Most other features and settings can be accessed through the bar’s remote and onboard display, but it’s usually easier to use the SmartThings app. The basic layout lets you choose a sound mode (I usually stick to Standard), adjust the EQ, use enhancements like active voice amp, and set channel levels.
I appreciate that Samsung included channel levels for most of the bar’s billions of audio channels, but fixing the levels was the most annoying part of my review. Due to limited space, I placed the surround speakers directly behind the sofa. This meant I had to turn the speakers all the way down and even turn up other channels to get balance.
Connecting Sonos’ Era 300 speakers (9/10, WIRED recommended) to the Arc Ultra made this task much easier, as Sonos TruePlay calibration adjusts the sound to suit the room (although (standalone Wi-Fi speakers may have their own quirks). Auto-calibration is a must-have on any system that costs nearly $2,000, but Samsung doesn’t add it every year. The company’s Space Fit feature claims to analyze sounds in real time, but I didn’t notice any meaningful changes.
Another issue is the volume issue when using Spotify Connect. If you’re streaming directly from Spotify, adjusting the volume level will strangely raise or lower it by 7 levels with each tap, so it’s always either too loud or too quiet. In addition to the lack of Chromecast, Android users will have to control streaming directly from SmartThings or use an extra remote control. It’s a small fix, but that’s also why it’s so annoying.
sound swirl
Despite its streaming quirks, the Q990D has important features. Each component of the four-piece system works together to deliver a powerful, balanced, and wonderfully smooth soundstage wherever you play. You don’t quite get the high-end detail you’ll find in a bar like the Arc Ultra, but there’s enough tactility to pick up on the little things, and an exaggeration that literally takes cinematic moments to new heights. There are many.
It’s no surprise that Dolby Atmos is the star of the show. The “Amaze” scene on my Atmos demo disc was definitely a standout moment. I could almost feel the humidity around me with the intro’s buzz of insects, but then the thunder crackled with a visceral surprise and the final rain really came down from above, leaving me deep in the jungle vegetation.
