Samsung - HW-Q800B

Did you find the tears made much of a difference? I have the Q800B.

More is better than less if you can afford it. I changed from a Q800B to a Q990B and the sound is noticeable even without the rears. Would've gotten the Q900C but it was not released where I lived.

I have a Samsung Q800B soundbar with the 9500s surrounds in my living room. A Denon X1700 receiver and 5.1 setup above my garage. Condo or not I’d suggest going the receiver and speaker setup. You don’t have to crank it to 11 to enjoy. Even at modest volumes my 5.1 setup easily beats the soundbar. Also, the Atmos effect is very minimal, often not noticeable at all on the soundbar. Surprisingly the Atmos virtualizer setting on my receiver often tricks me more than the soundbar does with “overhead” effects. Outside of all of that, if you’ll use it a lot for music, again the speakers and receiver are much better than the soundbar, even at lower volume levels. If I could do things over I’d just use a 2.1 or 3.1 setup in my living room instead of the soundbar.

Depends on what kind of deals you can find. I started off with just a 2.0 setup with some towers. Between the speakers and receiver I was just under $1,000 and it sounded better than my Samsung Q800B. But you’re definitely right it’s much harder under $1,000. The soundbar is a nice space saver too.

I have Q800B in my bedroom as well, it sounds amazing given the price. I got it refurbished for half the price 300 usd.

Also received this from the insiders. I'm noticing that using the built in hdmi port I keep losing signal whereas I didn't with the q800b. Same external device same hdmi cable.

I had the Q800B before (think the only difference is the addition of rear speakers on the 850's), & it was alright. Very balanced, maybe a bit bass heavy, but I wouldn't say it ever really made me think "wow". Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic & well balanced setup. But I definitely expected a little more umph from it.

Personally I like a bit of a "pushed back" center sound, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you're still able to return it. I'd suggest trying the Samsung Q800C or 800D. Little more flexibility since it has actual channel adjustments like adjusting the center channel for more or less dialogue. Believe it also has a more complex equalizer too, like 7 bands of adjustments compared to 3 adjustments. Also adds side firing drivers as well. I had the Q800B awhile back and it was a fantastic system too, one of my favorites (I've had a lot of soundbars through the years like Sonos Arc, Bose 600, LG S80QY, & couple others). You'll notice a much more "in your face" center channel sound, which you can turn down if you think it's too much. I think you'll be a lot happier with the Q800 if you can find one. Another systems I've heard alot of good things about is the Polk Magnifi Max AX. I've heard it's a killer budget system. I haven't heard it myself yet but it looks like it has massive potential. I've been considering trying to sell my setup & trying something else, not because I don't like this system as it's actually my favorite system I've had so far with surprisingly 0 complaints for me, but I got a demo of the Sennheiser Ambeo Plus at Best Buy and it was absolutely insane how precise it sounds. But then I read people having issues with the HDMI CEC & I'm like "another system with another flaw!". I'm not sure what's next for me but I've been thinking about upgrading 1 more time & going all out for my final soundbar setup. Been considering the Ambeo Plus ALOT, but also the new Nakamichi Shockwafe systems looks amazing too. Or maybe someone else will release something new & spark my attention, or even a whole new brand comes along.

I don't think there's too much of a difference between the Q800 & the Q990's subwoofer considering they're both 8" subwoofers. Probably just more power to keep up with the bar. But i can't imagine it'll sound much different

Klipsch is more known for their AV speakers & Subwoofers. Compared to the Q800B I had I'm definitely taking this Flexus system. More full sounding all around. Better & cleaner subwoofer due to it being sealed. & Deeper bass too. & The option of 2 subs will give you ridiculous amounts of bass. I have that bar & 1 Sub 100. I can have it at half volume and have the sub turned down a bit & still hear the picture above my bed rattling.

