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The Samsung HW-Q950T isn’t the newest soundbar on the market—that goes to the Samsung HW-Q950A—but it’s still one of our top choices for the best soundbar. Even though it’s a few years old, the former flagship has more channels than its predecessor and is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It’s also slimmer and has a lot of new smart features that are really useful. All without costing more than its well-known predecessor, the HW-Q90R.
Overall, the 9.1.4 system is pretty impressive for a soundbar, and it is clearly made for the object-based sound pleasures of today’s Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be used to stream audio, and Hi-Res Audio file formats can be played. Some phones can even be connected to the soundbar by tapping them against its body.
Samsung HW-Q950T SPECIFICATIONS
Price | £1599 |
Product Dimensions | 51 x 24 x 11 inches |
Item Weight | 50.2 pounds |
Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Samsung HW-Q950T review: Design

The main part of the sound bar looks very different from the Q90R. For starters, at just 69.5mm it’s almost 14mm slimmer. On paper, this might not seem like much, but in real life, it’s a big deal, and it means the Q950T will fit better under a wider range of TVs. The front and top edges of the Q950main T’s bar, which used to be metal, are now black Kvadrat felt.
But the front corners of the soundbar now point back at an angle of about 45 degrees. This is the biggest change to the design. Not only does this make the soundbar look better, but it also reflects the addition of two new left-surround and right-surround speakers that bounce sound off your walls to create a more “filled in” circle of sound around you. You can buy this soundbar from its official website.
Samsung HW-Q950T review: Sound quality
You can control the HW-Q950T to some extent with the controls on the soundbar, the remote, or the Smart Things app. You can adjust the subwoofer’s contributions and change how the bass and highs sound.
Using the remote, you can also tweak each “pair” of channels. For example, you can increase the volume of the rear height channels, the centre channel, or the front width channels. Once you wait for the information to scroll across that tiny screen on the soundbar, it’s pretty easy, and if you want to change anything out of the box, it shouldn’t take long to find a good balance.
Samsung HW-Q950T review: Performance

The Samsung HW-Q950T was impressive from the start, but we put my trusted Dolby Atmos demo disc into the Blu-ray player before I sat down to listen critically. We were interested to see how well test tones actually worked on the different channels.
As we played the disc’s 9.1.6-channel test tones, we were happy to hear the sounds coming from where we thought they would. The front three channels were there and working right, and the widths on both sides made the front soundstage bigger.
Samsung HW-Q950T review: Connection
This means that the Q950T is naturally set up to play Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks well. Both formats can be used with TVs that have an eARC port or a direct HDMI connection. The soundbar has two HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. It can handle 4K at 60Hz, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, which is kind of funny since Samsung TVs don’t support it.
There is no support for the 4K/120 HDR streams that new consoles and PCs offer, but we don’t know of any other soundbar that does. For these sources, you’ll need to hook them up to a TV that can handle them and use eARC to send the sound to the sound bar. An optical digital audio port is the only other way to connect.
Samsung HW-Q950T review: Price and availability
The Q950T is Samsung’s best soundbar for 2020, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that it costs the most. But as we’ll see, for £1,499/$1,399/AUS$1,949 you get a lot in terms of raw power, speaker channels, and features.
Final Words
The Samsung HW-Q950T works well for a variety of tasks. This bar has a balanced and neutral sound, so you can watch movies or listen to music. It has a graphic EQ and presets if you want to change how it sounds. There is a feature that improves the sound of the dialogue, which is great if you like to listen to audiobooks or TV shows.
Samsung HW-Q950T Ratings
Pros
- Outstandingly powerful sound
- Unprecedented channel support
- Tasteful and slender design
Cons
- Pricey
- Odd display placement
FAQs
Is the Samsung Q950T worth it?
Music sounds great on the Samsung HW-Q950T. It has a neutral and balanced sound profile that works well with most types of music. If you like to change your sound, you can use the graphic EQ and presets to get the most out of your audio. It has a good soundstage that is focused and as wide as a bar.
What is the review of Samsung HW-Q950T?
The Samsung HW-Q950T is a powerful 9.1-channel, 4-speaker stereo system with a soundbar, a subwoofer, and two satellite speakers. It has most of the features you’d expect (Dolby Atmos, eARC, etc.), but the software options are limited, so we suggest waiting until the price goes down.
Which sound mode is best Q950T?
If you want to listen to music, the Standard sound mode is probably best because it keeps the original stereo sound of recordings. But the Adaptive Sound mode can be a good general setting for watching TV, and the Surround mode mixes up non-immersive movie soundtracks so that all those extra speakers can be used to their full potential.