Samsung HW-Q930C  Soundbar Review

The Samsung Q930C soundbar has a similar design to its predecessor, the Samsung HW-Q930B. Both bars have angled edges, giving them a hexagonal look. There are metal grilles on the top, front, and sides of the soundbar.

The sub is also quite similar to the Samsung HW-Q930B's model. It's mostly made of a wood-like material with a plastic plate in the back. On the side, there's a round fabric covering.

The satellites also have an angled look like last year's model. There are metal grilles on the top and the front with plastic sides. Underneath the satellites are cable organizers to ensure the wires sit smoothly on your table or stand.

The bar is wide and likely won't fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand. It's not very tall, so unless your TV sits flat on your table, it won't obscure the screen.

The sub's size is comparable to an average desktop computer. It's wireless, so you don't need to wire it to the bar.

The satellites have a similar size to other premium setups, including last year's Samsung HW-Q930B. They connect to the bar wirelessly. If your home doesn't have space for satellite speakers, you can check out the more paired-down Samsung HW-Q800D.

You can mount the bar and the satellites to your wall. There's a wall-mount guide included with purchase, as well as brackets and screws to mount the bar.

The Samsung Q930C has an excellent build quality. Both the bar and the satellites are made of premium materials, with good-quality plastic as well as metal grilles to help protect the drivers inside. The sub is made of a wood-like material that feels solid and durable. However, the fabric covering on the side of the subwoofer can collect dust and pet hair over time. Also use caution when moving it so the fabric doesn't rip.

• User Manual
• Remote with batteries (2x AAA)
• 4x Power cord for subwoofer, soundbar, and satellites (1.5m / 4.9ft)
• HDMI cable (1.5M / 4.9ft)
• Wall-mount guide
• Wall-mount bracket with screws (2x holder screws, 2x screws)

The Samsung HW-Q930C has a great stereo frequency response. Its 'Standard' preset is ideal for music, and with it on, you get a pretty neutral and balanced sound. Voices and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced, and there's a little extra punch in the bass to bring genres like EDM and hip-hop to life. The bar struggles with some deep low bass, like in tracks like Stay from the Interstellar soundtrack. You can adjust its sound with its graphic EQ and presets, including its 'Adaptive Sound' mode, which makes audio sound slightly bright in comparison. Compared to the next generation model, the Samsung HW-Q930D, the HW-Q930C offers a punchier low-end by default, though you can equalize them so sound similar.

If you prefer a more neutral sound with stereo content, we recommend using the bar with its default settings on 'Standard' mode. This soundbar has a lot of customization features on hand, including a graphic EQ and bass and treble adjustments. The treble EQ did not affect the bar's sound on' Standard' mode.

The bar's soundstage is good. It's perceived to be a touch wider than the bar itself when on 'Standard' mode. Switching to 'Adaptive Sound' mode doesn't really improve the width of the soundstage, and it adds a slightly artificial quality to the sound, with vocals and instruments pushed towards the back of the TV. Either way, focus is good, especially in the middle of the soundstage.

The Samsung HW-Q930C gets more than loud enough to fill larger and more open spaces with sound. However, there's some compression when you push it to max volume in both the bass and the treble range. It's especially noticeable with bass-heavy tracks like The Weeknd's Six Feet Under.

This 9.1.4 soundbar has a discrete center channel to improve vocal reproduction in the mix. The channel's frequency response is very even and balanced, especially in the mids, where most voices reproduce. It's easy to follow along with conversations on screen as a result.

The Samsung HW-Q930C has two discrete satellites to provide a more clear and real feel with surround sound formats like Dolby Digital. As a result, sound effects stretch into the space around your couch, and they feel accurately placed within the soundstage. The frequency response on these channels is a bit warm due to the overemphasized bass, and there's some extra brightness from the overemphasized treble. Still, sound effects are clear in the mix.

Up-firing drivers on both the bar and the satellites are designed to rebound sound off your ceiling to create the illusion of height with content like Dolby Atmos. These channels have a fairly balanced sound overall, so sound effects clearly and accurately reproduce. A slight underemphasis in the treble makes them a bit dull and veiled, though.

