Samsung Soundbar Stopped Working? Here’s What to Do

Part of the beauty of modern tech is that fixes, enhancements and improvements are just a firmware or software update away. But the flip side of this is that a flawed software update can introduce new problems and can even “brick” (or render inoperable) your fancy gear in the blink of an eye. The best (or worst) most recent example of software updates gone wild is the update that Sonos pushed out to its users last Spring which broke some very basic functionality.

Samsung Electronics appears to be having its “Sonos moment” after a recent firmware update has caused some of its best soundbars, including the 2024 flagship HW-Q990D, the HW-Q800D and the HW-S801D – to completely stop working. The culprit appears to be the version 1020.7 update, which first became available to Samsung soundbar owners earlier this month. Many owners who opted into installing the firmware update “OTN” (over the network) or who had set their soundbars to install updates automatically have reported that their soundbars froze on the eARC input and stopped being responsive to the remote or SmartThings app. The units also stopped outputting any sound. That’s kind of important for a soundbar.

Some owners who opted to install the update by downloading it to a USB drive and updating via USB have reportedly avoided the issue.

Samsung reps have since acknowledged the problem, and the news isn’t good. At this point, the company is not offering a user-applicable software fix neither over the network, nor via USB drive. The company recommends affected users to bring or ship their soundbar into Samsung or an authorized Samsung dealer in order to address the problem.

Samsung has confirmed to The Verge that a “software update error” is responsible for disabling “certain 2024 soundbar devices,” per a statement from Jim Kiczek, head of audio at Samsung Electronics America. Kiczek says that Samsung is “offering free repairs for all affected units – regardless of warranty status.”

How to Contact Samsung Service

Affected customers can initiate a repair or service request on the Samsung web site at the following URL:

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/service

If you purchased your soundbar at a local brick and mortar store like Best Buy, you can also contact them to see if they can perform the repair locally.

It’s definitely a good time to disable the automatic updates on any 2024 Samsung Soundbar if you have not done so already. However, Samsung has stated that they have pulled the problematic update from the system so it should not affect users who have not yet downloaded or installed the update.

Samsung Customers Are Pissed Off

Samsung’s community forums, Reddit, and AVSForum are filled with rather angry complaints from owners who have chimed in that once the firmware update was downloaded to their device, it became unusable and no factory reset has worked. Users of the Samsung SmartThings app report zero success accessing the soundbars in that manner as well.

From Bad to Worse

Samsung was also devastated by the sudden passing of its co-CEO, Jong-Hee Han, who died this past Monday from cardiac arrest. Han had worked for the company since 1988 and was seen as one of the key reasons why the South Korea-based firm has become the world’s top TV and soundbar manufacturer. The Korean company has struggled somewhat over the past twelve months with its stock falling more than 20% as a result of its response to global challenges in the semi-conductor market and the rapid growth of AI.

The passing of Jong-Hee Han comes at the worst possible moment as the company deals with the aforementioned AI competition and now this issue with its soundbars.

The exact number of affected devices is not known, however Samsung currently claims over 18% of the global soundbar market (in unit sales), which translates to close to 5,000,000 units sold in 2024. If only 5% of those sales were these high-end 7-channel+ systems, we’d be looking at a potential of 250,000 affected units. But the number could be even higher.

A Global Problem

This issue appears to cross regional boundaries and is not limited to the United States or even to North America. Complaints are also coming in from outside the U.S. and Canada; users in the Philippines, Malaysia, Austria, and other markets are also reporting these issues with the HW-Q990D, HW-Q800D, and HW-S801D models.

Last week, Samsung told What Hi-Fi? that it was “investigating the cause of the issue” and “taking immediate action to resolve the firmware error.” Apparently, that investigation led to the conclusion that a physical fix to the unit would be required, by Samsung or Samsung-authorized technicians.

Can you imagine the exasperation of Best Buy employees when thousands of customers walk into to their local locations to get their soundbars fixed? And what about those who may have purchased their soundbars from Crutchfield, or Amazon online and have to send them back in the box? Who is going to take care of them? We’d suggest starting with Samsung’s Support Request form and going from there

Samsung’s repair department better brew a lot of coffee. Late hours in Q2 may be on the horizon.

Are you currently a Samsung customer dealing with this issue? Let us know in the comments how things are going with your repair.

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