Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars of 2021: Which is King?

[@JonahMatthes]

Hope you enjoyed the video! Links to all of the products in this video are in the description! Sign up for my Newsletter! bit.ly/JM-Email Follow me on Instagram: bit.ly/JonahMatthes_IG ★Individual Reviews★ Sony HT-A7000: COMING SOON (SUBSCRIBE) Bose Soundbar 900: COMING SOON (SUBSCRIBE) Samsung HW-Q950A: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIqZq3ilbdV6nZI Sonos Arc System: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noTFkHZqbb-oiJI Klipsch Cinema 1200: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHrRf3Rjr793j6M

[@jatinder156]

Awesome! Great video and I was waiting for it. I even commented earlier that Q950a will be among the Top 3. Bought it a month ago in just $1000. Thanks!

[@andrrrv3]

Best number one ? 2021

[@knunn5171]

Can you review the 300$ onn 5.1.2 vs higher priced systems? I guess because the name it never gets put in these comparisons but i think it punches way above the price tag.

[@aalex408]

Great information. Thanks. Btw where can I by the way where can I get some of those light saber lights?

[@shawng4886]

@@knunn5171 I currently have the Vizio 5.1.2 Atmos that I picked up for $300 and I’ve been amazed by it! Punches WAY above its price!

[@StarShine-Ranch]

71-year-old lady here. I dunno, guess I'm just cheap. Took my 1980's stereo setup and hooked everything together through the receiver. Big flat screen TV, big stereo speakers, VCR, DVD, laptop w/ output to TV. Got rid of satellite dish. Watch KZbin exclusively. Only "new" components were 2010 TV & laptop, DSL internet. Works great!

[@ipwnulovme]

My guy!! The video to end all Soundbar review videos. Amazing stuff here! Anyone should feel comfortable purchasing a Soundbar after watching this. Phenomenal video

[@Ken-vl4wk]

I have a Samsung Q950A. It is amazing. Zero issues. Highly recommended.

[@alexeio627]

Jonah, you saved me a ton of time and wondering. I really appreciate it! Thanks!

[@JonahMatthes]

Happy that I could help!!

[@jeankong]

I agree the Sony HT-A7000 is ELITE and the best system out now

[@itree4]

My wife just bought the Samsung Q850a for $680 yesterday. Comes with the sub and the rear speakers. I was trying to tell her to get the jbl 9.1. After setup and testing, I'm glad she bought what she did. John Wick part 3....the sound of the rain and glass breaking was absolutely incredible. Sound bars have come along way since the one i bought 6-7 years ago.

[@coryturner9140]

I love my Bose 900 soundbar and 700 subwoofer setup

[@tamedjungle310]

I have bose too. I think is the 500 model with subwoofer and 2 additional speakers. Works well.

[@simontompkins301]

One of the best reviews I've ever seen. No pointless unboxing or waffle. So well written/spoken- succinct, every comment worthwhile and although as you say listening is subjective you are so clear about the differences that it really helps you decide which one to get. May I ask, if you don't already, to compare the Sony with an AVR and speaker setup. Also if Sony, Sonos, Bose, Samsung and and Klipsch watch this please send this chap free demo hardware in future as he's a great reviwer and deserves support. Thank you and bravo.

[@Tpike777]

Thanks for the hard work going thru all these systems! Got the Sony soundbar standalone for $400 CAD today from a guy at work. It's def hot, he flips storage units and found it in one completely unopened! Can't believe I got such a wicked deal on a flagship device. I've never owned such a premium unit to deliver sound, cannot WAIT to set it up tonight and see what it can do. Currently waiting for a sale on the cheaper subwoofer to pair with it!

[@FREEDOMFIGHTER1207]

For those of you with the bose 900 setup like myself to get the rears, to be I guess louder is to take 2 thin microfiber towels and slightly wrap the speakers loosely one on the left and one on the right and then recalibrate the system once you do this it forces the rears volume to get higher it worked for me if anyone tries this let me know if it worked my 700 rears are mounted to the ceiling 8 feet high...just trying to help..

[@cylin3494]

May be you can turn up the rear speaker volume directly in app...try to help

[@kingkobra1956]

I have the Bose 9 with dual subs and the omnis. When I first hooked up the omnis I could barely hear them but after a few days they opened up and are singing nicely and I have them set at 80%.

[@polofunk]

I have the same setup bose 900 soundbar 700sub 700surround speakers, the setup shakes my home, the surround speakers could be better, but seems like they're getting louder each day, ive read about the micro cloths but i haven't tried it, ive heard bose was coming out with new surround speakers.