Id pick the 990F over the Arc Ultra. Sold my Sonos Arc + Sub Mini + Era 100's setup about a year ago probably & also had a beam 2 before that. But overall I wouldn't say Sonos is worth the money. I'd also highly consider looking at the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 + Sub 200 (12") + Surr 200's. I have the Core 200 + Sub 100 (10")& I absolutely love this system & think it personally sounds better to me than my Arc setup did. I also thought my Samsung Q800B I had a few years ago was better than the Sonos setup too.... So Its between the 990F & the full Flexus 300 for me. I truly think I'd have to sit and listen to them both for a good 100+ hours before actually being able to decide which one sounds better

Personally, I'd say it's between either the Ambeo or the Flexus. I'd say skip the Arc Ultra. I've heard it's mainly just the Arc with more bass, but very similar performance all around. Samsung is a solid choice, but Samsung has never truly "wowed" me before, & I've had 3 with the HW-Q6CR, Q600C, & the best I've had the Q800B. It was a solid system all around, but again, nothing really blew me away. & I sometimes found the subwoofer to be a bit overpowering, even at -6. & Also the Q800's have everything the Q900's have except less front channels & 1 less side channel. But the subwoofer is practically damn near the same. Sony ive heard mixed reviews about the Bravia bars, but until Sony releases new subwoofers, I can't recommend anyone buying Sony. I have the S2000 + SW5 & Even the SW5 subwoofer is terribly underwhelming for the price from my experience. Now I currently have the Core 200 myself + the sub 100. I have no complaints with this system at all, which is something I've never said about a soundbar before & I've had a lot anywhere from the Sonos Arc, Bose 600, few JBL'S, & others. I will admit the Bose 600 + BM700 setup I had is quite a contender as my favorite. But I think I'd lean a bit more to the Klipsch system in a blind test. There's just something about how full I think it sounds to me. But then you look at the price difference compared to performance difference, and the Klipsch feels like a much better deal. There's a deal I saw on Amazon for the Core 200, + Surr 100's, + 2 Sub 100's for 1k which seems like a steal to me. Now the Ambeo on the other hand is a fantastic SOUNDING system, possibly the best I've heard with the level of detail it has. But I've read quite a bit about bugs in the system so it's possibly kinda a hit or miss. I haven't had a single issue at all with my Flexus system. & I think the subwoofers are probably better on the Flexus system too considering you can buy either a 10" or 12" while Sennheiser only offers an 8". & Another con of the Sennheiser is there's no rears offered which is quite shocking. So my vote is the Flexus system!

I'd say go with the Samsung. Until Sony releases a new subwoofer I advise against Sony. The SW5 is powerful, but it lacks really deep bass. I have had a few different soundbars with subwoofers a lot better than the SW5, my old Samsung Q800B being one of them. I swear Sony has so much potential in my opinion, yet in my eyes, they just shit the bed in performance every time. Idk what's up with Sony but they have their head stuck in their ass for some reason with soundbars. I had the old HT-Z9F, bar was pretty solid sounding, but simply adding maybe 1 center tweeter could've brought that system from a 7 to a 9 if done right. & If Sony could actually make a sub that plays below 35HZ, down to say 25-30 HZ, that could be a legit 10/10 system in my eyes. But right now I definitely say Samsung over Sony!

The Ambeo lineup is one of/if not the absolute best sounding system out there. I heard a demo of the Plus at Best Buy and it blew me away with the level of detail it has, & I mean nothing I've had even sounds remotely close, & I've had everything from the Sonos Arc, Samsung Q800B, Bose Smart 600, none of them are even close to the Ambeo in terms of detail to the sound, it's truly INCREDIBLE!!!

Is the Q800C/D available? I have the Q800B and it's amazing, I have the 9500s rear speaker kit though but for an entire year I had the bar by itself and it's still great. The Q900 I'm sure is better but if you can't get your hands on one, the 800 is still so good. Friends and family always flip out when I demo it for them.

