If you ask home soundbar enthusiasts, the majority will recommend Samsung’s Q-Series soundbars because over the past five years they have been offering a pretty solid audio package at a reasonable price. Affordable here doesn’t mean affordable but you get what you pay for with a few more bonuses when compared to more expensive systems.
This year the Q-series Soundbar HW-Q990F was launched in Malaysia in May and once again Samsung has refined last year’s model to make it even more worth owning.
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Samsung Soundbar Q990F
Soundbar type
Driver 23 speakers, 1 sub (11.1.4)
I/O port 1x HMDI eARC
2x HDMI 2.0
1x Optical
ATMOS Music Audio Support
ATMOS
Dolby 5.1ch
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby TrueHD
Eclipse Audio
MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF codecs
Samsung SmartThings Supported Ecosystem
Samsung Q-Symphony
Google Chromecast
Apple AirPlay
Spotify Connect
Virtual assistant support None
Physical Button Yes
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3
AUX Audio Jack None
NFC None
Selling Price RM 5899
Samsung Soundbar Q990F which supports 11.1.4 channel audio. It consists of a 1123.2 x 7.08 x 13.8 cm long soundbar, two satellite speakers for the rear audio channels and a subwoofer. The main soundbar has a boxy design with a body made of metal. In this year's model, changes were made to the top panel which now has a panel with long grooves and no longer thousands of audio grille holes like on the front.
The entire front has thousands of holes for audio from the drivers fired in all directions. With this metal grille, the issue of dust accumulation will not occur compared to the fabric body. It is also easier to clean.
The two satellite speakers have the same metal design with audio drivers fired upwards to support the Dolby Atmos system. Finally, the 48W subwoofer is small in size compared to the Q990D and Q9900C that I have reviewed before.
Although 50% smaller, the Q990D subwoofer is equipped with two 8″ drivers instead of just one before. Because of its small size, it is easier to find space to place it. At home, I can fit the subwoofer into an IKEA Kallax TV stand, making the living room look neater and more organized.
With dimensions of 123.2 x 7.08 x 13.8 cm, I feel that the Q990F is more compatible when paired with a TV with a screen size of 65″ and above only. It looks really awkward when the soundbar is longer than the TV.
With a height of 7.08cm cm, it is also quite tall for a soundbar. It is not easy to fit under some of the TVs we have in the our lab. Make sure the TV stand has enough space or the TV is hung on the wall to avoid lack of space.
On the top there are several physical buttons to control the audio level, the power button and the microphone mute button. These buttons are made of rubber. A dot matrix screen is placed on the front right, displaying the audio status and the input currently in use.
It is too small to display the necessary information. So we recommend installing the SmartThings application on a smartphone to make it easier to change the Q990F settings and see more clearly the various modes that the owner can change.
This is not helped by the remote control with buttons that are not clear what to change. If you use SmartThing, changing the granular settings of treble, bass, audio balance, EQ and more can be done faster without a headache.
In terms of I/O, there is 1x HMDI eARc, 2x HDMI 2.0, and 1x optical input. The HDMI 2.1 connection allows 4K 120Hz signals to be transferred from the device to the soundbar and then to the TV. For wireless audio connections, there is the Spotify Connect system, Google Chromecast Audio and Apple Air Play 2. If you have a Samsung device, the Tap Sound feature to transfer audio from the phone to the Q990F can also be done.
USE
The connection process to the TV is simple but not easy. This is because of the size and weight of the components that need to be lifted. The soundbar alone weighs 7.3 kg while the satellite speakers weigh 3.4 kg and the subwoofer weighs 8.3 kg. The Q990F subwoofer is still lighter than last year's model, which weighed more than 11 kg. The process of setting up and adding all the systems via Bluetooth is also easy, as is the process of including the soundbar in the SmartThings system.
When activated, all four Q990F components will automatically connect to each other. Connection to the TV is done with a single HDMI cable via the HDMI eARC port. We reviewed the Q990F with a Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN990F and Prism+ Q65 Ultra. There were no issues using the Q990F with TVs from manufacturers other than Samsung.
But with the QN990F the Q-Symphony system can be used. Through it, the speakers from the TV and Soundbar are combined to offer a more comprehensive audio. In Prism+ or other ecosystems, the TV speakers will be turned off when the soundbar is connected. In addition, the Dolby Atmos system wirelessly on the Q990F can only be enjoyed when paired with a Samsung TV.
