The Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar Is Hard to Fault With Its Hyper-Realistic Surround Sound and Deep, Textural Diversity

Most flagship soundbars promise immersion and that movie-theater-level quality that brings true surround sound to your living room, but the Samsung HW-Q990F delivers the experience more impactfully and vibrantly than I've ever heard.

With the brand's strong reputation for realistic sound and diverse audio textures, I was impressed to find out first-hand that this was not at all overstated. The Samsung HW-Q990F sounds pure in every way, delivering everything from subtle details to room-filling crashes with precision and clarity.

It has instantly become the best soundbar we've tested so far, with its comprehensive 11.1.4 configuration providing an expansive soundstage and meticulous sound balance that, honestly, I found hard to fault.

My One-Minute Summary

The Samsung HW-Q990F is a beautiful showing of what high-quality hardware and meticulous sound balance can produce, bringing you the ultimate at-home listening experience that sounds good across the board, whether you enjoy booming blockbusters, music across the eras, or daytime TV.

That's because the HW-Q990F doesn't just deliver impact. It sounds lush and delicate in floaty songs, it rumbles beneath your feet during booming action, and it produces such subtle details that you can hear the hushed breaths within characters' voices, and even the acoustics of the room they're in.

The subwoofer delivers well-balanced bass, never disproportionately loud or rattly, and with textural variety rather than a simple thump. And the rear speakers are strong and impactful by themselves – which is rare.

You have almost complete control over the EQ settings in the SmartThings app, from the bass and treble volumes to the positioning of your rear speakers. There are also adaptive settings that tailor the sound depending on external noise and the acoustics of your room.

But there's no denying the cost, as its $1,999.99 price makes it easily the most expensive system we've tested to date and at the top of the market range. For something less expensive but still powerful, I'd consider the Samsung HW-QS750F, which costs around $899.99 at Best Buy (and is often discounted by $100-200).

Samsung HW-Q990F: Specification

Samsung HW-Q990F: Setup

The HW-Q990F arrived in a huge box that was so heavy I ended up enlisting my partner's help to carry it upstairs. I could have probably taken it up by myself, but it's worth noting that you may need a hand with this one if you live in an upstairs apartment or are installing it in a bedroom.

The setup was straightforward. Each rear speaker has its own power cable, so I didn't have to weave AC/DC cables behind my setup to connect them to each other. The soundbar and subwoofer also have their own power cables, so you'll need four outlets or an extension cord (like this $16.99 power strip from Amazon).

My subwoofer and rear speakers didn't connect automatically, but after Googling, I learned that all I had to do was hold the up button on the soundbar remote for five seconds. After that, all three speakers connected to the soundbar instantly.

Also, this is likely because my unit was a testing sample that had previously been used, and if buying brand new, yours will almost definitely connect instantly.

Connecting to the app and adding the soundbar to my smart home setup was quick, too. I already had an account (but making one takes a few minutes), and the soundbar was there straight away.

I found the same instant speed when connecting via Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, and Tidal CONNECT. In fact, when streaming using Wi-Fi services (Apple AirPlay and Tidal CONNECT), I found there to be less of a lag than usual.

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the biggest soundbar we've tested to date. At 48.5 inches wide, you'll need a big TV stand or significant space on your media unit for it, unless you're happy mounting it on your wall. Wall mounts are included with the soundbar, but you'll need a drill for installation.

Samsung HW-Q990F: Design and Features

With an 11.1.4 channel configuration and 23 speaker drivers, the Samsung HW-Q990F packs some of the most advanced hardware available in a consumer surround system. There's a reason it costs up to $1,999.99 at full price at Samsung.

The soundbar has 15 drivers, including tweeters, woofers, and up-firing drivers for a wide and expansive soundstage. That's more than our current best-on-test single soundbar, the Sonos Arc Ultra (costing around $1049 at Sonos), so it should come as no surprise that the bigger and more expensive Samsung HW-Q990F boasts more audio output.

Each rear speaker has three drivers, which is rare. Typically, rear speakers have one driver, or two at most, offering limited audio that creates the sensation of directional sound, but not too much in terms of clarity. I noticed the difference with the HW-Q990F, as these rear speakers carried substantial sound quality by themselves.

The subwoofer also has dual drivers, projecting sound out of either side, with what Samsung calls 'AI-optimized bass' to reduce distortion. I wouldn't be surprised if the term AI is being used generously here, but after hearing it, Samsung has successfully achieved a subwoofer that doesn't rattle or crash disproportionately when things become loud (that is, unless you're turning up the volume super high).

