The living environment in Hong Kong is narrow, and it is more and more difficult and restrictive to set up a home theater at home. Even users who insisted on using a real 5.1 system in the past should consider switching to an easy-to-place and set-up system when changing phones, and avoid the need to pull speaker wires. Soundbar instead. However, there have always been high-end “True Surround Sound Soundbar” options on the market, and the effect has improved to be comparable to the real 5.1.4 system. In this issue of “PCM”, I found a high-end popular model Samsung HW-Q990B to test.
Earlier, “PCM” tested Samsung’s flagship Neo QLED TV QN900B. At that time, it had been announced that Samsung would launch a matching flagship Soundbar. Recall that last year, it tested the HW-Q950A Soundbar, and its 11.1.4 3D sound performance was well received. The successor model, Samsung HW-Q990B, was finally sent to the editorial department of “PCM”, and I immediately unpacked it to share with you its performance.
HW-Q990B is Samsung’s flagship Soundbar model in 2022. Compared with last year’s flagship HW-Q950A, the main improvement is in the sound output. The combination is also a long Soundbar plus a wireless subwoofer and a rear speaker. A total of 22 speaker units form a 11.1 .4-channel sound effects, the resulting surround sound envelopment is as rich as the previous generation.
Although the improvement is mainly in the sound output, the appearance of HW-Q990B has also been significantly modified. The mesh speaker grill of HW-Q950A last year was changed to the metal speaker grill of HW-Q990B. The cover is also more durable, especially if there are cats at home, it is even more rare.
The rear speaker is also changed to a metal grille, and some prominent lines are added to the appearance, which is not as clumsy as the simple black box box last year. The 8-inch diameter woofer shell of the woofer is also changed from mesh to a circular sound hole, and the interior is designed in a cone shape, using the principle of acoustic lens (Acoustic Lens) to make the bass diffuse more widely.
Another improved appearance design is the position of the LED information screen on the main body of the Soundbar. Instead of being placed in the center near the volume control panel in the previous generation, it is placed in the speaker grille on the right side of the main body, facing the user. The advantage is that it is convenient for users to see the operation mode selection when they sit down. However, the display area is the same as the previous generation, with only a few digits. If you want to make fine settings, it is recommended to use the mobile app “SmartThings” to operate.
The main body of HW-Q990B has a certain length. The main body of the Soundbar alone has a height of 123.5cm. It is suitable for matching with large TVs of 65″ or above. The main body of the Soundbar and the rear speakers have a total of 22 speaker units. There are 3 built-in units, providing front, sky reflection and side reflection channels respectively. With subwoofer, a total of 16 channels of surround sound. Support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X two surround sound formats.
In terms of audio and video input, HW-Q990B maintains 2 sets of HDMI inputs and 1 set of HDMI outputs that support eARC return. However, it should be noted that the HDMI of this generation of HW-Q990B has not been upgraded to HDMI 2.1 version, and it can only provide Dolby Vision and HDR10+ image signals of 4K@60Hz at most. If the user wants to connect to a 4K@120Hz game console or computer, it is recommended to directly connect the source HDMI to the TV, and then transmit the sound to the Soundbar via eARC or wirelessly. It is worth mentioning that Samsung QLED TVs in 2022 already support 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs, and the combination of the two is more flexible.
Wireless Dolby Atmos Free eARC
Starting in 2022, Samsung has added a new “Wireless Dolby Atmos” function to the HW-Q990B and other Samsung Soundbars, replacing the HDMI cable with a Wi-Fi connection to connect the TV to the Soundbar body .
The advantage of wireless Dolby Atmos is that the TV can be reserved for connecting to the eARC HDMI of the Soundbar for connecting other audio-visual equipment, especially if you have multiple game consoles or computers, the TV can correspond to 4K The HDMI 2.1 connector with 120Hz input is more expensive.
Another advantage of wireless HDMI is aesthetics, especially when the TV is installed on the wall without a wall slot, there will not be a thick HDMI cable that will hinder the appearance. But of course, if you have video and audio sources that have to go through the Soundbar and then to the TV, the HDMI cable is inevitable. When watching movies on a TV through a streaming video platform, the wireless transmission bandwidth is limited. If you plan to transmit uncompressed Dolby Atmos sound effects through the TV and want to have the best dynamic effect, you should use an HDMI cable to connect to eARC it is good.
