Customer Ratings & Reviews

Hi GeorgiaPeach,

Thank you for purchasing the Samsung HW-A40R and for sharing the connection issues you are experiencing with Bluetooth. Your feedback is important to us and will be shared with our product teams.

If you are connecting wirelessly to the TV via Bluetooth, please follow these steps:
1) Press the PAIR button on the remote to enter BT PAIRING mode. You can also press the SOURCE button on the top panel and then select BT. “BT” changes to “BT PAIRING” in a few seconds automatically or changes to “BT READY” if there is a connect record. If BT READY appears, press and hold the SOURCE button on the top panel of the Soundbar for more than 5 seconds to display BT PAIRING.
2) Select the Bluetooth sound mode on your TV (See your TV's user manual for assistance)
3) Select “[AV] Samsung Soundbar A40R Series” from the list on the TV’s screen. An available Soundbar is indicated with “Need Pairing” or “Paired” on the TV’s Bluetooth device list. To connect the TV to the Soundbar, select the message, and then establish a connection.
When the TV is connected, [TV Name] → “BT” appears on the Soundbar’s front display. You should now hear TV sound from the Soundbar. Once you have connected your soundbar for the first time, use the “BT READY” mode to reconnect.

Once the soundbar is connected, if you continue to experience Bluetooth issues, there are a few things you may want to check:

1) The maximum wireless signal transmission distance is about 33 ft.
2) Electronic devices may cause radio interference. Devices that generate electromagnetic waves should be kept away from the Soundbar main unit - e.g., microwaves, wireless LAN devices, etc.
3) Also, please be sure you have the latest firmware update. You can update your firmware by using a USB device. You can find the update on the product page of your HW-A40R on the Samsung website.

Should you ever have questions or need help, please call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG (ask for Soundbars), available 8AM - 12AM EST, 7 days a week.

For additional support resources, visit us on the Samsung website and click on the ‘Support’ link in the upper right corner of the homepage for:
1) Chat with Us/Product Help: To begin a chat or find solutions, choose ‘TVs & Home Theater’ and select your model & topic.
2) Manuals & Software
3) Warranty Info
4) Register a Product: For access to easy warranty support, convenient opt-in to special promos and offers, faster troubleshooting and service, and quick notification of system updates
5) Contact Us

~ Samsung Solutions

Hi Maddog456!

Thank you for your review of the HW-A40R Soundbar and for your feedback regarding the volume issues you are experiencing with the included rear speakers. By design, the surround speakers are supposed to simulate sounds happening behind the viewer. Therefore, most of the time the surround channels are only used for ambient sounds, which are naturally lower in volume.

However, there are a few settings you can change to adjust the surround effect to your preference:

1) Download and install the latest firmware version found at the following link (ver. HMS-A4X0WWB-1011): https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/?model=N0021435&modelCode=HW-A40R/ZA
2) Once installed, with the Soundbar on, press and hold the STANDARD button on the remote control for about 6 seconds
3) The LEDs will blink to indicate you are in adjustment mode
4) Use the BASS Up/Down buttons to adjust the level of the REAR speakers between -6 to +6.
5) The adjustment mode will exit if the surround button is pressed, or if no button is pressed for 10 seconds

If the volume levels still seem to low for your preference, please be aware of the following:

1) Make sure that the source (e.g. TV output) is sending surround channels to the Soundbar. If the source is not capable of surround, then set the Surround mode to OFF on the Soundbar by pressing the Surround button on the remote.
2) If the source has surround channels, select the Surround Sound Mode from the Soundbar remote.
3) Turn off Dynamic Range Control. This is done by pressing and holding the SURROUND button for 5 seconds.
4) Turn off the soundbar, then press and hold the source button on the soundbar for 7 seconds to enable Gain Boost. With Gain Boost active, the rear speaker’s volume level will be increased when the soundbar is in Surround mode. This feature can be turned off by following the same process.

Regarding the wireless description of the soundbar and rear speakers, occasionally, customers have trouble hiding and running speaker wires from the front of the room (where their soundbar is) to the back of their room (where they have their rear speakers). The Rear Speaker Kit eliminates that hassle. Connect the rear speakers to its wireless module and place these three in the back of your room. One wire is required to connect each rear speaker to the wireless module. Then plug in the power cable to the module. The “wireless” convenience is in connecting your soundbar and any other speakers at the front of the room to the rear speakers – this can now be done via Wi-Fi through the wireless module, eliminating any clutter of long wires running the length of your room.

Should you ever have any questions or concerns or need help with settings or features, please contact Samsung Customer Support at

1-800-SAMSUNG (ask for Soundbars), available 8AM -12AM EST (Mon-Fri), 9AM – 6PM EST (Sat). Or text HELP to 62913.