That's hard to say, I don't know your budget and all but I would say you should consider Samsung, ever since they bought Harman Hardon in 2017, their Q series Soundbars have been many people's favorite, they are pretty high end. I have a Q600A(3.1.2) and a Q800B with the SWA-9500S Rear Speaker Kit, so it's 7.1.4 or 5.1.2 without the optional rear kit. Let me tell you, these Soundbars are amazing, at least the Q800 is for sure without the need for the rear speakers. I just wanted to kick it up a notch and have a home theater experience in the living room. The Q600 is still great but it became my bedroom Soundbar. If you don't care for surround sound then the 3.1.2 channel is still amazing and pretty clear. Nothing overlaps, the frequencies stay in their place, I can hear the action and hear dialog. This is just my opinion and some may disagree but I feel like having a separate receiver and separate speakers is old school or only needed if you plan on having a real big Atmos experience in a very large theater room. For everything else a Soundbar can be amazing in most people's houses with an exciting Atmos experience. As for Sonos, they are sort of a rip off for what you get, you can get their Soundbar with no subwoofer at all for over $1000 which is ridiculous, and doesn't have rears either! You may notice here on Reddit many people will say get a Samsung Q990 but hardly recommend Sonos because they are sort of like Apple, you pay this huge price for a lower experience. It's still a good experience but once you add all the money up, you realize you could have bought a cash car on Facebook Marketplace for that amount. Lol I will say to save money many people find deals on Soundbars on Amazon Woot. So you can search "Q990 Woot" on Google and see it's $1000 off to $997 right now. Or I see the Q930 is $697 which is a big upgrade above me which is annoying for me to find because I spent almost $900 on my Q800 setup at Nebraska Furniture Mart. Lol So these are just my opinions but if you have a lower end Soundbar or using TV speakers then a good high end Soundbar will still trip you out, I didn't know Soundbars can be this good. Remember stores always have return policies, just use a credit card so no real money is spent yet and try one out, if you don't like it then return it. Double check Woot though, since it's an overstock warehouse, there might be no return policy or a limited one, so I would confirm that if you went the Woot route.

Well for that cost, might as well consider the Q990D then which apparently is better according to reviews and other sources. It has 11.1.4 channels. Google's summary also says this: "The Samsung Q990D is generally considered a better soundbar than the Sonos Arc Ultra, with a more balanced sound. The Q990D also comes with a subwoofer and rear speakers, while the Arc Ultra does not." I would keep researching because the Arc Ultra sort of sounds like a rip off. Think about it this way.... The Q990D is about $1,799 right now at NFM and Best Buy, around your budget but you could get it on sale for $997 which is a complete package and apparently even has an edge in sound quality. Even if you spent the $1799 you're still spending less than getting the complete package with Sonos because for around $1800 you're missing rears. A center channel isn't worth forgetting about everything else, especially when you can get great rear wireless speakers with it. Besides the center channel on Samsung is fantastic even on my Q800 which is not as good as the 990. It's so clear it's crazy, glass breaking in movies sounds real as well because of the center channel. Get what you want of course! Get the Sonos if you want, all I'm saying is do a little comparing first, I just know I wouldn't spend more money for less. Price doesn't always mean better. Be careful not to buy something more expensive for a slightly less audio quality. A Cadillac costs more than a Toyota Corolla but the Corolla will last and the Cadillac is a horrible unreliable joke of a car. Lol Whatever you get, have fun! I hope you get something you enjoy!

I know most people get the Q990C/D and love it. I have the Q800B+SWA 9500S Rear Speaker Kit and it's amazing. In fact I went to a Dolby Cinema not too long ago and it was great but in some aspects it wasn't as good as being at home. The bass was great of course but I felt like something in the center channel just wasn't as clear as my Q800 at home. It's odd but literally this is my experience and even my girlfriend noticed and asked me if it seemed like something was a slight downgrade compared to being at home. I know once Samsung bought Harman Kardon in 2017 they have been hard to beat. I guess if you want the ultimate setup, get the Q990 which is an 11.1.4 channel. For comparison mine is 7.1.4.

