Samsung HW-Q800D Soundbar Review

The Samsung HW-Q800D sports a similar design to its predecessor, the Samsung HW-Q800C. It's slim, sleek, and quite wide, with beveled edges. The physical controls are located on the top of the soundbar, near the back. A small Samsung logo is on the top left of the soundbar, with a USB port located underneath the bar, which is reserved for servicing it.

The accompanying subwoofer also looks more or less identical to the one that comes with the Samsung HW-Q800C. It's solid and substantial, with a mesh cover over the driver that looks like it'll trap dust and dirt.

While this model doesn't come with any satellites, you can purchase additional satellites from the manufacturer.

The bar is a little too long to fit between the legs of your average 55" TV, though this will vary depending on your TV. That said, it's not particularly tall, so it won't disrupt your view.

The sub has the exact same proportions as the one that comes with the Samsung HW-Q800C. It's around the same size as the average desktop computer.

The Samsung Q800D comes with mounting brackets and the requisite screws to attach the soundbar to your wall.

The build quality is impressive. The front, top, and sides are encased in metal grilles, while the back and bottom are made of high-quality plastic. The sub is constructed from a melamine-like material with a plastic plate in the back. The mesh cover on the side looks like a potential magnet for dust and dirt and could also rip over time. The controls on the top of the bar feel solid to the touch, though, and are easy to press.

• Remote with batteries (2x AAA)
• HDMI cable (4.9 ft / 1.5 m)
• 2x power cord (4.9 ft / 1.5 m)
• 4x rubber feet
• Wall mount template
• 2x holder screws
• 2x wall-mount brackets
• 2x screws
• User manual

The Samsung Q800D's stereo frequency response is excellent. It sounds balanced across the entire range, with solid bass extension and detailed highs. As a result, it can inject rumble and boom into the blaring lows of orchestral timpani and explosions alike, while still maintaining clarity in the mids and highs. The SpaceFit Sound feature optimizes the sound to work with the acoustics of your living room for a more immersive listening experience. While it didn't alter the frequency response too much in our room, we expect it to perform differently in different acoustic spaces. You can also choose from a variety of presets that can enhance the sound. For example, we found that the 'Standard' preset was quite narrow when compared to the 'Adaptive Sound' preset, which sounded better for music, TV shows, and movies. You can see how the presets alter the sound here. For further customizability, there's also a 10-band EQ available when in 'Standard' mode.

We found that the 'Adaptive Sound' preset produced the most balanced sound while requiring minimal calibration. The 'Standard' preset is the only one that allows you to adjust the EQ; however, this is only possible via a 10-band EQ, which can be daunting to tweak if you haven't ever used one.

The stereo soundstage performance is decent. It can be perceived to be around the same length as the bar itself, and there aren't any digital tricks to make it seem wider. The focus, in general, is pretty good, but we observed that it was diminished very slightly around the edges of the soundbar. That said, rapidly panned audio effects are still easily audible, with a clear separation between the left and right channels. Switching to the 'Adaptive Sound' mode brings about a subtle increase in the perceived width of the soundstage.

The Samsung Q800D's stereo dynamics performance is great when you use the 'Standard' preset, as it can get loud enough to fill larger rooms. There is some compression present as you approach max volume, though. It's worth noting that the dynamics performance worsens if you use the 'Adaptive Sound' preset, as the max volume is lowered with even more compression present.

As a 5.1.2 soundbar, the Samsung HW-Q800D comes with a discrete center channel that's useful for identifying vocals and dialogue within a crowded mix. The response on this channel is balanced and accurate, especially in the mids, where most vocals and speech lie.

This bar features two side-firing drivers located at the edges to create the impression of surround sound. However, the frequency response across these channels is a little inconsistent and deviates from our target response a bit, especially in the bass and treble ranges. This can detract from the reproduction of vocals and speech in the mid-range, which is underemphasized by comparison. We also tested the surround performance using the 'Adaptive Sound' preset and found this gave us more inconsistent results, likely due to the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) having to process the signal in real time. It's worth checking out a bar that comes with satellite speakers, like the LG S90TR, if you're after a better surround sound performance.