Sound and Function
Basically, HW-Q990B, like other Samsung Soundbars, has more functions when used with Samsung TVs. In addition to the aforementioned “Wireless Dolby Atmos” that is to be used with Samsung QLED TVs launched in 2022, it can also be used with Samsung TVs. The TV uses the Q-Symphony function of “Soundbar + TV” to supplement the sense of space in the sound field above the screen, making the front sound effect sound richer.
In terms of operation, the design of the included remote control is relatively simple. It looks the same as the Samsung TV remote control. It is easy to mess up when placed together on the coffee table. Although the design is uniform, it is not beneficial to use. It is recommended to change it next time. Use light gray or white. For more control and settings, you can install the “SmartThings” app on your phone.
The “SmartThings” application is believed to be familiar to users who have used Samsung TVs. In addition to the basic volume and source selection on the HW-Q990B, it also provides a graphical sound equalizer, with simple and advanced adjustments. At the same time, the Soundbar has an AutoEQ automatic tuning function, which is optimized according to the user’s listening environment. The optimized sound setting data will be stored. The user can choose whether to enable the SpaceFit function in the settings. Turning it on means using the optimized sound data, and turning it off Profile will not be used.
In terms of settings, as long as the 4 sets of power supplies for all speakers of the HW-Q990B (Soundbar main body, woofer, and satellite speakers x 2) are connected, they will be automatically paired, and the Soundbar can be added to the home Wi-Fi network using “SmartThings” settings. Support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound effects, there are 4 sky channels in the main and satellite speakers, so that the overall sense of envelopment can be extended upwards, but if you want the effect to be more obvious, use the Q-Symphony function with the built-in speakers of Samsung QLED TVs, The sound field performance in front of the screen will be richer, and the center of gravity of the sound positioning will also move up to match the screen.
In addition, if it is used with Samsung’s QLED Q70 and above models in 2021 or later, it can also be used with the TV’s built-in radio microphone to enable SpaceFit sound effects. This function will automatically tune according to the audio-visual space environment, and will also use the subwoofer to supplement the center channel The low frequencies that are absorbed by the environment make the dialogue sound thicker. In addition, the Active Voice Amplifier function can also be enabled. When watching TV, if the surrounding environment becomes noisy, such as someone talking, talking on the phone, or there is interference from outdoor noise, the system will automatically increase the dialogue so that the audience can still hear clearly Dialogue, don’t worry about affecting the rhythm of the drama.
performance evaluation
In terms of sound performance, the output power of HW-Q990B is higher than that of the previous generation, and the performance of human voice and sound details is more outstanding. The movement of objects in the movie screen is obvious and not exaggerated, especially if you use “HDMI+TV” with Samsung’s high-end QLED TV “Sound effect, you will hear that the detailed positioning of the sound will move up the screen to complement the sense of space above the screen.
The bass output has also been enhanced, and the explosion is full of energy, but there is still room for further potential. Basically, HW-Q990B has the high level of the previous generation HW-Q950A, the positioning and object movement are enough to achieve Dolby Atmos sky sound effect, comparable to independent surround sound home theater, and AutoEQ helps reduce the harmonics produced by subwoofers in individual home environments. shock. However, to choose all the functions, there is a certain degree of advantage in pairing with Samsung TVs.
Specification
- Number of Speakers: 22
- Number of channels: 11.1.4
- Subwoofer Type: Wireless
- Rear channel speaker type: wireless
- Center speaker: yes
- Sky Reflector: Yes
- Reflex speakers on both sides: yes
- Surround sound formats supported: Dolby ATMOS, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X
- Sound mode: Surround Sound Expansion, Game Pro, Adaptive, Standard
- HDMI input: 2 groups (4K pass, support HDR 10+)
- HDMI output: 1 group (support eARC)
- Other Inputs: Optical, Bluetooth
- Wireless playback: Chromecast, AirPlay2, Spotify Connect
- Voice Assistant: Google Assistant
- Dimensions: (main body) 1,232×69.5×138mm,
(rear) 129.5×201.3×140.4mm,
(Subwoofer) 220×413×410mm - Weight: (main body) 7.7kg, (rear) 3.4kg, (subwoofer) 11.7kg
- Price: HK$12,990
- Enquiry: Samsung (3698 4698)