Verdict
The HW - Q990D might not look very dissimilar to its extremely acclaimed predecessor , but its sound is on a unlike level - with medicine as well as movies . Which moderately much by default cause it the good full surround soundbar in town .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Samsung has been the ( passably much ) undisputed champion of the full surroundings phone soundbar world for years now .
The combination of in the altogether powerfulness and peerless 360 - degree auditory sensation stage foundation bear by the brand ’s flagship Q990 soundbars has systematically beaten rivals to a schmalzy , underpowered pulp .
The past 12 month have fancy one or two true surround choice – most notably JBL ’s savagely good 1300 – finally start to seriously dispute Samsung for the nursing home cinema soundbar jacket crown . So can Samsung ’s top soundbar for 2024 , the HW - Q990D , find out another gear ?
Availability
The Samsung HW - Q990D is usable across most of the world ’s district . stock still seem to wind up to full capacity in some area , but any irregular stocking issues should be solve by the clip you ’re translate this clause .
In the UK the HW - Q990 sell for £ 1699 , while it fail for $ 1749 and AU$1999 in the US and Australia respectively . This clearly put the Q990D in premium territory – though it ’s worth pointing out that there are undivided - Browning automatic rifle soundbar solutions and single soundbar plus optional surround and subwoofer redundant packages out there that cost importantly more without offer the prodigious groove calculate the Q990D gives you right out of the box seat .
Design
If you ’re the form of person who like to measure value in term of physical returns , the Q990D does n’t let you down . It pushes the construct of a soundbar to the nth arcdegree by send with four separate components : the main bar , a wireless subwoofer and a dyad of rear speakers .
The main bar and subwoofer are far from shrinking violets , too . The bar extends to just over 1.2 chiliad across-the-board , almost 7 cm high , and 13.8 centimeter recondite , meaning you ’ll likely want to partner it with a pretty with child TV if it ’s not going to end up appear comically large .
While a significant addition to your AV set up , I should stress that it sits less in high spirits than some of Samsung ’s previous soundbar design , and should fit underneath the screens of most of today ’s TVs without hide any of the flick or blockade any IR receptors .
Despite its size , I ’d say the hard plastic grill finish , needlelike edge and angled back box of the HW - Q990D ’s main bar make it a middling attractive building block in a industrial kind of manner .
The subwoofer depend a bit clunky compared with the grill crispiness of the independent soundbar , but its hefty size enables Samsung to fit it with both a thumping great side - rise 8 - column inch driver , as well as providing circle of room for air to move through the bodywork and out of a enceinte port on its rear edge . Plus , unlike the other speakers you may tuck the subwoofer away almost anywhere in your living room bring home the bacon nothing ’s blocking the principal driver release .
The HW - Q990D ’s dedicated subwoofer also benefits from quite strange design touch in the pattern of an Acoustic Lens attachment . This is essentially a round cover that sits an column inch or so above the driver so that it can both meliorate the dispersion of humbled frequency sound around your elbow room and trim down possible distortions .
The rear verbaliser are quite compact relative to the other two components in the HW - Q990D system . So much so that it ’s hard to believe that they actually each carry three freestanding driver capable of mixing in with the sound coming from the rest period of the scheme . They fall apart the same drab grayness grilled hard plastic finale as the main bar , and again adopt a quite industrial , angular posture that I personally did n’t mind at all .
The HW - Q990D ship with a silken , comfortable to apply remote control with well organised and tactile push .
Features
As you might hope with a soundbar that sets you back almost £ 1700 , the Samsung HW - Q990D does n’t skimp on the feature – even supply a couplet of significant novel ones to the already far - grade oblation of its extremely acclaimedQ990Cpredecessor .
Starting with the most headline grabbing clobber , its 11.1.4 canal reckoning is one of the gamy in the soundbar humankind . These are genuine channel too , each with its own strong-arm machine driver , rather than any of them being repetition or practical ones created by acoustical processing .
The full communication channel breakdown finds the pack master bar extradite front centre , front left , front rightfulness , front side left , front side right , side left , side right and two up - firing superlative effect drivers , while the rears each provide one up - firer , one forward firer , and one side firer . The subwoofer , of course , just delivers the ‘ .1 ’ bass channel .
The theme behind all these channels is to create as fulsome a representation as possible of the 360 - degree cerebral hemisphere of auditory sensation associate with the objective - base ( meaning they pose sound effects in a 3D soundscape ) Dolby Atmos andDTS : Xsoundtracks now provided with most movie .
There ’s a total of 656W of power to feed into all these channels , as well as processing options capable of converting circumscribed distribution channel audio reference – even stereo medicine – into all - singing , all - dancing multi - channel mixes that take advantage of all the power and channels the system has usable .
The system now provides an extremely useful and efficacious Space Fit Pro motorcar standardization system to help get the symmetricalness of all the transmission channel right for your room place up . This now incorporates the subwoofer ’s stimulant into its calculations , rather than treating low frequencies somewhat separately as the Q990C harbinger did .
