Samsung vs Bowers & Wilkins Soundbars: Which Brand Is Better?

A quality soundbar can be the centerpiece of your home theater experience, more so than the actual television you’re watching things on. Sound plays a huge part in how much enjoyment you can derive from your favorite shows, films, and games.

With this in mind, how does the Samsung HW-Q950A stack up against the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar? Both of these soundbars occupy a particular niche and offer solid performance.

Investing in a soundbar is investing in a core part of your home theater experience. Let’s take a closer look at how the Samsung HW-Q950A really compares to the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar. When investing in something like a soundbar, it only makes sense to pick the best choice for your circumstances and budget.

Samsung vs Bowers & Wilkins Soundbars: Side-by-Side Comparison

As you can see, both these soundbars couldn’t be more different in their actual utility. That doesn’t make one inherently better than the other, however.

Samsung vs Bowers & Wilkins Soundbars: What’s the Difference?

There are some very stark differences between these two soundbars. They do come in it at similar power ratings, however. That said, these differences are very much worth exploring, especially given their niches.

Sound Quality

The Samsung HW-Q950A is an 11-channel soundbar, capable of quite a bit of stellar sound. It comes in at a higher price point than the Formation Bar, so that might be expected. It has an incredibly wide frequency response, which is further augmented by the included subwoofer.

Users of the Samsung soundbar effectively have a fully enclosed surround system without needing to purchase additional materials. Also included are a pair of rear speakers, meant to aid with specialization.

The actual sound is solid, with a massive soundstage that has to be heard to be believed. Games, films, shows, you name it… and it all sounds great.

Incredible Sound Depth

SAMSUNG HW-Q950A

$1,194.99

• 11.1.4ch Soundbar
• Dolby Atmos/DTS:X
• Alexa built-in
• Bass Boost, SpaceFit Sound

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11/28/2023 09:09 pm GMT

The Formation Bar is a 3-channel soundbar and, as such, functions more like a regular stereo speaker array. The actual sound quality from the speakers is rock solid.

The frequency response from the Formation Bar is a bit lower than the HW-950A and there isn’t a means of connecting additional speakers to provide a more solid bass response. That said, if you’re just looking for something to give the best sound possible, the Formation Bar is a great choice.

Features

The HW-Q950A comes with a full complement of features to optimize the sound quality of your media experience. It comes with a pair of rear-firing speakers in addition to a subwoofer. Also included is the means to refine your audio through a graphical equalizer.

There are included presets which can help optimize the listening experience depending on the media you’re enjoying as well. Given the price point, it would be unusual to not have these features included. That said, it is a great inclusion and makes for a well-rounded and versatile soundbar that is prepared for anything you can throw at it.

Bowers & Wilkin’s Formation Bar is fairly scant on features. It does have support for wireless Bluetooth audio codecs, which is great for users looking to employ it as a stereo system for their music.

At its price point, the lack of a graphical equalizer or any means to adjust the frequency response of the system is sorely missed. If you’re using Spotify or Apple AirPlay, you can at least adjust your media there. For users streaming media from a Roku or something like that, it is just going to be set at one setting for all media.

Connectivity

Samsung’s HW-Q950A comes with a full selection of inputs. Common inputs like HDMI, optical, and USB are widely accounted for. It can also connect wirelessly. As far as outputs, there is also the option of HDMI for connecting to additional sound sources if needed.

There isn’t much to be said about the connectivity, it is what you would expect for a soundbar at this price point. Also available is the requisite Wi-Fi access in addition to Bluetooth connectivity. The HW-Q950A is highly flexible in many regards, it only makes sense its connectivity would do the same.

Crisp Dialogue

Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar

$989.00

• 3 channel soundbar
• Crisp, clear dialogue fills the entire room
• App and voice control available
• Dolby Digital Audio supported
• 96 kHz sound resolution

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11/29/2023 09:50 am GMT

The Formation Bar is lacking when it comes to connectivity. Your only option for hard-wired physical inputs is an optical connection. There are no outputs to speak of, so HDMI eARC is out the window.

It does have the option for an ethernet connection for streaming media. The option for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity is also present. That said, its overall connectivity is extremely lacking.

Protocols

Being so multimedia-oriented, it comes as little surprise that the Samsung HW-Q950A supports a huge range of audio codecs you might encounter. Support for DTS-X, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Digital Surround Sound are all present and accounted for.

There is also support for a good range of audio file formats, in the event that you have files you’d like streamed on the sound system.

The Formation Bar is only capable of supporting Dolby Digital. Given the channel support on the device itself, it makes sense that it wouldn’t support Dolby Atmos. That said, it cannot act as a passthrough device for HDMI-centered protocols like HDR.

Sure, it doesn’t have support for video, but passthrough HDMI support for soundbars is relatively common. It helps, especially when configuring multiple displays while having a unified sound system in use.

Samsung vs Bowers & Wilkins Soundbars: 6 Must-Know Facts

1. The Samsung HW-Q950A is a great buy for an enclosed sound system.
2. The Samsung HW-Q950A has an included low latency mode for gamers.
3. The Samsung HW-Q950A has support for Apple AirPlay 2 and the latest HDMI protocols.
4. The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar is not a surround soundbar.
5. The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar is great for use as a Hi-Fi system.
6. The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar has no HDMI connectivity.

Samsung vs Bowers & Wilkins Soundbars: Which One Is Better? Which Should You Choose?

This particular shootout has been a blowout of sorts. It is extremely hard to recommend the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar to be the center of your multimedia experience. You can forgive the lack of surround sound support, but the lack of connectivity really hinders its utility.

As a music listening solution, it may prove more than adequate. That said, if you’re just looking for stereo speakers you could very easily just obtain powered speakers and an amplifier and have a full complement of connectivity that way.

The Samsung HW-Q950A is a great choice for those looking to invest in a soundbar for their home theater. It excels in just about every possible way you can think of, with crystal clear sound with music, movies, games, and shows.

The smaller speakers might seem a bit underpowered at first glance, but they more than make up for it when in use. If your budget allows for it, the HW-Q950A is a great choice.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Chikena/Shutterstock.com.