Here's Why I'd Buy the Last Samsung Soundbar First

Sometime in the last five years, Samsung reached peak soundbar. After years of material updates to its flagship surround-sound HW-Q990, a multi-channel, multi-speaker whiz of a Dolby Atmos system, Samsung achieved what it looked to achieve. Once you put 22 speakers into an 11.1.4-channel masterclass of home theater efficiency, it becomes hard to improve upon materially. Audio physics only go so far, and processing only gets so much better.

The last several models of the Q990 have seen only minor updates. We’ve gotten a slightly smaller and more efficient subwoofer, new software features, and—in the case of our current favorite, the Q990D—an upgrade to its HDMI ports for HDMI 2.1 support. These changes are nice, and the HDMI change is especially notable if you’re connecting a couple of game consoles to the bar directly, but otherwise they’re not exactly groundbreaking, and they certainly don’t affect the sound much.

For years, A/V editor Parker Hall and I have recommended high-end soundbar buyers just snag the prior year’s Q990 series for about a thousand bucks off. Looking for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar for the money? Why buy new if the experience is so similar?

This wouldn’t seem like much of a revelation—older models of anything are often only slightly worse than newer ones, and they’re often cheaper—except for the real price discrepancy between this year and last year’s Q990.

Samsung HW-Q990F and HW-Q990D

Photograph: Parker Hall; Ryan Waniata

Herein lies the rub: Samsung’s 2025 model HW-Q990F retails for around $1,800 (sometimes dropping to $1,700), while at the time of writing, the Q990D sells for nearly half that price, at around $998. We found the Q990F remarkably similar in performance to the Q990D (and even previous Q990 models). While the new Q990H has yet to arrive, it appears to offer mostly minor software updates. I suppose there’s a chance it brings a notable leap in performance, but consider those of us who have heard the last several models dubious.

That’s a big reason why 2023’s Q990C was our pick for the Best Dolby Atmos soundbar for two generations, and why I’m confident the Q990D will have similar staying power. At under a grand for 11.1.4 channels between the bar, subwoofer, and wireless surrounds, you won’t find a more fluid, musical, and downright cinematic system for the money. For most folks, it just doesn’t make financial sense to grab the newer models (sorry, Samsung).

The Key to Great Atmos? Lots of Speakers

When Samsung revamped its 9.1.4-channel HW-Q950T to the curiously titled HW-Q950A (the prototype that would become the Q990 series), it somehow found a way to add even more speakers. The secret was to load up on side-firing drivers, not just in the main soundbar, but also in the wireless surrounds for a total of four side-firing drivers and four upfiring drivers to bounce sound all around the room. At the time, it seemed like overkill—the audio equivalent of stuffed-crust pizza. But damned if it didn’t work, providing a serious upgrade to the spherical immersion from Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. Since the debut of the Q990 series, though, the system’s general hardware has remained largely unchanged.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata