Sonos Arc System vs Samsung HW-Q950T Soundbar: Which is the King?

[@JonahMatthes]

If you're interested in purchasing either of these systems, you can purchase them here! Sonos Arc System US (paid link): shop-links.co/1722018978756266946 Sonos Arc System Int (paid link): geni.us/IvoGXT Samsung Q950T US (paid link): shop-links.co/1722018977877882393 Samsung Q950T Int (paid link): geni.us/w08BPl

[@jothibasur]

Hi Jonah thanks for the detailed and excellent review. I get it that the Sonos ARC is the better soundbar available now. But I am not an apple user and from your review there was a footnote that without airplay its not so good. Could you please expand on that and taking in to account someone isnt an apple user would you still recommend Sonos?

[@JonahMatthes]

@@jothibasur Yeah, I think this is something I didn’t explain too well in the video. So with an Android device you can still play your music to the Sonos Arc and other Sonos speakers. However, you’ll need to connect those different apps in the Sonos App. I believe someone corrected me in saying that you can play music directly from your music library through the Sonos App as well. But you can’t output any and all audio from an Android device to the Sonos system like Bluetooth or Airplay would. It’s mainly setup for music playback. Hope this makes sense!

[@jothibasur]

​@@JonahMatthes Thank you that makes sense. As an android user you lose a bit of convenience, if Sonos supported ChromeCast it would have been better. Thank you for the quick response much appreciated.

[@dwaynedesa1749]

Hi Jonah, thanks for the review man. I liked both these speakers when I tested them. The only thing with the Sonos, is the price tag for the woofers and surrounds. My question for you though is how is the Q950T with all the firmware updates now?

[@orenpetel]

Does The samsung q950t can work without connecting the surround speakers?

[@Billmc997]

I really love my Sonos Arc system and the subwoofer has great sound with both movies and music with a ton of bass. Can’t go wrong with this system. Dolby Atmos compatibility is why I waited for the Arc and am super happy I got it for that reason alone.

[@tumunamegabe1968]

Sonos system is an other level of sound bars, my partner was complaining about the cost of the Arc and sub gen3 that I spent, now she's the one gave me money to buy two Sonos one to add on the system as surround speakers. Never go wrong

[@boonsiangtan3609]

Nice review to include the usability instead of just focusing on the sound quality. I bought some audio product in the past due to the recommendation by other reviewer that talks about sound quality only. And it turn out that using the product is frustrating due to connectivity issue etc.

[@Pryzm1965]

I went for the Sonos arc + 2x ones and the new sub Mini, absolutely love it. One of the best buys I ever made makes watching movies and TV just that more enjoyable, never regretted buying it for even a second.

[@nytridr]

Just watched the entirety of your review and it was spot on. I actually bought the Samsung system first because I thought it sounded the best at Bestbuy. I returned it for the Sonos after the install because of how much of a pain in the ass it was and because the Sonos just looked cleaner. Ease of use, quality of materials and looks beat the Samsung's just a bit better audio quality.

[@manishjaiswal3523]

And that lackluster subwoofer.

[@robertwiley8458]

Great review I'm a Sonos Arc user with 2 One SL s for a home theater experience. Simply Amazing experience without the sub because I have neighbors that I don't want to annoy. Exceptional and you can hear everything when I added 2 One SL s the Sonos Arc opened up and filled the room with awesomeness.

[@greatpoochini1]

My cats would nudge me towards the Q950, as the kind of high-end scratching post they think they deserve.

[@soalegria1971]

Oh hell no, time to get rid of those cats!

[@heavysaur]

Hahahaha

[@haloharry97]

This is why I do not own cats

[@rkw221]

@@soalegria1971 naaaw...my cat is named Ozzy and is the live reincarnation of THE Ozzy!! He even bites the heads off various once live things he brings home to me as presents. :D So just some pepper spray on the thing should do it, I would 'hope???'... ;D

[@eventhorizon2873]

my cats don't do this anymore, they associate that kind of behaviour with pain.

