Samsung HW-Q990D Review: Atmos Tested, Gamer Approved

Most of the other features and settings are accessible with the bar’s remote and onboard display, but the SmartThings app is generally easier to use. The basic layout lets you choose sound modes (I usually stick to standard), adjust EQ, engage enhancements like Active Voice Amplifier, and set channel levels.

I appreciate Samsung’s inclusion of channel levels for most of its gazillion audio channels, but locking in levels was the most difficult part of my evaluation. My surround speakers were directly behind my couch due to space constraints, which meant I had to turn them down and even raise the other channels to balance things out.

This task was much easier with Sonos’ Era 300 speakers (9/10, Wired recommends) connected to the Arc Ultra, as Sonos TruePlay calibration adjusts the sound in your room (though Individual Wi-Fi speakers may have their own characteristics) Auto-calibration is something I’d expect on any system costing around $2,000, yet every year Samsung fails to add it. The company’s Space Fit feature analyzes sound in real time, but I didn’t notice any meaningful changes.

My other beef is a constant volume issue when using Spotify Connect. If you’re streaming directly from Spotify, adjusting the volume level weirdly jumps up or down seven steps with every crazy tap, so it’s always too loud or too quiet. Add in the lack of Chromecast, and Android users are forced to control streaming directly from SmartThings or otherwise grab an extra remote. It’s a small fix, but that’s why it’s so annoying.

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Despite the streaming quirks, the Q990D has the goods where it counts. Each component of the four-piece system works in concert to offer a powerful, balanced and superbly fluid soundstage throughout your playing. You won’t quite get the premium detail found in bars like the Arc Ultra, but there’s enough tactile touch to appreciate the little things and plenty of bombast to literally take your cinematic moments to new heights.

Dolby Atmos is surprisingly the star of the show. The “Amaze” scene from my Atmos demo disc was definitely a showpiece moment. I could almost feel the humidity around me with the hum of insects in the intro, while the rolling thunder crackled with wonder and at the end the rain really reached down from overhead to soak deep into the jungle vegetation.