[@jermainepearson6835]

I'm looking at a surround sound system myself when I heard that Sony 7000 in Best Buy I actually turned around to look for whatever was producing sound beside me, that system sounds really good and I will probably more than likely end up buying this setup. When I went to the Sono Arc demo I think it had potential to sound really good and I wanted it to sound pretty good, but that Sony was on a whole new level

[@GCharlesE]

What did you end up deciding? I just got the A7000 with RS5 rears hooked up to my 77"A80K. I think it's just fantastic!

[@leerothman7570]

Been there done that trying to find the ultimate sound bar. Ended up getting the finest answer to top notch sound quality. The Klipsch "The Fives" which are 2 bookshelf style and self powered speakers when coupled with their subwoofer blow ALL the speaker systems you've tested away. More HiFi quality and what surprised me most of all is their imaging is unreal. I've found NO reason for the surround it's THAT good. So glad I finally found a no compromise sound quality generator for my big screen. Makes watching movies like you're at the theater.

[@RK-jp4xe]

I ended up doing the q900a soundbar with the 2.0.2 rear speakers and saved $300 on an already great deal. It sounds amazing and so immersive with the right content. Very happy with my choice. Thanks for the video!!

[@adamobrien1945]

Would love to see these compared to the Ht-A9+ sub. Trying to make a purchase choice.

[@JonahMatthes]

Trying to get my hands on an HT-A9 right now. Proving to be difficult, they are out of stock everywhere. Even Sony doesn't have any available to send to me for testing. But as soon as I get it, I'll be testing and making a few videos on it! Seems to be the hot product right now.

[@adamobrien1945]

@@JonahMatthes it is. Nervous about the phantom center channel and will not be interested in a sony tv at the moment. In the room i am putting it in, I have a 65' lg e6 oled. Looking to buy and utilize the Arcana HD fury to allow arc to earc uncompressed audio with maybe the ht-a9 with the larger sub when available. I value your opinion and want to feel comfortable.

[@JL-ku7wo]

Yes highly interested in this comparison as well, and with the SW5 sub. Currently i read there is a lot of drop out and bug issues but when its working its amazing but how does it stack against these bars.

[@MrUpscaleman]

As I said above: Sony HT A9 "Hold my beer and watch this" Best system I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot.

[@GR82BAFLAG8TOR]

Same Adam. I've narrowed it down to the Klipsch 1200 Cinema, Samsung HW-Q950A, Sennheiser Ambeo, and The Sony HT-A9 with the same sub. I'd like to find a home audio store in my area where I could listen to all of these in person.

[@RockMathis]

The Samsung set up is definitely the best bang for buck right now but a lot of the reviews from owners say it lacks good base...thats surprising...so that Bose might be the best one there...its very expensive but it has very high quality sound

[@bryr9997]

I find it to be decent with the "bass enhancement" feature and Woofer on +3 but definitely a weakness of the system.

[@MrRiffbear1]

I just returned my sonos arc with 2 surrounds and sub as i was having issues with my LGCX. I ended up buying (to try) the LG S95QR Sound Bar and it ended up half the price of the Sonos package. Sure it sounds a little less beefy than the Sonos set up - however after 25 mins I now wouldn't be able to notice the difference! And it has 2 2.0 hdmi ports.. Great for my retro consoles and it has DTS and bluetooth. Best decision I made.

[@eldelcable2003]

The best review I've seen looking for soundbars info... I only missed the Sennheiser Ambeo review in this ranking :) Thanks for the video

[@cj18cinema]

i test the sony and ambeo 😂 ambeo by far is out from this world imagine if sony was the winner here 😭😭😭

[@shakti.rathore]

Your audio knowledge is almost professional level! Hats off for the detailed discription, this has been almost the best soundbar review yet

[@Gioxtream]

THE BEST ONE IS THE NAKAMICHI SHOKEWAFE ULTRA V2 . IT CAME OUT THIS MONTH. IS THE KING OF SOUNDBARS. 1000 WATTS. PERIOD. IT ALSO COMES WITH 2 SUBWOFERS.

[@NikonHD]

I just got Samsung HW-Q950A for $800 in my country on black friday deal. Compared to Sony which is close do $2500 (with sub and rear speakers) - I think it's a no-brainer.

[@arndklasen6268]

I have it too.....N1CE Sound

[@sukantchaturvedi2798]

Damn that is some deal. Would you recommend samsung for $1130 over jbl 9.1 @ $820?

[@jiayaw]

Wow that is an awesome deal, I recently got the q850a (one step down from the 950) in Canada for $899cad (and $700usd) and thought that was a deal lol! Lucky you

[@youssefsuhail3500]

@@jiayaw I got 950t for 999$ Canadian so good

[@MrKbarker360]

That’s a amazing deal! Congratulations

[@ryan74701]

the Q950a is crazy good, I like it more than my AV system in my main room.

