The Samsung HW-Q70R is a great 3.1.2 sounding soundbar with stereo content. It has great bass performance and has a neutral sound profile. It gets loud enough for most content and also performs without audible compression at max volume. Due to its configuration, it supports Atmos, but its surround performance isn't the best as it downmixes the signal to stereo. On the upside, it has plenty of connection options and is very well-built.
Our Verdict
Good for mixed usage. The HW-Q70R has a great stereo sound profile with extra bass, which will be suitable for different types of content. Whether you listen to stereo music, audiobooks, or podcasts, this soundbar gets loud enough and has an accurate audio reproduction. However, while it supports Atmos, its performance isn’t impressive and doesn't have the best surround performance either. On the upside, the Q70R has plenty of connectivity options, wired or wireless.
- Great audio reproduction.
- Very well-built design.
- Good for mixed usage.
- Many connection options.
- Poor surround performance.
- No auto-volume or night mode.
Good for dialog and TV shows. The Samsung HW-Q70R/ZA has a great sound profile that sounds neutral and well-balanced. There’s also a dialog enhancement feature that will make dialog clearer, even at a lower volume. The bar gets loud enough for voice-oriented content like podcasts and audiobooks, which you'll be able to easily stream via your smart device.
Very good for music. The stereo frequency response of the Q70R is great and will be suitable for a wide variety of music. Its sound profile is well-balanced and has quite a bit of bass, but without overdoing it. The overall stereo performance of this bar is great and you'll be able to get a good loudness level, too. However, the soundstage is only decent and doesn’t sound wider than the bar itself.
Good for movies. The sound quality of the soundbar is quite good, especially that it has great bass performance, which is nice for action-packed movies. It also supports Atmos, although the height performance isn't very impressive. On the upside, it has a dedicated center channel so voices and dialog will be clear and you get plenty of connectivity options.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 04, 2022: Added third-party voice assistant support.
- Updated Mar 16, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jun 08, 2020: We've tested the new eARC support after updating to the latest firmware.
- Updated Oct 10, 2019: Review published.
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Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-Q70R has a unique 3.1.2 configuration that can do Atmos, but doesn't have the best performance. It looks the same as the Q60R, but performs more like the Q80R and Q90R with stereo content. Their subwoofer performs quite well too as you get a deep and punchy bass. See our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars with a subwoofer.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is better than the Samsung HW-Q70R. The HW-Q950A is a premium 11.1.4 setup that comes with discrete satellite speakers. It has better soundstage, surround, and Atmos performances. Also, it comes with more sound enhancement features, including room correction. The HW-Q70R does reproduce a little more low-bass out-of-the-box, but you shouldn't have any issues with the HW-Q950A's low thump and rumble, especially with its included sound enhancement features.
The Samsung HW-Q80R is a slightly better setup than the Samsung HW-Q70R. It can get louder and its stereo soundstage feels a bit wider too. However, we didn’t test either with satellites. The Q80R soundstage sounds a bit wider, and it has side-firing speakers on the bar to play surround content, which the Q70R can’t do. The Q80R also has a better Atmos performance and gives you a better height impression, which is great for movies.
The Samsung HW-Q800A is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-Q70R. The HW-Q800A offers better soundstage and surround performances, and it offers built-in voice assistant support. It also comes with an auto-volume mode and supports Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity.
The Samsung HW-Q70R is an overall better-sounding soundbar setup than the Samsung HW-Q60R. The Q70R has a better stereo performance and it also supports Atmos, which the Q60R can’t do. However, the Q60R can play surround content while the Q70R can't. On the other hand, the Q70R has more audio formats supported and can also be used via Wi-Fi.
Test Results
The bar of the HW-Q70R is nearly identical in style to the Q60R. There's a metal grille that covers the front and the top face, and the back and sides are made of good quality plastic.
The sub is mainly made of wood and has the port on the back. On the right side, there's a fabric covering the speaker. This fabric can easily get dirty or rip if you're not careful.
The Samsung HW-Q70R/ZA has the same dimensions as the Q60R. It's unlikely that it'll fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand. On the upside, it's not very tall and it won't block any part of your screen unless your TV sits flush on the table.
The subwoofer is slightly bigger than the sub of the Q60R. It's about the size of a full-size desktop PC, but maybe slightly shorter. You shouldn't have issues placing it anywhere in the room, as it connects wirelessly to the bar.
The back of the bar is plain and has two openings for the inputs and the power cable. If you want to wall-mount the bar, you have to use the universal holes found on the underside along with the provided brackets.
The back of the bar is wooden except for the port, which is plastic. It's located on the top, while the power cable is on the bottom and should be easy to hide.
The HW-Q70R has a great build quality. The metal grille and the weight of the bar give off a premium feel, and the overall construction is robust and feels very solid. The only downside is the fabric that covers the speaker of the sub, which can easily get dirty or ripped.
