Dolby Atmos vs DTS X, A Comparison Guide

So, you just got yourself a new TV, and you set it up smoothly. But the thing is, the sound quality is shitty. What to do? You can’t toss the TV into the trash can. Hence, the next reasonable thing is to get yourself a speaker (if you can afford a solid one) or a really cool soundbar. The truth about soundbars is that they are affordable compared to speakers, and their aesthetics is beautiful.

However, in the many years of my career as a recording engineer, many people seem to fall victim to low-quality soundbars. As a recording engineer who switches between soundbars and speakers from time to time in my studio, I have gone through a long list of soundbars. Consequently, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern in soundbars that turn out to be shitty and those that turned out to be perfect soundbars.

Now, I do before I invest my money in any soundbar because I go through amazon and other products sites to see customers tell the tale of their experience with the different soundbars that exist. Although these reviews do not 100% influence my decision to buy the soundbar or not, it sure shapes my perspective about certain soundbars and what to expect from it once it arrives.

Today, I set out to review two Soundbars that I’ve tested- the SAMSUNG HW-Q800T and the SAMSUNG HW-Q900T. Note that this review is solely based on my experience with these soundbars as a recording engineer. So, unless you’re a true audiophile, you most likely won’t appreciate these two soundbars as much as I appreciated them. Ahead, we look at the specs, features, similarities, differences, pros, and cons of using either of these soundbars.

Contents

Product Specifications

SAMSUNG HW-Q800T Specs

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  • Brand: Samsung
  • Model: HW-Q800T
  • Weight: ‎36.6 pounds
  • Product Dimension: 38.6 x 4.5 x 2.3 inches
  • Audio output power: 330 watts power
  • Design fit: Home Theatre
  • Channel: 3.1.2 channel sound
  • Color: Black
  • Connectivity: Wired, Wireless
  • Wireless Connection: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
  • Drivers: 8
  • Smart Assistant Compatibility: Built-in Amazon Alexa
  • Video support: 4K/HDR passthrough including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
  • Sound formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital+, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS Digital Surround

SAMSUNG HW-Q900T Specs

 SAMSUNG HW-Q900T

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  • Brand: Samsung
  • Model: HW-Q900T
  • Weight: 50.2 pounds
  • Product Dimension: 52 x 24 x 11 inches
  • Color: Black
  • Amplification Type: Active
  • Audio output power: 406 watts of power
  • Design fit: Home Theatre
  • Channels: 7.1.2 channel sound
  • Wired connection: 2 x HDMI 2.1 – Audio/Video, 1 x Optical TOSLINK – Audio, 1 x HDMI – eARC/Audio/Video
  • Wireless Connection: Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Wi-Fi
  • Drivers: 8
  • DTS: DTS:X, DTS Digital Surround
  • Smart Assistant Compatibility: Built-in Amazon Alexa, Built-in Alexa, Spotify Connect integration
  • Video support: 4K/HDR pass
  • Sound formats: ATMOS, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD

Related: Sonos arc vs Bose 700 

Pros and cons

Pros of Samsung HW-Q800T

  • It has an expansive soundstage.
  • The build quality is solid and sturdy.
  • You can enjoy the sound at a high volume without distortions noticeably interrupting you.
  • Set up is easy

Cons

  • It comes with a single HDMI unit.
  • There aren’t enough connection options

Pros of Samsung HW-Q900T

  • It detects enabled TVs and, effortlessly, wirelessly connects to them.
  • Sound quality is spot on even in both high and low volumes
  • Easily connects to your smartphone via tap and play

Cons

  • You can only enjoy the tap and play feature with Samsung phones.
  • You might encounter difficulty connecting it with other TVs that are not Samsung TVs.

Overview of Samsung HW-Q800T

If mid-range soundbars are what you love, you’ll absolutely appreciate the Samsung HW-Q800T. I noticed that the sound quality it delivered was quite dimensional, crisp, and clear, which was fascinating. The sound fills the room, giving that cinematic vibe.

Of course, a cinematic vibe means it’s the perfect pick for your home theatre. Although it’s a mid-range soundbar, it also produces deep bass that’s just perfect for your cinematic experience.

There’s also the fact that you can control this soundbar with your voice via Alexa. When it comes to the design, the manufacturers didn’t do something too elaborate. They channeled the forces of minimalism and simplicity.

The color is black combined with a sleek and solid design where a metal grille surrounds the speaker to enforce protection. The materials deployed in forging this speaker are plastic (mostly) and wood.

All you need to gain access to the world of this soundbar is a single Samsung remote. Set up the soundbar, and you’re good to go.

Overview of Samsung HW-Q900T

The first thing you should know about this soundbar is that it’s on the high side regarding its price. However, one perfect thing about this product is that it gives you your money’s worth.

For starters, the sound quality is impressive as it immerses you into its essence. Once you connect it to your Samsung TV, you’d get a sound that engulfs the room, is adaptive, is drawing you into your movie or music, making you experience it deeper.

It was built with an external subwoofer and16 internal speakers. The impact is a more appealing sound quality. You’ll enjoy solid audio quality at any volume level. Of course, you can command this soundbar to do what you wish, all thanks to Alexa voice.

SAMSUNG HW-Q800T vs SAMSUNG HW-Q900T: Comparison

Audio Quality

Both the HW-Q800T and the HW-Q900T soundbars come with active amplification, but they share a major difference in the channels they operate on. The HW-Q800T functions on 3.1.2 sound. In essence, it comes with 3 channels, 1 subwoofer channel, and 2 up-firing channels.

Together, the 3.1.2 sound gives off the sound that easily fills the room, creating that cinematic experience. The HW-Q900T, on the other hand, functions at a higher sound level with its 7.1.2.

When broken down, you get 7 channels, 1 sub-woofer, and 2 up-firing channels. Coupled with 16 internal speakers and dual technology (Dolby Atmos and DTS:X) that births true 3D surround sound. Automatically, when it comes to sound quality, the HW-Q900T is superior compared to the HW-Q800T.

Aesthetics

Both soundbars surely look aesthetically pleasing. However, there are quite a few differences in their physical appearance. For starters, the Q900T has more dimension compared to the Q800T.

In essence, the Q900T is obviously bigger. Also, they are both carved from the same plastic fabric. However, both soundbars come with different coverings for the top and front.

For the Hw-Q800T, a mental grille makes up the front and top covering, while a tightly wrapped fabric makes up the front and top of the HW-Q900T.

Performance

In dynamics and frequency response, both speakers are quite impressive. For one, their stereo sound is neutral, making them appropriate for a vast audio genre. They also both produce extended bass that’ll take your music and music experience from zero to 100 with the thumbs and other deep bass sounds.

Nevertheless, the HW-Q800T seemed to have a better frequency response compared to the HW-Q900T. Furthermore, they both have a level of harmonic distortions which aren’t exactly noticeable with real-life content.

You’ll only notice the distortions on the soundbars if you pay close attention and when you put them on certain levels. However, the distortions you’ll get from the HW-Q800T are a lot more than what you’ll get on the HW-Q900T.

Conclusion

Generally, both soundbars are great. Sure, they are a little bit rusty when it comes to their frequency response. But they are both still manageable. When you used them to play movies and enjoy dialogues, they produce a near-perfect experience.

But you’ll experience more sound balance by pairing it with their dedicated center speaker and stereo speakers. In case you’re wondering they would deliver a perfect music experience, here’s your quick answer; yes, it would.

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