According to The Verge, Samsung is repairing bricked soundbars for free after a botched software update. The company confirmed the error affects 2024 models including the HW-Q990D, HW-Q800D, and HW-S801D, rendering them unusable via SmartThings and blocking resets.
Jim Kiczek, head of audio at Samsung Electronics America, attributed the failures to a “software update error” and stated repairs will be provided “regardless of warranty status.” Samsung has not disclosed how many devices were impacted.
Owners reported issues last week after installing the update, which left soundbars unresponsive. Unlike typical firmware glitches, Samsung says fixing these units requires in-person service rather than a patch. The company initially told What Hi-Fi? it was “investigating” before acknowledging the software’s role.
