(NEW) Samsung HW-QS730D 3.1.2ch Soundbar w/Wireless Dolby Atmos Audio
$377.99
$799.99
53% off
Reference Price
Condition: New
Top positive review
5 people found this helpful
HW Q800F Set up Learnings
By German on Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2025
This review is for the latest soundbar/sub combination, ie HW-Q800F. I added this system to an existing 2023 Samsung QNxxS90 series TV. As there have been horror stories on Samsung firmware updates bricking or otherwise damaging the functionality of either TV or soundbar, I never connected my TV to the network, never configured smart hub (using an Apple TV 4K for streaming) and never updated the firmware or used the SMART App. Out of the box the Q800F connects seamlessly to each other (sub and bar) and to the TV (via HDMI eARC and the included cable). I would use the eARC HDMI connection over BT pairing or Optical/WiFi to get the best data transfer. NO network connection, Samsung Account or SMART App are needed for set-up or managing the system (can all be done via the remotes). No network connection also means no (potentially) damaging firmware updates, no Samsung tracking all your moves, no annoying ads or pop ups and no laggy interface with the Samsung Smart Hub OS. I connected the A(pple) TV via HDMI to the TV and not the soundbar (as the instructions suggest). This seemed more meaningful to me as the eARC connection from TV to soundbar manages any output. And the ATV will show on the TV menu as a device choice rather than selecting it via the soundbar. Digital Audio Output Setting to Auto or Passthrough: I chose Auto because I confirmed that this gives me Dolby Atmos, but both should be equally ok for ATV. I don't have a cable box for TV but instead use a HD antenna for the local networks. WATCHOUT: When watching regular TV the Auto/Passthrough setting would not go through the Q800F. I had to choose PCM to get both Q800F and TV speaker output. Minor inconvenience for me as I don't watch much real time TV anyway. All Q800F features - so far - work with the TV including Q-Symphony (bar and TV speakers operate together). Sound quality especially in Dolby Atmos is excellent considering this is just a soundbar/sub combination. Too early to tell re: reliability/durability. If issues occur, a firmware update is always an option, but so far I was better off by staying offline with Samsung equipment.
Top critical review
26 people found this helpful
Notoriously Defective Subwoofer & No Mid-Bass. Atmos Is Great, Though.
By Λŋʈιɧϵꭆɵ on Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
This is a deeply flawed product in two major ways but it could still be great for the right user. Samsung did a good job with the positional audio and reflecting sound to create an immersive experience. It does take a little bit of messing with the settings and allowing the Space Fit technology to do its thing, but it can sound quite good. If you're planning to use this in combination with a TV with Atmos and eARC capability, and almost exclusively for watching Atmos-enabled movies, then this is probably a good choice. You can definitely get that "wow" factor from the 3D effects you'll experience, especially if you're making your first transition from using just the built-in speakers in your TV, or from a basic stereo or 2.1 setup. This is especially true if you can't afford to run a true 11.1.4 setup with a *very* expensive A/V receiver and discrete speakers for each channel. That would easily be a $5-$10k+ setup if done correctly with respected hardware. Now, f you don't at least have a TV that supports Atmos and eARC to send the full 11.4.1 channel audio to the soundbar, or if you plan to mostly play music, this is not the product for you. You lose much of the Atmos experience without eARC or a DAC/DAP that can process Atmos content. At best you'll get 20% of the intended experience. If you plan to use this with any music streaming device like a Wiim Ultra, you'd do better just sticking with a 2.1 setup with higher-end reference speakers and a subwoofer. If you're planning to send your audio to the soundbar primarily with WiFi, Bluetooth, Chromecast, etc. from your phone or other device, then this is absolutely a waste of money, and you'd do better with a simple and less expensive stereo or HiFi system. Get a Wiim Ultra, a DAC, and some powered speakers instead. Also, there is essentially no mid-bass from this system. The subwoofer produes *all* of the bass. So it's less than ideal for music. Now, to the <BIGGEST ISSUE> with this system: the subwoofer constantly disconnecting. If you search for "Q990D Subwoofer Disconnecting" you will find hundreds of posts about it. Many people seem to believe it is an issue with 2.4GHz or 5GHz WiFi or other radio frequency interference. I thought that was the issue at first also. I tried enabling "Bluetooth Coexistence" and "Bluetooth Preemption" in my WiFi 7 router. When that didn't work I tried disabling the 2.4GHz band entirely. Then I did the same with the 5GHz band. Then I moved it to another room with no other electronics or wireless devices. I still had the same issue. I used a very expensive handheld wideband scanning tool that detects everything from Sub-GHz, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz signals all the way up to 7GHz and 4G/5G. Nothing. I decided to go ahead and unplug all the wireless devices, shut off my phone and laptop, and unplug everything anyway. Then I used a hardwired BluRay player to send audio to the soundbar but the subwoofer still cut out constantly. At this point I was ready to return it but I happened to stumble across a post on Reddit with lots of other people dealing with the same issue. One person there had taken his subwoofer apart and spent hours reverse engineering the multiple circuit boards inside. He posted pictures of some of his setup, and he had a spectrum analyzer and nice multimeter, so I knew he probably knew what he was doing. His conclusion was that the Variable Voltage Power Supply was dropping to such a low voltage when the audio wasn't playing any sub-bass frequencies that the Amplifier board was cutting off and resetting. This sounded like a very likely culprit to me based on how and when the subwoofer would cut off. He found that disconnecting the wire on Pin 11 between the two boards worked but caused the amplifier to get too hot. So he installed a single 1k Ohm resistor in line between the two boards on the wire from Pin 11 and it fixed the issue perfectly. I was either going to return the system, try to get a replacement subwoofer from Samsung, and/or try his fix. I decided to return it initially, but while I was waiting a few days for UPS to pick it up, I decided to try installing the resistor. I just happened to have some with the correct 1k impedance. After figuring out which wire was the correct one to splice the resistor into, I soldered it in place, then slid some heat shrink tubing over it and sealed it up. Surprisingly, the guy on Reddit was 100% right, and now the subwoofer doesn't cut out at all. So I guess I'm keeping the system, although I'm still going to hit up Samsung for a replacement, just in case. This really shouldn't be an issue on something this expensive, and Samsung must be aware, as apparently this has been an issue on multiple models previous to this one including the Q990C. If you decide to buy this soundbar, you may want to make sure you have some soldering gear and resistors. You can decide if it's worth the trouble or if this is a good purchase or not.
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