The Samsung HW-Q990D, previously announced at CES 2024, is the company’s latest premium Dolby Atmos soundbar, with 11.1.4 channels and 656 watts of power. As of March 7, it has been officially priced at $2,000 — a $100 increase over the starting price of its predecessor, the 990C. However, Samsung is offering a discount for early orders on the Q990D, bringing its price down to $1,800.
Samsung will take an additional $100 off the price if you sign up to learn more about the company’s full 2024 TV and audio portfolio, including its new Music Frame, at www.samsung.com/us/tvs/firstlook. Speaking of which, if you’re eagerly awaiting pricing and availability of Samsung’s 2024 TVs (and the Music Frame), we’ll know more on March 21, so set yourself a reminder.
On the outside, the HW-Q990D is essentially the same as its predecessor—the same angular design with wireless surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer remains for 2024. As with the 990C, it’s a 22-driver, 11.1.4-channel system with support for wireless Dolby Atmos if you own a compatible Samsung TV.
However, internally, the Q990D gets some upgrades that improve both its sound and functionality. Gamers will appreciate its new HDMI 2.1 4K 120Hz passthrough capability. It’s now a Roon-certified device, giving folks who use the Roon media management and playback service the ability to control the soundbar from any phone, tablet, or computer that runs the Roon app. Harman, which Samsung owns, acquired Roon in 2023.
Samsung has also made improvements to its Q-Symphony sound system, which lets select Samsung products such as soundbars and TVs share the responsibility of reproducing sound.
A new Active Voice Amplifier Pro feature uses deep learning to separate the voices from the rest of the audio mix on a scene-by-scene basis to keep volumes balanced, while a Party Play mode “broadens the sound profile to let each part of the sound system play a balanced profile” for larger gatherings.
Samsung has also added a new type of nighttime mode that turns off frontal audio, piping the main soundtrack to the surround speakers instead for a quieter, less dynamic listening experience.
If these new features aren’t of interest, now’s a great time to pick up the 2023 HW-Q990C, which has seen its price drop to $1,400 in recent weeks.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this story said that the HW-Q990C had 4K/120Hz passthrough. This has been corrected.