[@daveillingworth6784]

Generally pretty comprehensive review mate. Well done. Possible update to add is the fact that which ever speakers are used for the surrounds can also be used completely independently around the house. Very handy for people who don't want permanent surrounds with their room aesthetic. Just bring them in for movie night and the rest of the time you have true multi-room audio. 😊

[@jimmccord3428]

Thanks for this Jonah. I just purchased the ARC and love the quick set-up and sound so far. With eARC, controlling the sound with my iPhone, the apple tv remote or the TV remote is a huge plus for me and my wife. I am going to order the Sub today to complete the system. You are correct the Wi-Fi control of the system is much superior to Bluetooth. Since my entire house will be using Sonos speakers throughout it made a ton of sense for me to go all in with Sonos. Adding you to my Subscription List. Thanks.

[@yodabeeshdc8275]

Thanks for the awesome review! I’ve been on the fence between both. I was leaning a lot towards the Samsung because I currently have both a Samsung TV and a lower end Samsung sound bar (HW-550). They integrate extremely well, and I plug my AppleTV into the soundbar. I’d like to run my AppleTV to the soundbar to the TV, and it seems like the 950 does the Atmos processing and therefore doesn’t rely on eARC. After watching this, I’m now leaning towards the Sonos despite the face that I don’t have an eARC TV and the Arc only has one HDMI port. The TruePlay app looks pretty good and customizable whereas the 950 just fires out sound with different canned settings. It’s really good to know the different quirks you’ve experienced with the 950. The big thing that you mentioned was that voice didn’t sound great on the 950. That is huge since my biggest pet peeve is that I need to constantly adjust the volume to hear clear voices despite different tweaks. (The “clear voice” setting on my HW-550 degrades the rest of the audio.) Oh, and the user interface on the Samsung sucks. WHAT were they thinking? Thanks again! You’ve got a new subscriber!

[@MrSlickyRicky123]

I can't lie this is the first video I've watch of yours and well done to you! great video, very informative, good detail and coverage of use, subbed and liked which is rare of me but keep it up! will keep an eye out for any new ones!

[@polforestorres]

Didnt finished the video yet, but I already wanna thank you for it!! Really well explained! :)

[@Wilbgr8]

After reviewing the Sonos Arc with 2 s1's and the Samsung 850a with subwoofer, honestly I understand what you mean by it sounds better!! I'm tempted to purchase the Samsung 900a and team it with the wireless 9500s, to see if this combination will still beat the arc! Like you, I despise the cloth, it will not age well and the ability to add more speakers to the arc is a nice feature but the Samsung sound is just better hands down!! I'm unsure how or why everyone says the Arc beats the samsung 950. Price alone you get more bang for your buck.

[@christianducharme1646]

Good review ! I m really happy with my new Sonos Arc + Sub Gen3 + 2 One SL since one week. Amazing sound, easy to configure, no issue. Thanks a lot!

[@purdue1992jl]

I just got mine last Sunday and I love it. The sub is a beast

[@bertverschoor1412]

How about the Klipsch Cinema 1200?

[@fiddycaliber947]

Excellent coverage, keep up the awesome content Jonah.

[@milespogi]

so happy and proud owner of Sonos setup 👍😊

[@AndyfBaby319]

Im a samsung rep and even i say go with Sonos

[@tommysrensen1417]

Man, I love your reviews. Very detailed and useful. You rule👍

[@JonahMatthes]

I appreciate that! Thanks so much!

[@silky-smooth]

Btw you can play music straight from your phone on the Sonos. You can also set up a network using the same wifi and have your entire music collection. Then you can make it public or private and anyone on your network can control all your music. So it doesn't just have to be an iPhone

[@galagus187]

Sounds interesting do you have a guide I can follow please?

[@silky-smooth]

@@galagus187 you can just Google how to create a home network on wondows 10. It takes 5 minutes. Then go into your sonos app and add that location for it to find/play music. Then every device you use on that wifi network will play all the music you loaded. Fyi the laptop or cpu you used to create the network must be on.

[@silky-smooth]

@@galagus187 m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5TSnZx4pbGWeqs

[@sdeestar]

I would definitely go with the sonos! I have the arc set up in my basement and it does wonders, I tried the ambeo bar before replacing it with sonos arc. However a soundbar cannot replace a multiple speakers entertainment set up, but for a soundbar to claim to deliver a 9.1.2 experience just because it has so many speakers in one bar, is misrepresentation in my opinion.

[@nickabbott4411]

Hi, not sure if you'll get this in a timely manner but why did you "downgrade" from the Ambeo to the Arc? I'm deciding between a 2nd hand Playbar for now and then when I get a new TV I really want the Ambeo but I'm also thinking about the Arc and I'd like to know why you got rid of the Ambeo or which one you prefer. Cheers!

