(NEW) Samsung HW-Q990C 11.1.4Ch Soundsystem w/Dolby Audio (2023)

So far after 5 months I adore the Q990C and has completely changed my perception of soundbars and what they can do. Decided to give my home theater system a streamlined update after my old plasma TV died (replaced with a Samsung OLED S95C) and wanted a neat setup. As an audiophile, I feel soundbars have come a long way and this one sounds almost as good, and in ways better, as my trusty 5.1 receiver and speakers (Yamaha receiver, Bowers and Wilkins speakers) this has replaced. I have a large open concept living room/kitchen area with vaulted ceilings, and I can confidently say, the Q990C can fill the entire space with immersive sound. It lacks some of the punch, richness, and full body sound that my old 5.1 system had, but improves on it with the surround sound bubble with Dolby Atmos and the latest DTS:X decoding, and a very sleek, clean design. Overall, the Q990C sounds great for movies, TV, and games and has a very clear and crisp sound. The dedicated, powerful center channel definitely helps this soundbar have excellent speech and dialogue performance when watching content, while the 3-way rear surrounds provide a strong (wireless and easily placed) true surround sound immersion. The main bar is crisp and punchy, this side of a Nakamichi Dragon, while maintaining a decently slim profile, though can sound a bit clinical and lacks some warmth. The only place where this system seems to really fall short is with the wireless subwoofer. For the power that the rest of the system puts out, the sub simply doesn’t seem to have enough power and oomph to keep up, making the whole system sound a bit lean for the space I have it in. Had they gone with 2 subs, or simply a larger single sub, this would dramatically improve the sound to my ears and make this a hesitation free recommendation. Music just sounds flat and uninspiring listening to this soundbar, so I will stick to my dedicated amp and 2.1 setup I have for listening to music, granted that I’m comparing a soundbar to a set of massive Bowers and Wilkins 802Ds and an ASW-2500 sub. But for someone looking for 1 simple system to do it all, the Q990C is hard to beat, especially given the price vs a component system (or a Dragon). Do I miss some qualities of my old custom setup? Sure I do, but the packaging of this soundbar, updated codecs, combined with the immersive Atmos sound, I’m do not regret switching. It’s simply a very clean and good sounding solution for anyone looking for full surround immersion in an easy to setup system with seamless connectivity (eARC & Q-Symphony), and overall impressive for its size sound footprint. A definite must buy for a one size fits all solution. Simply fantastic!