Most of the other features and settings are available with the bar’s remote control and built-in display, but it’s usually easier to use the SmartThings app. The basic layout allows you to select the sound mode (I generally stick to Standard), adjust the EQ, enable enhancements like the Active Voice Amplifier, and set channel levels.
I appreciate Samsung’s inclusion of channel levels for most of the bar’s gazillion audio channels, but getting the levels locked was the most troublesome part of my evaluation. I had the surround speakers directly behind my sofa due to space constraints, which meant I had to turn them all the way down and even raise the other channels to balance things out.
This task was much easier with Sonos’ Era 300 speakers (9/10, WIRED recommends) connected to the Arc Ultra, because Sonos TruePlay calibration adjusts the sound to your room (though standalone Wi-Fi speakers can have their own quirks). Auto-calibration is something I’d expect in any system costing nearly $2,000, but every year Samsung fails to add it. The company’s Space Fit feature supposedly analyzes the audio in real time, but I didn’t notice any meaningful change.
My other beef is a persistent volume issue when using Spotify Connect. If you’re streaming directly from Spotify, adjusting the volume level bizarrely jumps up or down seven steps per terrifying tap, so it’s always too loud or too quiet. Add in the lack of Chromecast, and Android users are forced to control streaming directly from SmartThings or grab the otherwise redundant remote. It’s a small fix, but that’s also why it’s so annoying.
Sound Swirl
Despite the streaming quirks, the Q990D has the goods where it counts. Each component of the four-part system works together to offer a powerful, balanced and stunningly fluid soundstage across everything you play. You don’t quite get the premium detail found in bars like the Arc Ultra, but there’s enough tactile touch to appreciate the little things, and plenty of bombast to elevate your cinematic moments to new heights, literally.
Dolby Atmos is unsurprisingly the star of the show. The “Amaze” scene from my Atmos demo disc was definitely a showpiece moment. I could almost feel the humidity around me in the hum of the insects at the intro, as the rolling thunder cracked with visceral surprise, and the rain finally really reached down from overhead to set me deep in the jungle flora.