[@sdeestar]

@@nickabbott4411 the ambeo did not deliver from a surround standpoint. My room is a long rectangular room, which is what I thought it was recommended for, but it fell short in delivering the surround sound. Airplanes flying over your head, you’re not gonna hear it. Sound coming from behind you, you’re not gonna experience that, there is so much it can throw. It it just impossible for it to replace actual speakers located on top and behind you, which is the true surround experience. Don’t get me wrong, the sound bar sounds amazing, but it is false advertising when they say it delivers true surround, you’ll have to literally crank up the volume before you even start to hear any kind of reflection. I ended doing the sonos arc, and then two surround speakers and it’s amazing.

[@nickabbott4411]

@@sdeestar Thanks very much for your answer and in super quick time as well, it's appreciated. That's not really what I wanted to hear lol but I do kind of expect that, unfortunately. Nothing is going to beat real speakers but I was hoping that this might get much closer. I'm stuck to having a soundbar (unless I want to be single! 😁) so I need to make sure I get something that will be a step up and not have speakers all over the room. I don't think I'll even get away with 2 rear speakers either. The only way I might pull it off is if i get the IKEA lamp sonos speakers but that might be a risk! The Arc is much cheaper than the Ambeo so I might just go with that for now and sneak the speakers (lamps 😂) in later on! Whereas the Ambeo is limited to just external subs which is a shame. It also makes me think we might be due an Ambeo v2 and that would destroy me paying that much and it being obsolete in a year!

[@XAnonymousGuyX1]

Completely happy with my sonos setup. I've got the Arc, Gen3 sub, and 2 play 3's for the living room. The Beam and 2 One SL's for the bedroom, for our bar downstairs we've got the same Sonos setup as our bedroom with the addition of a Gen2 sub. Then an old $1400 Sony 5.1 surround sound system in the other living room that I bought nearly 10yrs ago on a black friday sale. That systems sure to be replaced with another sonos system at our next house if we still have a second living room. I will say, that 10yr old sony system still holds it's own against the sonos setups. With 1000w system and a 500w powered sub. The rear speakers connect to their own dedicated wireless receiver, but all the speakers are still wired in some way. Great system, just looks dated and is a pain to run all the wires through the walls to keep a clean look.

[@hitfoods1726]

Great job man! I like that you explained how hearing the systems through KZbin is a waste of time. Also liked your audiophile joke.😂

[@davechannel01]

Great review without any bias. I have Sonos speakers in every room in my house so it only made sense to introduce the Sonos arc/Sub/Play:One surrounds as my master bedroom Dolby atmos system. I have had it since 2021 and it never gives me any problems. The sound is fantastic for the type of setup that it is. In my living room, I have a full on component system with a Denon receiver, 7.2.2 Dolby Atmos, that is a totally different experience, but everything is hardwired and takes up much more space. I think the Sonos Arc with subwoofer and surrounds is a great Dolby Atmos for those who want a clean and minimal setup with a very good sound stage. Also, I like how there are no inputs to the Arc. I would rather the other peripherals connect to the TV and let the TV be the selection hub instead of the sound bar. Anyway, I gave your vid a thumbs up! Thanks dude!

[@pieterh7808]

Solid review! However prices for Sonos in Europe tend to be way higher than in the US. The full Sonos system would easily cost 2000+ EUR (about 2500 USD). I recently bought the Q950T in a very attractive Black Friday deal (1000 EUR, about 1215 USD) and had no issues setting up the system. Very happy with my choice, but I agree Sonos has some nice features that I miss in my Samsung system

[@tumunamegabe1968]

Sonos is always expensive especially when u have to buy each speaker (item) individual but for me I used to Sonos playbase, playbar and sub gen2 and I just upgraded to the arc with sub gen3 I think it worth the cost I used to change speakers every six months but once I got Sonos I'm satisfied and happy. In Australia the new arc with sub gen3 plus two Sonos one sl costs us $2895 crazy

[@bierba]

@@tumunamegabe1968 €2250 in europe, on sale mind you. Which translates to $3281 australian.

[@PNWoutdoorReviews]

Truly enjoyed every second of your review and I'm so happy with my very recent ( yesterday ) purchase of the Sonos ARC sound bar. I'll eventually purchase the rest of the system but I had to replace my Bose 700 smart sound bar due to the constant connection issues with the HDMI.

