I compared flagship soundbars from Sonos and Samsung - this model's staying under my TV

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The Samsung HW-Q990F and Sonos Arc Ultra correspond 2 chiseled approaches to premium location theatre audio, but some are highly praised for their prime and features. Both are fantabulous systems, but they're built for antithetic kinds of buyers with somewhat antithetic priorities.

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The Samsung HW-Q990F is Samsung's 2025 flagship, offering a implicit situation dependable package. The Sonos Arc Ultra takes a antithetic approach, astatine slightest successful its basal form. It's a standalone soundbar that works wrong the Sonos ecosystem, letting you usage it connected its ain oregon grow it with further Sonos speakers and a subwoofer later. 

So, which of these systems is better? Here's my take.

Specifications

You should bargain the Samsung HW-Q990F if...

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

1. You privation a implicit situation dependable solution

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the strategy to get if you privation everything you request for an immersive situation dependable setup close retired of the box. The bundle includes the main soundbar with 15 drivers, 2 wireless rear speakers with 3 drivers each, and a subwoofer with dual 8-inch drivers. That adds up to a existent 11.1.4 transmission configuration, which is astir arsenic immersive arsenic soundbar systems get.

Review: Samsung HW-Q990F

What makes this strategy peculiarly awesome is that the rear speakers diagnostic up-firing drivers for tallness effects, alternatively than solely forward- and side-firing elements. That helps marque Dolby Atmos contented dependable genuinely enveloping. The immersion is excellent, and you don't person to bargain thing other to get the afloat experience. In my experience, I recovered the level of immersion to beryllium among the highest among soundbar-based systems.

2. You person a compatible Samsung TV

If you already ain a Samsung TV, the HW-Q990F offers autochthonal features you won't find elsewhere. The soundbar tin enactment with your TV's built-in speakers to heighten dialog clarity done Samsung's Q-Symphony technology. You tin besides power everything done the Samsung SmartThings app, which you're apt already utilizing if you person different Samsung devices successful your home, similar a Samsung TV.

Also: The apical 6 TVs our readers bought past twelvemonth (No. 1 wasn't a Sony oregon Samsung)

That said, not each Samsung TV models are compatible with these features, truthful it's advisable to cheque earlier making a purchase. For those with compatible TVs, the integration is seamless, making it adjacent easier to use.

3. You necessitate DTS:X enactment

The Samsung HW-Q990F supports DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, and the caller Eclipsa Audio format that Samsung co-developed with Google. This is simply a important vantage if you person a postulation of Blu-rays oregon different carnal media that utilize DTS formats, arsenic you'll beryllium capable to afloat leverage those audio tracks.

The Sonos Arc Ultra, by contrast, does not enactment DTS:X. It handles Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital precise well, but if you person DTS:X contented successful your library, you'll beryllium missing retired connected that format's afloat capabilities with the Sonos soundbar.

You should bargain the Sonos Arc Ultra if...

Christian de Looper/ZDNET

1. You privation exceptional show from a azygous bar

The Sonos Arc Ultra is awesome for what it tin bash arsenic a standalone soundbar. Sonos's Sound Motion exertion utilizes a four-motor, dual-membrane woofer plan that delivers astir treble the bass output of the erstwhile Arc, each without the request for an outer subwoofer. 

The effect is simply a 9.1.4 virtualized transmission strategy with 14 drivers packed into a compact signifier factor. In idiosyncratic usage, I've recovered that the Arc Ultra's bass effect is comparable to that of the Sonos Sub Mini, which is precise impressive; however, you'll inactive get amended bass from a full-size Sonos Sub 4. 

Review: Sonos Arc Ultra

For astir content, including music, movies, and TV shows, the Arc Ultra sounds fantastic connected its own. That said, it's inactive compatible with the Sonos Sub and Sonos speakers, specified arsenic the Era 100 and Era 300, if you privation to grow later, oregon if you already person Sonos speakers you privation to repurpose for usage with the soundbar. 

The afloat Sonos Immersive Set, comprising Arc Ultra, Sub 4, and Era 300 speakers, costs astir $2,956, which is importantly much than the Samsung package. However, the modularity is adjuvant if you similar to physique your strategy incrementally oregon if you privation to usage the situation speakers arsenic standalone speakers successful the future. 

2. You are gathering oregon expanding a multi-room ecosystem

If you already person Sonos speakers passim your home, the Arc Ultra fits close in. It integrates seamlessly with your existing Sonos setup, allowing you to radical speakers, make zones, and negociate everything done the Sonos app. 

The soundbar offers Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing it to enactment features similar AirPlay 2, providing flexible options for streaming euphony erstwhile you're not watching TV. The Arc Ultra is besides compatible with the Ace headphones, which are an fantabulous prime for radical who ticker TV astatine location but often disturb housemates oregon neighbors.

Also: Here's however a escaped bundle upgrade made the Sonos Ace worthy their terms tag

The quality to upgrade incrementally is simply a existent vantage here. You tin commencement with conscionable the Arc Ultra and adhd a Sub4 oregon Era 300 rear speakers aboriginal erstwhile your fund allows. For those who privation to physique a strategy implicit clip alternatively than buying everything astatine once, this attack makes a batch of sense.

3. You similar a minimalist aesthetic and elemental setup

The Sonos Arc Ultra features a sleek, curved plan that complements astir surviving rooms, eliminating the ocular clutter of abstracted subwoofers and rear speakers. It's surely not compact oregon subtle, but it is little angular than the Samsung soundbar.

Also: Sonos conscionable brought TV Audio Swap to much devices. Here's wherefore it's my all-time favourite headphone feature

Setup is straightforward, too. Sonos's Trueplay tuning is present disposable connected some iOS and Android, measuring your room's acoustics and adjusting the EQ accordingly. If you privation a strategy that sounds large without a batch of fuss, the Arc Ultra delivers.

Writer's choice

I personally usage the Sonos Arc Ultra, but that's mostly because, implicit the years, I've built up a strategy with the Arc Ultra, 2 Sonos Era 300 speakers for the rears, and the Sonos Sub 4. If I had to commencement implicit and bargain everything successful 1 go, I would decidedly prevention the currency and opt for the Samsung HW-Q990F, unless I didn't privation a afloat situation system. In that case, I would instrumentality with the Arc Ultra.