Just as Samsung didnt substantially increase the physical footprint of the main soundbar of last years Q950T when it added new drivers there, the Q950A has now managed to add new drivers to its rears without, again, causing the system to have any more of an impact on your living room. DV on a typical edge or backlit 4K LED/LCD looks quite inferior when placed beside a 4K OLED TV. You see, AU$1,499 is only AU$100 more than the Sonos Arc, and that's solely a soundbar no rear speakers or sub included. It's a one-box soundbar (no subwoofer included), and is among the very best-sounding soundbars, especially if you also like to listen to music. You get a DA sound stream if you pay extra for 4K Dolby Vision (DV) content or play a 4K DV Blu-ray. JavaScript is disabled. In which case, you only need a lower-cost soundbar. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. I just wish the display was on the front where it can, ya' know, be seen. It's not cheap for a system with no subwoofer, and annoyingly it has no HDMI passthrough, but for audio quality alone, it's still wonderful. Now you can play big-name games even if you dont have an Xbox Series S|X or a PS5, By Carrie Marshall T3 is supported by its audience. Because a soundbar cant magically add Dolby Atmos 3D spatial sound unless you have a Dolby Atmos TV and other stars align. My cat passed away recently, and things like this ceased to be a problem for me. Although I hadnt particularly noticed it when testing 2020s Q950T, the Q950A immediately exposes a Q950T blind spot off your left and right shoulders in the three-dimensional Dolby Atmos soundstage. Well, you may want to wait a bit, 5 mistakes everyone makes with Samsung TVs, 5 mistakes everyone makes with LG OLED TVs, Streaming news from Netflix, Disney and more, Discover the gadgets you never knew you needed, In-depth reviews and new tech explanations. In fact, the Q950A increases the channel count from the already massive 9.1.4 of 2020s Samsung HW-Q950T to an unprecedented 11.1.4, with the extra two channels coming in the form of new side-firing drivers inside each of the packages two wireless rear speakers. For the vast majority of the time, though, the place you really want to be able to see the LED from is your sofa. In the UK and US, this is undoubtedly a hefty sum to pay for a soundbar it's about the highest you can pay, unless you're getting to some pretty specialist stuff. IMAX Enhanced support has started appearing, however, on one or two rival soundbar models, so its absence from the Q950A now at least warrants a passing mention. So the floor level "channels" are 2xRear, 2xSide, 2xWide, 2xFront, 1xCenter? This is seriously impressive from a design perspective especially as keeping the new rears to the same small size hasnt compromised their sound quality. The main soundbar is phenomenally powerful, detailed, dynamic and aggressive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); CyberShack offers consumers a one-stop-shop for the most current information in the tech space, including news, lifestyle and products, as well as reviews on the latest gadgets and games. Mark does this Samsung support Dolby Vision passthrough on its HDMI input port? The Samsung HW-Q950A combines of the power and precision of a high-quality separates system with the compact form factor of a soundbar it's a spectacular success. LG 55EG9100, Yamaha RX-V383, Klipsch P-17B, I have a nice display and a good sound system, Managing Editor at Home Theater Review - Contributing Technical Editor at Projector Central - Home Theater Addict since 1999. Visit our corporate site, Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, I've found the best iPhone charger for cars and there's a desktop model, too. How to tell if you have good music (sound signature is the key guide), Five tips for choosing a cordless power mop (guide), Motorola Edge 30 fantastic value 5G phone (review), Vivo Y55 5G on a tight budget from Telstra (review), OPPO Reno8 Lite 5G top of its class (review), WD Black P50 SSD seriously fast (Western Digital review), Samsung Q700a series (best with Samsung Q-series TV) 3.1.2 all-in-one $695, Sonos Beam Gen 2 5.0 Dolby Atmos capable $699 (the outstanding lower cost choice and fully upgradeable with rears and sub although these are expensive). There was a problem. At best, it can phase sound between the left and right speakers to give a faux sense of direction, but TV speakers are generally woefully underpowered (5-15W). As you'll see, we think the HW-Q950A certainly earns its price tag, but there's no denying that it's a high price at launch in the US and UK. Published 2 July 22, The key settings to change to get the best possible picture quality no matter what you're watching, By Carrie Marshall I heard that recent Samsungs stopped providing DV passthrough. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Given that these rears are still as impressively compact as they were before, squeezing in the new extra drivers alongside the separate forward and up-firing drivers they contained before feels like a serious engineering feat. The main soundbar is 1232x69.5x138.0mm (48.5x2.7x5.4 inches), which makes it basically the same width as a 55-inch TV, so that's the minimum size you should pair it with. Published 25 May 22, Japan Display has announced a potentially massive upgrade so hold off on buying an OLED TV for now, By Max Slater-Robins The icing on the cake is that this palpable improvement in an already stellar performance has been achieved without increasing either the Q950As launch price or the footprint of any of its components. We've already talked about how they compare, and you can read our full Samsung HW-Q950T review for more on that soundbar's features and sound quality. Here's our full Sonos Arc review, which explains why that HDMI thing is an issue, and what's so good about the sound. And the way sound expands out to fill your room from the soundbars compact, narrow physical start point defies comprehension. Now, Samsung has upped the ante by presenting a soundbar system, the HW-Q950A, that offers 11.1.4 3D immersive sound reproduction. Their combination of immense power and precision from what are, given the sound they can pump out, remarkably compact boxes has seen them bag countless awards. Sure, you can pay more for DA, but you will never get DA sound until you get a DA TV. Some claim to have a sub-woofer (2.1), but that is physically impossible with micro-TV speakers. This Samsung HW-Q950A review looks at the new 16-channel monster that's arrived at the top of the company's 2021 soundbar range. So the more Dolby Atmos music comes online, the more useful as a musical as well as movie device the Q950A starts to look. Vocals are crystal clear, realistic and gently lifted, so that they dont seem to be coming from below the picture on your TV. In the Q950As case, it seeks to achieve this goal by combining a huge 616W of output power with a variety of tried and tested wide-dispersion speaker technologies and an exceptional number of real (as opposed to virtual) audio channels. There are several instances of Q950T instead of Q959A throughout the review. The presentation tends to feel slightly more muscular than musical, though, and lacks a little warmth and character. Single soundbars (all-in-one) above 3.0 use psychoacoustic trickery to fool your ears into thinking that sound is coming from around, behind, or above you. And finally, don't overlook the Sonos Arc. This wouldnt in previous years have even come up in soundbar conversation, and IMAX Enhanced sources are still in seriously short supply. The impact of those key new rear channels is obvious and welcome, adding an extra layer of immersive excellence to a wider audio performance thats every bit as accomplished as that of the previous, already-impressive model. This combines two separate calibration approaches. While previous flagship Samsung soundbars have tended to impress in many ways, theyve been criticised for not supporting any auto-calibration tools. Here in mid-2021, the biggest rival to the HW-Q950A is its own predecessor, the Samsung HW-Q950T. Published 22 May 22, The best ways to keep your OLED TV's screen free from dust and finger smudges without damaging it, Get the best picture quality from your Samsung TV by tweaking these easy settings, It's easy to miss some Sony TV settings that will improve your experience here's how to make the most of its image quality, Get the best image quality from your LG OLED TV by avoiding these classic picture pitfalls, T3 is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Two final new features the Q950A introduces over and above its predecessor are support for Apple Airplay 2, and Samsungs Active Voice Amplifier technology. There is one seriously odd (in a bad way) thing about the Q950As design, though: the decision to place the soundbars LED on the back of the top edge. Having established that the Q950As biggest new feature really makes a difference, lets remind ourselves of just how good the rest of the package is. If you dont have a DV/DA TV, you wont get 3D spatial sound. Cleer Ally Plus II True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds Review, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Filling this gap takes the immersive qualities of the object-based sound formats to an even higher level. Impact sounds hit harder (without sounding unnatural) than they do with any rival soundbar Ive heard to date. The subwoofer is 210x403x403mm (8.3x15.9x15.9 inches), and each rear speaker is 125x 203x141mm (4.9x8x5.6 inches). The distinctive Dolby Atmos/DTS:X dome of sound appears strikingly more complete, for starters. Remember that DA is about speaker numbers and placement around the room and overhead. Q-Symphony feature on Samsung TVs is great, All the best features, news, tips and great deals to help you live a better life through technology. Published 22 July 22. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Heres why you can trust us. You could, after all, put together a pretty respectable separates system for that sort of money if you know what youre doing. JBL Bar 9.1 is a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar with rear speakers $1499.95. The subwoofer, meanwhile, is as reliable as ever, churning out impressive amounts of deep, rich bass. The Samsung HW-Q950A was released in April 2021, and costs 1,599/$1,599/AU$1,499. TIA. Here's our full Samsung HW-Q800A review. LIVE: AVSForum Tech Talk Podcast with Scott Wilkinson, Episode 6, The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, Samsung Customer Service System is Horribly Broken, Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49" Ultrawide Gaming Monitor Review. The main Q950A soundbar component remains pretty much unchanged from that of the Q950T. Subscribe in print, digital, or a great-value bundle. It decodes DA to your available speakers. "Espresso is like tequila, when in doubt apply more shots.". It also runs competitions and has links to the latest episodes of Cybershack TV. Isn't that only 9.1.4? Samsung TVs are getting this cool free upgrade, 5 quick settings tweaks to make your Samsung TV's picture even better. There is no substitute for dedicated rear or overhead speakers forward-firing (surround sound) and up-firing (DA). Effects are well positioned vertically or horizontally. The Samsung HW-Q950A is the latest in the company's annually updated high-end soundbar range, which have come to define its home audio presence. The soundbar supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well as carrying two HDMI inputs, an HDMI output with eARC support, and an optical digital audio output. If this latter feature is active and the soundbar detects a loud ambient noise (such as a vacuum cleaner) for more than three seconds, the soundbar volume is increased and the sound profile is adjusted to give more emphasis to vocal tracks. Why? The 'baby Pixel' is here, but does it make sense given the price and forthcmoming Pixel 7's arrival? The HDMI loopthrough supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as well as the basic HDR10 system, while the eARC support means it can receive lossless Dolby Atmos/DTS:X passed through from eARC-compatible TVs. LG SP11RA 7.1.4 at $1699 rates as one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars. The felt does tend to collect dust and pet hair over time, though. JBL and Infinity Speaker Deals are Back!!! The wireless subwoofer boasts a meaty 8-inch side-firing driver despite being slim enough to tuck out of the way at the end of a sofa or under a sideboard. John Archer has been testing TVs and AV gear for over 25 years, having worked on Home Cinema Choice magazine. He's a contributor to Forbes, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Wired and many more places if you've owned a TV in the last couple of decades, John's probably reviewed it somewhere. I still own the original HW-MS650 soundbar and that sounds really good. Handily for Samsung, however, the rise of Dolby Atmos music, as recently bolstered by support from Apple, plays into the Q950As hands. Please refresh the page and try again. Wouldnt it be 2x front side, 2x front wide 1x front left, 1x front center ,1x front left, 1x rear left, 1 x rear right , 1x rear left side and 1 x rear right plus the 4 top channels and sub = 11.1.4. Do you need the best 8K TVs to get the best from your next-generation PlayStation 5 console? It can also clear up the dialogue channel (3.0 or above), which may help those that are a little hard of hearing. You will receive a verification email shortly. can stream sound up to 5.1. It's still the best-value buy of its kind, though, and sounds excellent. Adding an external soundbar, preferably 5.1 or DA 5.1.2 or 4 or higher, will not only give you more volume but will have a far better amplifier system than the TV for better, clearer sound. And is the content on the wides and sides identical, or are the wides matrixed in, or would they reproduce the wide channel on an Atmos track? It's another full surround system, but we'll spoil our review early by saying the Samsung beats it on pure cinematic power. Five tips for better TV sound helps you understand the current sound types and what you need. Is it worth getting a 8K TV for PS5, or should you stick with 4K instead? The first works in tandem with compatible Samsung TVs, using their built-in microphones to tune the sound produced when you use Samsungs Q-Symphony feature to combine the TVs speakers with those of the soundbar. So, any reputable brand, all-in-one 3.0 or 3.1, is all you need. A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Soundbars have evolved since they first came on the scene, getting better each year while tackling ever more ambitions tasks. Here are a few options that I like. Required fields are marked *. It only took me 15 years to find