Samsung HW-Q990D overview: Atmos examined, gamer authorized

Most different options and settings are accessible through the distant and the bar’s built-in display, nevertheless it’s usually simpler to make use of the SmartThings app. The fundamental structure allows you to select the sound mode (I normally stick to straightforward), modify the EQ, allow enhancements like Energetic Voice Enhancer, and set channel ranges.

I admire Samsung’s inclusion of channel ranges for a lot of the bar’s billions of audio channels, however locking the degrees was probably the most cumbersome a part of my analysis. I had the encompass audio system immediately behind my sofa attributable to house constraints, which meant I needed to flip all of them the best way down and even flip the opposite channels as much as steadiness issues out.

This job was a lot simpler with the Sonos Period 300 audio system (9/10, WIRED recommends) linked to the Arc Extremely, as Sonos TruePlay calibration adjusts the sound to your room (though Standalone Wi-Fi speakers can have their own quirks). Auto-calibration is one thing I might anticipate in any system that prices near $2,000, however yearly Samsung fails so as to add it. The corporate’s Area Match function is meant to investigate sound in actual time, however I did not discover any vital adjustments.

My different challenge is a persistent quantity challenge when utilizing Spotify Join. Should you’re streaming immediately from Spotify, the quantity stage setting weirdly goes up or down seven ranges per maddening press, so it is at all times too loud or too quiet. Add to that the dearth of Chromecast and Android customers are compelled to regulate streaming immediately from SmartThings or seize the in any other case superfluous distant. It is a small answer, however that is additionally why it is so annoying.

Sound whirlwind

Regardless of the streaming quirks, the Q990D has it sturdy the place it counts. Every element of the four-piece system works in live performance to ship a strong, balanced and extremely easy soundstage in all the pieces you play. You will not fairly get the high-end element present in bars just like the Arc Extremely, however there’s sufficient tactile really feel to understand the little issues, and loads of sparkle to actually elevate your cinematic moments to new heights.

Dolby Atmos is unsurprisingly the star of the present. The “Amaze” scene from my Atmos demo disc was undoubtedly a spotlight. I might virtually really feel the humidity throughout me within the buzz of the bugs on the intro, whereas the thunder crackled with visceral shock and the rain on the finish actually descended from above to immerse me deep throughout the flora of the jungle.