Samsung releases picture frame speaker with Dolby Atmos

Samsung Electronics has released a new type of speaker shaped like a picture frame with Dolby Atmos sound to suit consumers' aesthetic concerns about sound devices.

Samsung Electronics' new speaker ″Music Frame LS60D″ [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics has released a new type of speaker shaped like a picture frame with Dolby Atmos sound, extending the form factor of its "The Frame" TV series.

Priced at 599,000 won ($447), it is available for purchase in Korea. Pre-orders in the U.S. began from Friday, while Australians can pre-order it sometime during the week. The product will gradually be available in other countries as well.

The speaker, dubbed “Music Frame LS60D,” in physical appearance, bears every resemblance to a normal picture frame that might hang on a wall. The 13-inch square-shaped speaker, like a picture frame, can change the printed picture inside the frame or display customized art panels to fit within the frame.

The frame-shaped speaker could also be used as a soundbar connected with Samsung TVs or function as a stand-alone Wi-Fi speaker.

“We found that the top two features that consumers expect from a speaker is its sound quality and design,” said Samsung Electronics' Choi Shin-hye on Tuesday, citing data from the Futuresource Worldwide Audio Market Report published on July 2023. “Forty-seven percent of the users in this report said that the biggest frustration with speakers was that its design did not match the interior of the surroundings.”

The product only comes in one size and the frame is black. Variations in white will be released in June, and the electronics maker may consider releasing size variations depending on market demand.

The speaker has to be connected to Samsung’s SmartThings app for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections.

Once connected, the frame emits impressive sound quality with a power rating of 120 watts with the Dolby system. The product constitutes a three-way speaker consisting of two tweeters, two midranges on the front sideline of the frame and two woofers located on the back.

The LS60D also features AI technologies such as Spacefit Sound Pro, which analyzes the speaker's surrounding space to adjust its frequency range to provide the best sound, or its Adaptive Sound feature, which deciphers the source of video or audio content to calculate and automatically offer the most appropriate sound field.

Another interesting feature is the “Tap Sound,” which mirrors music from a Galaxy device to the speaker with a simple tap.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]