Samsung HW-Q950T and HW-Q900T Soundbar - Review & Comments

Registered to this forum just to add my $0.02 and mirror some sentiments that have been posted here before.

I've owned this soundbar for a couple of months now and the Atmos output is lovely. I enjoy the audio quality and really like the setup overall.

However, the lack of LPCM support is beyond frustrating. One of my main use cases for this is having it hooked up to an LG CX and a PC with a 3090. I've got everything that I want except for reliable surround sound.

I've tried using the Dolby Access app, but saying it's flaky would be too kind. The Dolby Atmos for Home Theater output frequently stops outputting any sound, and when it encoding the audio in games for Bitstream output, there's a notable audio delay.

I just want to be able to push out simple 5.1+ LPCM audio from my PC without any slow/unreliable encoding.

Hopefully Samsung can address this issue sooner rather than later. I'm slightly tempted to return the soundbar and grab something else, but I'm otherwise so happy with the soundbar in every other regard. I'd be gutted to have to swap this out for such a silly reason that seems to stem from an arbitrary limitation more than anything else.

In the meantime, is there any other way I can join others here in prodding Samsung to get this fixed? It'd be a huge comfort just to have a clear and concise statement from them indicating that they're aware of the limitation and are going to fix it.

Cheers!

/rant
Yeah mate . Couldn’t agree more, I’m quite certain that’s why XSX doesn’t allow you to select anything other than stereo when connected via eARC. You can send an email to customer service via the Samsung website. Lots of other forum members have done this already but you should definitely voice your concern, the more the merrier
 
Don't be mislead by all that. This surround system (with a bar) is easy to figure out and get working, the complications come mostly with the streaming devices people plug into it, and their setup process and choices.

Keep it simple. I hook it up and enter the settings I want, then use it as a stand alone audio playback system and control it with a remote (I never use the app). The system gives me no trouble at all, and it's a lot easier to setup and use than my TV, PC or Xbox. There's a familiarization period but that's all.

So far I haven't found any issues that prevent me from using this system reliably or listening to any audio source I want to hear or video I want to watch.

I don't use streaming media because I can't tolerate their unreliability. Everything I listen to is downloaded to SSD or some sort of disk or memory device before I play it, and have not experienced any audio-dropouts since I bought the system nor any speaker connection problems. 100% reliable and completely trouble-free playback is situation normal for me.

Zero complex issues involved.
thanks for the reassurance :) yes, i understand, it's just the issues around LPCM etc...
 
Hi- need feedback on setup for my Samsung HW-Q95T Soundbar with my Samsung Q80 - 65 inch TV. I have a room that is 20 X 17 wide with full walls on the three side - no windows on those walls. WIndows are behind the TV. Looking for the best Setup options for the soundbar setting for all of the various +/- values for the setting to get best sound across the room. No Gaming, No Bluetooth. Just for TV and Movie watching including streaming- Netflix/Disney. Any suggestions. I have seen a few but not sure if those calibrations are for a room of this size. Thanks
 
I just want to be able to push out simple 5.1+ LPCM audio from my PC without any slow/unreliable encoding.

Hey Kodiack,

Are you not able to bitstream 5.1 from PC game to TV HDMI1, then 'auto' output the 5.1 to ARC/eARC to bar? I use a PC that way but I don't use the PC for surround gaming or Atmos. But I would be amazed if this didn't work with 5.1 or forced us to use LPCM instead of bitstream to TV, then through to bar still as a bitstream. But you seem to indicating you can get it too work but only with a sound delay?

What about bitstream 5.1 from PC to bar, and pass 4K video to TV? There should be little audio delay that way.

Question is, what device is creating the processing/pass delay? Sounds like it could be PC out or TV doing that.

Xbox 5.1 and 7.1 processing produces a slight delay as well (not noticing it in Atmos) but it's not long enough to bother me. Maybe I'm just more tolerant of it, I presumed the processing delay was a function of higher-res bitstream being sent by Xbox One-X, then decoded by the bar to play it.

