Like with most Samsung bars, you can tailor the sound using a variety of sound enhancement options. You can even combine it with compatible Samsung TVs to access additional features like Q-Symphony. With a subwoofer and a total of 11 horizontal and four height channels for complete Dolby Atmos spatial audio support, the Samsung Q990B is a full 360-degree sound system in a box.
Design
The fact that the Q990B’s design consists of four parts—the primary soundbar, a subwoofer, and a pair of rear speakers—is the single most crucial aspect of it. With the exception of the subwoofer, each speaker, including the primary soundbar, has three distinct channel drivers in the rear and nine in the front. In contrast to the previous two generations of flagship soundbars, Samsung has abandoned the felt surface on its primary soundbar and rear speakers in favour of an all-metal grilled finish. This gives it a rougher, less domesticated appearance, but overall, we like it better. Not least because it resists dust accumulation better than the felt finish. The rears of the soundbar are small enough to comfortably fit on a regular bookshelf, and the main unit is thin enough to fit under most TVs without obstructing the image. The subwoofer is very substantial. The extra dispersive properties of its design make it even simpler to tuck out of sight beneath a sideboard or next to the sofa, and its new Acoustic Lens fitting at least gives it a modish appearance. The design of the Q990B, however, is best because Samsung has thankfully moved the soundbar’s tiny LED info screen back to the front edge, where you can view it while lounging on your sofa. This avoids the heinous mistake of the previous two flagship soundbar generations, where the LED was cruelly placed on the top edge, forcing you to – shock, horror – be standing to read it.
Samsung HW-Q990B review: Feature
Even though the Q990B is one of the most feature-rich soundbars you’re likely to discover, its main selling point is its ability to offer an astonishingly lifelike 11.1.4-channel soundstage. This year’s improvement to the subwoofer has an 8-inch driver and an acoustic lens construction, which generates bass with greater homogeneity and makes the low end clearer and more precise. To ensure smooth panning of effects from front-to-back and side-to-side, the system is made up of front left and right channels, a centre channel, front and rear overhead channels, width channels at the front, and side channels at the front and rear. To increase the frequency range, the soundbar employs up-firing wide-range tweeters rather than acoustic beams. Due to the soundbar’s support for DTS:X and Dolby Atmos object-based audio codecs, all of these speakers can be used to their maximum potential. This year, Wireless Atmos was added, which enables the format to be broadcast using lossy Dolby Digital Plus from supported 2022 Samsung TVs over a Wi-Fi connection. The subwoofer’s built-in microphone may be used to automatically perform an EQ thanks to Samsung’s SpaceFit Sound Gen II technology. This optimises the room correction for the particular environment while also calibrating the bass for better synergy with the other speakers. Additionally, if there are any modifications to the layout or decor, it periodically updates the room adjustment.
Connectivity
A basic set of physical connectors are located in a recess at the back of the Samsung HW-Q990B. An optical digital input, two HDMI inputs, and an HDMI output that supports eARC are all included here. You may connect wirelessly using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2. It would be wonderful to have a few more HDMI inputs, but they all support 4K/60p and all HDR formats (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision). also you can learn our article on Samsung HW-Q990B review. It feels like a squandered opportunity since they do not support the new next-gen gaming capabilities like VRR and 4K/120 fast frame rate. However, they do support ALLM. The updated One Remote Control has additional buttons yet is still easy to use and comfortable to grasp. Additionally, the SmartThings app is well-designed, making setup simple by enabling users to set up Alexa, create a Wi-Fi connection, and update the firmware in a flash.
