The Samsung HW-Q800D is a soundbar and subwoofer combo rear speakers are available, but must be purchased separately.
But despite the absence of rear channels, this soundbar still asserts a striking spatial impression.
When watching movies, the positioning of on-screen characters and objects is mapped beautifully by the Samsung HW-Q800D.
But these features may, to some, seem extremely familiar.
And thats because all of them were available with this soundbars predecessor, theSamsung HW-Q800C.
For a lot of gamers, the HW-Q800D will be a wonderful companion.
You get a specialized game mode which optimizes surround sound for in-game action and4KHDRpassthrough.
Thats a shame, whenSony’s mid-rangeBravia Theater Bar 8offers this.
But this isnt a game-breaking omission.
And there were none of those, in my view.
The only other aspect some may feel unsatisfied with is its design.
Overall, the Samsung HW-Q800D is a beautiful-sounding, immersion-inducing soundbar system with a very fair price tag.
And if you already have the Samsung HW-Q800C, the small incremental improvements arent worth an upgrade.
But for anyone else, this is a soundbar that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Alongside that, it has two upfiring speakers on the top of the soundbar and a dedicated subwoofer.
This configuration helps to deliver fantastically immersive audio something only improved by Dolby Atmos and DTS:X functionality.
Q-Symphony, of course, is a Samsung TV-exclusive as is another feature, dubbed Wireless Dolby Atmos.
If you only ever stream movies, though, it won’t make a difference.
Perhaps my favorite feature that this soundbar offers though is SpaceFit Surround Pro.
This harnesses the soundbars inbuilt mic, which listens to your rooms acoustics and optimizes sound for your space.
SpaceFit Surround Pro is automatically on, so you get spatial audio thats fine-tuned to you from the get-go.
Not to exhaust you, reader, but theres so much more.
Some highlights include sound modes, which include: Standard; Adaptive; Surround; and Game.
Adaptive uses AI so that assess the on-screen action and deliver tailored audio depending on content.
I found this mode to be particularly pleasing when watching news channels with impressive vocal clarity on offer.
And vocal clarity is improved further thanks to Active Voice Amplifier, or AVA.
I want to focus on Gaming, though.
Unfortunately for gamers, however, the HW-Q800D leaves out one very handy feature.
Im talking, of course, about 4K 120Hz HDMI passthrough.
The only major additions are non-region-locked, built-in Chromecast and an upgraded Bluetooth version (5.2).
Does that take-away from the HW-Q800Ds feature quality?
No, it truly is exhaustive and brimming with options.
Similarly, I found bass to be excellent when listening to music.
Beyond bass, things are equally awesome.
But lets move onto arguably the most crucial aspect spatial audio performance.
And Atmos effects are brilliant here.
The only real negative in terms of audio presentation is that youre not getting rear speakers from the off.
More generally, the sound quality on offer from the HW-Q800D is amazing.
I also found instrumental and vocal separation to be top-notch when playingFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthon PS5.
Overall, the HW-Q800D is just more of the same from its predecessor but thats a highly positive thing.
Youre getting deep, immersive audio, ultra-crisp vocals and tasty Atmos effects to boot.
For some, the aforementioned angular, slightly chunky look might be a bit of a turn-off.
And Id certainly argue its not the most elegant or pleasing to the eye.
Similarly, the included woofer is quite a tall, broad beast.
A distinct lack of low-end punch.
Happily, a simple unplug and replug was enough here meaning this was a pretty small issue overall.
Otherwise, though, the Samsung HW-Q800D was straightforward to setup.
Theres also an included wall bracket if you need that for a mounted setup.
This soundbar is very easy to use, too.
The soundbar itself also has controls, if you need them.
Having said that, its not all good news in the value category.
Should I buy the Samsung HW-Q800D?
Youre getting the full package here that is, unless you want rear speakers from the off.
Thats because like its predecessor it doesnt offer 4K 120Hz HDMI passthrough.
You might have to splash a bit more cash if youre craving that from your soundbar.
Read our fullSonos Arc review.
Hisense AX5125HIf you want truly incredible value for money, it doesnt get much better than the Hisense AX5125H.
It doesnt skimp on quality either, offering immersive Atmos, punchy bass and clear vocals.
Read our fullHisense AX5125H review.
I tested only the included soundbar and subwoofer, without any add-ons.