[@Deepak-tl3hs]

You nailed it. You’re one of the most honest reviewers out there. Keep up the great work! Sonos arc for some reason spits out low dialogues. When you bump the volume the action/background music goes up, Not very balanced when compared to Bose 900

[@Asian_Import]

For gaming: I never see this mentioned anywhere but the Samsung HW-Q950A adds a base input lag of 80ms. This is very high compared to the other bars mentioned which hover around 10-20ms. I own the Samsung and use it with my Xbox Series X and the lag is very noticeable. Also, Dolby Atmos on Xbox adds even more input lag, so you end up getting about 150ms of lag. Just a heads up for those of you who are planning to game.

[@alh5470]

LG CX with Series X, do you have a recommendation for soundbar to pair with the X?

[@Asian_Import]

@@alh5470 I’ve only ever owned the HW-950A, but from what I’ve seen elsewhere the Sonos Arc seems to be a fan favorite.

[@samlocoaa1726]

I have both sonos surround and bose surround, and I have got to say the sonos is nothing but a monster the sound just gives natural chills

[@BCappOfficial]

I own the Bose 900 and 700 woofer. I can say that it sounds really great. There is a TON of sound. It’s very clean and the base is incredible with the 700. I am big on (consistency) so I would rather everything sound comparable rather then just movies being the thing that it’s good for. I don’t want to often change settings every time I watch or listen to something different, That is a pain to do. If your someone who wants big sound in a more compact design. Listens to music and movies then this is a great buy for you. I’ve never heard the rears with this system but I can agree that the price tag is a turn off so hopefully they improve or go on sale lol. Very nice job on this review, Although I disagree personally with this being ranked so low I appreciate all your work and research. Good stuff

[@michaelobgy]

Thanks for analysis! I m in a huge dilemma myself Sonos arc or Bose 900 plus subs on both of them???? I already own a B&w A7 🤩

[@vandanamol1]

I’m having bose soundbar 700 , bass module 700 and virtual surround speakers, i must say 700 soundbar is more powerful as compared to 900 soundbar. So I don’t find 900 a worth upgrade.

[@greg6162]

@@vandanamol1 What do you mean it’s not worth upgrading… it’s got Atmos?! Edit: What do you mean is so much more powerful??? Are you even real…

[@keeldat]

I just bought the 900. I paired it with my existing bose bass module 300 and bose virtually invisible 300 surrounds. The 900 completely blows my old 300 soundbar away and it sounds great with the old subs and surrounds. In fact, I've read that the base modules for the 300 and 700 series was just a branding change.

[@ponchoskunk420]

@@greg6162this is late. The 700 supports DTS audio codec. The 900 does not. It will convert DTS signals to LPCM stereo. If you watch Blu-Rays, it is a very noticeable drop in surround quality on the 900.

[@justforviews3802]

I'd still say the Q900A is absolutely stunning !!

[@jg8273]

I had the Sonos ARC and sub. Returned it. I thought the dialog wasn’t great and it sounds a bit harsh. I got Bose 900 and sub. Much better dialog and warmer sound.

[@TheOxiongarden]

I did the opposite. Never Bose again, felt so dissapointed by the sound

[@ivohage]

@@TheOxiongarden why?

[@ivohage]

To me the Sonos ARC sounded too fake. Like the sound is overboosted. Is that what you encountered as well? Or did you dislike something else?

[@David_Palka]

I have an older Samsung soundbar with front display and to be honest I see the main reason for the upper display only for the reason of handling manually with buttons. Because with ARC usage, volume settings are displayed directly on the screen.

[@tombe1412]

This is a great video. I can imagine it was pretty hard to make and taking up more than 100 hours. There’s a ton of information and data to be covered. You did a great job! 👌🏼I finally made my decision based on your video. It’s gonna be the Samsung.

[@diegoelet]

The Sony A7000 is the only bar which have 2 HDMI ports and Specially it was the Best Sound Quality on a standalone soundBar, I was sold right there🙂 Huge thanks for this Mega important video Jonah🤩

[@justforviews3802]

Not really ... The Samsung Q900A & 950 also has 2 HDMI ports

[@philipdaniel8015]

@@justforviews3802 this whole samsung system cost lesser than the Sony soundbar alone. Which means these r not competitive models and u can't compare

[@justforviews3802]

@@philipdaniel8015 if you see in the specs it has 2 HDMI ports doesn't matter what you say it still has 2 HDMI ports whereas to the Sonos doesn't have anything

[@philipdaniel8015]

@@justforviews3802 yeah Sonos don't have. but in Sony u r getting hdmi 2.1 which means 4k@120hz while in Samsung its only 4k@60hz. So the Sony is good for gaming if u have ps5 or xbox if u want to use the soundbar as a hub u can connect these console to Sony A7000

[@justforviews3802]

@@philipdaniel8015 Soundbars are not good for gaming in general unless your playing single games but mostly better using headphones for competitive play...sometimes it's called Overkill and Sony maybe good but it's overkill Samsung is a sweet spot.

