Q990D

Overview

HW-Q990D is the flagship of Samsung's 2024 soundbar lineup. It is a full 11.1.4 system: the soundbar, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers all come in the box. The soundbar is 1232 mm wide, 69.5 mm high and 138 mm deep and can be wall-mounted; the wall-mount brackets are included.

The TV connects over HDMI eARC. Two HDMI inputs pass 4K video at up to 120 Hz with HDR10+ through to the TV, and there is also an optical input, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Over Wi-Fi, the bar supports AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Chromecast; Samsung lists Amazon Alexa as built in and the bar as working with Google Home. With some Samsung TVs it also offers Q-Symphony, wireless Dolby Atmos over Wi-Fi and SpaceFit Sound.

You can control it with the buttons on the bar, the included remote, the TV remote, or the SmartThings app on iOS and Android.

What the specs mean

• 11.1.4 speaker setup: eleven main channels, one subwoofer channel and four height channels. The height channels come from up-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling, which is how the bar plays Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with sound from above.
• HDMI eARC: the enhanced Audio Return Channel sends the TV's sound to the soundbar over one HDMI cable, including high-bitrate formats such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos and uncompressed multichannel audio.
• HDMI passthrough: a console or streaming box can plug into one of the two HDMI inputs; the bar passes 4K video at up to 120 Hz with HDR10+ on to the TV.
• Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master Audio and multichannel PCM.
• Room correction (SpaceFit Sound): the manual says the bar analyses the listening space with its microphone and optimises the sound automatically. It can be switched on from the soundbar's own remote, or from the menu of some Samsung TVs.
• Voice and night modes: Samsung lists Voice Enhance Mode and Active Voice Amplifier for dialogue, and a Night Mode that lowers the volume but keeps dialogue clear.