Samsung Soundbar Update Bricking Devices

Owners of select 2024 Samsung soundbars are facing a frustrating issue: a faulty software update is rendering their devices useless. Samsung has acknowledged the problem, attributing it to a “software update error.”

Jim Kiczek, head of audio at Samsung Electronics America, confirmed that the issue affects certain 2024 soundbar models. The company is now offering free repairs for affected units, regardless of their warranty status.

Reports surfaced last week detailing problems with the flagship HW-Q990D soundbar after a firmware update. Users reported that their soundbars would power on but freeze on the TV eARC input, becoming unresponsive and disconnecting from the Samsung SmartThings app. Resets and reboots proved ineffective.

The issue isn’t limited to the Q990D; the HW-Q800D and HW-S801D models have also been affected, according to reports on Samsung’s community forums, Reddit, and AVSForum.

Initially, Samsung customer support lacked a solution, simply forwarding the issue to the warranty team. Unlike some software glitches, a simple patch won’t fix this. Affected soundbars require physical repairs.

The problematic firmware update is version 1020.7. Many high-end Samsung soundbars were set to automatically install it, leading to widespread issues across the US, Austria, Malaysia, and other countries.

If you own a working Samsung soundbar, disable automatic updates immediately.

This situation is disappointing for those who invested in Samsung’s 2024 soundbar lineup, such as the highly-rated Q990D. Instead of enjoying high-quality audio, they’re dealing with malfunctioning devices.