The Samsung HW-Q990C is the corporate’s newest and best Dolby Atmos soundbar, providing flagship specs at a flagship value.
Meaning 11.1.4 wi-fi sound that goals to fill your front room with sound, from ceiling to couch, and provides up a options checklist that’s filled with all the good things you’d anticipate.
The one factor is, issues look somewhat acquainted right here, compared with final yr’s wonderful Samsung HW-Q990B, so the place is your cash greatest spent when you’re searching for the very best soundbar you should buy? Here is our full evaluate.
Samsung/Pocket-lint
Samsung HW-Q990C
Editor’s Alternative
$1597.99 $1697.99 Save $100
This excellent soundbar delivers extremely participating Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sonics because of a class-leading 11.1.4-channel speaker format and efficient room correction. General sonics are excellent, with loads of energy, though keep in mind the older and now cheaper HW-990B is nearly equivalent by way of options and general efficiency.
- Totally immersive soundscape
- Subterranean ranges of bass
- Surprisingly good with music
- No 4K/120 and VRR passthrough
- No nice strides forwards in efficiency
Design
- Soundbar – Dimensions: 1232 x 70 x 138mm (WxHxD) / Weight: 7.7kg
- Rear Audio system – Dimensions: 130 x 201 x 140mm / Weight: 3.4kg
- Subwoofer – Dimensions: 220 x 413 x 410mm (WxHxD) / Weight: 11.7kg
- End: Titan Black
The Samsung HW-Q990C sports activities precisely the identical cupboard as final yr, with angled corners, steel mesh grille, and a show on the entrance. The design is unassuming, in order not to attract consideration to itself, and is completed in what Samsung refers to as Titan Black, however is absolutely extra of a darkish gray.
The general construct high quality is superb, and the soundbar’s bigger dimensions imply it most closely fits TVs with display sizes of 55 inches or larger. Simply watch out it does not block the display when putting in on a stand in entrance – when you resolve to wall mount there are devoted brackets for this objective.
The subwoofer and rear audio system have the identical end, although like final yr, the audio system characteristic a barely curved cupboard instead of straight strains, with matching steel grille to the soundbar. This creates an incredible aesthetic cohesion throughout the entire system, and within the case of the audio system, they’ll both be stand or wall mounted.
The subwoofer makes use of the identical 8-inch driver and acoustic lens design as final yr, which is meant to generate bass with larger uniformity, thus producing a low-end that is clearer and extra exact.
Whereas the sub and two rears are wi-fi from each other and the principle soundbar unit, do keep in mind that every one three nonetheless require energy sockets.
Connections and management
- HDMI output (eARC); 2 x HDMI enter; Optical digital enter
- Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; AirPlay 2
- Full distant management
- SmartThings app (iOS/Android)
- Alexa built-in
The Samsung HW-Q990C homes a stable set of bodily connections in a recess on the rear. Right here you may discover an optical digital enter, two HDMI inputs and an HDMI output that helps eARC. When it comes to wi-fi connectivity, you additionally get Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2.
All of the HDMI ports passthrough 4K/60p, and each model of HDR (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient). Additionally they help ALLM, however nonetheless cannot deal with VRR or the 4K/120 excessive body fee, which is disappointing given the few variations in comparison with final yr’s HW-Q990B.
The One Distant Management stays comfy to carry and intuitive to make use of, whereas the SmartThings app can be successfully designed, making setup straightforward by permitting customers to rapidly discover and create a Wi-Fi connection, configure Alexa, and replace the firmware if essential.
When it comes to the day-to-day operation of the HW-Q990C, customers have a selection of the buttons on the soundbar itself, the offered distant, the SmartThings app, voice management by Alexa, or utilizing their TV distant through HDMI-CEC. Spoilt for selection, some would possibly say.
Options
- 11.1.4-channel system
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- SpaceFit Sound Professional
- Q Symphony Gen III
- Hello-Res Audio (24-bit/192kHz)
- SmartThings Hub
The Samsung HW-Q990C’s headline characteristic stays its extremely immersive 11.1.4-channel speaker format, and whereas the speaker rely is similar as final yr, it will in all probability be bodily unattainable to cram any extra drivers into the soundbar and wi-fi surrounds.
The system consists of entrance left, proper and centre channels, entrance and rear overhead channels, width channels on the entrance, and facet channels on the entrance and rear. All these audio system permit the Q990C to make full use of its help of the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio codecs.
The rear audio system and subwoofer hook up with the soundbar wirelessly, and when you like the concept of retaining the cabling to a minimal, there’s additionally Wi-fi Atmos. This enables the format to be transmitted wirelessly through Wi-Fi utilizing Dolby Digital Plus from supporting Samsung TVs.
Samsung’s SpaceFit Sound Gen Professional makes use of a built-in microphone to calibrate the bass response for higher integration with the opposite audio system, whereas concurrently optimising the room correction for a selected setting. The result’s a larger sense of tonal steadiness and smoother bass.
