Samsung HW-Q990C evaluate: Sounds acquainted

The Samsung HW-Q990C is the corporate’s newest and best Dolby Atmos soundbar, providing flagship specs at a flagship value.

Which means 11.1.4 wi-fi sound that goals to fill your front room with sound, from ceiling to couch, and affords up a options checklist that’s filled with all the good things you’d anticipate.

The one factor is, issues look a bit acquainted right here, in comparison with final yr’s wonderful Samsung HW-Q990B, so the place is your cash greatest spent in the event you’re searching for the very best soundbar you should purchase? Here is our full evaluate.

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 admittedly extra of a darkish gray.

The general construct high quality is superb, and the soundbar’s bigger dimensions imply it most accurately fits TVs with display screen sizes of 55 inches or greater. Simply watch out it does not block the display screen when putting in on a stand in entrance – in the event you determine 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 function a barely curved cupboard instead of straight traces, with matching steel grille to the soundbar. This creates an awesome 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 higher 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 primary 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 will 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). In addition they help ALLM, however nonetheless cannot deal with VRR or the 4K/120 excessive body charge, which is disappointing given the few variations in comparison with final yr’s HW-Q990B.

The One Distant Management stays snug to carry and intuitive to make use of, whereas the SmartThings app can also be successfully designed, making setup simple by permitting customers to shortly discover and create a Wi-Fi connection, configure Alexa, and replace the firmware if needed.

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 means of 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 function stays its extremely immersive 11.1.4-channel speaker structure, and whereas the speaker depend is identical as final yr, it might most likely be bodily inconceivable 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 connect with the soundbar wirelessly, and in the event you like the concept of maintaining 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 surroundings. The result’s a higher sense of tonal stability 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 Sport Professional 2.0. There’s additionally a Evening mode if you could 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 together with your TV, making full use of the latter’s additional processing energy, in addition to all of the out there audio system. The result’s a much 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 forth.

In fact, it can be used to manage the HW-Q990C, so you possibly can management all of the settings and sound modes out of your cellphone or pill.

Lastly, there is a good assistant and voice management due to 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 could be useful in noisy environment.

Efficiency

The Samsung HW-Q990C is extremely simple 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 also be correctly built-in with the opposite audio system, making a cohesive system with balanced bass.

Now let’s begin off with the chilly onerous info – on the subject of efficiency, not so much has modified right here from the HW-Q990B. That is no unhealthy factor, it is excellent system, however we will not assist however be a bit upset that issues have not been pushed ahead a bit, contemplating that system is now half the value.

Nonetheless, on the subject of music, the Q990C stays fantastically succesful due to 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 due to the efficient room correction.

The Samsung builds on these strengths on the subject of multi-channel audio, with the side-firing audio system offering additional width to the entrance soundstage, the centre channel making certain dialogue is obvious and centered on the display screen, and the surrounds making a cohesive 5.1-channel sound subject.

In consequence, any encompass results are properly outlined and expertly steered from speaker to speaker. There’s additionally a seamless sensation of tonal stability as a result 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 completely immersive, object-based audio soundtracks that use Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, the whole 11.1.4-channel system comes into its personal. The sense of sonic envelopment is exceptional, 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. Nevertheless, the up-firing drivers effectiveness in creating overhead channels will rely in your ceiling – the decrease and flatter, the higher.

The general soundstage is big, 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 skill to create a way of scale is completely demonstrated by Dune, with its energetic Atmos combine. The flight by means of 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 stability 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 alter your standpoint.

Whether or not you are watching TV or films, listening to music or taking part in video games, then, the HW-Q990C delivers an attractive, satisfying and extremely immersive efficiency that is certain to please.

Verdict

The Samsung HW-Q990C is a improbable 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 simple 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 will normally make this a severely 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 suggestion for that cause – not an enormous quantity has modified right here from final yr’s HW-Q990B. Contemplating that soundbar is now half the value 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 package deal.