BANGING ON THE TELLY THRONE

Nearly all modern TVs sound rubbish - that's the price of flatness. So, for audio to match the picture, get one of these thumpin' soundbars...

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SAMSUNG Q990F

Has the top Atmos soundbar just got even better?

Back in 2020 Samsung brought out the best mainstream Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Q900. Now, five years and several generations of tweaks on, we get the Q990F.

It's similar, yep, and it's also still one of the best soundbars in the known universe. But it's much more than that too.

The Samsung Q990F is ideal for the person whose inner interior designer (or outer one, perhaps their partner) won't let them go all out on a separates surround system. Its main bar is paired with a wireless subwoofer and a pair of compact rear surrounds. This is the full package; power cables are the only connectors required.

It comprises a quite ridiculous 23 drivers, including upwards-pointing ones for Dolby Atmos audio in both the soundbar and the rears. And there's also a dedicated central channel to keep dialogue firmly rooted to your TV.

Heart of class

The first impression on sticking the Q990F on? Bliss. There's a beautifully seamless interplay between the wireless sub and the soundbar. That relationship is often traded away for cheap rumbly thrills in home cinema gear, but it matters.

Stick on a Hollywood film, though, and you'll see what sub-bass feats the subwoofer is capable of. This new unit uses two force-cancelling 8in drivers, for a small but neat sub with clarity, separation, imaging and detail that are all top-tier in this class. That only improves when you plug in the surround rears, turning the best Atmos mixes into mini universes of sparkling sound.

One yay or another

As you'd hope given the price, the Q990F also provides loads of ways to connect, including WiFi for Google Cast or Spotify Connect.