The Samsung HW-Q990B is the old home theater equivalent of a box package; buy one and you get a powerful and sophisticated 11.1.4 surround sound system right out of the box, while being easy to set up and install.

At $1,599, it is the most expensive soundbar Samsung makes, but it is several hundred dollars cheaper than the LG S95QR Dolby Atmos soundbar released last year, which only plays 9.1.5 channel sound.

Despite being considerably better than the S95QR, the Samsung HW-Q990B has a few simple drawbacks that prevent it from being perfect - there is no on-board streaming app, so if you want to hear Dolby Atmos audio, a source capable of streaming Dolby Atmos audio You will need to have a source that can stream Dolby Atmos audio. Also, the lack of a graphical UI makes it difficult to fine-tune settings.

Although we did not experience this during our two-month long testing period, other users have reported serious connectivity issues with the soundbar, claiming that both the rear speakers and subwoofer disconnect regularly. Without knowing how widespread this problem is, we are not going to count these complaints about the soundbar, but we feel it is worth mentioning here in case anyone is concerned that it might happen to them.

The Samsung HW-Q990B is Samsung's 2022 flagship soundbar; it will be replaced by a new model (Samsung HW-Q990C) in 2023, but for now it's Samsung's top 'bar you can buy.

In terms of price, the Samsung HW-Q990B costs $1,599/£1,299/ A$1,999. Not surprisingly for such a multi-channel soundbar, this is considerably more expensive than the Sonos Arc and Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3, which cost less than $1,000 each.

So what makes the Samsung HW-Q990B so expensive? It is because it comes with not only a sturdy 48.5-inch central 'bar' but also two sturdy satellite speakers and a 25.8-pound subwoofer. Given its size and weight, the soundbar is best suited under a 55" or 65" screen, while the sub is best placed on the floor wherever there is space.

In terms of design, the HW-Q990B is all black, with a plastic grille covering the front of the soundbar. This grille is 22 (...) of the soundbar. designed to allow the drivers to be seen, and looks quite neat. But it does more than just look good. The soundbar comes with wireless satellite speakers and a subwoofer, allowing for a fairly flexible installation. Be aware, however, that if you place the satellite speakers too far away, you may not get the best surround sound performance.

Flip it over and you'll see all the inputs and outputs. The great thing is that there are two HDMI inputs here that can send a 4K HDR signal to your TV and one eARC HDMI output that must be connected to the eARC port on your TV to support Dolby Atmos. If you don't need Atmos, you can skip all the wires by using the optical digital output port or by connecting to your Samsung TV wirelessly via Bluetooth. If you want to stream music, you can do so with AirPlay 2, but not with Chromecast.

To control the soundbar, you can of course use a regular TV remote control if you are connected via ARC/eARC, or you can use the included Samsung remote control. The remote itself is basic, but the fastest way to switch between audio modes. Unfortunately, there is no built-in user interface or built-in streaming app as found on other high-end soundbars, so you must use the remote control and small LED screen on the front of the soundbar to navigate through the settings.

With a total output of 656 watts, it is hard not to be impressed by the output of these speakers. When set to volume level 10, dialog sounds crystal clear. At volume level 15, background details can be heard that would be missed by the TV's built-in speakers. At volume levels of 20 or 25, the room will begin to shake with the bass response. If you like your soundbar loud and don't have to worry about neighbors, you'll love it.

There is much to like in terms of sound clarity and depth. No matter what music I play through these speakers, I am enveloped by a wide soundstage with nuanced mids and highs and massive lows. I decided to boost the bass a bit to bring out the sub-bass even more, but it sounds pretty good right out of the box and doesn't need much tweaking.

I recommend changing from standard mode to adaptive sound mode as soon as possible. With adaptive sound enabled, you can use the built-in microphone to adapt the sound to your living room and help boost the height speakers. The boost feature would have been useful, as my living room layout forces me to place the satellite speakers in a more rearward position than is optimal.

I was impressed with the realism of the sound when watching content with Dolby Atmos audio tracks on my Apple TV. The height effects sounded clear, and while I didn't get the pristine sound bubble that I get with real overhead speakers, what I did get was a great imitation; the audio tracks mastered for 5.1-channel and 7.1-channel surround sounded good, but again, the low-powered satellite speakers did not give me what I was looking for.

Overall, if you have a tricky living room configuration or don't want to invest in the cabling required for an AV receiver and floorstanding speakers, the HW-Q990B offers respectable sound rich in dialogue detail and no-wiring I would say it provides solid surround sound.

I'm a sucker for multi-channel soundbars that are easy to set up thanks to wireless satellites and a robust wireless subwoofer. The Samsung HW-Q990B provides an easy setup solution that delivers detailed audio and impressive Dolby Atmos sound. It's not as feature-rich as I'd like at this price point, but if you're looking for a powerful soundbar that can rattle your windows, the Samsung HW-Q990B is worth a home theater audition.