Samsung has released a speaker to compliment its Frame TVs, which camouflage themselves as a piece of wall-mounted art when you’re not binging Netflix.
Rather than utilise a QLED display to show off your artistic taste, the $749 Music Frame hides a wireless speaker with built-sub subwoofers behind an acrylic sheet, all surrounded by a picture frame.
Unfortunately, the Music Frame only has the single print option by default. To change it up, you’ll have to order a new one from Samsung’s partner Marpple for $46 – you can choose from a pre-made designs or create your own. (Or you can just print a photo from somewhere like Officeworks and stick it over the top of the default image.)
If you're wondering where the sound comes out, there's a thin gap running around the inside of the picture frame for the speaker, and the subwoofers aim out the back.
At $749, plus $46 if you want a custom panel, the Music Frame isn’t an impulse buy, especially if you plan to pair multiple units with your TV and make use of the surround sound support.
If sound quality is more important to you than looks, you could pick up a pretty decent soundbar and dedicated subwoofer for less than the price of a single Music Frame. You’ll also want to take care of where you might hang a wall-mounted speaker if you want the best audio experience.
Sound is affected by different materials and to varying degrees, based on how close they are. Hanging a Music Frame on a gyprock wall might be poles apart from a brick one. Placing it too high might break your viewing immersion because the sound's coming from above your TV, instead of level with it. Popping a speaker in a corner can drastically alter its output thanks to echoes and reverberation (next time you’re streaming music out loud, pop your phone in a coffee mug and hear the impact). The list goes on.
We're yet to get our hands on a Music Frame, but our main concern isn't about price or audio quality – it's more social in nature.
If you’ve ever lived in an apartment, you might be familiar with how easily sound can travel through walls – including brickwork, if a TV or audio equipment is close and loud enough. The wall itself can even transmit sound between storeys, bypassing insulation built into the floor or ceiling.
Affixing a speaker to a wall takes it to the next level. Even more so, given the Music Frame’s subwoofers shoot bass directly out the back, muffled only by a small plastic shield designed to take some of the edge off.
It does admittedly come with rubber feet to keep it slightly out from the wall and dampen vibrations. But a loud(ish) music session or action movie marathon from Foxtel or your favourite video streaming service could quickly overwhelm these small concessions.
If you have unshared walls (including vertically) or a sound-proofed apartment complex, the Music Frame might be a great and fashionable addition to your fastidiously furnished home.
But if you’ve noticed building noise in the past, or are a renter and can’t guarantee your next place will be as insulated as your current one, it’s probably worth considering how loud you like your audio and how little you like your neighbours.
| Inclusions | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Foxtel  |
LIMITED OFFER - 40% OFF
| View PlanDeal ends June 30. |
| Foxtel |
| |
| Foxtel |
| |
| Foxtel |
| |
| Foxtel |
|
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
Related Articles
Find a Better Pay TV Package
Compare options from Foxtel, Fetch TV, Netflix, Stan and more.
