SAMSUNG $ 95 0 HW-Q700A

We're big fans of Samsung’s punchy and vivid QLED TVs, but so far we haven’t been quite so enamoured of the company’s range of soundbars. For its latest soundbar offering, the HW-Q800A, the company has made some improvements to performance and added some new intelligent features. The HW-Q800A has a separate wireless subwoofer, and it's that ability deftly to replicate the low frequencies that a single-unit bar couldn’t reach that distinguishes the HW-Q800A from its closest competition, most notably the similarly Dolby Atmos-enabled Sonos Arc. At only 57mm in height and 116cm wide the Q800A's unassuming build is ideal for TV sizes from 48in to 65in. The rear-ported active subwoofer is also modestly sized and has a side-firing 20cm driver. Across the front edge of the main soundbar are the three forward-facing channels: the left and right each comprise a tweeter and a midrange/ bass race-track driver, while the centre consists of a single wide-range tweeter. Two upward-firing tweeters provide height channels for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats; these are auto-detected by the bar and indicated on the display. The sound from these drivers is enhanced by Samsung’s ‘Acoustic Beam 2.0’ technology – two rows of 23 holes that direct the wavefront upwards and outwards at an angle of 18 degrees to bounce off your ceiling and walls. Watching content with a standard audio format, you can choose between ‘standard’, ‘game mode pro’ and ‘surround mode’ profiles. The latter up-mixes basic audio to use the height channels and adds more weight to the extremities of the soundfield. An ‘adaptive’ option auto-detects what you’re watching and changes mode to suit; 'virtual' is another upmixing mode that uses Dolby/DTS:X algorithms instead of Samsung’s own. On the SmartThings app you'll find a treble-boosting voice enhancement, bass boost and a night mode that compresses the dynamics and sub frequencies – and all this before you’ve even looked at the seven-band EQ or levels for each channel. This year, all of Samsung’s Q soundbars offer enhanced features if used with newer TVs from within the brand’s ecosystem. The Q800A can combine with a Samsung TV’s internal speakers to add height and space to the soundfield in a feature called ‘Q-Symphony’.

Forthright delivery

A lot of work has gone into developing the forthright delivery of the Q800A. During the Le Mans race in FordvFerrari, the soundbar delivers a soundstage way beyond its size. In among the sound of the rain, cars and crashes, small touches such as the seat noise or fingers tapping on the steering wheel are well projected, while dialogue is clear and direct. The effect of the height channels is moderate and at times feels front-heavy rather than airy. We try Q-Symphony and get a more noticeable dispersion of the field that gives more space to the forward-facing channels. In archaeology drama TheDig, as heavy rain beats on the caravan's corrugated roof, there’s a real sense of the reverberant space that the characters are in, versus the weather outside. We try 'SpaceFit', which uses the TV’s inbuilt mic to analyse the level and direction of reflected sound waves, adjusting the audio accordingly. While it’s only a subtle tweak, there’s a tightening of the dynamics and spot sound effects sit more cohesively within the soundscape. As soon as we watch the same film with the class-leading Sonos Arc, we miss some low end in the underscore and distant thunder, though its handling of the atmospheric effects and dialogue is notably crisper and more precise. To test the Q800A's musical chops, we stream The Duke Spirit’s ‘The Step And Walk’. The guitars have a harmonious bite, and as the vocal flits between crooning and snarling, it feels present without becoming harsh, even when the level is pushed. We swap to Paul Simon's sparser ‘The Cool, Cool River’ and, like most soundbars, the Q800A struggles in terms of rhythmic cohesion; but it holds together and in the final section as the brass kicks in, the dynamic shift is incisive. The Q800A offers powerful overall performance and a comprehensive set of features. It makes a decent attempt at Dolby Atmos too, but if your primary concern is accomplished handling of height channels, we’d suggest the Sony HT-A7000 or Sonos Arc, or even adding the compatible upward-firing surrounds (SWA-9000S) to boost it to a 5.1.4 system. When it comes to room-filling sound and a gut-busting bass, though the Q800A marks a real step forward for Samsung’s soundbars by offering all-round performance and an enjoyable, compelling listening experience, especially if you value the low end of the sonic spectrum.