If the res sent by an Xbox can not be lowered within the Xbox (and as far as I can see it can't be) then nothing can be done to speed up the decoding processing time.

But a PC can lower the audio output bandwidth in the audio output device config. Could you not reduce the PC's bitstream bandwidth to speed up the 5.1 decode?

Alternatively, not sure if wifi can provide 5.1 audio from PC directly to the bar, but only because I haven't tried to. It probably can do it, so worth trying to see if there's a delay present in it.
 
Hi- need feedback on setup for my Samsung HW-Q95T Soundbar with my Samsung Q80 - 65 inch TV. I have a room that is 20 X 17 wide with full walls on the three side - no windows on those walls. WIndows are behind the TV. Looking for the best Setup options for the soundbar setting for all of the various +/- values for the setting to get best sound across the room. No Gaming, No Bluetooth. Just for TV and Movie watching including streaming- Netflix/Disney. Any suggestions. I have seen a few but not sure if those calibrations are for a room of this size. Thanks

That's not an unusually large room, slightly wider than mine. The thing which matters most is how close or how far you are from the rears.

In other words, you could use this setting below, then adjust the rear level setting and the rear top setting, to a lower volume if the rears are close to you. For example:

Samsung HW-Q950T System Setting:
TREBLE = 0
BASS = -3
CENTER LEVEL = 0
SIDE LEVEL = -1 (90 deg)
WIDE LEVEL = 0 (45 deg)
FRONT TOP LEVEL = 0
REAR LEVEL = +6
REAR TOP LEVEL = +6

HW-Q950T 7-Band EQ
150 Hz = 0
300 Hz = 0
600 Hz = -2
1.2 kHz = -3
2.5 kHz = -2
5 kHz = 0
10 kHz = 0

SUBWOOFER = How ever you like it set.

The EQ is always set in Standard mode, but the setting applies to all modes.

But you can balance the rears to the bar in Surround Mode using a movie or TV program sound track as that will playback in 9.1.4 with the rears working when in Surround Mode.

Better to have the rears too loud, at first, then adjust them down by one increment each time, until they are in a good balance with the bar, for your seat location.

I have the rears set up high here because the rears are 2.5 times further away than the bar is for where I sit.

REAR LEVEL = +6
REAR TOP LEVEL = +6

So if you sit closer to the rears, than the bar, try the rears set like this:

REAR LEVEL = +3
REAR TOP LEVEL = +3

Then drop the rears one level if still to loud, etc.

The other settings above will produce excellent imaging results for your room, as given. I would not change those.

I'd try to locate the sub under the TV in the middle of the wall, and face its driver towards your seating location, perhaps a little out from the wall.
 
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My Alexa isn't working on the bar ... and hasn't worked for weeks now.

After giving the 'Alexa' wake up word the bar wakes up but then doesn't seem to 'hear' any commands given subsequently.

Will a factory reset sort this and if so how do I effect a factory reset?

TIA
 
Will a factory reset sort this and if so how do I effect a factory reset?
Before you do a factory reset just power off the soundbar and unplug the power cord. Sometimes this helps.

Reset will be done by pressing - and + buttons on top of the soundbar for 10 seconds. You will see something like reset or initialize on the display.
 
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HW-Q950T 7-Band EQ
150 Hz = 0
300 Hz = 0
600 Hz = -2
1.2 kHz = -3
2.5 kHz = -2
5 kHz = 0
10 kHz = 0
I was using previous recommended settings
150 Hz = +5
300 Hz = +5
600 Hz = +3
1.2 kHz = +2
2.5 kHz = +3
5 kHz = +5
10 kHz = +5
@PlanetaryReference
What's the difference between these settings and when to use which setting?
 
I’m very disappointed (and upset) with this bar...
Very good Atmos bar (if it works) but it is full of bugs!
Alexa wakes up suddenly without anyone pronouncing any voice command...
Streaming music is a panic!
Spotify Connect doesn’t work well (“mute” music play) and several songs produce annoying distortions and crackling.
If you have this bar you can try to replicate this issue playing this track via Spotify on the bar:


Approx at min 3:02 music start to “crackly” in a very annoying way...
 
hi, qq.. can you control the soundbar with another Alexa device , eg and Echo?
 
