Thanks to Dolby Atmos integration and the inclusion of a subwoofer and two satellite speakers, the Samsung HW-K950 is among the most compact, versatile, and advanced home theater sound systems on the market.
Such a modern soundbar system might seem stressful to set up, but we assure you it’s simple and easy. Check out our Samsung HW-K950 Atmos soundbar unboxing and setup video above, and keep reading for more information about the HW-K950 — from what you get in the box to how to connect it to your TV.
What’s in the box?
The package for the HW-K950 includes:
- The soundbar
- Two satellite speakers
- A subwoofer
- Four power cables
- Wall mounting adapters
- Remote control with batteries
- An HDMI cable
The HW-K950 doesn’t come with a digital optical audio cable — if that’s your preferred setup method — and it also doesn’t come with stands for the satellite speakers, which you may need depending on your surround sound speaker placement plans.
Hardware setup
The bottom of the soundbar features a power port and a connection bay. The HW-K950 has ports for 3.5 mm analog audio, digital optical audio, HDMI with ARC output, and two HDMI inputs.
Those with a TV that supports ARC will want to use that port on the soundbar, as it’s a simple, one-cable solution. But if you don’t have that port, the others will allow you to use the soundbar as a sort of hub for your entertainment system, switching among components. In this case, you would need to run a digital optical audio cable down to the soundbar from the subwoofer to get audio from any streaming apps you use through the TV.
Once you’ve gotten the main soundbar set up, you’ll want to plug the supplied power cables into the bottom of each satellite speaker and the subwoofer. As soon as they receive power, they will automatically link up with the soundbar.
When placing the surround speakers behind you, remember that the left and right labels on the back of the speaker refer to left and right as you face the TV — this will keep you from hearing oddly placed sounds when you watch that first show or movie. In terms of placement, you’ll want to set them up off to the side and just behind the seating area if you can.
Once everything is plugged in and set up, you’ll want to go into the audio menu on your TV and make sure that the soundbar is set up as an audio device. If you have a Samsung TV, this should be automatic.
Features and design
The HW-K950 is a simple and elegant looking 5.1.4 soundbar system with metal grilles and a few basic controls on the side of the main soundbar, including volume pairing, and power buttons. For any kind of advanced controls you’re going to want to use the included remote, which lets you get pretty specific, offering the ability to change the volume of each channel and of the subwoofer, as well as adjusting effects.
Inside the soundbar itself there are three clusters of speakers firing out at you — one on the left, one on the right, and one in the center. On top of the soundbar are two up-firing drivers that beam sound to the ceiling and bounce it down at you — something you’ll also find on the satellite speakers. These up-firing speakers provide an immersive sound experience where audio comes at you seemingly from all directions.
To make music listening easier, you’ll want to make sure you download Samsung’s Connect app. This will help you connect the speaker to your home Wi-Fi network, giving access to all kinds of popular music streaming services, including Pandora and Spotify, as well as your personal music library, if it’s connected to a network.
We hope you’ve found our Samsung HW-K950 Atmos soundbar unboxing and setup guide useful. Happy listening!