Before its expected launch in April, we had the opportunity to discover Samsung’s Music Frame speaker, a connected speaker that looks like a painting.
At the beginning of January, in the corridors of CES in Las Vegas, Samsung presented its new connected speaker, the Music Frame. On the same model as the Samsung TV Frame television, this speaker actually aims to allow users to camouflage it by giving it an appearance similar to that of a painting that can be placed on a piece of furniture or hung directly on the wall.
A few months later, during the presentation of the range of Samsung soundbars and televisions for 2024, I had the opportunity to learn more about this speaker, but also to listen to it and discover how it works and the customization options allowed by the Korean firm.
A format close to vinyl covers
Despite its photo frame appearance, the Music Frame is still a rather imposing speaker. It actually adopts a format of 33 x 33 cm which is reminiscent of that of a 33 rpm vinyl cover, measuring 31.5 x 31.5 cm. But it is above all the thickness of the speaker which can stand out with a depth of 4.3 cm. It must be said that, regarding a connected speaker, it is not possible to reduce it to 1 or 2 cm as can be the case for a painting hung on the wall, since the speakers will need ‘a minimum of depth to sound properly.
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker is also not designed to operate on battery power and will require power via a 2.5 meter long translucent cable. In addition to this power cable, we will also find two connections on the back: an optical input and a USB port in type-A format. No jack or HDMI socket here, the speaker is above all designed to work wirelessly, preferably in conjunction with a Samsung television.
It is no coincidence that Samsung presented its speaker with its soundbars. In fact, the Korean manufacturer hopes that it will be used as a surround peripheral speaker, connected for example to a brand television thanks to the Q-Symphony functionality which allows you to enjoy the sound on a sound bar at the same time. , speakers and speakers built into the TV. It will also be possible to use the Music Frame for music, with up to two speakers operating simultaneously to reproduce the two stereo channels.
A wireless speaker, the Music Frame benefits not only from Bluetooth, but also from Wi-Fi connectivity. It therefore works not only with Chromecast and AirPlay 2, but also with Spotify Connect, Amazon Connect or Tidal Connect.
A very simple change of illustrations
Obviously, the most interesting point with the Music Frame lies in the customization of its design. We are in fact dealing here with a plastic plate which clips directly onto the front of the speaker. Once removed, this plate incorporates, on the back, a hanging system that can be removed to change, on the fly, the illustration integrated into the frame. You can therefore easily change the illustration image to put your own photos, illustrations or any printed image.
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker // Source: Geoffroy Husson – Frandroid
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker // Source: Geoffroy Husson – Frandroid
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker // Source: Geoffroy Husson – Frandroid
In addition to this on-the-fly customization system – which requires keeping the large white frame around the illustration image, Samsung plans to partner with several suppliers who offer large format illustrated plates that users can attach freely to the enclosure. For the moment, the manufacturer has not yet communicated on prices.
Finally, while the Music Frame will initially be launched only in black, a version with a white frame is also planned for availability after launch. For the moment, no announcement has been made for frames in other colors or for more advanced framing systems as Samsung offers, for example, with its The Frame televisions.
A speaker with six speakers
Concerning the sound quality of the speaker, you have to count on a total of six speakers with two tweeters for the treble, two woofers and two speakers for the midrange. The announced rendering is stereo and the speaker is in fact hidden all around the central plastic plate, behind the acoustic fabric – with the two woofers on the back – in order to at least hinder the sound reproduction.
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker // Source: Geoffroy Husson – Frandroid
Samsung’s Music Frame speaker // Source: Geoffroy Husson – Frandroid
I had the opportunity to listen to the sound reproduction of the Samsung Music Frame during a demonstration for a few minutes. If Samsung wanted to clarify that the speaker was not yet up to date and that some adjustments could take place between now and its release, it is clear that it is capable of sending a particularly large volume with an announced power of 120 W.
However, due to its flat and relatively compact format, the Music Frame was necessarily constrained, particularly in terms of bass. Certainly, the speaker is capable of sending a large volume in the highs, mids and even low mids, but the lowest frequencies seemed clearly below and we would not expect the depth of a bar high-end sound or a more traditional speaker.
Price and availability of the Samsung Music Frame
The Samsung Music Frame speaker will be available for pre-order from April 11, with deliveries expected during May. It will be offered in France at a price of 449 euros.