The soundbar is wide, heavy, and has a metallic grille design. This build is great for durability, especially in busy homes with pets or kids, where you wouldn't want a slight mishap to damage such an expensive device, but it isn't the warmest aesthetic to blend into your space. This rugged, industrial design may be a hit with tech lovers, but for more delicately arranged living room spaces, it may stand out.

I've come to love the great amount of sound customization in Samsung soundbars, thanks to the settings available in the SmartThings app:

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You can adjust the equalizer (treble and bass), all four channel levels, and set up where your rear speakers are placed so that the sound output is tailored to where you sit.

This control in the rear speakers means that, if they’re positioned directly behind you or at a distance, you can tune it so that they create surround sound without being louder or more distracting than the soundbar and woofer.

There is also a suite of adaptive features. SpaceFit Sound Pro, a setting that adapts the sound to your room's acoustics, somehow doesn't require any tuning or optimizing session. It is either on or off, and I certainly heard a fuller sound when it was turned on, but it was only slight.

Voice enhancement and bass enhancement will highlight vocals or low-ends, respectively (doing the subwoofer crawl will help the bass even more), and you can also activate 'Active Voice Amplifier Pro', which analyzes external noise to adapt the dialogue clarity (this one works very well, and is great for those who often need subtitles).

There are four preset sound modes: Standard, Surround, Game Pro, and Adaptive. I found that almost every time, Surround sounded best, but Adaptive can be useful for those who don't really enjoy playing around with the settings.

In the 'Advanced Sound Settings' screen, there's also a separate Night Mode, which effectively hushes impactful sounds and highlights softer ones, to not disturb neighbors or family members.

Samsung HW-Q990F: Sound (TV and Movies)

Honestly, it was hard to find any faults. It's everything we look for in a sound system: Clarity, impact, full-bodied tones, enveloping surround sound, and realism. I had to play around with the settings a few times to refine the sound (generally, I found that everything sounded better with stronger bass and quieter trebles), but this never took longer than a few moments.

During the opening scenes of Princess Mononoke, the sound quality and balance were truly masterful, and the best I'd heard outside of a movie theater.

The bass tremored beneath me, but never overpowered other details. As the demon broke through the wall in the opening scene, it crashed with full impact, but it didn't take me by surprise or demand I reach for the remote to turn it down (as can often be the case).

This meticulous sound balance also meant that no element was lost in the background music as the scene became busier; it was thunderous and explosive, and I enjoyed feeling my seat vibrate from the subwoofer, without hearing any rattling or distortion. The voices were clear, as was the sound direction during what is an incredibly fast-paced scene. No notes!

During Our Planet, I experienced perhaps one of the clearest projections of David Attenborough’s voice that I’ve heard out of the 13 soundbars I’ve tested, and it didn’t mean that the music, nature scenes, or Foley were lesser because of it. It was true-to-form vocal clarity alongside accurate, engaging, and enveloping scenes of beautiful nature.

I've heard similar clarity in less expensive models, like the Bose Smart Ultra, but to feel such rich impact and this sweeping soundstage, really, paying this premium is the way to go.

John Wick Chapter 2 proved just how well the HW-Q990F can deliver exhilarating cinema. Every element that you look out for in an action sequence – high-impact sound effects, tense music, clear background sound, deep bass, surround sound – was all outstanding.

I genuinely couldn't find a fault. It was engaging, intense, and impactful. I could feel each thump and every gunshot, delivered with precision and superbly balanced. Never too loud, never weak. Delivered exactly how action movies are designed to be felt.

And if you're looking for clear dialogue – so clear that you can hear the tones and breaths within every voice – the Samsung Q990F is for you. The Trial of the Chicago 7 has overlapping dialogue, muddied by noises of creaky chairs being dragged and chatter from background characters, but there wasn’t a shred of confusion. Not once did I feel a need for subtitles or a rewind to catch missed words.

This vocal clarity never came at the sacrifice of environmental sounds, either. During the pilot episode of Arrested Development, when Michael and Lindsey had an aside in a big room, I heard the acoustics of the room with a slight echo and reverberation in their words. This is an element that I barely hear with other soundbars. The music sounded rich and colorful, too, especially after I turned the subwoofer up to +4.

This is some of the most consistently rich sound quality that I've experienced during my soundbar tests. But it's expensive. If you want to achieve something similar without forking out more than a grand, the Samsung HW-QS750F is a strong alternative with a similar setup.