Having mentioned one new feature film introduced for the Q990D , lets look at a few more . Starting with Personal Listening , where you could now use the rear verbaliser by themselves as a smaller stereo organization if you want to watch television without disturbing other people in the sign of the zodiac . you’re able to also use the rears in a Party Sound Grouping configuration , so they harmonise with the main Browning automatic rifle to deliver a more way - filling music experience .
I ’m also happy to cover that Samsung has add Chromecast to its affirm streaming systems this yr , alongsideAirPlay 2 . There ’s been an upgrade to Samsung ’s Game Mode Pro soundbar feature that now optimises the sound visibility to suit different musical genre of game , rather than just applying a generic play profile as antecedently .
This raw feature takes the gaming genre info from the Gaming Hub found on many Samsung TVs these days ( it does n’t work with other TV brands ) and applies extra profiles for FPS , Racing , Rhythm , Sports and Fighting games . So with FPS deed of conveyance , for instance , footsteps and gunshot sounds will be underscore . For racing games railway car engine sounds will be enhanced .
For Rhythm games the sound profile will take on a more musical flavour . For mutation titles herd and arena atmospherics will enjoy more mien and scale of measurement . And at long last for fight games , punching and kick sound will be establish more accent to create a more visceral effect .
Perhaps my personal favourite of the upgrades the HW - Q990D introduces over the HW - Q990C is support in the HDMI loopthrough organization for 4K/120Hz and varying refresh rate play features . This means gamers are no longer drug-addicted on the potentially laggy HDMI Audio Return TV channel route to relish lossless Dolby Atmos or DTS :X sound with 4K/120Hz games .
While the physical design of the soundbar component and speakers inside has n’t change for the HW - Q990D , Samsung claim to have importantly pick off the way those driver take on the audio signals they ’re fed . But you ’ll have to wait until the sound quality part of the review to find out how rightful these claim are .
There stay a few other features I should cover off that while not new for the Q990D are still significant to this soundbar ’s premium status . Connectivity is satisfying , with two HDMI inputs ( a third might be decent next time around ) and one eARC - adequate to HDMI output , an optical digital audio recording input , and support for both Wi - Fi andBluetooth 5.2wireless current .
you may also show a connexion between the soundbar and sensibly recent Samsung mobile phones just by tapping the earphone against the main soundbar ’s bodywork , plus there ’s unmediated connectivity with Spotify Connect . The HDMI loop through supports HDR qualifying - through in all four of the main HDR formats : HDR10 , HLG , HDR10+and ( even though no Samsung TVs reinforcement it)Dolby Vision .
you’re able to control the soundbar using Samsung ’s Smart Things app rather than the remote control , and you’re able to also issue it with verbal instructions via build - inAmazon Alexaor ‘ crop with ’ Google Assistant financial support .
An Adaptive audio pick use AI to tailor the soundbar ’s audio recording profile to the sort of subject matter you ’re watching ( film , concert , sports effect etc ) , while an Active Voice Amplifier adds more accent to vocals if it feels a sudden increase in the noise levels in your room might have made dialogue harder to hear .
Last but not least , the Q990D supports both ( lossy ) wireless transmittal of Dolby Atmos sound from recent bounty Samsung TVs , and Samsung ’s Q Symphony feature , where the speakers and audio processing in compatible Samsung TVs can bring together forces with the soundbar ’s speaker unit to create a larger profound stage with more exact height core and dialogue positioning .
Sound Quality
The Samsung HW - Q990D gets no redundant channels compared with its forerunner , and no changes to the physical design of its verbalizer or drivers . And yet … it sounds better . A lot well .
peculiarly impressive is the extra sense of detail the HW - Q990D manages to surrender . Not even the hushed , most chasten , most backdrop upshot in a film mixture passes the soundbar by , helping it produce maybe the busiest , most sensible and overall most accurate surroundings audio performance I ’ve ever heard from a soundbar .
It ’s not just that the HW - Q990D somehow make out to reveal insidious details that seem to pass the immense majority of its challenger by that have the acclivity over the Q990C so compelling , either . It ’s also what it does with these extra details . Every detail , no matter how faint-hearted or pronounced , is place with remarkable precision within the 360 - point sound leg the HW - Q990D crafts so like an expert around your seating attitude .
Nor does it count whether a particular good effect is mostly ambient or connected to a specific object or distributor point of emanance ; whatever an issue ’s role in a mix , the HW - Q990D cognise where to place it and how to treat it so effectively that you may almost reckon a film ’s original audio mix team are sitting there tell apart the soundbar what to do .
The HW - Q990D ’s dedication to produce not just a straight surround experience but a 360 - degree , three - dimensional cerebral hemisphere of ultra - immersive speech sound plays a key role in this sense of literally every sound constituent being in exactly the right seat . You finger keenly cognizant of the presence of every one of the soundbar ’s 16 groove as sound start up all around your room , or noisy objects conversion from front to back , back to front , side to side and even ( thanks to the four build - in up - firing drivers ) over your brain .
The precision of the effects placement , especially when it comes to comparatively ambient sounds , also makes the HW - Q990D arguably peerlessly good at defining the scale of dissimilar film localization and options .
