I'm a big audio nerd, which basically means I'm always on the lookout for the best speakers. I'm on a mission to upgrade my home sound system from, well, nonexistent, to existing. I recently got my hands on the Samsung Music Frame, which ticks all my boxes: unique, innovative, stylish, and, surprisingly, sounds great.
However, it doesn't really add much to my sound system — it's incompatible with the rest of my tech. So far, I've got a lovely Bose Smart Soundbar, a couple of portable speakers for park trips and car journeys (no, my car doesn't have Bluetooth, yes, I know that's tragic), and one weighty party speaker. I still need a subwoofer (but Bose subwoofers are soooo expensive) and a really good pair of desktop speakers.
If you've got a Samsung Q Symphony TV and a Samsung soundbar, then the Music Frame is a no brainer. Still on the fence? Here's my overall first impressions.
A+ for innovation
Let's just take a moment to talk about the most unique part of the Music Frame, and, well, the only reason I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.
Its design.
The Music Frame is the most innovative speaker I've ever seen, and I've seen a huge range of speakers.
It can be wall mounted or be placed on its stand. As I must obey the rules of my landlord, I was forced to use the stand. Imagine how cool the Music Frame would look on the wall, though.
You can even customize the artwork in said Music Frame (for an extra cost... of course). I've not got around to that yet, seeing as I just unboxed this thing yesterday. All in due time.
On top of having Apple AirPlay and Chromecast (which works with both my Spotify app and my Qobuz app), the Music Frame also has Alexa and Google Home built in. As I don't use Alexa or Google Home, this is irrelevant to me, but if you partake in the smart home ecosystem, rest assured that the Music Frame will treat you right.
I was able to get the Music Frame up and running in seconds thanks to the SmartThings app. My boyfriend named the speaker "Longjohn Beatbox" (don't ask) and now it sits snugly in the rest of my Samsung smart home, alongside my Bespoke Jet AI Ultra ("Chief Dusty") and washing machine ("Mayor Spinny").
I know it means very little, but I do like seeing all my gadgets nice and happy together in my virtual home. Maybe, like Toy Story, they all wake up at night and talk about me. All good things, I hope... all good things.
So... how does it sound?
Seeing as the Music Frame is just 2 inches deep, I didn't anticipate mind-blowing sound quality. Why, I hear you ask?
Well, it's a frame. It's literally a frame.
There's simply no room for ground-shaking woofers. My Tribit StormBox Blast 2 has 60mm woofer, which is roughly 2.4 inches. Ergo, Samsung Music Frame = too small.
The Music Frame sounds better than you'd expect, though. I upped the bass to max in the SmartThings app, and also upped my bass in the Spotify app (despite Spotify's EQs being famously bad). The bass-heavy track sounded way better when I played via Qobuz's Airplay over Spotify's, but on both apps, still sounded bassier than anticipated.
No, it didn't rattle my bones or irritate my downstairs neighbors (they hate my Tribit StormBox Blast 2), but it did the trick.
See, here's the thing: I don't actually think Samsung intended this to be the "Music" Frame. I think the Music Frame is intended to be a rear-speakers-for-Samsung's-luxury-soundbars product. You can sync up the Music Frame with the Q990D (amongst others) for a surround-sound experience.
Hear me out. Rear speakers are ugly, right? Yes. So why not fix the problem and design a frankly gorgeous speaker you can put anywhere in your living room?
Problem solved.
I actually tested out the Music Frame as rear speakers at one of Samsung's HQs and it impressed me way more than listening to music. I think the Music Frame really excels when used as soundbar rear speakers, but just for music? It'll do. It won't blow your socks off, although it won't have you wincing.
But it's not for everyone
Unfortunately, as you might expect, the Music Frame's TV/AV features are restricted to the Samsung ecosystem. If you have a Samsung TV (with Q Symphony) and a Samsung soundbar (like the flagship Q990D), you will be able to sync up all these devices for an awesome home hi-fi setup.
However, if, like me, you have a Panasonic TV and a Bose soundbar (or any other non-Samsung brands), you're kind of stuck. The Music Frame will be demoted to a pretty Bluetooth speaker.
For $400, that's an expensive Bluetooth speaker. Yes, it looks cool, but I don't think it sounds good enough to justify $400.
Therefore, unless you have a Q Symphony TV and a flagship Samsung soundbar, I think you'd be better off with a different Bluetooth speaker for now — one that prioritizes sound quality over design. If that sounds like you, why not check out the Sonos Move 2 instead?
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