the best iPhone car charger, and now I want the desktop version as well, By Carrie Marshall As with all subwoofers, though, since bass is non-directional the Q950A sub can be positioned somewhere out of sight without affecting its input on the systems sound. A Sub-woofer adds .1 as the centre number, e.g., 2.1, Dolby Atmos adds 3D spatial height (up-firing or overhead) speakers, e.g., 5.1.2 or 7.1.4. Tempted to get one of these. The excellent dynamic range of the main soundbar means the subwoofer doesnt sound detached from the rest of the sound mix either, and its nimble enough to avoid sounding baggy or laggy. To do this, they bounce sound off the ceiling and walls. The Q950A, though, mildly changes this courtesy of its SoundFit+ system. Great success breeds high expectations, though, so its fair to say the new HW-Q950A had a large hill to climb, since previous Samsung soundbars have featured right at the top of our list of the best soundbars. As for Dolby Vision, it is a much-abused term too. Especially since that older model is still on store shelves, and costs a lot less than this one following a year of discounting. A TV generally has 2.0 speakers (left and right stereo) and may have a centre dialogue speaker (3.0). The big competitor from another company is the LG SP11RA, which we'll have a review of shortly. Published 7 June 22. While these moves are welcome, though, theres still no full standalone auto-calibration system. Thank you for signing up to T3. Or it can pass it through to a DA soundbar for decoding there. But this soundbar and rear-speakers setup turns out to meet even the loftiest expectations. In fact, 99% of TV sound only requires a 2.0 soundbar, and a sub-woofer (2.1) is nice but not necessary. As usual with Samsung soundbars, the Q950A is more at home as a movie player than a music player. Most streaming services (Netflix at al.) Lg oled65CXtv Panasonic ubp-820 uhd bd player. It features a 3.1.2-channel setup, so is designed to offer lots of width and height a 'wall of sound' but you don't get a real surround effect behind you, inevitably though you could add wireless rear speakers later. The HW-Q950A feels more like a sonic TARDIS than ever. A bargain, we'd argue. After viewing a recent teardown of this unit on You Tube I am guessing there was not enough space to fit it on the front panel. That's right, it only adds up to 9.1.4 actual channels., best I can tell. Given that the rear speakers provide the main reason for stepping up to a Q950A from Samsungs cheaper models, the enhanced rear soundstage actually makes the new model feel better value (at full price) than Samsungs previous flagship models. Theres no support for IMAX Enhanced DTS soundtracks. Lots of soundbars suffer from this issue, of course, though the Sonos Arc has an all-solid exterior, if that's a concern for you. It may have a bass radiator that bounces sound off the wall behind it. If the total package here sounds a bit much for you, and you'd like just a simpler soundbar-only option, the Samsung's HW-Q800A is the best option. Regular stereo plays with plenty of power and detail, and theres a good sense of scale and between speaker space. Thought Samsung would have learned from the disastrous decision last year to use that terrible "fabric" as a surround. As a home cinema upgrade, it's a total beast, bringing the most complete and impactful Dolby Atmos 3D effect we've heard from anything to date. I miss the bugger. [] I'll say that yes your right but everything you said is worthless if these types of products are full of bugs and will fail because of cheapness LG 86UH9500 - Oppo 203 - Zidoo X9S - Nvidia Shield - HTPC - Denon X3600H 5.2.4 - 3x Hsu CCB-8 - Polk RM3000 - 4x Minimus 7 - SVS PB12-NSD - Dayton 1200 - Dayton APA150 - 2x Aurasound AST-2B-4. Certainly, the advent of the Dolby Atmos soundbar ushered in an era where you can achieve home theater-style immersion without having to install a large, expensive and complex AVR-based system. It's also a good size for TVs of 48 inches and up, and still includes a subwoofer. Your email address will not be published. Google Pixel 6a review: super yet superfluous? The subwoofer is pretty chunky (as it needs to be, with an 8-inch driver to accommodate) and its black, angular body doesnt blend particularly well into most decor. Does not look like they are on sale yet? The key thing is the price, though: in the UK, you can find it for just 999, and in the US it goes for as low as $1,100. The Q950A continues Samsungs support for Tap technology, where you can share content from compatible phones (Samsung models with Android 8.1 or above) simply by tapping them against the soundbars bodywork. Samsungs ambition with its latest flagship soundbar as with its predecessors is to deliver the sort of audio performance associated with a separates system from a package that also delivers the practical living space advantages of a soundbar (ie, it's smaller and simpler to set up).