[@marksullivan3424]

I just sold my Sonos ARC & Sub used, and am waiting for the Q950A to arrive which should be any day. I hope I'm not making a mistake, but after watching Jonah's video, and reading a lot of reviews, the Q950A should easily outperform the Sonos setup (I also have a pair of OneSL for surrounds but keeping those as other speakers in my house). The main reason I sold my Arc was because of the lack of DTS support. I'm aware Sonos recent firmware update added basic DTS but unless your tv has DTS passthrough you won't get it. I've heard it's possible to get DTS with an HDFury Arcana but I just got tired of this being an issue for me and decided to move on to something that supports all formats. The Sonos Setup did work really well, but for me the dialogue was sometimes an issue. Even with voice enhancement turned on, voices were difficult to understand at times. The sub works really well, but if you have young kids sleeping at home, you can't turn that up anyway!! I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. I'll report back once I get my Q950A setup!

[@leelee287]

Well, you won't be able to turn the Samsung up anyways with kids sleeping. The samsung can literally make my house shake with it turned up to 35 % watched Kong vs zilla last night again and when the movie was done my body was still shaking kinda felt like I just got off a roller coaster ! The Samsung is no joke ! It's brilliant

[@leelee287]

Oh, and I have a sony 2012 x95j 75 inch TV so all the latest and greatest content and supports all platforms and I was actually shocked when I set the samsung up and turned it on!

[@brutosja]

I just got the Q950A couple weeks ago and watching Dolby Atmos is amazing you won’t be disappointed.

[@marksullivan3424]

@@leelee287 Awesome, i can’t wait to get this thing setup. I have a 2020 85” Q80T so I’ll get Q-Symphony as well which sounds like it works well. Other than no Dolby Vision I’ll be good to go

[@leelee287]

@@marksullivan3424 yeah you totally won't be disappointed

[@srinathnathan]

Great Video - Thanks a ton for spending the time and money in reviewing all systems - my favorite part is where you rank all the products with clear why.

[@goauld87]

This just reinforces the good deal I made on the Q950A that I just purchased recently for $800. Fantastic bang for the buck when it comes to sound quality. Thank you for the thorough comparison and honest impressions!

[@miker-s7219]

Did you get only the sound bar or the whole set ?

[@goauld87]

@@miker-s7219 The Q950A contains the whole set (soundbar, rear speakers and subwoofer).

[@latijnfreak]

Thank you so much for this amazing review. I recognize the hours and hours it must have taken to make it. You've really helped me purchase the one that I now own: the Sonos Arc with 2 Symfonisk speakers functioning as surrounds. For movies it sounds amazing. So immersive. It's unbelievable how deep the bass of just the Arc goes without the sub. For music the Samasung sounded cleaner, but I like a bit of oompf in my sound! Coming from a samsung Hw-650 ms, this is a big step up in experiencing movies! Thanks again!

[@ncmartinez_his]

Skip to 30:00 for rankings.

[@CinemaSteve]

The Q950A is currently $1300 for the whole system at BestBuy for Black Friday. Just snagged one myself last night. It just can't be beat for that price.

[@JonahMatthes]

Agreed! Amazing price for an amazing system.

[@CinemaSteve]

@@JonahMatthes I should mention that it was your review that helped me get it too! Thanks for the great reviews man!

[@graphicbryan]

We really enjoy the Sonos arc system, looking forward to upgrading to dual subs in the future (since that’s now a thing). Lack of upward firing rear isn’t really a problem for us as long as we have the placement of the play:1 speakers that we use at this time, maybe will change them to play 5 in the future. The upgradable features and longevity really is what keeps us going Sonos.

[@robertfoster167]

i just bought the samsung hw-q950a for $1039. Its a steal for the price

[@KKZG]

Where did you buy it?

[@robertfoster167]

@@KKZG i bought the set new on ebay. The seller had 200+ sold and good reviews so i ordered it. Came in about 5ish days in the original box. Couldn't be more happier about the purchase.

[@KKZG]

Thanks! I'm on the lookout

[@robertfoster167]

@@KKZG hey did a quick search to see if they still had them discounted and it looks like the ebay seller has it slightly raised at 1079. 6 sold in the last 24 hours. sellers name is ielectrica with 99.7% positive feedback rating. Best of luck mate

[@davidthanos]

I have the Samsung 900a. That thing sounds amazing and it's a good bargain, to where you don't have to buy things separate. 2 downsides. The cloth and the display is on top. But the app is good.

