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

Anyone has setup like mine? Lg CX, xbox series X and q950t. Xbox direct to LG CX, then via arc back to q950t. Atmos pass throught never worked for me via eARC, only arc in tv settings. Any ideas why it doesn't work via eARC?
 
To nitpick -- its not HDMI dropouts. Your video is just fine, its the audio drops for a few seconds.

Also - for some reason I have it in my head that ATMOS doesn't do this, just 5.1 content.

I had two audio drop outs watching DD+5.1 with Atmos a couple of days ago (17.5 FW).
 
Tried again this morning. Factory reset the device. Everything plays nicely directly into the soundbar. But eARC LMPC still doesn’t work besides the PS5 which is odd. I might try a HDMI switch into the soundbar and just connect the UB820 and Apple TV into there and have the shield in the 2nd input
 
Tried again this morning. Factory reset the device. Everything plays nicely directly into the soundbar. But eARC LMPC still doesn’t work besides the PS5 which is odd. I might try a HDMI switch into the soundbar and just connect the UB820 and Apple TV into there and have the shield in the 2nd input
Right now earc is just a mess with lpcm still i use a hdmi switch my self and lpcm works no problem only way if you have alot of devices.
 
Saw update firmware, straight go download usb file and update.

First test my Switch (Switch > TV NU8000 > Q950T (Arc)) = no sound
Turn off wall plug for everything and wait for 2 minutes for new handshake

Test again Switch with same setting = i get sounds
sound test Automatic i can hear all 6 sounds during testing but all from the bar only.
sound test Surround i only hear 2 sounds from bar, the rest silent

Boot up my Xbox Series X and test dolby access for Dolby Atmos, everything works same as before.
Next i boot up Gears of War 5 with sound setting set as Bitstream out (Dolby Atmos) and this time i don't have the issue of no sound during gaming.
Switch to Destiny 2 and again, i have sound :D
Switch back to Gears of War 5 and continue have sound :hype:

Previous issue : When sound setting set to Dolby Atmos in Xbox, there's a chance the audio will goes silent mode.
Solution: change HDMI output back and forth or go to Xbox Setting change audio format back and forth.

Tonight gonna test PS4 and see PCM works or not.

Hope this firmware fix most of the issue before.

ADD ON: yesterday watch youtube in my Nvidia Shield Tube (Shield direct to soundbar), i still got one sound drop out (0.5 second) .

ADD ON 2: Btw, previously i recall i cannot pick Uncompressed 5.1 / 7.1 / Stereo in Xbox Series X that lead to error. After this update, now i can pick Uncompressed format.
 
You said you are using a hdmi 2.1 cable to connect directly between the FireCube and the soundbar. While this isn't actually eARC its high enough bandwidth to hit some of the same conditions (I'm guessing here).

Note: I think the FireCube is actually hdmi 2.0b.
The soundbar HDMI inputs are taking video and audio the correct way - no way there is an audio bandwidth restriction I would say. The
return channels have bandwidth restrictions but going the right way 18Gb/s cables will be fine. If you want to get 48Gb/s cables no worries - they aren’t necessary for 4K/60 video and the audio a Firecube puts out (bandwidth wise - whether or not the soundbar handles the codecs is a separate issue).

Make sure the cables are certified for whatever speed they are. They are not certified by the socket standard despite many manufacturers putting that on the packaging, adverts and even the cables. In theory use of the version number is “banned” for both the cables and the devices (from Wikipedia)

“Since the release of HDMI 1.4, the HDMI Licensing LLC group (which oversees the HDMI standard) has banned the use of version numbers to identify cables.[93] Non-cable HDMI products, starting on January 1, 2012, may no longer reference the HDMI number, and must state which features of the HDMI specification the product implements.”

This is why those wanting to see the version numbers of these soundbars will remain disappointed. The manufacturer should be staying the HDMI features supported - not the socket standard.

The audio capabilities of HDMI 2.x sockets remain the same. 2.1 added nothing to audio capabilities of 2.0 and the sub standards in between. 32 audio channels at sampling rates that are well up there.