That's not an unusually large room, slightly wider than mine. The thing which matters most is how close or how far you are from the rears.

In other words, you could use this setting below, then adjust the rear level setting and the rear top setting, to a lower volume if the rears are close to you. For example:

Samsung HW-Q950T System Setting:
TREBLE = 0
BASS = -3
CENTER LEVEL = 0
SIDE LEVEL = -1 (90 deg)
WIDE LEVEL = 0 (45 deg)
FRONT TOP LEVEL = 0
REAR LEVEL = +6
REAR TOP LEVEL = +6

HW-Q950T 7-Band EQ
150 Hz = 0
300 Hz = 0
600 Hz = -2
1.2 kHz = -3
2.5 kHz = -2
5 kHz = 0
10 kHz = 0

SUBWOOFER = How ever you like it set.

The EQ is always set in Standard mode, but the setting applies to all modes.

But you can balance the rears to the bar in Surround Mode using a movie or TV program sound track as that will playback in 9.1.4 with the rears working when in Surround Mode.

Better to have the rears too loud, at first, then adjust them down by one increment each time, until they are in a good balance with the bar, for your seat location.

I have the rears set up high here because the rears are 2.5 times further away than the bar is for where I sit.

REAR LEVEL = +6
REAR TOP LEVEL = +6

So if you sit closer to the rears, than the bar, try the rears set like this:

REAR LEVEL = +3
REAR TOP LEVEL = +3

Then drop the rears one level if still to loud, etc.

The other settings above will produce excellent imaging results for your room, as given. I would not change those.

I'd try to locate the sub under the TV in the middle of the wall, and face its driver towards your seating location, perhaps a little out from the wall.
Thank you for the response back for the setting. The TV/Soundbar is about 16 feet from the seating area, unfortunately the rear speakers are like 1 foot almost more best and in back - in the corners. So they are close. I will try these settings and play with the rear levels and see what woks. I thank you for the information.
 
Just played gears 5 from PC, wich is an Atmos game, and.. sh*** : this is INSANE with this bar !!!
We really can FEEL the atmos sound with this game.

Works even better than Forza Horizon 4 (I guess cause of it's action game type).
Explosions and shots, aircraft motors, are out of this world with this bar.

Best experience I have ever felt
 
Any Q-Symphony users here? It's just that it feels like this function is pretty much useless.

You can only choose between Game&Adaptive mode which is something Samsung should've fixed by now. When switching channels or listening on preview content on Netflix for example you hear the tv sound for a short time before the soundbar kicks in enabling tv+soundbar sound. It's just annoying and somehow I'd want it to be possible to somehow delay it so that the TV wont produce sounds before the soundbar is ready to do so as well.

Does anyone here honestly feel that the Q-Symphony gimmick really enhance the listening experience in any way?
 
Just played gears 5 from PC, wich is an Atmos game, and.. sh*** : this is INSANE with this bar !!!
We really can FEEL the atmos sound with this game.

Works even better than Forza Horizon 4 (I guess cause of it's action game type).
Explosions and shots, aircraft motors, are out of this world with this bar.

Best experience I have ever felt
How are you connected to the bar, and how are you getting Atmos?
 
@PlanetaryReference

I have been following your recommendations and feeling much better now (after some disappointments in the beginning :( ) 😊. Thank you.

Can you please help me understand the following?

Is it possible to rest the volume levels to the defaults (factory settings) without resetting the bar itself? If not, would you know the default (out of the box) values?

Some of your recommendations have FRONT TOP LEVEL set to 0. Isn’t FRONT TOP LEVEL for up-firing? If yes, will setting this low value reduce the ATMOS bubble effect?

Is there a manual that has information about the speakers (which is side level, wide level etc), meaning of setting volume levels from -6 to 6, EQ setting etc? I couldn’t find any Samsung manual that goes through these technical details. This is a major investment for me, unfortunately I’m unable to fully understand and use this sound system to the optimal way.

Appreciate your comments and suggestions
 
Hi Guys.