[@brendanbarrett5152]

Fair play for not bothering with audio samples, complete waste of time on youtube

[@vincentseidle954]

never understood when people complain about the reviewer not testing audio while they listen on their laptop

[@DJCocoaPuffz]

@@vincentseidle954 bb no n. Bbbonnnnnnnnnnyyo

[@Wilbgr8]

I have been in search for a surround sound upgrade from my old samsung 550 sound bar, after having a house party and the sound bar didn't deliver very well with a crowd. Since then I've been watching various videos, I sampled Sonos beam w/ 2 s1's, it delivered nicely while using pandora, but the sound quality diminished while listening to music on youtube. Unsure what that meant, so I purchased the Sonos Arc in an effort to combat that since the arc costs as much as the beam and s1's. While trying out the arc, I purchased a Samsung 850A with subwoofer, the volume capability kicked the arc's arse. I do love the idea of adding more speakers as time progresses because samsungs wired "wireless" rear speakers are a big NO!! I still haven't figured which I prefer.. Such a hard decision, but Samsung has way more volume than Sonos Arc.

[@nunoV12]

Hey. I'm considering buying a Q800A and I noticed your comment... Why are the Samsung rears a big no? You're talking about the 9500s right?

[@MisterChibs]

Pressed “Like” 3 times and agree with you. It’s better to have something that works. If you have to tweak and babysit your soundbar to get to work all the time, what’s the point? Maybe down the road Samsung will fix reliability issues but it’ll be to late. At least for me. Sonos for the win!

[@BTheInstaller]

Good stuff bro. I wish the sonos could do more speakers, would like some upward rears. Maybe doable in near future.

[@darrellchavez7194]

I was told you can connect more one sl or ones if needed

[@klaymoon1]

I heard that Samsung has a crippled software division - not because software engineers are not good - but because the top managements treat the software division as if a second rate citizen compared to hardware engineers. I heard that frequently the software division gets very rushed projects with constantly changing specifications. I think that culture is showing up on the final products like these. It's a software game now but Samsung just didn't get the message yet.

[@pablomalverdes]

In other reviews, I've read Samsung bars work flawlessly with Samsung TVs, but many people have experienced issues when pairing with TV sets from other brands.

[@robertphillips4155]

Thanks for your videos, you do a great job covering a lot of material. I am replacing a $150 USD Sony system and I’m not going to string wire or have speakers sticking on the wall. The system has to be stealth, wireless, simple, and reliable. All the things you mentioned about Sonos. Because of your review and the review of others, I narrowed it down to Sonos and Bose. Both sounded great with lots of bass and crystal clear vocals but I can easily control the Sonos with my Apple TV remote (a very simple control) and the bass was a little puncher (is that a word?). Anyway, thanks for the input.

[@RQuinton79]

I started searching for soundbars in January and watched 100's of videos comparing different systems to another. It's a shame I didn't find you sooner, you have great content and love the thorough reviews. I ended up in home testing the Visio SB46514-F6 (5.1.4), the Samsung Q90r (7.1.4 and Q950t predecessor), the Nakamichi 7.1.4 and the Nakamichi 9.2.4. The Q90R was $1600 and for the price was incredibly disappointing. I agree that the rears and sub seem like an afterthought. No matter how I placed the rears, I never felt I was getting a real atmos effect. The Visio was only $700, but sounded like a $300 bar so enough said there. The 9.2.4 Nakamichi at $1400 absolutely blew everything out of the water. I honestly didn't know how awesome Atmos was until I hooked up that system and played a few games and movies that took advantage of it. I know everything is out of pocket for you, but if you get the chance, I highly recommend the Nakamichi 9.2.4 if you are going to stay with a sound bar. Not that it is perfect, but my goodness what a difference. My second choice would definitely be the Sono that you reviewed, even though I didn't at home test it, I did hear it in the store (it sounded great), but there is one huge advantage that the Sonos has over all other sound bars and that is the upgrade/replacement path. At the end of the day, I ended up going with a receiver and separates, not because I'm some audiophile, but because the first Visio I tested came with a broken speaker. I was able to return and replace the whole system that night (Best Buy) but it really changed how I viewed soundbars. If one component goes on the Q905t for example, the entire system goes with it. You can't just replace a speaker and be done with it. If there is a future upgrade, say a hypothetical HDMI 3 or something, you are stuck. This is one additional area that the Sonos system really shines. You can grow your sound experience slowly, or go all in with a complete set, but still know if a speaker goes, you can just replace it. If the hypothetical HDMI 3 comes out, maybe you have to replace the Sonos Arc, but the remaining speakers and subwoofer will still work. The Sonos gives so much more future proof and flexibility than pretty much any other soundbar on the market. Another user posted that Sonos may release a new SL one with upward firing speakers. I have no idea, but if they do, it should be a seamless process to upgrade rather than having to buy a whole new system.

