Samsung has announced US pricing for its 2024 flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Samsung HW-Q990D, which will launch with a retail price of $1,999 (around £1,599 / AU$3,000). The HW-Q990D is available to buy now from Samsung’s own site and major retailers.
As the successor to the Samsung HW-Q990C, which was our top premium pick for the best soundbar of 2023, the Samsung HW-Q990D offers the same 11.1.4 speaker configuration and Dolby Atmos support as its predecessor. Dolby Atmos is even available at lossless quality wirelessly when connected via Wi-Fi to a compatible Samsung TV.
One of the latest features added to the HW-Q990D, which the HW-Q990C was missing, is HDMI 2.1 for 4K 120Hz passthrough when gaming, meaning those gamers with multiple consoles but a lack of ports on their TVs can use the HW-Q990D’s input to get the most from their secondary console.
Another minor upgrade from the previous year’s model is that the new HW-Q990C will get Roon support, which is a subscription service and management platform that combines all your music sources and devices. This is likely down to Samsung’s Harman division acquiring Roon in November 2023.
The HW-Q990D is, however, retailing for $1,999 in the US, which represents a $400 increase on last year’s HW-Q990C release price. That means even with discounts, it’ll likely take longer for the HW-Q990D to drop to a more competitive price like the HW-Q990C did last year.
Big money for little reward?
If the Samsung HW-Q990D is anything like its predecessor, it’s sure to be an excellent soundbar. We gave the HW-Q990C five stars in our review, calling it “the best Dolby Atmos soundbar experience on the planet”. Although we haven’t heard it ourselves just yet, it looks as if the HW-Q990D will continue the Samsung flagship soundbar class-leading trend.
But, although 4K 120Hz and Roon support are certainly welcome new features, a $400 launch price increase from the HW-Q990C’s initial cost seems excessive. Passthrough is certainly appreciated, but it shouldn't come with such a high price tag. It’s unlikely that we’ll see any major changes in sound quality as, quite frankly, the sound can’t be improved over the HW-Q990C.
At the time of writing, the HW-Q990D is discounted to $1,799 on Samsung’s website if you buy it outright, which is a little more in-line with what we’d expect, while other retailers such as Amazon are showing $1,999. It’s not clear on how long the offer on Samsung’s site will last so if you’re thinking about it, it might be worth checking it out.
However, if you’re not fussed about the 4K 120Hz passthrough feature and Roon support, then the Samsung HW-Q990C is available for $1,399 in a lot of places and will give you the best value for money over the HW-Q990D, as it’s still one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can get.
