The Samsung HW-Q900T 7.1.2 Soundbar from the flagship 2020 series supports Samsung Q Symphony technology. The panel has a voice assistant Alexa on board. Unlike Samsung’s flagship HW-Q950T, the bar is not equipped with rear satellite speakers.
Samsung HW-Q900T is an elegant soundbar that looks like the HW-Q950T. The front and top of the panel itself is covered with thick fabric, while the rest is made of plastic. On the sides of the bar, there are vents for the side surround speakers at a slight angle.
Unfortunately, the display screen is at the top of the panel. Therefore, the user will not be able to read the information on it without getting up from the couch. The panel is 123.2 cm wide. It is almost 7 cm high and 13.8 cm deep. This is a very wide soundbar that does not fit between the legs of a 55-inch TV.
If the TV is installed above eye level, the height of the panel will cover the bottom of the screen. There are openings for inputs on the back of the panel. The power cable connects to the back of the panel. If you want to mount the soundbar to the wall, there are universal holes on the underside of the bar for this case.
The Samsung HW-Q900T subwoofer is mainly made of wood. On the right side of the speaker there is a speaker hole covered with a cloth. There is also a port and a pairing button on the back panel. The width of the subwoofer is 21 cm. Its height and depth are the same, which is 40.3 cm. In short, the speaker is the size of a large desktop computer.
The panel and the sub are wirelessly connected, which is very convenient. There is a port and a pairing button on the back of the subwoofer. The power cable is also on the bottom. The Samsung HW-Q900T has good build quality.
However, it seems that the fabric covering the bar and opening of the subwoofer can easily tear or get dirty. In addition to the bracket itself and the subwoofer, the kit includes: a remote control with two AA batteries, a pair of power cords, an HDMI cable, a user manual and a device with screws for wall mounting.
Display
The Samsung HW-Q900T soundbar has a small display located in the upper middle part of the case, next to the controls. The display shows the volume level, speaker settings and inputs. At the front of the panel there are three small indicators that appear, blink, or not light up depending on the commands.
The panel controls are located at the top center, closer to the back. There is a multi-function button that controls the input, volume controls and a button that allows you to mute the microphone.
Stereo sound quality
The HW-Q900T soundbar has an excellent stereo frequency response. Its sound profile is very neutral and well balanced, making this soundbar suitable for a wide range of audio content. The bass of the device is enhanced. It delivers a deep punch and power that can delight fans of bass genres like EDM or hip hop.
You can also customize the sound to your liking with the graphic equalizer and presets. The HW-Q900T soundbar has a good stereophonic soundstage as the bandwidth is quite wide. However, the soundstage itself is about the same width. The bar is well focused so objects such as instruments or voices appear to come from a precise location rather than a general area.
The Q900T soundbar has excellent stereo speakers. It can be loud, which is ideal for listeners who want to use it in a large room or in a crowded environment such as a party. There is some compression at maximum volume, but it shouldn’t be too noticeable.
The Q900T soundbar has an impressive total harmonic distortion performance. At normal listening levels, there is no large distortion for clear sound reproduction. There is some distortion at maximum volume, but this can only be heard on certain content.
The Samsung HW-Q900T Sound Bar has excellent center channel performance. The 7.1.2 sound configuration has a dedicated center speaker that provides more accurate and clear dialogue reproduction.
Surround sound
The HW-Q900T Acoustic Panel has poor surround performance. It has no dedicated speakers for this effect. Instead, the model uses side speakers that bounce sound off the walls. As a result, objects in the soundstage do not sound as clear and precise as when installed with dedicated surround speakers.
Dolby Atmos
Samsung’s Q900T acoustic panel has a low height. It uses sound with upward-firing speakers on the stand itself to bounce sound from the ceiling and back to the listener, giving the impression of height.
However, the localization of objects is blurry, and the sound profile is not detailed enough. If you are looking for a similar soundbar, but with more height effect, then the Samsung HW-Q950T is worth checking out.
Sound enhancement functions
Soundbar Samsung HW-Q900T has enough sound enhancement features. If you like to tweak the sound, there is a graphic equalizer and four preset modes: Standard, Surround, Game Pro, Adaptive Sound. The Adaptive Sound function works as a dialog enhancement mode so that voices sound clearer and clearer.
There are four graphic EQ modes in the application: “Disabled (None)” “Pop”, “Jazz” and “Classic” so that the user can choose the sound they prefer. If you own a Samsung QLED TV, you can also sync the bar to your TV for a more immersive audio experience with Q Symphony.
SmartThings
The panel is compatible with the Samsung SmartThings app. You can use this app to change inputs, adjust volume, select sound modes, and access the equalizer. In addition, the app allows you to stream music from your device to your panel. However, you must use the remote control to control the left, center, right, side, and top panel speaker levels.
Capabilities
The Samsung Q900T Soundbar has outstanding support through its Full HDMI In port. It can play almost all audio formats. However, 5.1 PCM files are not played on the center channel. By connecting this soundbar through the Optical In port, it is possible to play Dolby Digital or DTS content that Blu-ray discs and streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney + are usually equipped with.
You can stream content from your smartphone or tablet wirelessly using a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. The Alexa voice assistant is also built into the dashboard. The Samsung HW-Q900T acoustic panel can transmit signals with the highest bandwidth. If you use the soundbar as a hub between your computer and your TV, text looks crisp.
The soundbar has an auto-off feature that turns the soundbar off after 18 minutes of inactivity or no beep. The bar also supports HDMI CEC. This makes it possible to operate some of the panel functions with the TV remote control.
Connections
The Samsung HW-Q900T soundbar supports all standard surround sound formats through its HDMI port, which also supports eARC. Therefore, it is possible to use this option for lossless surround sound formats.
The model can also be used as a hub between various devices, such as a TV and a game console, thanks to the HDMI ports. In addition to HDMI, there is a USB port for service and firmware updates. Unfortunately, the device doesn’t have a 3.5mm AUX port, so you won’t be able to connect analog devices.
Conclusion
To conclude our review of Samsung’s HW-Q900T, it’s worth adding that the panel is very good for mixed use. This 7.1.2 setup has a dedicated center channel, making it ideal for reproducing dialogue-rich content clearly and accurately.
A well balanced default sound profile suits many music genres. While the soundbar supports surround sound and Dolby Atmos content, it doesn’t have dedicated surround speakers. Therefore, its sound is not the most exciting. On the other hand, the panel has many sound customization functions.