[@Kemenyan73]

Thank you for your comment. Long but really insightful for a potential soundbar buyer like me.

[@GesBey]

Very useful video, thank you. My main problem with modern-day TV productions is the quality of dialogue. When compared to programs from e.g. 15 years ago! picture quality is obviously far superior, but speech seems to be far inferior in clarity. It would be great if you could comment on the difference in speech quality between these two systems.

[@aqeelrasasi618]

My TV only support compressed Dolby Atmos using ARC, is buying the ARCANA HD FURY worth it? especially when most of my content is provided by streaming services like Netflix which don’t support uncompressed Dolby Atmos in any other device to my knowledge. And that the only way to get uncompressed Dolby Atmos is through a blue ray player or things like that (not streamed) please correct me if I’m wrong

[@JonahMatthes]

I would say it's only worth it if you plan on using a Blu-ray Player, Nvidia Shield TV Pro, or Apple TV 4K and viewing local content that uses Dolby TrueHD.

[@aqeelrasasi618]

Jonah Matthes I’ll try playing the same clip with two different TVs, one with ARC and the other with EARC to see if the difference is worth it.

[@johnrambo6990]

Great review, however, I wish people always remember that these reviews are always 1 person’s opinion. We all hear and see things differently, so the most important part is to consider the price and what your budget allows.

[@Tiggzg]

Jonah, love your reviews. You cover all the basis’ and easy to understudy

[@qaasgeemmm9596]

Thanks for your review & your conclusion was what i was expecting! 😊

[@monroe2245]

6:41 LOL I can hear the aggression in your voice. Our cat is living on borrowed time. If I saw it on my speakers it would bag's packed, new home for kitty. All great, high quality vids for anyone else who hasn't seen the different iterations between samsung q950, Sonos and the other competitors he reviews. A must watch if your out there hunting for wireless surround. I was sold on the jbl but looks like samsung after watch his review. Passed on Sonos as I'm not sure how well it's individual speaker config is setup for atmos(?)

[@popuppete]

The best way to evaluate audio quality is based on how it sounds through my phone speakers in a KZbin video. Also turn the volume up all the way. I want to hear how loud they are.

[@boopidoo]

Got the Samsung soundbar and setup was extremely fast and simple. Using a Samsung TV no cables are needed. Also it is compatible with Google assistant and Google Home. Super easy to integrate with other devices connected through Google Home. Sounds great too. A+++ :) Also I've got cats and so far they haven't been interested at all, they scratch everything else in the house though... maybe they've added a cat repellant. :D

[@Im-sure]

I just bought the Sonos along with my lg G2 and it’s great! A year after this video…

[@JimHarmer]

Hey Jonah! It’s Jim from Income School. Happened on your video as I’m working on my sonos system. You’re killing it! Thanks for the vid.

[@JonahMatthes]

Hey Jim! Hope you guys are doing alright. I really appreciate that, it means a lot! Can't believe it was about a year ago that you guys finally pushed me to make the jump to KZbin. Can't thank you guys enough! Let me know if you have any questions about anything, I'm happy to help!

[@complexsquid]

Here in NZ the Q950T costs less than half what the full Sonos kit does. Would you still go for the Sonos or does it not justify double the price?

[@HarrisonD]

Yeh man not worth it. I got the 900A as no need for rears. Go with the Samsung much better value.

[@ratedtriplex]

So this is Samsung's 3rd or 4th iteration of their x.1.4 soundbar and they still can't get it right. Still have connection issues, still have cec issues, still have weak rear speakers, still sounds mediocre with certain content. Unbelievable.