Samsung HW-Q990F: Sound (Music)

With the HW-Q990F, everything from high-fidelity electronic production to scratchy, non-remastered guitar plucking sounded complete. I mean that in the purest sense. I was picking up on details that I never (or rarely) hear; the trebles, mids and lows all sounded gorgeous; and I could hear resonance from deep within vocalists' words.

I tested the Samsung HW-QS990F using our soundbar testing playlist (available on Spotify), on TIDAL using 24-bit 96khz FLAC, or the highest audio formats available for each song.

I started with Playboi Carti's Location, and after going from the punchy, impactful TV and movie scenes, I was pleased to hear a delicate airiness in this track. The high synths were angelic, his voice was clear and almost velvety, and the bass was texturally diverse, rather than a simple thump.

Moving on to Three Drums by Four Tet, I was astounded as it transpired to be one of the richest versions of this song I’ve ever experienced. Airy, harmonic, deep, intricate, articulate – it was everything I love about this track, showing off the amount of time Four Tet had dedicated to making it as high-fidelity as it is. I was impressed with the rear speakers’ bass, too, as usually these tiny speakers don’t pack much impact.

The Weather Station's Robber was a wonderful showing of the spaciousness that this sound system can create, with slight reverberations between each drum hit perceptible. The vocals sounded texturally as if they were floating above the instrumental foundation, not wrapped up as part of it.

However, this song highlighted that music benefits from lower bass, while TV and movies benefit from the bass being turned up. It only takes a few seconds to adjust this in the app.

Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues demonstrated the fine details the HW-Q990F is able to produce, even more than the hyper-realism I have heard in the Bose Smart Ultra and Sonos Arc Ultra. By being able to hear many of the subtler details that aren’t always audible – like the backing vocals, and the whisper-quiet drums and cymbals – this song actually sounded more exciting than it usually does (which is wild, considering how exciting it already is).

It was only when I listened to Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know that I heard a little weakness in the sound, which surprised me from such a well-produced song. Overall, it sounded great, but compared to the true clarity and texture I’d heard so far, I was surprised to hear scratchiness in her voice and a slight rattle in the bass.

But this was quickly forgotten once I played Led Zeppelin's Ramble On. Explosive, engaging, harmonious – it was excellent. The bass was a little less precise than I’ve heard elsewhere (like with the Bose Smart Ultra), but that’s not to say it was necessarily bad; the depth was just a bit more drawn out than I'm used to.

The HW-Q990F really excels in texture. An Ever Changing View is one of the best for hearing a wide variety of sounds – cymbals, drums, brass, strings, and metallic percussion – and all of them were delivered as gorgeously as I remember when I saw Matthew Halsall live with a 10-piece band. The pacing and rhythm were on point, too.

And if you're a bass lover, you'll be happy to hear that the HW-Q990F is for you. In Phoenix by Daft Punk, it delivered thumping bass without the woofer rattling or hurting my ears. High fidelity is Daft Punk’s specialty, and this high-end soundbar delivered it flawlessly, especially as the layers started shifting and building. I could hear ever-so-subtle changes in the filter on the drum pattern that, most of the time, are imperceptible.

How Does the Samsung HW-Q990F Compare?

This is the biggest soundbar system we've tested to date, and one of the most expensive consumer soundbars and surround systems on the market. Typically, it costs $1,999.99 at Samsung, though at the time of writing, it's discounted to $1,599.99, evidencing that meaningful discounts are applied against this product from time to time.

If it's still too expensive even when on offer, I'd consider the Samsung HW-QS750F instead. It costs $899.99 at Best Buy (and is often discounted by $100-200), and still consists of a soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear speakers, but with a 5.1.2 configuration, meaning there is significantly less hardware.

The sound quality is a little less rich and expansive, but it still sounds fantastic across the board. There also aren't as many adaptive features, like SpaceFit Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier Pro, that automatically improve your sound quality.

If you're looking for the best of the best but don't want to have four big speakers dotted around your room, the Sonos Arc Ultra is the one to go for. I commended it for many of the same reasons – incredible clarity, high impact, realistic surround sound – but of course, it can't match the sensation of a full system. It costs $1,099 at Sonos at full price.

The Bose Smart Ultra is another strong choice, with more of an airy, delicate sound compared to the Sonos and Samsung models, and costs just $999 at Bose at full price.

The Samsung HW-Q990F is a premium, smart, adaptive sound system that will dramatically improve your home entertainment experience. For more smart home upgrades that really add value to how your home functions, consider our best-on-test robot vacuums to automate vital floor cleaning and reclaim time in your week.

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