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Most of the other features and settings are available with the remote bar and dashboard, but it’s often easier to use the SmartThings app. The basic settings let you choose the sound quality (I usually stick to Standard), adjust the EQ, use enhancements like the Active Voice Amplifier, and set channel levels.
I appreciate the inclusion of Samsung’s steps on a gazillion different systems, but the lock-in itself was the most difficult part of my review. I had the surround speakers behind my bed due to limited space, which meant I had to turn them all the way down and raise them some other way to keep things moving.
This task was made easy with Sonos’ Era 300 speakers (9/10, WIRED Recommends) connected to the Arc Ultra, because Sonos TruePlay calibration adjusts the sound to your room (even Wi-Fi-only speakers can have their own issues). Autopilot is something I would expect from any device that costs around $2,000, yet every year Samsung fails to add it. The company’s Space Fit app says it analyzes the voice in real time, but I didn’t notice any changes.
My other beef is the constant volume issue when using Spotify Connect. If you’re streaming from Spotify, adjusting the volume level jumps up or down seven steps on a crazy tap, so it’s always either too loud or too quiet. Add in the lack of a Chromecast, and Android users are forced to control streaming from SmartThings or take it too far. It’s a bit of a fix, but that’s why it’s so annoying.
Sound Swirl
Transfer quirks aside, the Q990D has the goods where it needs to be. Each of the four components work together to deliver powerful, balanced, and exciting sound for whatever you play. You won’t get the detail found in bars like the Arc Ultra, but there’s enough touch to appreciate the details, and plenty of bombast to elevate your video moments to new heights, really.
Dolby Atmos is unsurprisingly the star of the show. The “Amaze” scene from my Atmos disc was definitely show time. I could feel the humidity all around me in the insect sun at the start, as the thunder rolled suddenly and the rain finally came down from above to deposit me in the jungle vegetation.
