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Samsung HW-QS700F Review: Theater Sound Without the Bulk
by Suzanne Kantra on April 15, 2025
If you’re looking to upgrade your TV’s sound, Samsung offers a wide range of soundbars – from ultra-slim models that nearly disappear under your screen to full-blown home theater systems that take up serious space. The Samsung HW-QS700F falls right in the middle. It’s part of Samsung’s premium Q-Series, like the top-of-the-line HW-Q990F I recently reviewed, but it comes in at a much more affordable $699.99 (versus the Q990F’s $1,999.99). At the same time, it’s priced similarly to the HW-S800D (on sale for $629.99, $899.99 MSRP), Samsung’s sleekest soundbar that’s designed to be heard, not seen.
Think of the QS700F as the sweet spot between these two. It offers richer, more immersive sound than the ultra-slim S800D, while skipping the bulk – and much of the cost – of the flagship Q990F. You still get premium features like wireless Dolby Atmos, Q-Symphony to sync with your Samsung TV’s speakers, and a clever design that lets you place it flat on your console or rotate it to sit flush against the wall without compromising sound quality.
I spent more than a week testing the QS700F, watching movies, listening to music, and comparing it directly with Samsung’s other top soundbars. If you want cinematic sound without going overboard on price or size, the QS700F may hit that just-right middle ground.
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Design and setup
Physically, the QS700F strikes a balance between sleek form and practical function. At 2 inches high, 45.67 inches wide, and 4.72 inches deep, it isn’t as ultra-slim as Samsung’s S800D (which stands just 1.4 inches tall and has a depth of 1.5 inches), but the QS700F has a unique trick up its sleeve: a built-in gyro sensor. That lets it automatically reconfigure its speaker orientation whether you lay it flat on a media console or wall-mount it vertically. I tested it sitting flat under a 65-inch Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN900D, and there was plenty of clearance – unlike with the larger Q990F (3 inches high), which just skimmed the bottom of the screen.
The setup was straightforward. You can connect via the included HDMI cable using the soundbar’s single HDMI eARC port, or go wireless over WiFi or Bluetooth. I primarily ran my evaluations using HDMI, but I also tested the wireless setup and had no trouble pairing the soundbar to the TV. There were no sync issues or audio lag, even when streaming Dolby Atmos content. The wireless subwoofer, which is compact at just under 10 inches in all dimensions, paired instantly and stayed connected.
While you can use the soundbar with the included remote alone, I recommend downloading Samsung’s SmartThings app to unlock its more advanced features. In particular, I recommend turning on bass boost and Adaptive Sound, and if you have a compatible Samsung TV, enable SpaceFit Sound Pro, which calibrates the soundbar for your room.
Audio performance
As part of my testing, I used the QS700F for everything from everyday streaming to a few go-to movie scenes and music tracks that help me evaluate spatial audio, dialog clarity, and bass performance. Overall, I was impressed with how much sonic depth the QS700F was able to produce from such a modest footprint.
With its 3.1.2-channel configuration (three front-firing speakers, two up-firing height speakers, and one subwoofer), the QS700F delivers a convincing Dolby Atmos experience. In the church scene from The Old Guard, where a low-flying plane approaches a nearby airport runway, I could clearly hear the jet’s engine roar shift from behind me to directly overhead. That kind of vertical imaging adds a lot to action scenes and sets the QS700F apart from the ultra-slim S800D, which delivers impressively immersive sound for its size but doesn’t produce quite as much resonance or low-end depth.
Read more: Samsung S800D Soundbar Review: Big Sound, Ultra Slim Profile
Dialogue clarity is another area where the QS700F performs well – most of the time. Voice Enhance Mode ensures that voices remain front and center, but it can be a bit heavy-handed. In the bustling market scene from The Old Guard, dialogue came through clearly, but incidental sounds – like a newspaper being dragged across a table – were also amplified, becoming distractingly sharp. It’s a noticeable step down from the flagship Q990F’s Active Voice Amplifier Pro, which isolates speech more intelligently without over-boosting other midrange sounds. The Q990F’s more refined dialog handling requires a 2024 Samsung TV to unlock, so it may not be a deciding factor unless you have – or plan to buy – a compatible model.
Bass performance on the QS700F was satisfying, though you’ll want to turn on Bass Boost to get the most out of the subwoofer. Without it, the low end lacks the chest-pounding thump you want from movie explosions or rumbling aircraft engines. With Bass Boost enabled, the subwoofer produced deep, clean, low-end energy that matched the rest of the system well.
The QS700F's compact subwoofer is the same size as the flagship Q990F, but uses a single 6.5-inch driver and 8-inch passive radiator versus the Q990F's dual 8-inch drivers. And, only the Q990F includes Dynamic Bass Control, a feature that prevents distortion at low frequencies. In that same Old Guard church scene, the Q990F revealed more of the textured rumble in the engine roar – details that were lost on the QS700F.
For music, the QS700F was a solid performer. I kept Adaptive Sound on for casual listening, which handled everything from streaming playlists to TV background music with ease. But when I sat down for more critical listening, I preferred switching to Dolby Virtual:X. It delivered greater separation between instruments and broadened the stereo image. Again, bass boost was essential to bring out the thumping beat on tracks like Muse’s “Madness” or Panic! at the Disco’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Features and extras
The HW-QS700F comes with many of the core features found in Samsung’s higher-end soundbars. There’s support for wireless Dolby Atmos (from compatible 2022–2025 Samsung TVs), Q-Symphony to combine the soundbar with your Samsung TV’s speakers, and game-friendly enhancements like Game Mode Pro for precisely-located 3D sounds. There’s also support for streaming audio via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Roon – I recommend using a WiFi connection (and its higher data rates) rather than Bluetooth for the best quality.
In terms of connectivity, the HW-QS700F includes just one HDMI eARC port and an optical port. A 3-foot HDMI 2.1 cable comes in the box.
The bottom line
The Samsung HW-QS700F soundbar (on sale for $629.99, MSRP $699.99) is ideal for people who want a home theater experience without overwhelming their living room. It delivers noticeably fuller, more immersive sound than the ultra-slim S800D (on sale for $629.99, MSRP $899.99) while still offering a flexible, décor-friendly design that fits into a variety of spaces. If you’re looking for a mid-range soundbar with premium features, I’d recommend putting the QS700F on your shortlist.
[Image credit: Techlicious]
