In the review we discuss the Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom speaker set, the R7 (WAM7500) and the R6 (WAM6500) Portable. We also look at the Samsung Hub. A multiroom speaker set is a set of speakers that can be placed in different rooms or even in the garden, where the same or different music can be played over all speakers. You control the speakers with the Samsung Multiroom app.
Samsung Wireless 360 Audio Multiroom – What is it?
Samsung has released two speakers in the Wireless Audio 360 series: the WAM7500 (and white WAM7501) and the WAM6501 (and black WAM6500). Both speakers contain a speaker system that plays music and sound in 360 degrees. This means that if you put a loudspeaker in the middle of a room, everyone should hear an equally good and beautiful sound. And fortunately, Samsung is already making this promise from the very first moment: wherever you are in the room, the sound is present and well audible.
Just like other multiroom speakers, you can also place these 360 Audio models in multiple rooms of your home or, for example, in the garden. The speakers are wireless and only need to be connected to the power, but for the rest you have complete freedom in placing the speakers. The Wireless Audio 360 set has two speakers in its series, namely the WAM7500 (and white WAM7501) and the WAM6501 (and black WAM6500). The first is a large speaker with a better sound than the two, which is more the compact, portable model, including a rechargeable battery.
The WAM6500 / WAM6501 can also be used outdoors, for example at a picnic or a day out. You play the music via the Bluetooth connection on your phone or tablet, while at home you can use the Samsung Hub, a box that you connect to your router where both speakers can communicate with. You also get no remote control here and control the speakers with the Samsung Multiroom app, which is available for Android and iOS. The application is completely free to download.
Samsung Wireless 360 Audio Multiroom – Design
The design of the speakers is immediately apparent in any living room. They look like big Fabergé eggs, but without all the colors and fuss, but in the traditional colors white and black. The WAM6501 / WAM6500 has been given a more subtle design. It is nice and small and compact and fits on your closet, for example. The WAM7500 / WAM7501 is much larger and even stands on a stand – but we can also hang it on the ceiling with a special hanger or buy an even larger standard, if that fits better with your living room.
We did it with the simple standard, since it is mainly very functional. With a wide pedestal, the speaker is always strong, so you can not just knock over it. This box has five buttons, two of which are physical. Those are the volume buttons. The other three are a kind of touch-sensitive places that sit directly on the speaker and with that you can pause and play the music, select the source of the music and of course turn the speaker on and off. But most of it you do on your smartphone.
The smaller WAM6501 / WAM6500 has the same buttons, plus an extra physical version on the back. This allows you to switch the box on and off when it is not connected to the power network. Why this box has two power buttons is a mystery to me. In any case, it made sure that the speaker did not always switch on automatically when I hung it again and wanted to listen to my music via the app. The big version fortunately did not suffer from this, since it automatically goes off when I closed the app.
Samsung Wireless 360 Audio Multiroom – How does it work?
Installing the speakers is very simple. Because they are wireless, you do not have to deal with all kinds of cables and still take the power cable into account. No, you choose a nice place in the room (hopefully with a socket in the neighborhood) connect it and you’re basically done. From that moment on you can immediately start streaming from your smartphone or tablet, with any app, such as Xbox Music . You then use the Bluetooth connection, so you are not necessarily stuck with the Samsung app.
If you have two or more Samsung Multiroom speakers, then you need a Samsung Hub. That is an extra box that you connect to your router with a cable. With a few simple steps that are included with the device, you have quickly made that connection between the speakers, the Hub and your wireless network. From that moment on you have to use the Samsung Multiroom app for both speakers and you can also download the program for PC, which gives you access to the music on your computer.
Unfortunately, the Samsung Multiroom app has its limitations. You can play all your music (even from multiple sources, such as TuneIn or Deezer), but when you play the music from PC, the songs are not in the order as on the CD. And personally I can not have that right, because artists often put the songs in a specific order, for different reasons. Now they are in alphabetical order and then the listening experience simply becomes a mess, especially when you listen to CDs from a band like Muse.
Furthermore, you actually manage everything further with the Samsung Multiroom application. You change the volume, choose a song, artist or CD and can also play with the equalizer, if you want. The app is not very extensive and mainly focused on the functional side, but I still miss the option to play your own music from the cloud. It would also be nice if we do not have to use the Samsung app at all, since there are much better music players on Android and iOS – but that may be a bridge too far.
Samsung Wireless 360 Audio Multiroom – Sound quality
We can be very brief about the sound quality of the WAM7500 / WAM7501 (the larger R7 variant of the series): it is of a high level. That is not surprising at all, since there is enough space for all kinds of techniques and components that can provide a beautiful, crystal clear and above all room-filling sound – despite that strange-looking, yet stylish and sleek design. The bass is nice and deep, the treble goes up considerably and everywhere you do not encounter any noise – not even on the higher volumes and with good metal.
Especially the latter, I find a decent achievement, since the Samsung WAM750, WAM550 and WAM350 multiroom speakers there still quite bothered. During the writing of this review, the song Supremacy by Muse from the speaker pops behind me – that song seeks out both the high and the low tones and it is really a joy to listen to. The small R6 Portable (WAM6501/WAM6500) is significantly less good, since that speaker is simply much less powerful.
If you only want to have the smaller version or have it in the house, then the difference between the two speakers does not stand out at all. But we let them play the same songs side by side – at the same time and separately – and really have to conclude that the WAM6501 / WAM6500 comes out a bit too badly. That is not strange, of course, since that loudspeaker is much smaller than its bigger brother, but for a price of 399 euros we just expect something more than ‘a reasonable sound’. Waiting for a nice offer, so.
Samsung Wireless 360 Audio Multiroom – Conclusion
After having used both the WAM6501 / WAM6500 (R6 Portable) and WAM7500 / WAM7501 (R7) for a few weeks, we have to conclude that the R7 is the winner of the two when it comes to crisp sound, installation and use. The R6 Portable can also be used outdoors due to its rechargeable battery, but it does deliver a lot on the sound quality. That is why we do not think the recommended price of 399 euros for this compact speaker is worth it – do you want to bring it into your home? Wait until it is much more attractively priced or buy it second-hand.
The WAM7500 might be on the expensive side, with its suggested retail price of 499 euros, but if you do not have an extensive home cinema set with a series of speakers that you say to or just want to experience the ease of installation and use, then he is well worth the price. The sound quality is of a very high level and that is ultimately what it is all about music – that you can enjoy undisturbed, noise-free and in all tones. You can also use these speakers in combination with a soundbar from Samsung.
Please note that you need a Samsung Hub if you want to purchase multiple speakers within the series. Die Hub has a suggested retail price of 49 euros and is mandatory when you have several Samsung Wireless Audio Multiroom speakers at home. The figure below is based mainly on our experiences with the R7, because it has surprised us a lot, especially in terms of sound quality. The R6 Portable ensures that the set gets no higher figure – but the portability of the device still provides some convenience.
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