Samsung sells a dizzying variety of soundbars, which might make selecting something other than its multi-speaker Dolby Atmos flagship, the HW-Q990C (or older Q990B), fairly complicated. The HW-Q800C, which sits a step or two beneath the Q990, stands out as a best choice for these trying to dive into 3D soundscapes and nice sound at a extra affordable value.
The Q800C is a chip off the outdated Q990 block, borrowing the identical angular hexagon profile and loads of trickle-down options in a pared-down package deal. As a two-piece system, it’s simpler to include into your listening room than Samsung’s priciest bar, whereas its included subwoofer provides it a cinematic edge over stand-alone choices just like the Sonos Arc and different rivals.
The kicker is that you could normally decide up the Q800C for effectively beneath its $1,000 MSRP, typically as little as $700, which makes its spectacular sound high quality and beneficiant function set all of the extra engaging. Whereas not with out its limitations, that is a compelling Atmos bar that’s effectively value contemplating on a midrange finances, even when it floats underneath the radar.
Simple Setup, Loads of Extras
Samsung makes almost every little thing easy with its soundbars, although unboxing the Q800C could be the exception. Its L-shaped packaging appears nearly designed to confound, requiring you to open a number of ends to dig every little thing out. That stated, after renegotiating its place and releasing the contents, I had the subwoofer and 46-inch bar in place and belting out sound very quickly.
You’ll probably be connecting the system to your TV over HDMI ARC/eARC, which gives the perfect sound and simplified management over energy and quantity together with your TV distant. Most newer TVs will discover the bar and ship sound routinely, however older setups could require you to decide on it as an exterior machine. In case your TV is notably seasoned, chances are you’ll want to attach over the Q800C’s optical enter, however this negates Dolby Atmos, which type of defeats the purpose.
The Q800C helps Dolby’s object-based Atmos sound format at full decision from sources like 4K Blu-ray straight from the bar’s spare HDMI enter, or in compressed kind through streaming providers. In contrast to Sonos’ and Bose’s high soundbars, the Q800C additionally helps Dolby Atmos’ major 3D-audio competitor, DTS:X, alongside nearly each different main audio format you’ll encounter.
The Q800C gives some Samsung-only methods, together with the flexibility to supply Atmos wirelessly from choose fashions just like the model’s Q-series TVs or work in tandem with their onboard TV audio system through the proprietary Q-Symphony system. Customers of any TV can take pleasure in different trendy options like a built-in voice assistant through Amazon Alexa, and Spacefit sound calibration to routinely analyze your room and alter efficiency accordingly (although I’m unsure I heard a lot enchancment there).
Connecting the bar to your Wi-Fi community through the SmartThings app permits you to dig into settings like channel ranges and EQ, and going surfing unlocks high-quality streaming over Spotify Join, Tidal Join, and Apple AirPlay. Google’s Chromecast is conspicuously absent (within the US model anyway), however Bluetooth streaming is on the market in its place.
Thrilling, Swirling Sound
{Photograph}: Samsung
After spending numerous hours listening to Samsung’s newest soundbars, it was no shock to seek out that the Q800C serves up sensible sound throughout all kinds of content material. The sound profile is highlighted by full-bodied midrange and bass frequencies, treble that sings with candy lyricism in brass and strings, and stable dynamics that carry out every little thing from refined dialog to potent explosions (or each directly) with tempered stability.