- Manuals
- Remote & Batteries
- HDMI Cable
- Power brick for bar
- Subwoofer power cable
- Holder Support (x2)
- Holder Foot (x2)
- Wall Mount Guide
- Bracket Wall Mount (x2)
- Screws
- Holder-Screw
The Samsung Harman Kardon HW-Q70R's stereo frequency response is great. It has deep bass and is able to reproduce the rumble, thump, and punch of bass, even more so than the 2020 Samsung HW-Q70T. The overall sound profile is also quite neutral and follows our target curve quite well. It has a fairly similar sound to the Samsung HW-Q80R and Samsung HW-Q90R. Like the other Samsung soundbars, it'll be suitable for a wide variety of music genres, as well as dialog. There's also a good amount of customization you can apply to this bar, including an available EQ.
When listening to the Harman Kardon HW-Q70R, the soundstage is decent. It sounds just as wide as the bar itself, and the bar doesn’t do any tricks to try to widen it. It's also decently focused, but objects don’t seem to come from an accurate pinpoint location like some other bars, such as the HW-Q90R.
The HWQ70R can get pretty loud and will be suitable for large rooms or crowded environments. Also, at max volume, it performs quite well and you shouldn’t hear any thumping or compression artifacts with real-life content.
The THD performance of the HWQ70R is good. At a normal listening volume, which is around 80dB, the amount of THD is within very good limits. You get a clean and pure audio reproduction. However, there's a jump in THD under heavier loads and when pushing the bar to its max volume. This is still very difficult to hear with real-life content.
This is a 3.1.2 setup that has excellent performance in the center channel. Due to its configuration, the Samsung Q70R soundbar has a dedicated center speaker, which results in a clearer and more accurate audio reproduction of the dialog in movies. The frequency response is great across the whole range, but the max volume is just okay, noticeably quieter than other Samsung soundbars in the same lineup. There’s also a bit more bass than the Q60R, but there usually aren’t a lot of bass frequencies on the center channel, so the difference will barely be audible for most.
Update 03/11/2020: We managed to get surround files to play in our testing setup. The review previously stated that the bar was cutting out all surround content, which, after user feedback, we had to retest. The text and scores of the review have been updated.
The Samsung HW-Q70R has a fairly poor surround performance that is very bass-heavy. Also, due to its speaker configuration, it downmixes the signal down to stereo to be able to play it. For a similar setup that has slightly better surround performance, check out the Sony HT-Z9F.
The Harman Kardon HW-Q70R supports Atmos, but its performance isn’t the most impressive. The bar has two up firing speakers that make the sound ricochet off the ceiling to give you the impression of height. However, the effect is fairly minimal and sounds a bit bright. Also, the localization of objects is diffused. It doesn't sound as real as a discrete localization provided by down-firing speakers.
The HW-Q70R has mediocre sound enhancement features. Like the Q80R and the Q90R, it doesn’t have a dynamic range compression feature, which the lower-end Q60R, R550, and R650 have. It also lacks a room correction feature, so it might sound differently depending on your room. On the upside, it has an adaptive sound mode, which helps with dialog at lower volumes. There are also a few customization options to make it sound like you want.
The HW-Q70R supports the most common connections for most of the modern external devices and consoles. Unfortunately, you won't be able to connect devices that lack HDMI or Optical Out. On the upside, you can place the bar between your PC and your TV thanks to its HDMI In port.
Update 06/08/2020: This soundbar now supports eARC and high-end signals.
The Samsung HW-Q70R has excellent support for sound format over its HDMI eARC port. On top of being able to playback surround sound formats like Dolby Digital or DTS, you can now even play lossless formats as well.
The HW-Q70R can play back all of the sound formats we test for when connected to Full HDMI In. However, even if it downmixes surround content, it's able to offer a somewhat immersive sound experience.
The HW-Q70R's optical port supports both Dolby Digital and DTS. If your content supports it, the bar will play back those formats. Unfortunately, the surround channels are downmixed, which doesn't offer the best surround experience. Content encoded in Dolby Digital or DTS is usually available on Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms like Netflix.
The HW-Q70R has great wireless playback connections. You can seamlessly play the music on your phone or tablet through Bluetooth or connect to your Wi-Fi to cast files. In the absence of these, however, you won't be able to cast using Chromecast built-in or Apple AirPlay.
The HW-Q70R can passthrough the highest quality signal, so if you connect it between your PC and your TV, text on the screen will appear crystal clear.
The sub connects wirelessly to the bar, and all you have is the power cord.
The interface is very simple. It consists of a small screen behind the grille that displays the volume level and the input you're on.
The controls are on the side just like on the Q60R. These buttons can control the volume, change the input source, and power the bar on and off.
The remote that accompanies the Q70R is the same as the remote found on the Q60R. It has the same style as the latest high-end Samsung TVs. You can control all of the functions of the soundbar, but you can't use it as a universal remote.
Update 01/04/2021:Added information about third-party voice assistant support.
The Samsung HW-Q70R doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. However, you can purchase an Amazon Echo device to use Alexa with the bar. You just need to set it up in the Amazon Alexa app to get it to work.
The SmartThings app pairs seamlessly to the HW-Q70R soundbar. It can control many of the bar's functions, but it can't completely replace the remote as it lacks settings and Bluetooth pairing buttons.
The Samsung HW-Q70R/ZA has an auto-off function to save energy. If no signal is detected, it'll power itself off after 5 minutes. Also, thanks to the HDMI CEC support you can control basic functions of the bar using your TV remote.