48Gb/s cables are certified as Ultra High Speed - that bandwidth is needed for 8K etc that 2.1 sockets are capable of. 18Gb/s cables are certified as Premium (High Speed) cables. Those will do all the audio any of these A/V devices will throw at them. Just make sure they are certified.

Plugging a device into the soundbar using certified Premium cables will handle the audio. Any dropouts will be at one end of the processing or the other. Have a spare cable to check it isn’t the cable but otherwise it is the connected device or soundbar audio corcuits that are doing it.

The audio return channels and the audio bandwidth restrictions only apply to audio travelling “the wrong way” through ARC or eARC from a TV HDMI input to a soundbar HDMI output.
 
Hey mate. What switch are you using?
I think it's a china one but been working fine for what i need it to do.I have appletv shield tv both dolby vision works no problem on both devices. Also have ub820 and xbox x hook to it but here the link roofull
 
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I have the 3 HDMI version of this. I use a harmony elite and it’s just too buggy. I keep changing to a format and finding the soundbar keeps auto changing to eARC even though I’ve changed it to a different input...
 
don't seem to be able to do this on LG, so there are no settings etc ? it just works ?
HDMI CEC will need to be turned on on your TV for this to work. LG calls it “SimpLink”. Is this turned on? Also I assume your soundbar is connected via HDMI, correct?
 
I will newer get 4k/120 HDR + atmos via eARC on lg CX, because lg CX - 40Gb/s, solved lol( LG B9 was 48Gb/s. )
 
Can anyone report if they get LPMC to work via eARC? Apple TV, UB820/Nvidia Shield (movies that have LPMC content)?
 
Short audio drop outs still happening with this newest firmware.. ahh well...
 
Lots of observations coming through here.
Not going to challenge anyone's experience but from mine..

1. The entire system seems more active overall across all speakers. Whatever the source channel make up (Stereo, surround etc.), espectially if using modes like Surround or Adaptive.. e.g. when watching broadcast BBC One which is stereo I believe, with the TV Audio going via ARC into the soundbar... the rear speakers if using Adaptive or Surround are a lot "livelier"

2. No short audio drop outs watching from content in Plex, via my NVidia Shield plugged directly into the Q950T.. but not holding my breath this is fully fixed until I've used it for many hours across lots of sources..

3. Like @PrMinisterGR I've gone for a while since my last big post without speaker disconnects... and this is before the new Firmware. Could it be that a factory reset is the biggest thing to do? The reason I say this is that after all of my posts on 5GHz network channels, changing them, disabling certain bands etc., my channels are pretty much where I had them before (both 5GHz bands active) with the main thing I did being the factory reset...

Anyway, like @PlanetaryReference I would like the EQ sorted and a Sub mute.. however so far the XBox Atmos/HDR issue seems to be solved, and other folks needing/wanting LPCM are finally getting that so it could be that the bar... one year late... is finally less of a turkey :D
I now have the bar left on "Adaptive" for the first time. It does sound different.

@AWESOME 4000 what do you mean?
@kavie87 LPCM works here via the PC, from LPCM movies via Kodi, games and players like VLC. It also works on the PS4 Pro. I have a C9 with the latest official firmware. I really recommend resetting the soundbar from Device Connector on your TV. You can do this by starting Device Connector, selecting the soundbar and the port where the bar is, and clicking "Reset Device". It will "make" your TV "see" your bar again.
 
I will newer get 4k/120 HDR + atmos via eARC on lg CX, because lg CX - 40Gb/s, solved lol( LG B9 was 48Gb/s. )

Why should this even matter? The CX only has a 10-bit panel. As far as I know there is no need for 48gb/s bandwith if your TV has no 12-bit panel to get 4k/120fps/Atmos out of it.
 
To me it seems that LG CX still has eARC/LPCM issues that the C9 model doesn't have. I have the LG NANO91 version from 2020, so might test PS4 with LPCM if I get the time for it.

