Samsung HW-Q995F Review: The Ultimate Dolby Atmos Soundbar Experience

The Samsung HW-Q995F presented at CES 2025 in Las Vegas represents the Korean manufacturer's most ambitious soundbar yet. Whilst retaining the overall aesthetic of previous generations, the main soundbar evolves with refined details. Its upper surface features beautiful grooved ridges running the entire length—visually striking, though these channels prove dust magnets, as our testing confirms.

At both ends, the enclosure now sports not one but two bevelled edges, with the rear section also angled. Beneath the bar sits well-concealed connectivity: power, one HDMI eARC port, two HDMI 2.1 inputs (supporting 4K/120Hz and VRR for gaming consoles), and an optical input.

Between the grooves and perforations covering the chassis, individual drivers remain largely invisible (except the two upward-firing units). Yet cumulatively—across the bar, subwoofer, and two satellites—no fewer than 23 speakers comprise this system. Installation proves remarkably straightforward: once the bar connects to mains and television, simply plug the subwoofer and satellites into power sockets for automatic pairing. Should this fail, a button restarts the process. Small blue LEDs behind each component confirm connectivity, though these can prove distracting in darkness.

Regarding dimensions, the soundbar (1,232 x 69.5 x 138 mm) and satellites (129.5 x 201.3 x 140.4 mm) maintain roughly similar measurements to previous generations. The subwoofer reveals the most dramatic evolution. Where its predecessor measured 41 cm tall and 22 cm wide, the new unit has nearly halved: a cube measuring just under 25 centimetres per side.

This proves invaluable when space is limited. Yet it gains power—its twin 20-centimetre drivers now deliver 300 watts versus 200 watts previously. An engineering achievement that defies conventional speaker design.

Control options include Samsung's bundled remote (compatible with their televisions and audio accessories) or the SmartThings application, which naturally provides far more extensive settings: equalisation and individual channel volume control. The most valuable function is surely SpaceFit Pro, which uses integrated microphones to automatically adjust audio processing for your room's acoustics.

With compatible Samsung televisions (generally those from 2019 onwards), Q-Symphony synchronises the TV's own speakers with the soundbar for heightened immersion. But our preferred capability is wireless Dolby Atmos transmission. This requires Samsung TVs from 2022 onwards. During testing, we also achieved this via Apple TV 4K, which transmits Dolby Atmos through AirPlay 2 to the Samsung system. No HDMI cable connection needed—offering installation flexibility without cable length constraints. Ultra practical.

Naturally, the bar, satellites, and subwoofer still require mains power. As with all active systems, this proves most troublesome depending on room configuration and socket proximity. Positioning the rear satellites correctly behind seating proves essential for proper spatialisation.

Beyond established Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats, the HW-Q995F supports Eclipsa Audio. This Google-developed spatial audio format (equivalent to Dolby Atmos) arrives soon on YouTube, enabling content creators to offer spatialised audio mixing. For YouTube enthusiasts, this represents compelling justification.

Its surround sound capabilities remain as impressive as its predecessors. With 756 watts total power and 11.1.4 configuration, the HW-Q995F thinks big. Of the 23 speakers, four handle vertical sound reproduction. Let's address this immediately: performance doesn't match Dolby Atmos cinema installations. As always, achieving miracles without ceiling-mounted speakers—relying solely on upward-firing drivers and ceiling reflection—proves challenging. However, Dolby Atmos-encoded films do produce perceivable overhead sounds, though placement lacks precision and proves difficult to identify. This remains the system's sole limitation.

Everything else matches Samsung's exceptional standard from the past two years: ultra-performant. With Dolby Atmos films, sound objects clearly emanate from behind or circle the listener. Twisters, one of our test films, showcases tornado audio that truly makes sense (above and below). Centre-channel dialogue remains exceptionally clear and perfectly intelligible, whether layered with other scene sounds or the soundtrack. And the subwoofer! Never overwhelming, it supports the entire spectrum with finesse and explosive power when required. We jumped from our sofa numerous times—cinema-grade impact.

We were keen to test its pure music system credentials. As Dolby Atmos invades streaming platforms, the HW-Q995F proves its worth. Whilst spatial mixes vary dramatically between albums, those genuinely benefiting from spatialisation find a superb showcase here.

Jean-Baptiste Dunckel and Jonathan Fitoussi's Mirages 2 demonstrates this beautifully—electronic soundscapes float entirely around us, gorgeously supported by the subwoofer. In classical music, the choir accompanying soprano Fatma Said on Franz Schubert's Ständchen, D. 920 appears gently behind us—sometimes left, sometimes right—whilst her voice centres perfectly. Magnificent.