For additional support resources, visit us on the Samsung website and click on the ‘Support’ link in the upper right corner of the homepage for:
1. More ‘Contact Us’ options – LiveChat, Facebook, Twitter, Samsung Community, Samsung Members app
2. Manuals & Software
3. Warranty Info
4. Product Registration: For access to easy warranty support, convenient opt-in to special promos and offers, faster troubleshooting and service, and quick notification of system updates.

~ Samsung Solutions

Hi Ttpd,

I am sorry to hear about your experiences with these issues setting up your HW-A40R Soundbar.

To connect your Wireless Rear Speaker Kit to the Soundbar follow these directions. The full manual can also be found here: https://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/202104/20210414174844187/HW-A40R_ZA_FullManual_X9_210203.0.pdf

1. Connecting the Wireless Surround speaker
Use the speaker cables to connect the two surround sound speakers to the Wireless Receiver Module.
• When connecting the speaker cable, connect the core wire to the speaker
• The speaker cables are color coded.

When connecting the speaker cables to the Wireless Receiver Module, follow these steps:
1. Insert the grey plug into the grey port on the Wireless Receiver.
2. Insert the blue plug into the blue port on the Wireless Receiver.

When connecting the speaker cables to the surround speakers, follow these steps:
1. Match the speaker cable connected to the grey port to the speaker with the grey label.
2. Match the speaker cable connected to the blue port to the speaker with the blue label.
3. Insert the red and black colored ends of each speaker cable into the red and black ports of the
appropriate speaker.
• The labels are on the backs of the speakers.

2. Connecting Electrical Power
Use the power components to connect the Soundbar and Wireless Surround Speaker to an electrical outlet. See the illustrations below.
• For information about the required electrical power and power consumption, refer to the label
attached to the product. (Label : Bottom of the Soundbar Main Unit, Rear of the Wireless Surround
Speaker)

Connecting the Soundbar to the Wireless Surround speaker
When the Wireless Surround speaker is connected, you can enjoy rich bass sound.

Automatic connection between the Wireless Surround speaker and the Soundbar.
When you turn the power on after connecting the power cables to the Soundbar and Wireless Surround speaker, the surround speakers are automatically connected to the Soundbar.
• When auto pairing is complete, the blue indicators at the rear of the Wireless Receiver Module turn on.

Manually connecting the Wireless Surround speaker if the automatic connection fails
Before performing the manual connection procedure below:
• Check whether the power cables for the Soundbar and Wireless Surround speaker are connected properly.
• Make sure that the Soundbar is turned on.
1. Press the ID SET button on the back of the Wireless Receiver Module with a pen tip for 5~6 seconds until the LINK LED indicator blinks fast (in Blue).
2. Press and hold the MUTE button on the remote control for at least 5 seconds.
3. Check if the LINK LED is solid blue (connection complete)
The LINK LED indicator stops blinking and glows a solid blue when a connection is established between the Soundbar and the Wireless Receiver Module.

By design, the surround speakers are supposed to simulate sounds happening behind the viewer. Therefore, most of the time the surround channels are only used for ambient sounds, which are naturally lower in volume.

However, there are a few settings you can change to adjust the surround effect to your preference:

1) Make sure that the source (e.g. TV output) is sending surround channels to the Soundbar. If the source is not capable of surround, then set the Surround mode to OFF on the Soundbar by pressing the Surround button on the remote.
2) If the source has surround channels, select the desired Sound Mode from the Soundbar remote.
3) Turn off Dynamic Range Control. This is done by pressing and holding the Sound Mode button while the Soundbar is in standby mode. Depending on your soundbar model, you may or may not have DRC.
4) Increase the volume level of the surround speakers using the Sound Control button on the Soundbar remote control. Press the Sound Control button on the soundbar remote (looks like a gear), then select REAR LEVEL and use the Up/Down buttons to adjust the volume within a -6 to +6 range.

I hope these tips help to enhance your audio enjoyment. Should you need further assistance with this issue or have any questions, please contact Samsung Customer Support.

1-800-SAMSUNG (ask for Soundbars), available 8 AM – 12 AM EST, 7 days a week.

For additional support resources, visit us on the Samsung website and click on the ‘Support’ link in the upper right corner of the homepage for:
1) Chat with Us/Product Help: To begin a chat or find solutions, choose ‘TVs & Home Theater’ and select your model & topic.
2) Manuals & Software
3) Warranty Info
4) Register a Product: For access to easy warranty support, convenient opt-in to special promos and offers, faster troubleshooting and service, and quick notification of system updates
5) Contact Us

~ Samsung Solutions