[@mathewserrano2262]

Those are the exact reasons I went with a 850a. The cloth wouldn’t last around the toddler and I like to see inputs/settings I’m changing

[@Ak-47ram]

Samsung is my #1 by far mainly for its $1299 (rear speakers + sub included) absolute steel price right now. You'd be out of your mind to spend twice as much for a very similar Sony system. I have to say this is the best & most detailed accurate video on soundbars out there. great job!

[@leftwinger764]

Jonah, this is by far the most informative high quality soundbar comparison content on you-tube. In every aspect. It’s for me a top notch buyers-guide. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

[@mason2430]

The boes does support 7.1 lpcm. It says it right in the app when using apple tv

[@bp7083]

Yes i get lpcm 7.1 also, when i watch a 4k disc with dts x, my tv encodes it to 7.1 lpcm to my bose system.

[@capracutreiiezi]

I really like your vids man, thanks for the quality reviews, they are really helpful! I've just got my Samsung Q950A on the Romania's BF, for only 795$...at this price, my choice was a no-brainer. Coming from only the tv speaker, its a HUGE upgrade, it enhances the movie/tv experience by a lot and this system is, in my opinion, an absolute beast for a ~30m² living room!

[@sharky9056]

Si eu de pe altex cu cod de 10% reducere. Nu inteleg dc e asa de ieftin la noi.

[@capracutreiiezi]

@@sharky9056 Intr-adevar si eu m-am mirat cand am vazut pretul de la noi, chiar verificasem mai atent sa nu fie alta versiune, poate mai slaba. Anyways, probabil asta e de fapt pretul real dar cum la noi nu e cerere mare de sounbar-uri, nu pun adaos mare. La produsul asta, putem sa vedem cat castiga in realitate intermediarii... Folosesti stative pe sateliti?

[@Tommy_ZM]

The LG S90QY is phenomenal with LG tv’s

[@biffy7]

Excellent work. I like how you structured the review. It’s funny, some of the manufacturers went so far down the field, then dropped the ball on the 5 yard line.

[@polofunk]

I have the bose 900 soundbar 700sub 700surround speakers i love it, i agree the 700 surround speakers need to be better, but you criticize the whole system because of the surround speakers, but great review.

[@ninad1201]

Not seen any detailed video the way you presented... Appreciate... its time to make new video for 2022 with comparisons of Bose900 vs samsung Q990B vs LG S95QR vs JBL 9.1 vs sony A9 vs sonos

[@kevin8122006]

Great video and review! I have the complete Sony HT A7000 setup just like the one you reviewed and I am blown away by it every time. One thing to note is that if you use it in conjunction with a newer Sony OLED TV like my Bravia A80J, you can use the TV as a center channel as well. It makes a great system even better.

[@morukuser]

Congratulations to your purchase and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to buy this setup in the next year.

[@jobber1984]

Thanks for the tip. I have a A80J waiting to be unboxed I purchased on Black Friday. Trying to decide want sound system to pair with it.

[@vandanamol1]

@@jobber1984A9G is much better in pictures quality .

[@WessGrumble]

@Amol David it's also a lot more expensive.

[@Johnny2Feathers]

Damn Sony for not adding surround on the prior model HTST5000. It’s good overall except for Dolby atmos which they claim works by bouncing sound off the ceiling above but I don’t hear any atmos surround effects. How is the atmos with your complete setup ? I’m seriously considering trying to sell mine to purchase

[@BigWiLL101]

Great video , very detailed information about all soundbar, I gat the bose 900 with the woofer for $1820 at Best Buy last week . Great sound . The Dolby Atmos is 🔥🔥🔥 . The best soundbar video I’ve seen on KZbin.

[@GlennThoughts]

Just want to comment here and say your video is amazing and it deserves more views, as well as you deserve more subs. I cannot even imagine how many hours you spent planning and creating this video. Thank you.

[@1881Gordon]

Make no mistake. This is a beautifully put together Video. What a huge, impressive body of work. Excellent upload!

[@jeffscalfano3100]

Comments for the hustle! Good video homie.

[@luvtechLynn]

Great review! Thanks for your hard work in all your reviews. Somehow my comment disappeared! I chose the Bose 900, sub, and surrounds…very happy with it!

[@kevinsnyder2298]

I truly love the sound of my Samsung TV and all Samsung soundbar, sub, and rear speakers.

