Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar review: The most complete home-theatre package?
The Samsung HW-Q990F soundbar promises to deliver an immersive audio experience with impressive Dolby Atmos capabilities and a powerful subwoofer. But is it truly the best value for money in the competitive soundbar market?
It’s been almost a month of binge-watching content on my brand-new LG TV (review coming in later), but I couldn’t be more satisfied with the purchase of Samsung’s high-end HW-Q990F “Dolby Atmos-in-a-box system" soundbar. It’s been given a serious boost to the bass, but also, the competition has gotten much tougher. Can this humble (yes, it’s the most value-for-money) soundbar from Samsung outshine its rivals yet again for another year running? Let’s find out.
To begin with, who would have thought that you could get a soundbar with a thumping bass and a wireless surround sound system for under ₹1,00,000? That’s Samsung’s flagship HW-Q990F soundbar, and it comes with a total of 23 speakers.
The competition is fierce
The Samsung HW-Q990F is constantly out of stock. At the moment, it is retailing on Samsung’s official website for ₹92,990. I got it from the Samsung retail store in Delhi for a price closer to ₹85,000. For under ₹1,00,000, you’re getting a soundbar, a brand-new subwoofer with dynamic bass control, and two up-firing wireless speakers that you can place facing the front or the back. Dolby Atmos is wirelessly integrated into the soundbar.
Now compare that to the competition. Let’s start with Sonos. Sonos recently unveiled the Arc Ultra soundbar in India, and it retails for ₹99,999. The subwoofer, the Sub 4, needs to be purchased separately and costs ₹84,999. That’s ₹1,84,998. The same is true of the Sony Bravia Theatre 9. Sony’s soundbar costs a whopping ₹1,49,990, and the SA-SW3 subwoofer retails for ₹29,990, while the more expensive SA-SW5 is priced at ₹61,990. That’s either ₹1,79,980 or ₹2,11,980. Last but not least, the Bose Smart Ultra ( ₹1,04,900) and the Bass Module 700 ( ₹84,900) bring the total to ₹1,89,800. I’m not even mentioning Sennheiser’s Ambeo Max and Ambeo Sub combo, as that is well over ₹2,00,000 and the least value for money of the lot.
Straight off the bat, you can see that the HW-Q990F from Samsung has a considerable advantage. I know I’m talking about the high-end and flagship products, but even so, India is a price-sensitive market. If you’re spending upwards of ₹1,50,000 on a TV, you’d rather not spend nearly the same amount on a sound system, unless you’re trying to build a proper home theatre.
I haven’t personally used the Bose model. Still, I did review the Sonos Arc Ultra, and I absolutely loved the thumping bass, the brilliant audio tuning, and the brand-new Sound Motion technology. With the Arc Ultra, you’re getting a detailed and immersive surround sound experience with the Dolby Atmos touch. Just listening to the Mission Impossible theme song, and you’ll feel the loud thud, the bass. It will surely rock your room. The Sonos Arc Ultra wasn’t perfect, though, as the app still has many teething troubles to this day.
The best value-for-money home theatre package
Yes, the HW-Q990F has a lot going for it and is the most complete home theatre package out there. The HW-Q990F is the no-fuss, easy-to-set-up sound system for those who want that real cinematic sound. Once you place the soundbar below the TV, the subwoofer next to it (and near an outlet) and the two rear speakers somewhere behind you, then you’re good to go. It’s very easy to set up.
For 2025, the significant change concerns the subwoofer. Samsung has gone from a tall and narrow cuboid sub to something much more compact. It’s now a rounded cube and, despite being nearly 9 kg, it is still dwarfed by its predecessor. Don’t get fooled by its size, though. The subwoofer packs a punch with dual 8-inch drives inside. Thanks to AI-driven controls, distortion is minimised, allowing the subwoofer to deliver deeper notes.
What shines the most is the Dolby Atmos content. With Dolby Atmos, the soundbar utilises its four upfiring drivers and creates an immersive soundscape, taking you right into the heart of the moment of whatever is being streamed on the screen in front of you. There’s an outstanding balance in the sound, and a good dosage of bass that doesn’t overwhelm the vocals or background noises in the films.
What surprised me is how well the soundbar handles vocals. Take Tom Hanks’ Bridge of Spies. There’s a scene wherein they’re negotiating a prisoner exchange on a bridge. It’s called “Crossing". There’s this background music that runs through the scene with varying levels of intensity, but it's Tom Hanks’ vocals that shine the brightest.
Even while playing music, the soundbar packs a punch. Quite literally. Take any of the heart-stopping songs from The Rolling Stones, or even Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Can’t Stop, and you’ll feel the clear, detailed audio and wide soundstage, and it’s all distortion-free. Lastly, the soundbar does get quite loud and fills your room in no time. Just put on Top Gun: Maverick, and you’ll feel the rumbling of the engine and the bullets being fired with great sharpness. It’s as immersive as it gets without a full-on home theatre setup.
What I didn’t like about the HW-Q990F is the soundbar's tiny display. It’s hard to see which ‘sound mode’ you’ve cycled through and selected. That, and the fact that the design is dated, may concern some.
There is an accompanying SmartThings app (which works with many Samsung products) that can control several functions on the soundbar. There’s an option to reconfigure the system so the front surround speakers work in tandem with the soundbar. Still, they are best placed at the rear. The HW-Q990F also has you covered if you’re a Google Home, Apple AirPlay or Alexa user.
For the most part, though, I stuck to the sleek, minimalistic, yet powerful remote. It’s got a lot of functional buttons, and it even supports voice commands.
The HW-Q990F is the best value for money of the lot. Samsung took an already great soundbar, made some small, yet impactful changes, and came out swinging for the fences. The brand has once again delivered excellent overall sound, Dolby Atmos capabilities, a newly designed subwoofer, and thumping bass. Something to note is that the HW-Q990F also excels in dialogue and vocals.
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