According to this page the 03.00.70 should have the eARC firmware fix for LG CX.

 
@AWESOME 4000 what do you mean?
Exactly what i wrote) I have xbox series x connected to LG CX via original xbox HDMI cable, than LG CX connected to Q950t via eARC LG port, via Samsung original cable from soundbar. Xbox running 4k\120Hz HDR bitstream dolby atmos for home theatre, when I enable eARC option on LG, i get error from xbox, that receiver doesn't support atmos, when i disable eARC on LG leaving only ARC xbox accepts atmos and receiver says dolby atmos, but i think LG is compressing atmos signal.
 
What kind of setup / playback?
Q90R TV -> Q950T (via HDMI Arc)... for watching broadcast television with audio coming from the bar
Xbox Series X -> Q950T -> Q90 TV (Gaming and UHD BluRay watching)
NVidia Shield 2019 -> Q950T -> Q90TV (Streaming content like Plex, IPlayer etc.)

I can be using any of the above and will experience these small drop outs; I think it's definitely the bar as I didn't have this issue with my N950 soundbar previously (same TV, consoles etc.). Also, it's worth remembering that for devices plugged directly into the bar, there can't be any TV settings on my Q90R TV that could causing the issue.
 
Q90R TV -> Q950T (via HDMI Arc)... for watching broadcast television with audio coming from the bar
Xbox Series X -> Q950T -> Q90 TV (Gaming and UHD BluRay watching)
NVidia Shield 2019 -> Q950T -> Q90TV (Streaming content like Plex, IPlayer etc.)

I can be using any of the above and will experience these small drop outs; I think it's definitely the bar as I didn't have this issue with my N950 soundbar previously (same TV, consoles etc.). Also, it's worth remembering that for devices plugged directly into the bar, there can't be any TV settings on my Q90R TV that could causing the issue.
Very strange. I only had these drops when my streaming device (Amazon fire TV Cube) was directly plugged into HDMI of the bar. Through ARC I did not get them (when passing the audio signal through ARC).
After my Fire TV Cube update this morning, no drops occured so far (fingers hardly crossed) during 2h of streaming content. But I don't trust it so far. If it won't work, the only option for me is passing audio through ARC again, giving me a little bit of compression.
But so far so good, I will keep you up!
 
Very strange. I only had these drops when my streaming device (Amazon fire TV Cube) was directly plugged into HDMI of the bar. Through ARC I did not get them (when passing the audio signal through ARC).
After my Fire TV Cube update this morning, no drops occured so far (fingers hardly crossed) during 2h of streaming content. But I don't trust it so far. If it won't work, the only option for me is passing audio through ARC again, giving me a little bit of compression.
But so far so good, I will keep you up!
Okay just had one again... Passing it through ARC now again...
 
Really disappointed with the Q950T. I had high hopes for this update and really other than supporting LPMC now through HDMI In, a shame it doesn’t via eARC. Really wish I’d kept my Q90R....
 
Q90R TV -> Q950T (via HDMI Arc)... for watching broadcast television with audio coming from the bar
Xbox Series X -> Q950T -> Q90 TV (Gaming and UHD BluRay watching)
NVidia Shield 2019 -> Q950T -> Q90TV (Streaming content like Plex, IPlayer etc.)

I can be using any of the above and will experience these small drop outs; I think it's definitely the bar as I didn't have this issue with my N950 soundbar previously (same TV, consoles etc.). Also, it's worth remembering that for devices plugged directly into the bar, there can't be any TV settings on my Q90R TV that could causing the issue.
It seems like the Q90R TV got a silent eARC update.
Really disappointed with the Q950T. I had high hopes for this update and really other than supporting LPMC now through HDMI In, a shame it doesn’t via eARC. Really wish I’d kept my Q90R....
This is misinformation. The bar definitely supports LPCM up to 7.1 via eARC. I was one of the first to ring the bell about PCM, and I can even provide you with EDID dumps later in the day. The issue you have is either with your TV or your cabling.
 

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