Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar review: A standout standalone sound system

Samsung’s screens get a variety of consideration, however what’s a vivid picture with out equally detailed sound? The HW-Q900C is the only soundbar possibility on the excessive finish of Samsung’s lineup. This 7.1.2 system offers efficient encompass sound, punchy bass, and among the clearest dialog we’ve heard with only one soundbar and a wi-fi subwoofer. It units up merely and performs admirably, particularly if you happen to’re connecting it to a Samsung TV. However, with so many choices on the market, is it price your treasured media console actual property?

Overview

• That is Samsung’s flagship soundbar that ships with a distant and a subwoofer, no satellite tv for pc audio system.
• The subwoofer connects wirelessly, so it solely requires an influence wire.
• Q900C attaches to a TV utilizing HDMI (two inputs and one output) or infrared.
• Wi-fi connectivity contains Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 5.

Professionals

• Wonderful total sound high quality
• A few of the greatest dialog efficiency we’ve heard
• Very simple setup
• Spectacular encompass sound efficiency 
• Fills an enormous room
• Gives loads of quantity
• Rumbly bass

Cons

• Some area of interest options solely work with a Samsung TV
• Massive
• Dear

Verdict

This high-end part offers among the greatest sound we’ve heard out of a soundbar, particularly contemplating that it doesn’t require any satellites (although you may add rear satellites if you’d like after the actual fact). It is a worthy improve, particularly you probably have a contemporary Samsung TV that may reap the benefits of the additional options. 

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar construct

Samsung gives two higher-end soundbar setups: the HW-Q910C, which options the identical soundbar and subwoofer because the HW-900C however packaged with wi-fi Left/Proper rear audio system, and the HW-Q990C, that very same soundbar and subwoofer however with a pair of wi-fi satellites with peak channels to make it an 11.1.4 configuration. That makes the HW-Q900C a simplified flagship, which is good for customers who could have a barely smaller room or don’t want most encompass sound results. 

The bar itself, 17 kilos of largely sturdy steel with hexagonal angles, homes 9 audio system in a 7.1.2-channel association powered by 246 watts of built-in amplification. The bar is 48 inches lengthy, which makes it nearly as large as my 65-inch TV, so it’s not a small system (although there are even heftier all-in-one soundbars on the market). The 25-pound subwoofer can be considerably chunky, however it comprises an 8-inch woofer powered by a 200-watt amp. 

The field features a mounting package and the required {hardware} to place the soundbar up on a wall. I didn’t set up it on my wall (I swap out soundbars too usually to mount them), however it makes use of very commonplace and easy {hardware} that needs to be easy to put in. 

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar setup and design

Establishing the Samsung HW-Q900C is refreshingly easy. The bar sports activities two HDMI inputs (plus one HDMI out) and an infrared enter. The ports don’t assist HDMI 2.1 and, due to this fact, can’t passthrough 4K @ 120Hz. Nonetheless, they will deal with 4K with HDR10 and HDR10+ and are eARC suitable, so if you happen to’ve received a flagship gaming TV (like Samsung’s personal OLED 4K S95C or NEO QLED 8K QN900C), you may simply join your console and soundbar on to the display screen and the setup is very simple proper out of the field.

I’m testing an LG TV in the meanwhile, and the HW-Q900C instantly labored nicely with the LG distant with out finagling. If you wish to cease there, you may with the setup, however extra superior customers can dig into tuning and calibrating with the Samsung SmartThings app, and Samsung TV house owners can use the automated SpaceFit Sound Professional possibility.

Establishing the subwoofer requires little greater than plugging it into the wall. It connects wirelessly and immediately. From opening the field to watching a film (with fundamental setup), it took me lower than 10 minutes. In case you plan to tweak and undergo the auto calibration, plan for roughly an hour.

