Samsung's 2022 NEO QLED TVs eliminate the need for a Dolby Atmos soundbar

A sleek, modern living room space featuring a massive Samsung Neo QLED 2022 TV
(Image credit: Samsung)

The all-new Samsung NEO QLED TVs for 2022 don't just promise an incredible picture performance they might also sound so good you won't need to bother with a soundbar. 

TV manufacturers typically focus on ensuring their TVs look as good as possible from both a picture quality and design perspective. This means producing bright, colorful, high-resolution visuals on displays that become progressively thinner and thinner.

However, as TVs become slimmer the space for internal sound systems becomes limited, forcing them to rely on weaker down-firing speakers. While fine for bassier sounds, down-firing speakers can dampen mid-range and higher tones - as a result, even the best televisions can have a pretty lackluster audio performance.

Even if the TVs support codecs like Dolby Atmos, they lack the hardware to put it to good use - forcing external soundbars to pick up the slack if you’re after the best home cinema experience possible.

In 2022 Samsung is looking to change the game though, as its new Neo QLEDs could finally be able to produce an impressive audio performance without the need for a soundbar.

That’s because (according to Samsung South Africa) its new Neo QLED TVs will incorporate multi-channel speakers throughout their frame - including some up-firing speakers that will facilitate surround sound.

Using Dolby Atmos, up-firing speakers are designed to bounce audio off ceilings to create an effect that the action is happening all around you without having to install speakers in your ceiling or around the room.

Usually, only the best soundbars incorporate up-firing speakers so Samsung could very well have eliminated the need to buy one thanks to its new TV design.

We’ll have to wait and see if Samsung's TVs’ audio performance lives up to our expectations when we get the chance to test them out. However, we won't be surprised if Samsung's 2022 NEO QLED TVs end up being some of the best-sounding screens we've seen for a while.

Hamish Hector
Senior Staff Writer, News

Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.