Samsung HW-Q990B review: Setup
As plug-and-play as it gets is the Q990B. A Samsung S95B OLED TV’s eARC connector was linked with an HDMI cable after everything was plugged into power. The Samsung TV recognised the soundbar and activated its Q-Symphony Sound feature, which makes use of the TV’s built-in speakers to improve the entire soundstage, in addition to the wireless surrounds and subwoofer connecting themselves automatically. The majority, if not all, of Samsung’s newest QLED TV series come with Q-Symphony Sound. Additionally, you can wirelessly connect the soundbar to a few Samsung TVs, eliminating the need for an HDMI cable. This convenience also has the added benefit of providing more quality than other soundbars that accomplish the same thing via Bluetooth because the wireless signal is transmitted using a signal similar to that of Wi-Fi. However, the HDMI eARC connection, which also enables you to utilise the soundbar as a hub for two more HDMI devices, is what we advise for the optimum audio quality. We haven’t encountered any wireless connection problems at all during our testing. There haven’t been any dropouts of the subwoofer signal or the surround speaker signal, which we’ve read on forums has been a problem for some people. Though to be honest, we’ve had our hands busy evaluating a variety of various performance elements, we’ll try to stress test it later and update this evaluation.
Sound Quality
Before we go into the specifics of how this system sounds, let’s first discuss if this soundbar can genuinely create Atmos surround effects. If you’re not familiar, Dolby Atmos essentially adds a separate height sound. It aims to enhance the sound environment by combining top-down sound for a dome-of-sound experience. In movie theatres, this is accomplished using a number of speakers that are positioned in the ceiling and direct sound downward. You may replicate the Dolby Atmos experience at home by using in-ceiling speakers, downsizing standard speakers, or up firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling, like the ones in this system. Now, the up-firing bouncy sound technique truly does require a flat ceiling that isn’t overly high in order to have the best impact. Furthermore, as acoustic tiles are intended to try and absorb some sound rather than reflect it, they shouldn’t be utilized in a drop ceiling. To assess this system’s Atmos sound power, we ran a number of experiments. We then set the volume of each driver in the system, with the exception of those that shoot upwards, to its lowest setting, making the up-firing drivers the loudest sound source in the system. We also compared the system’s performance with the Atmos drivers cranked up against the system’s performance with the Atmos drivers turned down in a series of A/B testing. Even the Atmos drivers were covered, making them basically inert.
Samsung HW-Q990B review: Performance
Although it has inherent complexity, installing the Samsung HW-Q990B is surprisingly simple. When first turned on, the back speakers and subwoofer pair perfectly, and the SmartThings app easily locates and connects the soundbar to the Wi-Fi network. The improved SpaceFit Sound Gen II is just as easy to use and guarantees that the soundstage is adjusted for the space, removing the more objectionable features. In order to create a coherent system with balanced bass, the subwoofer is also correctly integrated with the other speakers. There are many controls on the menu for manually adjusting the volume of the subwoofer and the various channels, but you shouldn’t need to do this because SpaceFit Sound automatically optimises the acoustics and periodically corrects as needed. Thanks to its larger drivers and overall breadth, the Q990B is actually capable when it comes to music. The beefed-up subwoofer delivers a strong foundation of bass that feels tight and controlled due to the efficient room correction, and there is good stereo separation. With a crisp midrange and a clear treble, the delivery also has a satisfying clarity. The front soundstage is given actual width by the side-firing speakers, while the centre channel keeps conversation on the screen clear and in focus.
Price
The HW-Q990B has a class-leading collection of features, as we’ve come to expect from a flagship Samsung soundbar, but it comes at a premium price. The Q990B costs £1,599 in the UK. In the US, it costs $1,899. also $2,099 Australian dollars. That’s a sizable sum of money, around the same as an AV receiver and speaker bundle purchased separately. you can read our article on Samsung HW-Q990B review.
Conclusion
The Samsung HW-Q990B is great for a variety of uses. With a neutral tone that makes it suited for everything from vocal-centric TV shows to music to movies, this 11.1.4 bar provides varied performance. You have access to several modification options, which makes it simple to modify the bar’s sound to suit your tastes. Its back speakers provide the sound an immersive feel that makes the sound seem to surround you. With Dolby Atmos content in particular, there is good height, bringing a cinematic experience directly into your living room. Although it’s a fantastic bar, not everyone may be able to afford its high price.