Two years ago I criticized SmartThings for not working well. The same issue did not repeat with the Q900F, which was automatically detected when turned on and connected to the WiFi system. The process of playing audio from Android and iOS smartphones is easy to do using SmartThing, Bluetooth, AirPlay and Spotify Connect.
The issue with using Chromecast Audio still occurs where the latency of the control performed on the phone and soundbar is very bad (3-5 seconds). This issue exists on the Q990C and also the Music Frame. Strangely, AirPlay works like a charm but Chromecast Audio has been problematic until now.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote control is made of plastic while the buttons are made of rubber. It still requires two AAA batteries to work and not the solar type provided with Samsung smart TVs. On this remote control there are buttons to change input, start the BT tethering process, change sound mode and change treble/bass settings. It has been four years since this remote control was used on the Q-Series soundbar.
But as we said above, the LCD screen on the front of the soundbar is too small for us to make settings easily. So I only used this remote control before the Q990F was registered to the SmartThings account.
AUDIO QUALITY
The last time I reviewed the Q-Series soundbar was the Q990C two years ago which was used at home. So I am familiar with the audio profile of the Q990C. I must say that there is no big difference between the Q990C and the Q990F. The Dolby Atmos system fills the entire space and you can feel where the sound is coming from, complete with the effect of height. I already feel the Q990C is perfect and the improvement I only notice is in the subwoofer system.
The subwoofer is smaller and with two drivers produces a more solid but balanced bass and is more important to avoid vibration problems at low resolution. The bass thump is more refined and it is not just a vibration punching data. It's similar to my experience switching from Sony XM5 to Sony XM6, the Q990F bass isn't the loudest but it's the most accurate.
Start with the movie Dune: Part Two. In the scene where Paul rides a sandworm on Arrakis, the thud of the Thumper starts off slow before filling the entire audio lab space. Then when the sandworm appears, every movement of millions of grains of sand raining down on the screen can be heard. With the dialogue enhancer, the shouts of Paul and other characters are heard clearly in the middle. It's a completely different story if the TV speakers are used because this part is often drowned out by other loud audio.
Then when tested with the Batman The Dark Knight and Tenet movies, the dialogue enhancer again helps because Christopher Nolan's films have an epidemic of actors speaking indistinctly. Apple Music concert content can also be heard at the right settings with Dolby Atmos support. Layne Staley's melodious singing voice in Alice in Chains Unplugged with Sean Kinney's drumming feels like it's really in front of your face.
In video games, the PlayStation 5's 360 audio system is also well supported. You can hear enemy footsteps from behind in Assassin’s Creed Shadow, the BT cries of Death Stranding 2 and enemy gunfire in Call of Duty. The audio that the Q990C throws is compatible with all types of genres and content making it quite versatile compared to the Sonos Arc Ultra which is more compatible with music content.
IN THE BOX
With every purchase, you will receive the following.
1x Q990F Soundbar
1x Q990F Subwoofer
2x Q990F Satellite Speakers
1x 1.5m HDMI Cable.
4x 3 Pin Power Cable
1x Manual.
CONCLUSION
I have to be honest with you. The Samsung Q990F is not much different from the Samsung Q990C that I reviewed a few years ago. Both reach the pinnacle of audio for soundbar systems to provide a home theater experience. The only change is the subwoofer/bass system which is more refined, balanced and much smaller in size
There is Eclipsa Audio support which is rarely offered by other brands making the Q990F more future-proof. The SmartThings software is also better with various bugs and issues resolved. For those sitting at home with limited space, the 50% smaller subwoofer is greatly appreciated without losing audio performance.
In Malaysia, a set of Samsung Q-series Soundbar HW-Q990F is sold at RM5899 which seems expensive but is actually a very versatile and complete package compared to several other competitors in the market. If the Q990F feels beyond your means, the Q990D is now offered in Malaysia at a price of around RM4199. The audio performance is equivalent but only the subwoofer is larger.
Pros
A complete and robust 11.1.4 audio system.
Dolby Atmos and Eclipsa Audio support.
Suitable for various types of content.
Smaller subwoofer saves space.
SmartThings ecosystem support, Chromecast Audio, Air Play 2 and Spotify Connect.
SmartThings application is now more useful.
Cons
Chromecast Audio is still problematic.
The remote control is confusing.
Wireless Dolby Atmos is only available on Samsung TVs.
Less compatible with TVs under 65″.