[@jimmd53]

In your opinion which connections from sound bar to TV is best, and which should be avoided if possible: HDMI, ARC, USB, Optical. Please comment if there are any others I forgot to write down. Thank you. J. Semertzides

[@man2moto]

Just purchased the Samsung sound bar and Samsung 75 inch tv q80a. Let me make this clear….I’M NOT PROMOTING Samsung products. Upgraded the sound bar from Klipsch r-20b and 55 inch 1080p Samsung tv. My opinion only. Took me about 2 1/2 - 3 hours setting up tv and sound bar. In a small to medium room. Watched a movie called ‘The Tomorrow War’, Unbelievable and awesome sound (also great picture). What is not mention is the sound bar works with the speakers inside the tv. I put the volume at about 35% which is more than enough. I’m like WOW!!!!! I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping I do not have issues like he had.

[@richardburrell9404]

my Sonos One SL speakers will be wall-mounted behind but on LHS and RHS walls, would it be worth adding a single Sonos five as a rear wall speaker. All of the above would be combined with a Sonos Arc and GEN 3 sub-woofer. Thanks for any advice.

[@JonahMatthes]

Unfortunately, you can't add just a single Sonos Five to a surround Sonos setup. And you can only have a single set of surround speakers. So x2 One SLs or x2 Fives, not both. That would be nice though!

[@richardburrell9404]

@@JonahMatthes Thanks Jonas, that's helpful. 2 x Fives would be too "in your face", especially for my wife, so I'll stick with the 2 One SL's.

[@richardburrell9404]

Ahhh. I was planning to pair the Arc with a new 75" Samsung 8K TV, but I have just picked up on an apparently ongoing, unresolved issue with lip sync (video ahead of audio) when Atmos is working via eArc HDMI. Assuming this to be the case, the Arc is suddenly a no-no as there's no better way to ruin a great movie than lip sync issues.

[@samuelquintanar5929]

Awesome! Just the review I was looking for, thanks!

[@lancestone9877]

I just hooked up the Samsung 950A. Great system!!!

[@henille]

Thx man. Was close to buy the Samsung on half price now (black week) but when you told me about your girlfriend issues I'm back on Sonos. My wife is a technical disaster ;)

[@JonahMatthes]

Happy Wife Happy Life

[@cikomessi]

Your wife has to be a Lady outside, be a good cooker a be a Legend in bed😉

[@KingWilliamProtector]

Great video brother. Keep it up. I'm looking at the q950a after your review of that system.

[@GlennLidstone]

Thanks for this video! Great job and totally appreciate this review.

[@MrProfessorPN]

EXCELLENT review! I was trying to figure out which one to get as an android user. But I think I will go for the Sonos Arc system

[@serjoka77]

I listened to both Samsung and Sonos solutions and, of course, it’s a very subjective thing here. But from the frequency response and fidelity Sonos wins hands down and it’s a very objective thing. BUT at the end I bought the Bose system (Soundbar 700, Bass Module 700, and Surround Speakers 700). Bose experience is absolutely amazing, I don’t care about channels and speakers numbers if the overall experience is bad.

[@poof3192]

Any issues with the 700? I've been debating on getting the arc vs the 700 but the 700 has mixed reviews.

[@serjoka77]

@@poof3192 no issue at all, but if you are planning to buy the Bose soundbar 700 only, then I would 100% suggest you to go with the Sonos Arc, especially if you have a big room. On the other hand Bose has the Adaptive technology which is great and it adjusts the sound according to your room configuration. This is priceless if you are planning to buy the sub and the surround speakers later on.

[@poof3192]

@@serjoka77 I would be getting the soundbar and sub with either system and adding surrounds later. I have a medium size room. Would you still recommend the arc if I don't get the surrounds now?

[@anonym2002a]

@@poof3192 I'am also thinking which of these both System I should buy (also Soundbar + Sub + Surround) but after watching a couple of videos i think i would go for the Sonos Arc because it has Dolby Atmos, better connectivity and was released later ( so it will get more updates). Both of the Systems give you an amazing Sound and they sound nearly equal, but the Sonos Arc is clearer and sound is better when you listen to music , while the Bose 700 has a better bass (which was very important to me until i found out that you can regulate ist on the Sonos System. Overall, if you would listen to them you cannot tell which one is playing. Also, the Sonos doesen't have Dts or Dts:x so if you have a lot of Hd Blurays or Dvds you would get no sound (which isn't a problem for me because the TV i want is the LG CX which also don't support it and the are several devices which can convert Dts to Dolby Digital and most 4k Blurays use Dolby Atmos).