Subjectively, the bar does a good job with Atmos content. The subwoofer brings a lot of boom in the bass to action-packed scenes, and dialogue is clear and a bit forward in the mix. The soundstage stretches to the sides and above you, which is great for scenes where helicopters fly overhead and cars race past you. You get an immersive sound with clear details. In 'Standard' mode, the placement of sound effects in the space around you is more accurate. 'Adaptive Sound' mode adds a bit more detail, though some scenes sound a bit brighter while others are more artificial. You can always switch between the modes to see which is best for you.

The Samsung HW-Q930C comes with a lot of sound enhancement features. Its room correction tool is called 'SpaceFit Sound', designed to optimize the bar's output based on your room's unique acoustics. If you prefer to manually adjust the sound, there's a 7-band EQ as well as preset modes like 'Standard', 'Surround Sound', 'Game', and 'Adaptive Sound'. Note that the treble adjustment tool doesn't work when the bar is on its 'Standard' mode, at least for our model. You can even use the 'Voice Enhance' tool to, predictably, enhance voices, or 'Night Mode' to even out the volume level between different programs. The 'Q-Symphony' feature is also available for owners of compatible Samsung TVs who want to sync up the bar for an enhanced sound. You can find these settings in the Samsung SmartThings app; some are also accessible through the Gear button on the remote.

You can connect the bar to your TV over an HDMI or Optical connection. Plus, it has an HDMI In port, so you can use it as a hub between devices for high-quality passthrough. There's also a service input available for firmware updates.

This soundbar supports many audio formats you'll likely find on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays, including Dolby Atmos. During our testing, we ran into an issue where the soundbar played audio meant for either the left or the right rear channel on both rear channels simultaneously. We solved this by performing a full factory reset of the bar. Let us know in the forums below if you experience a similar issue.

The Samsung HW-Q930C supports many common audio formats over HDMI In. You can enjoy surround sound like Dolby Digital and lossless and object-based formats like Dolby Atmos.

Over Optical, this soundbar can playback Dolby Digital content, which is more common on streaming services, as well as DTS content, which is more common on Blu-rays.

Audio latency is excellent over an ARC connection. The video you see on the screen is in sync with the audio you hear, so you don't notice lip-sync errors. It's worth mentioning that some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, but you can use the AV Sync feature to manually adjust for delay if needed.

This bar's latency performance via HDMI is outstanding. You don't notice a delay between the audio you hear and the visual on your screen, and there aren't lip-synching issues. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, though. The 'Audio Sync' feature lets you manually adjust the delay if you have any issues. It's accessible on the Gear button on the remote or through the Advanced Settings tab on the app.

This bar has excellent latency performance via Optical. While the AV synchronization error is higher when listening to Dolby Digital content, you can manually compensate for this using the AV Sync feature in the companion app.

You can use the Samsung HW-Q930C as a hub between devices, like a PC and a TV. It can passthrough many common resolutions and refresh rates to make the most of gaming on certain consoles. Plus, you can passthrough some variable refresh rate technologies to ensure a tear-free gaming experience.

The bar lets you wirelessly send audio from your devices to the bar over many different connections. Support for Chromecast is region-dependent, so it's worth checking your country's product page to see if it's supported. Also, if you own a Samsung phone on Android 8.1 and above, you can use the 'Tap Sound' feature to mirror sound from your phone to the bar.

A four-character display on the front of the bar shows several different settings as you adjust them, like the volume and the input. It scrolls through longer messages. You can also press the 'i' button on the remote to show what format is playing.

Controls on top of the bar let you control some basic settings. You can change the input, adjust the volume, and turn the microphone on and off. The remote or the app is needed to access additional features and sound enhancement tools.

The remote lets you control the bar's features. Also, you can download the Samsung SmartThings app to adjust the bar's settings from your smartphone. There's a video of the app here .

Built-in Amazon Alexa lets you control the bar using your voice. Google Assistant support is available in some regions, so you'll want to check your country's product page to see if it's available. A mic mute button is on hand for more private moments, too.