When it comes to sound modes, there’s Adaptive Sound 2.0, which makes use of AI-enhanced processing, whereas others embody Customary, Encompass Sound and Recreation Professional 2.0. There’s additionally a Night time mode if you must flatten the dynamic vary to not disturb others, and a Voice Enhancement mode to enhance hard-to-hear dialogue.
For these with a appropriate Samsung TV, Q Symphony Gen III permits the soundbar to combine along with your TV, making full use of the latter’s further processing energy, in addition to all of the obtainable audio system. The result’s an even bigger entrance soundstage, and it even works utilizing a wired or wi-fi connection.
This yr Samsung has included the brand new SmartThings Hub, permitting you to make use of the SmartThings app to manage all of the units in your house, together with those who use the ZigBee high-level communication protocols to create private space networks for switches, lighting, curtains and so on.
In fact, it can be used to manage the HW-Q990C, so you’ll be able to management all of the settings and sound modes out of your telephone or pill.
Lastly, there is a good assistant and voice management because of built-in Amazon Alexa, together with help for a number of music streaming providers, Hello-Res Audio, Faucet Sound for supporting Samsung units, and the Energetic Voice Amplifier (AVA), which will be useful in noisy environment.
Efficiency
The Samsung HW-Q990C is extremely straightforward to put in, with the subwoofer and rear audio system pairing routinely when first powered up. The SmartThings app does all the remaining, discovering and connecting the soundbar to the Wi-Fi community, configuring Alexa, and updating the firmware.
The upgraded SpaceFit Sound Gen Professional is equally intuitive, routinely taking measurements to make sure the soundstage is corrected for the room and eliminating any acoustic aberrations. The sub can be correctly built-in with the opposite audio system, making a cohesive system with balanced bass.
Now let’s begin off with the chilly arduous information – on the subject of efficiency, not lots has modified right here from the HW-Q990B. That is no unhealthy factor, it is excellent system, however we won’t assist however be somewhat dissatisfied that issues have not been pushed ahead somewhat, contemplating that system is now half the worth.
Nonetheless, on the subject of music, the Q990C stays superbly succesful because of its bigger drivers and general width. There’s good stereo separation, and a satisfying readability, whereas the highly effective sub gives a stable basis of bass that feels tight and managed because of the efficient room correction.
The Samsung builds on these strengths on the subject of multi-channel audio, with the side-firing audio system offering further width to the entrance soundstage, the centre channel making certain dialogue is obvious and targeted on the display, and the surrounds making a cohesive 5.1-channel sound subject.
Consequently, any encompass results are effectively outlined and expertly steered from speaker to speaker. There’s additionally a seamless sensation of tonal steadiness because of using equivalent drivers and room correction, whereas the wi-fi connections themselves are freed from annoying delays or dropouts.
As quickly as you progress on to totally immersive, object-based audio soundtracks that use Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, the complete 11.1.4-channel system comes into its personal. The sense of sonic envelopment is outstanding, making a plausible and three-dimensional acoustic hemisphere.
Using entrance and rear up-firing audio system actually make a distinction, permitting the system to maneuver sounds round overhead in a sensible aural bubble. Nonetheless, the up-firing drivers effectiveness in creating overhead channels will rely in your ceiling – the decrease and flatter, the higher.
The general soundstage is large, with adequate amplification to retain wonderful dynamic vary, and sufficient energy to fill a decent-sized room. The 8-inch subwoofer gives exceptionally deep and highly effective bass, with out dominating the opposite channels or swamping the soundstage.
This capacity to create a way of scale is completely demonstrated by Dune, with its energetic Atmos combine. The flight by the sandstorm makes use of each channel to immerse you within the chaos, whereas the sub provides a daunting feeling of overwhelming energy – and but, dialogue is all the time clear and comprehensible.
The efficiency is equally spectacular with gaming, and the general tonal steadiness means results transfer from speaker to speaker with out sounding noticeably totally different. That is very efficient throughout first-person shooters, making a seamless acoustic expertise as you modify your perspective.
Whether or not you are watching TV or motion pictures, listening to music or taking part in video games, then, the HW-Q990C delivers a fascinating, gratifying and extremely immersive efficiency that is positive to please.
Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q990C is a unbelievable soundbar that delivers class-leading immersion on the subject of decoding Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio. It creates a discreet however highly effective 11.1.4-channel system that’s straightforward to put in, and comes packed to the brim with options – although the shortage of VRR and 4K/120 passthrough is a little bit of a disgrace.
Nonetheless, all of that might often make this a significantly compelling purchase… if it wasn’t for final yr’s wonderful – and now closely discounted – HW-Q990B.
Whereas the efficiency right here is undoubtedly excellent – and it stays a five-star advice for that motive – not an enormous quantity has modified right here from final yr’s HW-Q990B. Contemplating that soundbar is now half the worth of this one, your cash might be higher spent there, whilst you can nonetheless get it.
However discover this soundbar system bundled with a TV or on the receiving finish of another low cost, then snap it up. It truly is the entire bundle.
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