[@fanli279]

samsung system shows you its sencerity. Klipsch shows you its Nobility. Sony shows you its majesty. Bose shows you its extraordinary. Sonos shows you its Artistic soul. My choice is BEAM GEN2+SUB+ONE SL X2 system. I do have the 3D bubble feel but less overhead sound for movie, but my opinion the beam are better at tv shows and music than Arc. Space feel sometimes muded the crystal and clairty of songs. i have a 65 inch TV, with a beam under it, makes my TV looks bigger, huge soundbar makes TV looks small. For me, Beam is pretty loud, and 30 to 35 is loud enough to watch movies, 20 % volume for youtube. I think its loud enough for most of the living room.** One big part no one talk about is the Low Volume Performance.** At certain low volume point, Sony lose its immersion and Bose lose its bass, but Sonos still keep all the detail and base.

[@BORICUACHANNEL]

I have sonos arc complete setup and still number one...

[@Jaimesgaming]

I like how you are providing good reviews here... People stop by and see the reviews and then don't even bother to hit the like bottom. 375 thousands views only 14k likes. 😐

[@prejtu]

Best soundbar you can get is Philips Fidelio B97/10. I work at electro store anmd tested most of soundbars avaible.

[@tylertrice1911]

I own the Samsung 950 and its un real how good it sounds. Rewatched LOTR cave troll fight scene and it was like being in the fight. The best. However, its draw back is that you cant adjust everything on the optional app. But, once you do have it set, you shouldnt need to get back in there to tweak again

[@rikpostuma3842]

awesome video. I went with the Q950A. I got a great blackfriday deal (Netherlands). Whole set for 900 euros (1012 dollar) :D

[@JonahMatthes]

Happy to hear that! Can't beat it at that price.

[@alexeio627]

Thank you so much for the fantastic review! In the morning I had zero idea about what I wanted to do other than doing something :). Your analysis gave me direction and zeroed in on good choices to start. Thank you, thank you!

[@MrClinton514]

The desing of Bose kicks ass. But for me #1 is Sonos. Great review. Thanks man.

[@davidsapir3764]

Happy Thanksgiving! Great review. Every system featured in this video sounds great. But the elephant in the room is that for most people, paying as much for the soundbar system as they did for the tv leaves a very bitter taste in their wallets. I'm definitely one of those people. For only $499 I went with the Vizio 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar system. Comes with a nice beefy soundbar that has legit upfiring speakers, a sub woofer and two surround speakers. And the sound and immersion experience it delivers is phenomenal for such a reasonable price. Build quality and aesthetics are excellent. I don't feel like I "settled" at all. My tv is a 65" Samsung QN90A and this soundbar system was a perfect fit.

[@Mr21scott]

That's like buying a top-of-the-line steak in a restaurant and then putting ketchup on it. With a side of tater tots.

[@davidsapir3764]

As of 12/14/21 the Vizio M Series 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar mentioned in my comment was price dropped by a whopping $150 to only $349.99. At this price, it's hands down the single best bang for the buck Dolby Atmos soundbar system available anywhere. And it really does sound effing amazing.

[@bigbossjc4117]

@@Mr21scott Last time I checked top of the line steaks don’t come with steak sauce that cause as nearly as much as it do, nor do any of the sides🤣🤣. On top of that TVs for two and three grand come with speakers that are worth 200 dollars.

[@hudsmack]

I own the Bose system and AdaptiQ made a HUGE difference in my room.

[@krishnannallappa46]

Great Comparisons.... Thanks for your efforts ! Waiting for Ht-A9 review too 😀

[@idonotcarenow]

In my humble opinion the Bose is the best system. It’s not as loud, but it’s well balanced, there’s no distortion at all, and it’s so clear, the balance of the system is unreal, but as you said, all our ears are different and maybe it’s just to me that the Bose sounds the best. Anyways, great review, thx for your input, it helped me decide weather I should just stick with what I have or upgrade.

[@djsavtug]

I really enjoyed this video. Really appreciated!! I have just sold (today) my bose 700 set. I visited immediately my best friend who has the Sonos Arc set. I have tested it several hours. It is OK but not that great as the Bose 700. This weekend I will test the Samsung Q950a. Thank you for your time!!

[@jasperscholz5094]

Hi, pleas let us know when you had hear the Samsung q950a and bring on your opinion which is the best between Bose 700, Sonos arc and Samsung q950s. Thanks!

[@djsavtug]

@@jasperscholz5094 Hi Jasper. I'm not going to criticize any of the products. Because both have pluses and minuses. The Sonos has more full sound. Everything seems to have more punch, bass. Listening to eg R&B or Hardstyle gives a really cool sound. The Samsung has very detailed sound. Certain sound effects in movies that I didn't hear with the Sonos, were audible with the Samsung. The Samsung against that does not have such a deep bass. My choice fell on the Samsung. Because I'm going to watch more movies than listen to music. And the price compared both Samsung was (way more) cheaper. Good luck

[@jasperscholz5094]

@@djsavtug Thanks for your words!

