A:Answer Rear speak are upfiring as is the sound bar itself has upfiring speaker, meaning rear speakers have 2 speakers facing you as well as 2 facing towards the ceiling with that being said from what I read on line you should have a flat ceiling to get the most out of them(mine is not)with that being said it’s still one if the best I’ve own, I had the Sony htst 5000 which was a very good system itself but it lack rear speakers,if Sony sometimes in the future offer rear speakers then out of the two Sony would be the better of the two.the Sony has 800 watts output while the Samsung has about 500 or so which I could hear the difference.