Samsung Q990B Soundbar Speaker (2022) - 11.1.4ch 3D Object Tracking Surround Sound System With Wireless Dolby Atmos DTS:X & Alexa Built-In, Rear Speakers & Subwoofer With Night & Voice Enhancement

Over the past few years I have had Sonos Playbar +sub+surrounds, Bose 700 soundbar+base module+500 surrounds, Bose 900 soundbar+sub+700 surrounds, Sony HT-A9+SW5 sub, Onkyo av receiver+ Q acoustics surrounds, with added height channels.This 2022 flagship Samsung is better than any of them, I will attempt to explain why (in my opinion).Best sound of all was easily the Onkyo receiver with sub, and speakers setup in a 5.1.2 system, the Atmos and DTS-X effect with proper height channels just can not be beaten, no matter what anyone else tells you, upfiring speakers will always be a poor substitute, however, this entails more speakers, more space required and good quality speaker cables that need to be hidden, the setup is also more involved to get everything working.The Bose systems were very good but the surrounds were always lacking, the app software is also way behind Sonos.The Sonos system was really good, however I suffered drop outs quite regularly and there is no Atmos from the surrounds, however when it worked, it was a brilliant system and the app was also fantastic, I had the Playbar so the newer Arc will be even better I imagine, compared to the Samsung the only real negative would be the price.The Sony system was very good but the biggest negative for me is that Sony like to dictate how the system sounds, there is very little adjustment that can be made by the user, for the vast majority of films and music, this is great, however, sometimes it just doesn't sound very good, as I discounted the Sonos due to price, I would have to use the same reason here, it's an extremely expensive outlay, it is also worth noting that I had horrendous drop outs from the rear speakers, which although was probably down to my congested WiFi, was annoying as you had to reset the RF channel at least 3 or 4 times a week.I picked the Samsung up for £980 off Amazon, which is cheaper than the 2021 model and the 2023 990c doesn't appear to be much of an upgrade over this 990b, certainly not worth the £600 more that Samsung are offering, the sound of the 990B is fantastic, it's as loud as you want it, you can adjust the sound, it was extremely simple to set up (took less than two minutes) and is by far the cheapest price out of all my other examples, having suffered drop outs with both Sonos and Sony, I can confirm that after two months of usage, I have not suffered any drop outs with the Samsung system, it may not be the prettiest but in our home, has been the most reliable and the best performer.

I went from a mid-range 2.0 channel soundbar from 6 years ago to this, and all I can say is WOW!! Watching movies I've seen countless times going back years seem like a new experience again. Much like watching HDR content on an OLED TV, such a step-up in sound is something you never knew you were missing, and can't go back from once you have.The soundbar is quite wide and heavy, it's also tricky to connect even the Samsung provided HDMI cable for the eARC port, but some trial and error gets you there eventually. Some brackets are provided to wall mount the soundbar, but they seem too small to support something so weighty and I wouldn't trust them, best saving them for the rear speakers instead, and getting something more substantial for the soundbar.Setting up without using a mobile app was simple and quick enough, just follow the quick-start guide provided to link everything together. Connecting via eARC is by far the most straightforward means to get up and running quickly. There is an auto calibrate option on the remote, which sets the sub-woofer to the right level based on where it is, and the walls of the room the kit is in. I didn't find I needed to make my own adjustments, but for those who wish to, you'll need to use the Samsung app to do so.I've found so far Dolby Atmos to be the best experience, and usually no need to set the volume any higher than 12, there is a lot of weight and punch to the sound, even subtle things like quiet footsteps or side-conversations can be heard now. DTS content I've found I need to put up higher in volume, and seems to lack the punch Dolby has, but that could be due to my TV not fully supporting DTS. So make sure your TV and Blu-Ray player supports both natively to get the full experience.I used to think there was little difference between regular Blu-Rays and 4k UHD ones, but the better sound quality has now finally given me reason to shift my purchases to 4k, provided the price for it isn't too crazy. It really does breathe new life into most movies you've seen time and again, you can even get the full sound experience on some streamed titles on the likes of Netflix and Prime, just check the listing to see if it supports full Dolby or DTS. The system also does a fair job emulating the full channel experience on older DVD content not originally encoded for it, again you'll pick up new sounds on the track you never heard before, and even watching on Netflix something like Star Trek The Next Generation has a new feel to it, especially the space battles scenes.No problems at all recommending this to anyone who wants to bring a cinematic sound experience right into the comfort of their own home. Yes even at the current discounted price it is still very expensive kit to most people, but it is something you can hold onto for many years, and provided you've got a decent 4k TV & player to complement it, you'll have no need to go to a cinema ever again, the quality of sound is that good.

In features and capability there is little difference between this model and the 990C. Apart from the, around £600 at the moment, difference in price. If you are after one of the best soundbars at the best price, this should be the no.1 contender.I found it easy to set up apart from a problem getting it to produce any sound! A quick soundbar reset sorted that out. I had to do another reset to get the Samsung Smarthings app to work. This app is really useful as it gives you adjustments not available on the remote.The sound is wonderful. The adaptive sound mode brings non Atmos music to life. Atmos music is incredible. I find watching movies to be so much more enjoyable with the sound from this soundbar. Dialogue, sometimes a problem area, is crisp and clear.This is the best soundbar I have ever owned.