I have the Samsung Q800B with the 9500S rear speaker kit but.... For an entire year I had the Soundbar without the rear kit upgrade and honestly it's still really great if you don't want or can't get rears in a new space. The bar alone is 5.1.2 and while you don't get a deep surround sound, you do get a very wide sound that a 3.1.2 or 3.1 just can't give you. The side firing channels are real and try to bounce the sound off your walls around the room, and honestly any time I showed someone, they would look behind them wondering "how did it do that? Is there rear speakers somewhere?" The channels do play independent sounds in certain content. If you're watching Avatar and you hear a creature chirp or a waterfall in the top right let's say, it literally sounds like it's coming far off the top right of your TV almost in the next room, almost from the ceiling a few feet away. So this wide sound makes it feel like the entire wall and area your TV is in is one big sound field from left to right and up and down compared to the sound just stopping basically from the left and right of your TV. But it helps if you have some tile and not all carpet, otherwise this effect will be absorbed by the carpet almost completely. Don't put the Soundbar in a corner either, it will also squish this awesome effect. So one year later I got the 9500S to add to the same sound bar and the soundbar cleverly switches to 7.1.4 for real surround sound. It also handles the same content in a different way, I'm not exactly sure how, but I noticed the Soundbar sounds clearer or less cluttered with so much audio. Like 5.1 content is properly playing from behind now and I'm not exactly sure what's happening in the front now whether it's still surround channels or it's just making the left and right channels very wide... I'm not sure but all this combined makes a big non narrow surround sound that is great, like you're in a 360 bubble almost. So if you don't want rears it makes a great wide sound you may have never experienced before, and if you do want rears to upgrade to either later or with a bar that comes with all of this in the box. It's worth it. It's better than having rears with a narrow front, it makes for a good home theater vibe. Choose whichever company you want but I will say ever since Samsung bought Harman Kardon in 2017, these Q series Soundbars are great. Just shop around, they are sometimes $500-$1000 off on Woo(an Amazon Company) and other places.

I still love my q800b but my neighbor does not haha

My husband and I purchased this soundbar a little while ago, and it's hands down the best purchase we've made. It has DTSX, HDMIeARK, 5.1ch Dolby Atmos surround sound. Here's the link: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=P990342627&mobiledetect=false&pid=092410_RFI|ANDROID|Featured_Products|SAMSUNG%20Q-series%205.1%20Channel%20Sound%20Bar%20with%20Wireless%20Subwoofer%2C%20Q-Symphony%20%26%20Dolby%20ATMOS%20Audio%20

Really the only catch I'd say is you need a SAMS Club membership. But you can always sign up for the $20 holiday special. When my husband seen this at store, he was flabbergasted. It's on sale right now for $300.

Check if you are eligible for Samsung EPP discount (student, work). Got a great discount at the q800d ($479) plus referral discount (5%) [my discount code if you wish ref-rk2x2d ]

That tv sucks😪😪 but yeah like the other comment said , get the Q800, that way you’ll have q-symphony with your tv. If you can, get the Q990C it’s gonna be even better

Samsung Q600 or Q800 Or sonos beam

Yes, maybe the q730 will be better then. But neither the Q600c or Qs730 have the Active voice amplifier, tho you can still put up the volume of the center Chanel on both of them, to hear the voices clearer. If you can find an old/used Q800b or C it would be much better. but if not go with the Qs730

If u have a Samsung tv get the Q800, it’s a 5.1.2 and has symphony so both your tv and soundbar will play together which adds to the immersion

Soundbars (high tier) nowadays are very good. Although. But if you really appreciate surround sound and/or music I would recommend at least a 3.1 system+AVR instead. I was never pleased with my Samsung Q800 soundbar, so I went back to regular speakers again and couldn't be happier.

I’ve had the sennheiser ambeo, Bose smart ultra, and the Samsung q800, in that order. First two were returned for connectivity issues with my newish Samsung tv. The q800 has been great (the ambeo probably had the best surround but only if it connected). Q symphony is amazing. With the first two bars, you could clearly tell the sound was coming from below the TV… q symphony fixes that completely. And the subwoofer is amazing.