[@djsavtug]

@@jasperscholz5094 anytime! Have a great day

[@ealanosborne]

Damn dude...I'm probably one of the few commenting that realizes how hard it was to put together a video this detailed. Well done! This is gonna get a ton of traction this holiday shopping season! 😎

[@JonahMatthes]

Very difficult to put together haha. Basically a month of only focusing on this! Hoping so!

[@o.c.g.m9426]

I'm predicting 300k to 550k viewes by December 2022

[@Subjective_JoshNelson]

a+1 on Ealan's! Jonas love to see a vid on TruePlay Atmos vs. Compressed (I stream, only, from Netflix Ultra, HBO, Apple+ et al.) Didn't realize I was getting compressed Atmos on my Sonos 5.1.2. Sonos surround is, overall, very nice. I have not been impressed with the Atmos at all, howeccer. Still thinking of returning the whole lot and investing in a wired home theater, lol

[@Hasithism]

Sound quality at 17:49

[@tobi9]

Sonos arc with 2x fives and 2 subs is AMAZING!!!! I use to have the Samsung 950A and the Nakamichi.

[@TravionMusic]

You like your Sonos better than the 950a??

[@tobi9]

@@TravionMusic I tried the 950a for a while when I was thinking about replacing the Nakamichi. The 950a has a very good to great soundstage, it can be downright impressive. The bass for me tho was lacking. Sonos done correctly using trueplay with the fives and 2 subs is like combining the 950a (almost 950a soundstage) and Nakamichi (2 subs). You can always use the two fives for music as well.

[@sdelgeorge7700]

Nice video! Couple minor tech points ... More accurate to say Dolby TrueHD uses "lossless" compression as it is not "uncompressed" audio (PCM/LPCM is uncompressed). Also DD+ is "lossy" compression (.75 - 1.5 Mbps) with less than 10% of the bit rate of Dolby TrueHD (18 Mbps) - so while DD+ is "one step" below Dolby TrueHD it is a pretty big step.

[@JonahMatthes]

Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback!

[@woofinu]

Great overview and helpful summary. Thank you. I just watched both your 2020 and 2021 lists. As an aside, I really like the room improvements you've made, especially the white cabinet under the TV.

[@rontronnesjr]

Hey Jonah - thanks for investing the time and money to do this review. I just bought the LG OLED C1 77" and went to upgrade my soundbar from the Boston Acoustics TVEE30 to something more immersing. I read online reviews and was almost set on the Sonos or Bose, but then I see your review and now have to revisit my research lol Looking forward to your other individual reviews. Thanks again.

[@Leechinyu1222]

I literally just bought LG C1 77” today and immediately bought Sony hta7000 because of this video.

[@andrewholt5659]

@@Leechinyu1222 I bought the Sonos with my LG C1 and it is fantastic.

[@mitchbeuke6550]

Amazing video here, Jonah! Super thorough and great holiday shopping timing! We must have similar ears and tastes. I've owned both the Sony HT-A7000 with the SW5 sub and rears, as well as the Samsung Q950a setup. After doing a lot of initial research before buying these two units and then 3 weeks of swapping back and forth between them and tuning the sound and comparing them, I've also concluded that the Sony is superior in virtually all categories and I kept the Sony setup and returned the Samsung. The wow factor of the Sony is so surprising from a soundbar, and the sub is amazing. Keep up the great content sir!

[@Rbbrdcky]

Great video Jonah! I ended up going with the Samsung Q950a based on your review here. Can't wait to get it!

[@JonahMatthes]

Thanks! Great choice 👍🏼

[@Rbbrdcky]

@@JonahMatthes and fortunately, I don't have any cats 😉

[@pyaephyoaung3611]

That's insane review. I have never seen a video like this yet. Bravo!!!

[@bosun9164]

Thanks buddy, definitely see you have worked hard for this video, well deserve a like!

[@jj5833]

Which is the loudest for streaming music? Which give me better control of my equalizer? Bass, mid, treble etc..

[@lecisko]

Very nice review. I am using Q950A for already a month and I must say that going from stereo speakers, it is just something else for movies (especially with Dolby Atmos). But I have also come across the fact that the highs and mids from the soundbar itself can be a bit overdone some times. I wanted to buy Sony or Ambeo but could not justify double price of that solution. But as you were saying, value for money is just incredible with Q950A. Thanks again!

