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Samsung’s HW-Q990C was the best overall soundbar I tested last year. The main reason for this is due to its excellent audio and the fact that it comes with a subwoofer and rear speakers. The company didn’t make any major changes to the 2024 version of his HW-Q990D, but one tweak gives him HDMI 2.1, a feature that should have been on last year’s model. There are also some new audio modes, which are also found on other Samsung soundbars. Q990D is still powerful, but still expensive $2,000. If he has already purchased Q990C, the company has not yet given a reason to upgrade.
The biggest addition to the Q990D is a feature that Samsung’s flagship soundbars should already have.
- HDMI2.1
- All-in-one surround setup
- Superior immersive audio
- useful function
- expensive
- No major updates from last year’s model
What’s new on Samsung Q990D?
The Q990D’s biggest addition is HDMI 2.1. With this, Samsung has addressed my main criticism of his Q990C, which debuted at a time last year when many of its competitors had already adopted this standard. HDMI 2.1 delivers 4K passthrough at 120 frames per second for improved visuals when you connect your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X directly to your soundbar.
The Q990D also features new audio modes. For private listening, all front-firing drivers are turned off and only the rear satellite speakers are used. This is basically an enhanced version of the night mode that many companies offer on their soundbars, and is meant to reduce booby bass when your family or roommates are sleeping. My house has an open floor plan and the TV faces the hallway to the bedroom, so the soundbar radiates noise in that direction. Private listening sends audio backwards, so you have to sacrifice some overall quality, but it’s fine if you need to be quiet.
There’s also a new Party Play mode that provides more balanced sound between the soundbar and rear speakers, improving your experience when hosting a Rager. Activate this and you’ll get the entire audio range, not just channels programmed specifically for the rear speakers. We actually turned the speakers around and pointed them outside the living room to project the retuned audio into other shared spaces. This makes a big difference in movies and TV, since music is already played at a more balanced level from the rear speakers.
These two modes are not unique to Q990D. The rest of his 2024 Q-Series lineup will also be able to use these. But it’s worth noting that this is the first time I’ve tested them, and they actually work well with Samsung’s most expensive soundbars.
What do you think?
The driver-equipped soundbar, larger subwoofer, and more robust rear speakers combine to create immersive sound that fills your living room. Whether you’re listening to music or listening to a soundscape, dunes, the Q990D retains the excellent acoustic performance of its predecessor. Dolby Atmos content on Disney+ is more immersive than ever. You can hear the finer details of Knowwhere in the opening scene of “. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, including the lively reverb of Radiohead’s “Creep” played over loudspeakers. The directional sounds of the city, such as the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, make you feel as if you are standing right there.
For music, there’s deep, boomy bass when you need it in your tracks, and the crisp detail heard in movies is also here.of Justice hyper drama Songs like “Neverender,” with its textured synths, show off the Q990D’s range. On albums like Miles Davis, quieter genres like jazz are also part of the sound. a kind of blue It provides the delicacy as if you were in a studio.
What I like most about the Q990D is that it comes with everything you need for a complete surround sound setup. The subwoofer and rear speakers are included with the soundbar, so no additional purchases are required. These satellite speakers also have built-in upward-firing and side-firing drivers, which isn’t necessarily the case with comparable accessories from competitors. It also automatically pairs with the rest of your system, so setup is as simple as plugging everything in.
What’s wrong?
The all-in-one setup is great, but it also means the Q990D is expensive. Even if everything you need is included in the package, $2,000 is a significant investment. The Q990D currently sells for $1,750, but we don’t know how long that discount will last. For comparison, Sony’s upcoming Bravia Bar 9 costs his $1,400. The least expensive subwoofer and rear speakers cost $400 and $350, respectively, for a total cost of $2,150. Of course, in the case of Sony, there are two options: sub and rear, so you don’t have to buy them all. LG offers a temporary respite if you want to continue down that path. The S95TR costs $1,500 and includes a subwoofer and rear speakers with high-output drivers.
You should also consider the overall size of your soundbar. The Q990D houses 11 front-facing speakers, two up-firing drivers, and a subwoofer. All these components require space, and once accommodated, this soundbar is quite large at 48.5 inches wide. It’s not a big deal in itself, but just know that it does require some planning and you’ll need plenty of space.
Like other soundbars, the Q990D has some useful features exclusive to Samsung TVs. For example, Q-Symphony, which uses your TV’s speakers in addition to a soundbar to expand your audio capabilities, requires a compatible 2020-2024 Samsung TV. The Q990D sounds great without it, but be aware that you won’t be able to take advantage of all the techniques unless you also have a supported TV.
summary
Unless you’re interested in the latest HDMI standards. Q990D There are no significant upgrades compared to last year’s model. Their design and feature list are almost the same, except for two new sound modes and his 4K/120 passthrough. Some of these additional features are available on more affordable Samsung soundbars. Therefore, if he already jumped on the Q990C last year, there is probably no good reason to make a new large investment. If you don’t already own Samsung’s flagship soundbar, the Q990D delivers powerful, immersive sound in an all-in-one package with all the latest useful features.