Samsung HW-Q990D
Best wireless soundbar system
Pros
- Powerful and immersive sound stage
- Excellent HDR and gaming support over HDMI loop through
- Good with music too
Cons
- It’s not cheap
- Creates more clutter than a single soundbar option
- Might annoy the neighbours!
Samsung’s soundbar systems have received high scores from this site, but after the five-star HW-Q990C, you’d think they couldn’t get any better. Well think again.
The HW-Q990D is the 2024 edition of Samsung’s flagship soundbar and continues on the same levels of excellent.
Like with the previous models, it’s made up of a main soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers, which share the same upwards and side-firing speakers as the Q990C. The design won’t win awards for flair but this soundbar isn’t here to be stared at after all. You will need plenty of space to accomodate the main unit and unusually large subwoofer, as well as a sturdy surface for the main unit.
There are 11.1.4 channels of sound, the most you can get from any soundbar with 656W of amplification helping to power the speakers. The Space Fit Pro calibration has been tweaked this year, incorporating the subwoofer’s bass levels to calibrate the sound for your listening space. Chromecast has been added across the Samsung line-up this year for those who want to stream audio from their mobile devices.
Oweners of compatible Samsung TVs will benefit from Q-Symphony that joins the soundbar to the TV speakers for a even bigger soundstage. Another worthwhile upgrade is support for 4K/120Hz support through the HDMI input, so you can get the best gaming performance if you connect a game console to the TV via the soundbar.
While there’s no change in the number of channels, the Q990D sounds better than its predecessor. It uncovers more detail in tracks, and according to our reviewer, places them within the soundstage with remarkable precision. The rear speakers fill the space behind you excellently, the subwoofer hits hard without sounding as if it’s out of place.
Another improvement is the Q990D’s performance with musical. We found it to be the most musical sounding flagship bar from Samsung, the subwoofer much better integrated into the performance, and with music the soundbar sounds warmer, which makes for a more engaging performance.
Reviewer: John Archer
Full Review: Samsung HW-Q990D