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar efficiency

Merely put, the Samsung HW-Q900C is among the total best-sounding soundbars I’ve heard. It’s strong for streaming music, although it’s eclipsed in tunefulness by extra purpose-built bars just like the Sonos Arc, so if you happen to’re able to take a deep dive into spatial audio, take into account that with the Sonos Period 300 audio system. The HW-Q900C, nonetheless, is great for watching films and TV reveals, largely due to its capacity to render dialog. Throughout testing, I fired up a MAX stream of the woefully terrible however sonically dramatic Jason Statham film Meg 2: The Trench. Regardless of its nonsensical plot, the film has a persistent bass rumble that ebbs and flows all through the film because the characters putter round underneath the ocean. That lets me hear how granularly a system can modulate that low finish whereas monitoring how nicely the actor’s voices reduce by means of. The Samsung, aided by adaptive room correction and Lively Voice Amplifier (AVA) processing, did excellent in each instances. 

The subwoofer, with its “acoustic lens” design for deeper extension in a slimmer enclosure, offers true boominess when required for explosions and punchy impacts whereas deftly producing subtler ripples that add important temper and ambiance to a film. 

The HW-Q900C helps each Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encompass sound applied sciences, and it gives an impressively immersive sound contemplating its lack of stand-alone satellites. Up-firing audio system and the soundbar’s 48-inch width give it bodily benefits in comparison with smaller items. I fired up a Blu-ray participant to look at my outdated standby testing film, Alien on 4K disc, and located that the encompass sound efficiency was glorious total. Alarms blared behind my head, and that weirdly moist alien noise sounded prefer it may have been coming from wherever within the room. 

I used to be equally impressed with the sonic presence in much less action-oriented films. The Wolf of Wall Avenue, streamed in 4K with Dolby Atmos on Netflix, made the dialog sound as clear and crisp because it ever has. The high-end efficiency allowed me to maintain the quantity comparatively low whereas preserving the dialog completely intelligible. That’s an enormous win.

Q900C sound modes

Switching between modes is comparatively easy with the included distant, however the show on the entrance of the bar itself may be very low-res and scrolls just like the Lotto signal within the window of a bodega. It provides you an thought of what mode you’re in, however digging into the SmartThings app makes it less complicated. In case you undergo the method of calibrating the system to your room, you seemingly received’t flip by means of the modes fairly often anyway. 

The gaming mode is one exception, because it emphasizes the directionality of the sounds to maintain you conscious of what’s taking place round you as you sport. Utilizing it with a PlayStation 5, I may admire the distinction.

Music efficiency

I’m not an enormous fan of soundbars for music playback basically, however the HW-Q900C is completely succesful. I listened to all the pieces from the unhappy, twinkly Fiona Apple cover of the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” to the ruthlessly bombastic metalcore “Overthrone” by Judiciary. The bass comes throughout a bit sturdy, however the clear highs forestall issues from falling into “muddy” territory. 

The actual draw for taking part in music on the HW-Q900C is its easy connectivity. It simply connects by way of Bluetooth (the SBC codec) or Apple AirPlay 2 by way of WiFi (the far-preferable technique). The soundbar additionally contains Alexa voice management, so if you happen to use a suitable service, you may simply ask the digital assistant to play your music for you. 

Particular options for Samsung customers

Samsung would love so that you can purchase a 2022/2023 Samsung TV to go together with your fancy new soundbar, and the corporate has added some unique options to make them extra engaging. The Q-Symphony function permits the HW-Q900C to work in live performance with the TV’s built-in audio system to heart and sync audio much more tightly to the on-screen motion. Present Samsung TVs may also ship a Dolby Atmos sign over Bluetooth to the soundbar for a wi-fi connection (although Q-Symphony requires a wire). That’s very helpful, but in addition in all probability not price basing your total TV alternative on. 

So, who can purchase the Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar?

The Samsung HW-Q900C presently retails round $1,000, which places it within the high-end class. However, with glorious encompass sound efficiency, clear bass, and among the greatest dialog copy I’ve ever heard, it’s a Dolby Atmos soundbar definitely worth the funding if you happen to can swing it. Some extra superior customers could favor the upgraded Q990C with its extra immersive wi-fi encompass sound system. Nonetheless, Samsung’s bar and subwoofer combo had completely no drawback filling my very average-sized suburban front room by itself. In case you’re already utilizing a more recent Samsung TV and may entry the additional options of the pairing, it’s an excellent higher worth. 

In the end, it is a nice choose for anybody on the lookout for a high-performance setup that doesn’t take up a lot area or require a variety of setup. Simply plug it in, hearth up Meg 2: The Trench, and let the nice sound drown out the plot holes.