The Samsung HW-Q950A is the next generation of the Samsung HW-Q950T. This premium Dolby Atmos soundbar has a subwoofer and satellites to enhance your listening experience. It's the first 11.1.4 setup from the manufacturer, and compared to last year's model, it offers some new features, including an Auto EQ room correction feature and Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity. Also, you get access to Samsung's premium tools, such as Q-Symphony, which uses the bar in tandem with the speakers on compatible Samsung TVs for a more immersive sound.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q950A soundbar is impressive for mixed usage. It's an 11.1.4 soundbar with a balanced sound right out of the box, so you don't have trouble hearing dialogue in your favorite TV shows or instruments in your favorite songs. If you like watching movies, you get an immersive sound with everything from 5.1 surround sound content to object-based formats like Dolby Atmos. The sub brings plenty of rumble in the bass, and you have lots of customization tools on hand to make it sound how you like. It's a really premium bar overall.
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Doesn't support Chromecast built-in.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is excellent for dialogue-heavy TV shows and podcasts. It's an 11.1.4 setup, so there's a discrete center channel included to enhance vocal reproduction. With its balanced mids, voices are clearly and accurately reproduced, and you don't have any trouble hearing the action on screen. With its dialogue enhancement tool called Active Voice Amplifier, you can make voices more clear and crisp in the mix. Podcasts are easy to stream to the bar wirelessly, though you won't find Chromecast built-in support.
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility.
- Dialogue enhancement tool.
- Doesn't support Chromecast built-in.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is great for music. This soundbar comes with a room correction feature that uses a microphone built into the subwoofer to automatically optimize audio reproduction based on the unique acoustic characteristics of your room. With it on, its sound profile is quite balanced, especially in the mids. Voices and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix, and the sub brings the rumble in the bass range. As a result, it's suitable for lots of different music genres. There are lots of customization tools on hand to switch up its sound, too.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Gets loud.
- Bass and treble adjustments don't work.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is great for movies. Dialogue is clear and present in the mix, so you don't have any trouble following the plot on-screen, and the bass brings the rumble in action-packed scenes. With its satellites, you get an immersive sound with 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, which are commonly found on streaming services. There's Dolby Atmos support, too, and the bar makes it seem like the action is happening all around you from the comfort of your couch.
- Gets loud.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Bass and treble adjustments don't work.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 09, 2024: Added information to the Wireless Playback and Voice Assistant Support boxes as Chromecast and Google Assistant support is region-specific.
- Updated Jun 13, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 20, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 16, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-Q950A 11.1.4ch soundbar is available in 'Black'. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of the Samsung HW-Q950A, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-Q950A is a premium soundbar released in 2021 that's the next generation of the Samsung HW-Q950T. Unlike its predecessor, it comes with a room correction feature and supports Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity. It also comes with some new features that we don't test for, like SpaceFit Sound, which adjusts audio reproduction using your compatible Samsung TV, and Tap Sound, which mirrors audio when you tap your phone against the bar. While it's advertised to come with two extra channels, we didn't hear any sound coming from them during our tests.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars for movies.
The Samsung HW-Q990B is the next generation of the Samsung HW-Q950A, and it's a better bar overall. They're both 11.1.4 setups, but the Q990B packs more punch in the bass range right out of the box. It has an improved design, too, with metal grilles that feel more solid than the 950A's fabric sides. Its redesigned satellites add a lot to the sound, especially if you watch a lot of movies. It gives a more immersive listening experience overall.
The Samsung HW-Q950A and the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module are premium soundbars with versatile overall performances. The Bose is better built. and it offers a better soundstage performance. It also offers a more balanced sound profile out of the box. That said, the Samsung comes with more sound customization features. Unlike the Bose, it has DTS support and a Full HDMI In port for high-quality passthrough.
The Samsung HW-Q950A and the Samsung HW-Q930B offer similar overall performances. The Q950A is an 11.1.4 setup released in 2021, whereas the Q930B is a 9.1.4 setup released in 2022. The Q930B reproduces more bass out-of-the-box, and it's better built. It doesn't get quite as loud as the Q950A, but that's likely not worth the extra price for most people.
The Samsung HW-Q950A is a better soundbar than the JBL Bar 9.1. The Samsung gets louder, and it offers a better surrounds performance. It comes with more sound enhancement features, including bass and treble adjustments, a dialogue enhancement feature, and a graphic EQ. It also has built-in support for Amazon Alexa voice assistant. That said, the JBL is better built and has a better soundstage performance.
Test Results