I’ve had the sennheiser ambeo, Bose smart ultra, and the Samsung q800, in that order. First two were returned for connectivity issues with my newish Samsung tv. The q800 has been great (the ambeo probably had the best surround but only if it connected). Q symphony is amazing. With the first two bars, you could clearly tell the sound was coming from below the TV… q symphony fixes that completely. And the subwoofer is amazing.

I found that Q-Symphony adds a nice touch of fill-in to the front soundstage. Not life changing, but definitely worth it.

If the Q990 doesn't fit, don't force it. I will say that the 9500s rears that you can purchase are decent, but NOT the same speakers that you get with the Q990. I would 100% buy a Q990 for future proofing just for the improved rears, even if I didn't use them for awhile. Alternatively, but the Q800 now (I love mine), and then upgrade to the Q990 when the time comes. it's not going to kill you - you can always repurpose the Q800 to another room or sell it to get a bit of $ back.

I'm gonna assume you're in US, you can get Q700 or even Q800 at around $350-$400 depending on your luck. Too bad you just missed out on massive Christmas sale. (Don't bother about the latest D model, unless you absolutely need some minor feature upgrade. You can get C or B model cheaply if you're lucky.) I highly recommend mid range Samsung soundbars just because their surround expansion kit is massively cheaper than any competitors. You can get SWA-9500S rear speaker set later for around $150-$200 depending on your luck. Even if you don't plan to upgrade with surround kit later, they are still solid overall.

I have a Samsung Q800 and for TV it's amazing hardware. Features like midnight playback and dialogue boost works great!

I don't care. Soundbar looks super slick. https://preview.redd.it/ebgaucm7dfqe1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6971c3b6be2ec932d2531d7bcc0006695e795d09

Samsung q800 or better. The 930/990 models have rear speakers (need power). Comes with a sub. Sounds awesome.

If you want high end, a Q930 (a B instead of D is likely cheaper) is good enough for you IMHO. It'll come with the rear surround speakers that also fire from the top. I have a C3 in a small living room and picked up a Q990 and it is definitely overkill. It's great but it's a lot for a small area. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great to me. It beats my older Q70T that I had paired SWA8500 read surround speakers. However, if I managed to find a Q930 at an even better price than what I got the Q990, it would have more than did the job. The Q910 would essentially be I think the same soundbar as the Q930, but the rear surround speakers are not wireless and only fire from the side. The best Samsung model that is only soundbar with subwoofer would be the Q900D. It's the same soundbar that comes with the Q990D (bigger than the Q930's bar). It's huge though. If you want to add the wireless rear surround speakers to the Q900 later, it'll be the SWA9500s. They are NOT the same wireless speakers as the ones that come with the Q990 but work similarly. They are wireless with front, side, and top firing. The most budget Samsung option that can do Atmos is the Q600C. I don't think they released a "D" model for this year so that might be cheaper. I believe the cheapest Atmos capable model this year from Samsung Q700D. However, the Q600 models are NOT compatible with the SWA9500s wireless surround speakers. The Q600 from what I am aware of are only compatible with the SWA9200s surround speakers. The SWA9200s I believe are only side firing. The cheapest bar that will work with the SWA9500 I believe will be the Q700C. It'll also work with the Q800 as well. The Q800D would likely be the "go nicer but not top of the line flagship" expensive.

Ι had the d60 and the nova s80. They are temu quality speakers, they are toys. They are barely worth 50 euros let alone 300. You can buy an actual soundbar at this pricepoint. Samsung q600, q700, q800 whatever. Check also on the used market

The Samsung tv will help with center channel with the Q symphony I believe. Prob will not notice much if at all. Samsung as others had said is def a far better bang for your buck. I don’t consider myself an audio expect but I had what I thought was a nice lg 5.1.2 soundbar and the Samsung blows it away. Voice clarity is what shocked me the most. All ranges of sounds are more defined and crisp even when only steaming. 4k Blu-ray Discs up the level another few notches. There are a bunch of posts on this subreddit explaining how to save a bunch of money ordering some Samsung directly if you choose to go with that soundbar