrics or Bowers & Wilkins‘s audiophile pedigree better suits your listening tastes and living room.
Meeting Samsung and Bowers & Wilkins
Samsung requires little introduction as an electronics conglomerate spanning mobile devices, home appliances, display panels and more. But fewer realize audio equipment makes up a core division at the Korean company. Engineers there leverage innovations from across Samsung‘s vast technology ecosystem when designing new soundbars.
For instance, clarity enhancements originally developed for Galaxy phone mics now sharpen voice pick-up in premium Samsung soundbars so you never miss plot-critical movie dialogue. And the same Quantum dot LED backlights powering the company‘s award-winning QLED televisions also enable soundbars like the HW-Q950A to project vibrant audio visualizations onscreen when playing music.
Then there‘s Bowers & Wilkins – a venerable British loudspeaker company nurturing an almost cult-like following since the 1960s. While the name carries less mainstream recognition than mass-market giants, serious music aficionados acknowledge B&W products for wonderfully lifelike sound.
Indeed, Abbey Road Studios relies on Bowers & Wilkins speakers when recording or mixing albums from Adele, Lady Gaga and other chart-toppers. Such studio heritage transfers through to the company‘s consumer lines like the luxuriously finished yet performance-obsessed Formation series speakers and soundbars.
Now, let‘s scrutinize Samsung and B&W‘s two respective flagships for build quality, features and audio fidelity to crown the best option for premium home listening.
Samsung HW-Q950A vs Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar: At a Glance Specs
| Specs | Samsung HW-Q950A | Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 11.1.4 | 3.0 |
| Frequency Response | 34Hz – 17kHz | 40Hz – 28kHz |
| Power | 512W (Main Soundbar) | 120W x2 (Integrated Subs) |
| Speakers | 11 Channel Soundbar: Center + Front L/R + Side L/R + Top L/R + Top Rear L/R, 2 Wireless Rear Speakers, Wireless Subwoofer | Left + Center + Right Drivers (2 integrated subs per L/R) |
| Inputs | 2 x HDMI, Optical Audio In, USB | Optical Audio In |
| Outputs | HDMI eARC | N/A |
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi, Bluetooth | Apple Airplay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect |
| Smart Assistants | Amazon Alexa Built-in | N/A |
| Audio Format Support | Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio | Dolby Digital |
| Additional Features | SpaceFit Sound+, Game Mode, Adaptive Sound+, Q-Symphony, Bass Boost | Room Correction, Music Streaming Services Integration, Custom Eq |
Sound Quality Showdown: Samsung Surround Sound vs Bowers & Wilkins Stereo
Audio performance makes or breaks any speaker or sound system. And these two heavy hitters take very different approaches even at the high end. Let‘s explore how the Samsung HW-Q950A and Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar stack up sonically by examining how they reproduce movies, music, games and more.
Home Theater Performance
Movies and television shows come alive when their soundtracks fill a room with distinct effects from every direction just like theatrical cinema speakers. This immersive experience marks the pinnacle of home entertainment.
The Samsung HW-Q950A pursues this ambition enthusiastically thanks to complex processing powering eleven individual channels plus wireless surrounds and a chunky sub. Bombastic movie effects like roaring jets or crashing debris seem to whip past your head from all sides. Quieter moments retain intimacy too – you can hear an actor‘s every breath thanks to clear center channel vocal separation.
By contrast, the 3-channel Formation Bar construes immersive audio more conservatively. There‘s no attempt to project sound behind or above you. However, the width and clarity of its frontal stage alone can still impress. Effects like rainfall cascade beautifully from left to right – few compact soundbars image so expansively.
Where this Bowers & Wilkins system truly shines though is presenting clear midrange dialogue even at high volumes without crumbling into harsh distortion. Resist any urge to constantly adjust the volume between quiet exchanges and explosive action scenes.
Music Reproduction
Beyond cinema though, retaining natural warmth and detail also matters hugely for musical enjoyment. This proves the Formation Bar‘s ace card.
While the Samsung impresses with rock and pop anthems thanks to muscular metal driver cones and pumped up bass, instruments never quite escape a sense of digitally enhanced artificiality. Play intimate acoustic tracks however, and the B&W‘s silk dome tweeters and kevlar woofers reveal subtle harmonic nuances lost through Samsung processing.
Hear the satisfying snap and resonance as a jazz guitarist plucks strings. Or relish the texture of bow brushing cello strings in orchestral pieces. The Formation Bar treats instruments as cherished physical objects rather than just sounds to enhance or supersize.
Ultimately, both systems please with different genres. The Samsung HW-Q950A brings pure adrenalized fun for movie soundtracks and EDM while the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar charms discerning ears seeking truthful sonic portrayals.
Features and Connectivity Comparison
Apart from audio quality, features and connectivity considerations like physical ports, wireless streaming codec support and smart assistants also impact real-world soundbar usage. How do our two contenders compare on these fronts?
The Samsung HW-Q950A fits every bell and whistle expected in premium surround equipment. Two HDMI ports handle media players while HDMI eARC pipes system audio to partnering TV sets. There‘s also onboard decoding for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats via bitstream transmission from Blu-ray decks or streaming boxes.
