Samsung’s Frame TV was first introduced in 2017 and remains a highly desirable piece of tech thanks to the clever idea that sits at its core. For those unfamiliar, the Frame TV’s signature feature is that it doubles as a hanging artwork when not in use, hence the name. It even senses the level of light in any given room and adjusts its illumination accordingly to ensure it looks like a painting or print rather than a source of light. This is highly preferable to the imposing black rectangles that dominate so much wall real estate once we turn our TVs off.
Despite this, the Frame TV has always had one key weakness. Once you place a soundbar underneath, it gives the game away, undermining all the hard work of Samsung’s design and engineering teams. Enter the Samsung Music Frame. A niche product but a handy one, it aims to solve this problem via a similarly disguised sound setup that pairs with your Frame TV so as to keep its secret identity intact.
For the purposes of this review, I should disclose that I do not, in fact, own a Frame TV. But don’t pity me; I have a very good Samsung OLED panel. As a result, while I’ve explored much of the Music Frame’s functionality, I’ve had to deploy a certain amount of imagination regarding the chameleon effect the speaker’s aesthetic provides when paired with its intended TV companion. Fortunately, I have a vivid imagination, and upon having a pair of Music Frames delivered to my home, I eagerly set them up and began putting them through their paces. Read on to discover how they fared.
Discrete Design and Synchronised Sound
The Samsung Music Frame is a smart speaker that, at a glance, appears to be a square-shaped block-mounted picture frame. Measuring 35.3 by 36.48 cm and 14.34 cm deep, only the depth suggests it might be more than a framed picture. That and the easy-to-ignore power cable trailing from its rear.
You can mount the Music Frame to your wall or use the included stand to position it within your living room (or anywhere, really). Once you do, you’ll be gifted with surprisingly solid sound performance—thanks in no small part to the enhanced immersion offered by Dolby Atmos support—while the source of said sound remains visually inconspicuous.
This audio performance comes courtesy of six three-way speakers per unit—one pair each of tweeters, mid-range, and woofers—which produce a more satisfying sound than the Music Frame’s dimensions would suggest. It’s not perfect, but I guarantee it’s a big step up from the sound your TV’s in-built speakers produce on their own.
Pair two Music Frames and you can create a stereo sound effect or choose to have one focus on enhancing the bass of your setup. Plus, if you have a 2023 or 2024 Samsung TV or soundbar, you can sync your Music Frame(s) with them via Samsung’s Q-Symphony technology (again, I like the idea of using the TV’s in-built speakers here, doing away with the soundbar altogether to maintain the visual discretion of the setup).
Further, the Frame features functionality called Spacefit Sound Pro, which is intended to tailor sound to your space. This works by analysing your room for reverberations and making adjustments accordingly. I didn’t notice much of a benefit to this particular feature, but the sound quality being delivered had already somewhat exceeded my expectations, so I guess it was working.
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Music Streaming
Now that I’ve outlined the value on offer here for those with a Frame TV, I should acknowledge that you can use the Music Frame as a standalone speaker as well. Connect it to your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and you can stream your favourite tunes, podcasts, or whatever floats your boat. While doing so, the Music Frame offers respectable volume and dynamics.
Having said that, if a Bluetooth speaker is primarily what you’re after and you have neither a Frame TV nor a strong objection to speakers that look like, well, speakers, better options are available at a similar price point. The Sonos Era 300, with its more detailed audio offering, springs to mind. That’s not a dig at the Music Frame, simply an acknowledgement that to make a speaker that looks like a framed picture, Samsung’s audio engineers had certain limitations placed on them that those of other brands do not face.
For anyone who does have a Frame TV, however, the Music Frame’s level of sound quality should suffice for all but the most discerning music fans. And it will do so without forcing you to position large black speakers around your living space.
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A Personal Touch
For a speaker that’s as much about aesthetic as it is about sound, it makes a lot of sense for the Music Frame to offer a certain amount of customisation. In an effort to enhance the Music Frame’s ability to seamlessly integrate into your home, Samsung has partnered with custom goods platform MARPPLE, meaning you can order a range of custom acrylic prints that are collected under the moniker “Art Panel curated by MARPPLE.”
While I’ve no reason to doubt the quality of these—despite not having seen them in the flesh—they’re pretty pricey at USD$46 each, with a hefty USD$44 shipping cost, so I suggest giving them a miss. Instead, leave the white matboard that comes with the speaker in place and insert an image of your own thay will show up through the square hole in the matboard’s centre, providing a 7.5-inch squared window for the image to show through.
Final Verdict
Samsung’s Music Frame is a solid performer that serves the needs of Frame TV owners and those averse to using speakers that look like speakers. While there are competing devices in the market that eclipse the Music Frame in terms of audio quality, they tend to be something of an eyesore by comparison and won’t fit as seamlessly into your decor. If that matters to you, then the Music Frame holds a distinct advantage.
When it comes to streaming music, Samsung’s chameleonic speaker offers enough volume, dynamics, and detail to keep most listeners satisfied. And for those with a 2023 or 2024 Frame TV mounted to their wall, it offers synchronised audio that will enhance your viewing experience without the need for a soundbar. The Music Frame serves its niche purpose well, and if you’re a serious audiophile, you’re probably looking elsewhere anyway.
DISCLOSURE: The author of this article, Rob Edwards, was provided the product by Samsung for the purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are those of the author. For more information on our independence, testing and review guidelines, you can read our full editorial policies here.