[@clintevashkevich]

I don’t own this Samsung sound bar but I think I remember seeing a review on it that said you can adjust the levels on the sound bar’s speakers using the buttons on the top. Can’t adjust it in the app but can on the bar. Don’t remember what all the adjustments were though.

[@clintevashkevich]

I don’t own this Samsung sound bar but I think I remember seeing a review on it that said you can adjust the levels on the sound bar’s speakers using the buttons on the top. Can’t adjust it in the app but can on the bar. Don’t remember what all the adjustments were though.

[@mmcpa]

I have the Q950A and absolutely love it!!...and I'm not returning mine.

[@tintman831]

On your other video you picked the Sonos complete system over the Samsung 🤔

[@Greenthum6]

I found Q950A customer return for under 800eur last weekend. Some scratches on top of the sub, but otherwise like new. The set sounds great for movies. For music it is ok, but my ears have been ruined by high end studio speakers. However, listening to Adele's "Easy on me" with Q950A was an outstanding experience. I was blown away how well vocals and bass sounded. It may be due to limited amount of instruments present, since any kind of loud music sounds messy (room acoustics may also affect).

[@nicholasashmead2839]

Man, what a detailed breakdown. Love that Sonos design, but it could use the brushed metal of the Bose or the wood case like the Kipsch. Big fan of the break down on the Sony specs. Appreciate the help this Christmas!

[@namanrastogi839]

Great Video. Thanks. Any reason why JBL 9.1.1 is not in the list?

[@namanrastogi839]

Where would that be on the rating scale compared to these products?

[@Egofileo1]

Thanks for this HUGE effort for publishing such a detailed and great video. Really appreciate. Mega thumb up !

[@whatfreedom7]

I have never seen a upward firing subwoofer but that seems like it would be more effect than a down firing sub with a carpeted floor soaking up sound waves. Seems like the sound waves would work better higher off the floor.

[@hoosier3102]

How does the JBL 9.1 stack up to these?

[@dvs3308]

Thanks Jonah! Last week I bought a Sonos Arc system (2400 euro) and I was really happy with it. But after watching your review I also purchased the Samsung 950A for 925 euro (and got 150 cashback so finally I will pay 775, also got 10 free online movies). Compared both and although I'm still a fan of Sonos, the sound of the Samsung is better. Only downside is the Samsung app. But with a price difference of 1625 euro I will get used to the app 🙂. I returned the Sonos set an saved a lot of money!

[@JonahMatthes]

Happy I could help out!

[@anishdaniel123]

How is the bass performance of samsung? Is the bass performance good for a medium sized room when we are listening to music?

[@dvs3308]

@@anishdaniel123 I'm very happy with the full bass sound. It has an EQ where you can set the bass and also you can set the punch of the woofer. Our living room is 6x9.

[@anishdaniel123]

@dvs thanku for the reply, is 6×9 in feet?

[@dvs3308]

@@anishdaniel123 you're welcome. 6x9 is in meters.

[@allanblyth6150]

Your videos are really good, informative and not annoying. Thanks for that. Could you please recommend a budget/mid priced soundbar for my father who is hard of hearing? He just watches Freeview channels and not all of them have subtitles. Unfortunately many high end sound bars are great for Atmos movies but they seem to struggle with basic stereo mid-range. I would appreciate your opinion. Thanks so much Jonah

[@lanemiddleton9]

For a single chassis soundbar that sounds fabulous it’s hard to top the harmonic richness and beautiful musical tonality of the B&O Stage . . . Happy listening 👂🏼 👂🏼

[@camerontait9132]

Thanks for this great review, I’m cross shopping the Sony and Sonos and this has helped a lot.

[@ichigoofy]

Thanks for the video. I had just purchased the Sonos Arc and Gen 3 sub and waiting for delivery, but after your video, I'm cancelling the order and going with the Samsung. The Sonos Arc not having a second hdmi port for me to pass through my google Chromecast with TV is a show sopper. My Vizio M65-D0 only has one hdmi port that supports arc and all the other features, all the other ports on my tv or scaled back.

[@SonNguyen-fc2xg]

I would give this review a 5 stars. Enough said.

[@MisterThompson313]

Wish that klipsch supported dts codecs... I have a sizeable 4k blu-ray collection and wanted to upgrade my Vizio elevate

[@juanvalera7272]

Very good video and review as always.

[@kingkobra1956]

I have the Bose 9 with dual subs and the omnis. I enjoyed the video, well done.

[@wwheeler34]

Can any of these be wall mounted..thanks

[@adamgerhart8001]

Great review! Where did you get those neon tunes? They look great!

[@rickrweaver]

Great info! Which one would provide the clearest voices in movies in a 25 foot high ceiling room? Thanks!