Samsung - HW-Q990C

At that price point, why don't you consider a Samsung Q990*? A true surround with an amazing quality.

Any soundbar can do. But depends on how immersed you want to be. A 200 dollar soundbar is not going to sound near as good as a 1000 dollar one. I have a Samsung q990 and it trumps every other soundbar I’ve had up to this point. I’d highly recommend it if you have the cash. But if not, any soundbar will be better than tv speakers.

Samsung q990c I have this and it's very good in atmos. After seeing the prices at JBL or Sonos too... Sony bar 9 can be

I was able to use AAA membership 2 years ago for the Samsung store discount , not sure if that still works. Worth the trouble of getting a community college email for sure though. For $700ish the Q990(x) models are amazing and I love watching movies in Dolby atmos. The first time you hear a helicopter/plane fly over you is mind blowing. I also now love it for listening to music as it’s much better than my other speakers.

I really can’t compare the sound as I haven’t listened to the Sonos outside of stores and that environment makes fair comparisons tough. If you want a really fancy multi room setup, you need to go Sonos or one of its premium competitors. I don’t like some of the decisions Sonos made with their app or older hardware, so I barely considered them when I was looking for a new system. The Q990C I have is just a soundbar system that works with my TV and AppleTV. I can cast to it or do some other things but really I don’t use those options. The appleTV gives me all the high quality music I could want. A Sonos system with a sub and rear speakers is going to be 3x the sale price of the Samsung which was a non starter for me. But the Sonos app features might be worth more to you.

Wait for the Q990 to go on sale. I promise you won’t regret the extra money. Watch one Christopher Nolan movie and you’ll be so thankful

The q990 is incredible

My area which is very similar to yours probably I’ve had the Q990C and just upgraded to the Q990F a few days ago. Q990F is for sure better. I know people say there isn’t much of a difference but it’s just overall a better package. The sub in my space and placement at least is much better. I also feel there is a better stereo soundstage and overall detail and immersion. I’ve never had any tech issues with either of these with my LG TV. I’ve also tried the Bose Ultra Soundbar but just with the 700 bass module with no surrounds. It’s very impressive with the sound it produces for being so small. However I did have CEC issues but I also use an Apple TV so maybe that was part of it. I also recommend Sonos. Wherever you get, I think you will be happy with it! You can find the Q990F on brandsmartUSA for $1000 at least that’s what it was a week ago or so and can have Best Buy price match. The Bose goes on sale sometimes for $700 for the bar and $700 for the sub. They can also be financed at guitarcenter for 48 months and if you go with Sonos, let me know I may have a 15% off code for you.

Hate to say this as it may not be helpful but most of matters on your surrounding area and placement. I have the Arc Ultra, Sub Gen 4, 2 Symfonisk standing lamps in our family room and a Q990C in our living room. They both sound good but they do produce a different sound. They both are easy to set up. The reason Q990 series is so popular is the value. Most people probably get it on sale and not MSRP. If I had to choose one for myself, I would go with Sonos but again the area you set everything up matters a lot. Sonos does have the calibration and Samsung kind of does too but it’s been debated if it does anything at all as when you turn it off and on, you do not hear any difference. If you want to save money and get a great experience, go with Q990 series. If you like the sound of your lamp, even though it’s not a soundbar. Should have the same sound signature. As I’m sure everyone who has Sonos says, you can use the surrounds as actual speakers if you decide or if you get more Sonos products, you can have audio all over the house. If you decide to go with Sonos, let me know. I may be able to provide you a 15% discount code and if you decide to go with Samsung, I get it for $700. However I do have to login and order it.

Can’t speak about the beam but I do have the arc ultra, sub mini and the IKEA standing lamps which are basically an older version of the era 100 and I do find that gives you more of a bubble. I do have the Q990C and that’s amazing as well in its own right. Again I don’t have the beam but my 2 cents if they help at all. Lol I imagine the Q990D would give you more immersion just because it has up firing speakers and in general much more speakers. For me the Sonos app has been fine. I don’t use it much. Only to adjust any settings and time to time, listen to music through it.

I own the F, D and C. The F had a much more enjoyable tight bass. The D and C sub can go a whisker lower, but it's a farty annoying type of bass. The F bass is much preferred in my household.

If he doesn't need the ports he could go with the C. Samsung's upgrades....lol....aren't worth tht money since years. It's laughable and I'm a Samsung soundbar guy myself. Wait till early summer and you'll get the F for 950 everywhere. As usual.

Q800 and Q990 are both the absolute best price/perf in their respective categories. Are they the best thing singe bread came sliced? No. Are they the best package you can buy in their price ranges? Absolutely.