Plus you enjoy Alexa and Bixby control alongside helpful calibrations like SpaceFit Sound+ where built-in mics measure room acoustics to optimize audio. Samsung‘s ecosystems also bring gaming benefits – hookup compatible TVs and consoles to enable auto game mode switching for lag-free surround sound, or play through the cloud by syncing Xbox GamePass.
By contrast, the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar travels light on physical media connections. Just a single optical input links television audio while sources play video separately via HDMI to screens. Control and streaming instead go wireless through Apple Airplay 2 or the B&W app.
Hence the Formation Bar suits modern households already invested in WiFi streaming gadgets or iOS/MacOS devices. But users still swapping between Blu-ray, media streamers and game consoles will prefer the Samsung‘s plug-and-play versatility.
Design and Build Quality
Materials and aesthetic craftsmanship also deserve consideration for lifestyle centerpieces. Here too our contenders portray different design philosophies.
Consistency reigns in the Samsung HW-Q950A family. The main soundbar sports one-piece construction using hardy plastics stretched over a curved metal frame with perforated grilles front and back. Matching smaller speakers stand ready for surround placement.
By styling standards, the Samsung range appears sleekly handsome but conservative – more function than form. Controls stay discreet as geometric protrusions. And the subwoofer resembles featureless black cubes. They contour inoffensively into most decors rather than stand out.
Conversely, luxury oozes through the Formation Bar‘s choice finishes. Gorgeous oak end-caps bookend black or white variants, themselves metal-clad. That iconic Bowers & Wilkins diamond grille pattern draws eyes front and center through fine stitching detail.
Notice other ornate touches like magnetic customizable ‘tokens‘ for concealing ports, or clever orientation sensors so control indicators orient correctly even if wall-mounted upside down. This system celebrates music and craft – an instrument to admire, not just hear.
Both platforms deliver robust engineering and stability during playback. But the Formation Bar as a showpiece conversant with high-class furnishings surely tempts style purists.
Ideal Use Cases
Their diverging features and audio tuning means the Samsung HW-Q950A and Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar each best serve different listening priorities.
Samsung HW-Q950A
- Perfect as part of complete home theater setups with widescreen TVs and multi-component media racks
- Impressive standalone upgrade for smaller/secondary living spaces wanting Dolby Atmos/DTS:X on a budget
- Tailor-made for gaming – lag-free Game Mode, cloud gaming integration
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar
- Luxurious focal point oozing musicality in upmarket living rooms or HiFi nooks
- Streaming-centric sound system for modern households embracing WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity
- Discerning ears wanting truthful acoustic portrayal across varied recordings
Both work splendidly as overall TV and multimedia companions. But the Samsung better targets surround sound film buffs, while the Bowers & Wilkins charms house proud music aficionados.
Value Comparison
Let‘s now address the elephant in any room occupied by Bowers & Wilkins equipment – their frequent premium price tagging, which often runs multiples higher than equivalently-specified mainstream brands. The Formation Bar costs upward of $3,500 at retail when competitors like Sonos sell complete surround packages for under $2,000.
Yet B&W justifies the financial outlay through exquisite quality control and bespoke components simply unviable for mass production, like laboriously resin-cured cabinets. This craftsmanship obsession earns the fierce customer loyalty underpinning Bowers & Wilkinson‘s fifty-plus year rise to legend status.
Indeed, while cheaper sound systems may claim technical parity on paper, nothing ever quite eclipses elite HiFi brands for loving sonic faithfulness. And shrewd shoppers can snatch lower street tag deals – the Formation Bar now sells at $1500 or under through various online outlets. That positions it closer to the Samsung HW-Q950A which normally retails around $1700.
Both choices still reside firmly in high-end territory of course. Yet the Samsung in particular seems outstanding value next to traditional 7.1 surround receivers and speaker packages running thousands more. And for pure future-proofed cinematic thrills from a single soundbar/sub combo, little else touches the HW-Q950A.
Final Verdict – A Sound Choice Either Way
This shootout has scrutinized all key soundbar buying factors – audio performance, features, design and value. Where does that leave us in determining an outright winner from Samsung and Bowers & Wilkins?
Acknowledge first that both here represent the pinnacle of their respective classes. The Samsung HW-Q950A delivers sheer technological spectacle through Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support combined with wireless expansion possibilities to suit bustling multimedia dens.
Meanwhile the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar presents luxury audio minimalism at its finest – frankly sublime musical accuracy from cabinet to cones, befitting sophisticated tastes.
Yet for most sensible buyers not solely fixated on stereo playback, the Samsung justifies its lower cost with superior practicality and enjoyment spanning films, streaming, gaming and background listening alike. Only hardcore audiophiles find meaning in the Formation Bar‘s rarefied musical heights.
So while the Formation Bar makes a prestigious trophy for money-no-object HiFi devotees, Samsung‘s cinema champion better targets real-world lounge rooms. Its jack-of-all-trades home theater versatility across a range of entertainment mediums ultimately wins out. But either way, your ears enter immersive sonic paradise.
