As TVs get thinner, there isn’t much room for speakers in them, so they sound worse than older TVs. A soundbar will help you get richer bass, it will make dialogues clearer, and give you a better listening experience overall. Enter the Samsung HW-Q990D Dolby Atmos soundbar, the newest addition to Samsung’s Q Series lineup.
The Q Series has been out for a few years, and it has been the go-to home theatre solution for years now. If somebody asks me for an alternative to a speaker system, I tell them to buy a Samsung soundbar. I reviewed the Samsung Q990C last year, and it was on my list of the best soundbars in 2024. The HW-Q990D is even better, and I was very excited to review this beast of a soundbar.
Samsung HW-Q990D Review
Price
Let’s get the price out of the way first. The Samsung Q990D retails for US$1500. This price is for the whole package, which includes a subwoofer and two surround speakers. If you decide to get a speaker system, it will cost you way more than $1500, with just the speakers costing upwards of $5000. So it is safe to say that you’re getting a bargain with this soundbar, and the sound quality will make up for the $1500.
Design And Features
The Samsung HW-Q990D is an 11.1.4 channel wireless Dolby Atmos soundbar. It comes with a wireless subwoofer and two surround speakers. The physical appearance remains the same as the Q990C, along with the construction and the internal drivers. It has 11 front-facing speakers, 1 subwoofer, and 4 up-firing channels.
The new Q990D soundbar has HDMI 2.1, so now you can make the most of your PS5. Two other HDMI ports offer ARC and eARC, so it is easier to connect the soundbar to your TV. All of these ports support signals up to 8K 60 fps and 4K 120 fps, which is something that might catch the attention of gamers. There is also an optical input for older TVs, and you get WiFi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Alexa, and Chromecast built-in, and the Q990D also works with Google Home.
You also get two voice enhancement features with the HW-Q990D, which are called Voice Enhancement and Active Voice Amplifier. Active Voice Amplifier optimizes dialogues and improves them for you. Another feature called Adaptive Sound analyzes scenes in real time to pull out the most important audio based on the type of content.
The Q990D soundbar can be calibrated to fit in any room with SpaceFit Sound Pro. This analyzes your room and automatically optimizes the audio accordingly to give you the best listening experience. You can also use the surround speakers of the Q990D as left and right main speakers, this gives you better stereo imaging and a wider soundstage.
The standout feature of the Samsung Q990D soundbar is called Q-Symphony. This feature has been around since the first generation Q990A, and it allows Samsung TVs to use their internal speakers with the Q990D soundbar to give you a more immersive experience.
Setting Up The Q990D Soundbar
Setting up the Samsung HW-Q990D is very easy. Just place the soundbar right below your TV, and the surround speakers in the back of your room. You can place the wireless subwoofer right next to the soundbar (which is what I did), or you can move it around your room and test out the spots where you feel a little extra bass might help.
You can control the Q990D soundbar with the included Samsung remote, or you can control it from your TV remote if you have a compatible Samsung TV. All of the features and settings can be configured in the Samsung SmartThings app, where you can also control the volume levels of the surround speakers. You can change the sound sources, tone control, and configure the subwoofer.
I talked about how you can use the surround speakers as right and left main speakers for better imaging. How this works is you set up the speakers on both sides of the Q990D, and then you enable the front speakers mode from SmartThings. You will notice the change instantly, and the sound produced is closer to a home theatre speaker system than to a standalone soundbar, which is a good thing.
Sound Quality
The Samsung HW-Q990D supports Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, and it can also play Dolby Atmos content wirelessly when paired with a compatible Samsung TV. The soundbar comes with several sound profiles, which makes finding a sound that you like very easy. The Standard profile is the default one, and it allows movies and tracks to sound their best.
The Surround profile raises the treble of the Samsung Q990D, which improves the spaciousness of instruments and vocals, making the sound more immersive. The Adaptive sound profile raises the treble slightly and works best with this soundbar.
I also tested the dialog intelligibility of the Samsung HW-Q990D, and I was impressed. Horror movies like The Conjuring have a lot of scenes where the actors whisper, and the dialog enhancement features improve vocals by a lot.
The surround sound performance is amazing, movies were immersive, and every single sound was very noticeable. Details flow from the soundbar to the rear surround speakers, and you can feel it as it flows. Q-Symphony adds more scale and depth to the sound, and it improves the soundstage and imaging.
Can You Use The Samsung HW-Q990D For Gaming?
With HDMI 2.1 now included in the Q990D soundbar, gamers can connect their console directly to the soundbar and get better, more immersive sound. There will be no loss in picture or sound quality, and the sound will be amazing. I tested out the Q990D with my PS5 and God of War: Ragnarok, and the soundtracks came to life. It felt like I was in the game, and the Nordic drumbeats were echoing in my room.
Samsung Q990D vs Samsung Q990C
The question for current Q990C users might be, is it worth it to upgrade to the HW-Q990D? Honestly, I wouldn’t. Both the soundbars are great; they both have Q-Symphony, Dolby Atmos, and both come with a subwoofer and surround speakers. Unless you want HDMI 2.1, there is not much difference in sound quality between the two soundbars.
If you’ve been considering upgrading your system, or if you want to get a soundbar, I would get the Q990C. It frequents sales and you would get an amazing listening experience. If you want the latest unit, then the Q990D is for you.
Verdict
Samsung has done a remarkable job with the HW-Q990D soundbar; the Q Series impresses me every year, and this latest generation is no exception. This soundbar checks all of the boxes; it sounds good, it is easy to set up, and it has great value for money. I have no problems with the Q990D, except that we’ve been seeing the same designs and features for three years, and it might be time for Samsung to bring something new to the game.