What most set the HW - Q990D ’s outstanding function of its huge channel count apart , though , is how well each private distribution channel is integrated and balanced with the others ( specially if you ’ve tend the Space Fit Pro automobile - calibration system ) to make that all - authoritative Dolby Atmos / DTS :X hemisphere effect around your viewing position without leaving any glaring gaps or holes in it . Everything feel fabulously unlined and joined up .
The HW - Q990D ’s savvy of the relative weight of every element in a complex mix is also typic . backdrop effects stay correctly in the background , subtle / quiet effects never bring in too much swelling , and the most aggressive , dominant personal effects are deliver with outstanding clarity , punch and immediateness .
The fastness and aggression with which the HW - Q990D responds to hard sound like slug and gunshots is outstanding , yet the soundbar ’s dynamic range and power is good enough to ensure that none of these crusty home movie house basic ever go abrasive or painful . Even when they emerge from the rear speakers , which actually combine tonally with the much bigger main soundbar outstandingly well .
Actually , the rear distribution channel deliver one of the safe all round improvements over the Q990C , respond much more effectively and cleanly to sudden demands from an aggressive soundtrack and invalidate the distortions that could very occasionally crop up with that still brilliant predecessor .
All of the HW - Q990D ’s newly - found precision , balance and predisposition is delivered , crucially , without any scathe being done to the mammoth power and dynamic reach that Samsung ’s flagship soundbars have long excelled at . Even large suite will be entirely filled by the Q990D ’s sound , and there ’s a truly nonrational feeling to the densest soundtrack minute that treasured few other soundbars can contend with .
The subwoofer injects immense amounts of sea bass into proceedings without ever sound as if it ’s hit a heavy scurvy frequence floor , or suffering from drop-off outs or phutting distortions . On the contrary , its sounds roll out around your room with spectacular purity and definition .
At the same time , they never draw unwarranted care to themselves , always attach to the bottom of the primary soundbar ’s frequency response without sounding gappy or baggy , and swelling or ebb back immaculately as and when a soundtrack demand .
While inebriate in the improvements the HW - Q990D fork up with film soundtracks , I encounter myself opine and go for that many of them might well have a beneficial impact , too , on the soundbar ’s musicalness . Happily , the HW - Q990D does indeed prove to be far and away Samsung ’s most melodious flagship soundbar .
peculiarly good to discover is how much more effectively the subwoofer engages with medicine . No longer do its part incline to sound a bit clumsy or arbitrary ; now it seems much smarter both about when a scrap more bass is call for and when it is n’t , and the comparative system of weights it should be bringing when it does decide to make its front felt . Basically it seems to be work under the influence of a much more holistic appreciation for euphony than previous Samsung soundbar subwoofer have tended to .
Just as significantly , the HW - Q990D eventually recognize that music often if not always require a different , warmer tone overall than the clinical muscularity that typically works so well for film soundtracks . This ability to mildly adjust its spirit helps music of all sorts voice more lifelike , balanced and engaging – without sacrificing clarity , timing or active range .
The improvements I ’ve just key out have no disconfirming wallop on the one face of music that Samsung soundbars have actually always handled passably well : vocals . voice still sound utterly put at the center of but somewhat above the rest of the admixture , but now they ’re no longer sabotage by nearly as many dissymmetry , inconsistencies , and fret from the quietus of a running ’s melodic elements .
One last thing to add here is that while I think most serious medicine fan will choose to leave the HQ - Q990D in its two-channel mode for most music playback , it also sound bright if you’re able to feed it nativeDolby Atmos musicmixes , and can make a surprisingly convincing practical environment sound mixture out of two-channel tracks if you change over to its surround well-grounded enlargement modality .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You want the most all - pear-shaped immersive , elaborate and knock-down soundbar around .
You do n’t want the clutter of a four - piece soundbar system .
Final Thoughts
Samsung has achieved the seemingly impossible with the HW - Q990D , deliver a compelling tone up from its predecessor without changing any of its strong-arm stipulation . The result is the most powerful and precise full surroundings sound experience for film in the soundbar world , accompany for arguably the first clock time with a Samsung flagship soundbar by an accomplished ( and whippy ) music functioning .
The increased competition at the tone ending of the soundbar human beings in recent times has been neat to see . On the evidence of the HW - Q990D , though , maybe the best resultant role of all this extra competition has been the pressure it ’s put on Samsung to make what were already the better soundbars on the grocery store even better .
Trusted Score
How we test
We examine every soundbar we review thoroughly over an prolonged period of time . We use manufacture standard tests to compare lineament decent . We ’ll always separate you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to retrospect a merchandise .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
These are the current best quality sound systems you will find provided with most late motion-picture show and TV show released on 4 K Blu - ray , Blu - light beam or streaming services .
This is a raised deflector that sit above a ( usually bass ) number one wood to serve scatter its audio more widely and cleanly .
Dolby Atmos soundtracks sport height effects that are suppose to come from above your head . The up - firing drivers are used to deliver these by spring the meridian effects off your ceiling .
