After running an older soundbar for years, I finally decided it was time for an upgrade. I considered going all-in with a dedicated 5.1.2 system, but honestly, I couldn’t justify the cost. I looked at the Sonos Arc next, but again, the value just wasn’t quite there for me.

Then I stumbled across the Samsung Q990F, and at the price point, it felt like the best bang for buck. So I pulled the trigger and here are my initial thoughts after an afternoon of use.

Sound Quality

The overall sound is solid. There’s a noticeable sense of space, sound effects genuinely move around the room, which adds a lot to movies from my old setup. I’m running it with Voice Amplifier Pro and SpaceFit turned on, with the subwoofer set to +6.

Dialogue & Surrounds

Dialogue is clear, even at lower volumes. The surrounds also kick in nicely, creating an immersive experience for a soundbar setup.

The Subwoofer

If there’s one weak link, it’s the sub. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s not the punchiest or most precise out there. Still, given the overall package and what I paid, I’m more than happy.

All in all, if you’re looking to upgrade from a basic soundbar and don’t want to shell out for Sonos or a full AVR system, this Samsung setup is worth a serious look.

Rated an 8.5 for “Mixed Usage” as opposed to last year’s Q990D rating of 8.6.

From rtings: “The biggest difference is the Q990F has a redesigned sealed subwoofer that rattles less than the ported Q990D when playing back deep bass, but you may prefer the bass tuning of either more. The Q990D, on the other hand, compresses less in the bass at max volume. Otherwise, whichever is less expensive may be the deciding factor.”