The height performance is mediocre. It can produce some impression of height using its two up-firing drivers to bounce audio off the ceiling. The frequency response of these channels is quite even, though sound never seems to elevate beyond the height of the TV. That said, we found that the bar was pleasant to listen to during subjective Atmos listening. There's a good amount of rumble in the bass, and sweeps from right to left sound vivid. Using 'Standard' mode results in a very narrow soundstage, so you'll want to use 'Adaptive Sound' mode for a more immersive sound and wider listening field. That said, sounds like ascending drones don't sound like they're coming from directly above you.

The Samsung Q800D comes with a wide variety of sound enhancement features that can help you get the best sound for your needs. It features SpaceFit Sound Pro, which calibrates the sound according to the unique characteristics of your room. You can also toggle through a few different presets, including 'Standard,' 'Adaptive Sound,' 'Game,' and 'Surround Sound.' Within 'Standard' mode, you can access a 10-band EQ by pressing and holding the Sound Control button. Additionally, there's a 'Night' mode, which turns down the bass and compresses audio so as not to disturb the neighbors, a 'Voice Enhance' mode for vocal clarity, and an 'Active Voice Amplifier' mode, which analyzes external noise in real time to ensure voices remain clearly discernable.

As with last year's model, this bar features support for Samsung Q-Symphony technology, which works with compatible Samsung TV to harness the TV's speakers for a more immersive sound.

The bar features ports for HDMI and optical connections, as well as an HDMI In port in case you want to use it as a hub between different devices for video passthrough. However, some users will be disappointed that there's still no support for HDMI 2.1. Additionally, there's a USB port underneath the bar that's used for servicing the bar.

The Samsung HW-Q800D supports all common 5.1 surround sound formats including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and DTS.

Using its HDMI In port, this bar supports a range of audio formats commonly found on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays, including Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos.

The Samsung Q800D offers support for Dolby Digital and DTS over an Optical connection. Dolby Digital is the more common of the two and is found on many streaming platforms and Blu-rays. DTS is often used as a fallback for the higher-quality DTS HD-MA format on certain Blu-rays.

The audio latency over an ARC connection is exceptional. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, though, so if you have any issues, you can use the AudioSync feature via the remote or app to manually adjust the delay.

The latency using an HDMI In connection is superb. Audio latency is low across all audio platforms, including Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos. You can also use the AV Sync feature via the app or remote to manually adjust it, should you encounter any delays between the audio and video.

Audio latency is great using an Optical connection. It falls within good limits when playing back 2.0 PCM content but is slightly higher with Dolby Digital content. That said, you're still unlikely to notice any sync issues with either format, and, if you do, you can always adjust for this via the the AV Sync feature.

Gamers will appreciate the Samsung Q800D's ability to act as a hub between your TV and gaming console, with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz at 1080p and 60Hz at 4k. There's support for variable refresh rate technologies, too, like HDMI Forum VRR, which makes for a tear-free gaming experience. That said, you'll need to pick up a more high-end setup like the Samsung HW-Q990D if you're looking for features like 4k passthrough @120Hz or HDMI 2.1.

This bar makes it extremely easy to connect mobile devices wirelessly, thanks to its wealth of connectivity options. It's compatible with Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay, plus Chromecast support is no longer region-dependent. You can also wirelessly connect the bar to your Samsung TV, though this would likely increase latency.

A small display on the right-hand side of the bar underneath the exterior grille can show up to four characters. It indicates the volume level and current input source upon adjustment. Pressing the 'i' button on the remote will also display the format you're playing. The display will scroll through longer words due to its four-character limitation.

Four physical buttons on the top of the bar let you adjust some basic controls. You can adjust the volume, mute/unmute the microphone, or press the multi-function buttons to cycle between inputs.

The remote is more or less the same as the one that comes with the Samsung HW-Q800C, and it lets you adjust most functions. You can also use the Samsung SmartThings app if you prefer, and you can see what it looks like here.

The Samsung Q800D features built-in integration for Alexa and Bixby. There's also compatibility with Google Assistant, too, when using the SmartThings app. However, you'll need to set up the bar within the Google Home app first to unlock this functionality.