I own a Samsung Q950T since last week.

Connected as follows:

Nvidia Shield Pro (hdmi 8K Cable to Soundbar) -> Q950T (included hdmi Cable to TV)-> Panasonic GZW1004 HDMI ARC

All formats are played. Only when playing TrueHD Atmos did I notice that the rear speakers were cracking at a volume of only 18%.

Is that normal? With a DTS-HD / MA playback I can definitely go louder, volume 35, from then on they crack too.

I've tried a lot. reset, channel change, FW update, WiFi Off, nothing helps.

I play all with Kodi. Passthrough in Kodi is enabled. In Shield Device settings all Audio Formats are automatically enabled. With Plex or Emby the same.

Could it be that both are broken or they can‘t get louder?

Thanks
 
Hi Guys.

I own a Samsung Q950T since last week.

Connected as follows:

Nvidia Shield Pro (hdmi 8K Cable to Soundbar) -> Q950T (included hdmi Cable to TV)-> Panasonic GZW1004 HDMI ARC

All formats are played. Only when playing TrueHD Atmos did I notice that the rear speakers were cracking at a volume of only 18%.

Is that normal? With a DTS-HD / MA playback I can definitely go louder, volume 35, from then on they crack too.

I've tried a lot. reset, channel change, FW update, WiFi Off, nothing helps.

I play all with Kodi. Passthrough in Kodi is enabled. In Shield Device settings all Audio Formats are automatically enabled. With Plex or Emby the same.

Could it be that both are broken or they can‘t get louder?

Thanks

If both rears crack, problem is certainly not speaker related. It's a source/connexion/software problem.

PS :
Hello Samsung, LPCM Update please.
 
Just played gears 5 from PC, wich is an Atmos game, and.. sh*** : this is INSANE with this bar !!!
We really can FEEL the atmos sound with this game.

Works even better than Forza Horizon 4 (I guess cause of it's action game type).
Explosions and shots, aircraft motors, are out of this world with this bar.

Best experience I have ever felt

Hmm.. If u are referring to Xbox Forza Horizon 4, i don't recall it's a Dolby Atmos enabled game.

But yea, Gears 5 Atmos really insanely good !
 
Hmm.. If u are referring to Xbox Forza Horizon 4, i don't recall it's a Dolby Atmos enabled game.

But yea, Gears 5 Atmos really insanely good !

Did you managed to get 'Atmos' displayed on the bar when you launch gears 5 ?
I selected dolby atmos for home theater in windows sound, and atmos is displayed on an atmos file content , but not in gears 5.

Also, I can't change sound mode in an atmos movie, but I can in gears 5, so I'm afraid I'm not getting a truly atmos in the game.
 
If both rears crack, problem is certainly not speaker related. It's a source/connexion/software problem.

PS :
Hello Samsung, LPCM Update please.

Ok thanks. But what should i do now?
Should i change both HDMI Cables to a High Premium 4K Cable? All Devices are up to date!
 
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Ok thanks. But what should i do now?
Should i change both HDMI Cables to a High Premium 4K Cable? All Devices are up to date!

Cables won't change anything : HDMI cables send 0 and 1, it either works or doesn't.
Try another atmos movie ?
You can easily find atmos samples here Dolby Trailers - The Digital Theater
Plenty of stuff to test your speakers :) !
 
Cables won't change anything : HDMI cables send 0 and 1, it either works or doesn't.
Try another atmos movie ?
You can easily find atmos samples here Dolby Trailers - The Digital Theater
Plenty of stuff to test your speakers :) !

omg, i just ordered some.:facepalm:
As I already wrote at the beginning, the problem also exists with non-Atmos movies. So I suspect a problem with the soundbar. But i will test the examples. if they don't work either, I'll give them back.
 
omg, i just ordered some.:facepalm:
As I already wrote at the beginning, the problem also exists with non-Atmos movies. So I suspect a problem with the soundbar. But i will test the examples. if they don't work either, I'll give them back.

There should be a command using remote buttons to get a test signal on all the speakers, but i can't remember it.. lel
 

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