[@poof3192]

@@anonym2002a I didn't know about the DTS. I have a good amount of bluray movies and recently bought a 4k player. Sonos won't play any sound at all? Something to think about.

[@chrisl5114]

First considered the Sonos but read many threads about compatibility with Samsung TV's. Mainly audio cutting off and on. Plus the Q950T is now around $1000. Considering these two factors plus the fact that the Sonos doesn't support DTS:X I'm going with the Q950T.

[@MrRobaloAmigo]

It seems that almost all issues with Q950T are fixed (unfortunately, still no full multichannel LPCM support and no multichanell stereo music playing). For me it works super stable nad consistent now and for now, it's better choice over Arc. If they will add missing features (attack the support, people!), it will be far better.

[@ShashankKatiyar0]

What do you mean by 'no multichanell stereo' (genuinely asking)? I had last year Q90R and 'surround profile will upmix the stero to al the channels (except height channels). I found a solution to even that if you have Nvidia Shield. Basically, if you upmix in SHield in first and play in 'surround profile, any sound is played in all the channels (including height). Did you mean something else or this profile is missing from Q950T?

[@MrRobaloAmigo]

@@ShashankKatiyar0 Multichannel stereo means all speakers (without SUB) in system works as "single" speaker playing stereo and using Full frequency, it's far better than upmix that only adds highs to the rears which sounds tiny. For example Denon has multichannel stereo and it's better system if You like to be fully surrounded by music. BTW, multichannel LPCM support was partially added to the HW-Q950T (Works in Win 10).

[@ShashankKatiyar0]

@@MrRobaloAmigo Got it.

[@michaelfratkin3022]

Great review, thank you very much. I was just wondering with added firmware to the Samsung since your initial review has any found the connectivity issues have been addressed. I purchased the Sonos soundbar about two weeks ago (without the sub and surround speakers) and have not been that impressed with Atmos or or stereo separation. Perhaps the surround speakers would help. I have seen the Samsung price at about $965 now so it is much less expensive than the Sonos with the surround speakers and sub. So, I am somewhat in a quandary and to whether to keep the Sonos and gradually add the other speakers or just go with the Samsung?

[@macinead7]

Samsung cuts off. Returning mine tomo. Driving ne crazy. Sound UNBELIEVABLE but keeps cutting out

[@peterlymberis7239]

I just purchased the Q950T. I have a LG OLED tv with only ARC. From what I understand in your review, the only way to get the FULL details on the Atmos is to have a tv with E-ARC, or to add some kind of secondary audio device? Is it worth it for me to do all this? Will the sound be THAT much worse if I just connect it to the ARC? I don't want to spend so much money on the sounder only to not have optimum sound. Thanks in advance for your help! I really enjoyed your review!

[@k1serkan]

I think with the Q950T you can have Atmos plugging your source of ATMOS to one Q950T HDMI IN and the HDMI OUT to your ARC TV. But if you want to hear ATMOS directly from your TV you will need your TV have a HDMI eARC 2.1. To see ATMOS in streamimg in DD+ compressed audio I think you have enough with your normal ARC HDMI from your TV, even with the Sonos ARC

[@dwaynedesa1749]

Hey Jonah, i have the samsung q950T. I love the sound but have noticed there is popping/crackling in the rears for certain movies. Why is this? Is my unit defective? Would love if you could let me know.

[@FTheLeo]

Hey Jonah, I bought the Sonos arc alone. Should I try it out before buying a subwoofer also for 750$?? Or just change it altogether to Samsung's 950 A?

[@eldo322]

Keep the sonos

[@th98]

I'm going to buy the Samsung 8k QLED Q950T. So what Soundsystem do you recommend me? The Sonos or the Samsung HW-Q950T?

[@808davine3]

Samsung tv & Samsung Sound 👍🤙🏼

[@thegreatempire3882]

I have a feeling that Sonos will be releasing new SL one speakers with upward firing speakers next year to go with the Arc bar

[@JonahMatthes]

I can definitely see that happening.

[@paul8926]

It’s only a matter of time.

[@joebarnett1498]

Been thinking the same. Will prioritize the sub first then...

[@flim-flammington]

I agree, as someone who owns the older model of them i see no reason to upgrade but i would immediately if they put upward firing speakers

[@MrRetobor]

that would be nice

[@dominus10]

I don't understand why all these reviewers on KZbin are having so many reliability issues with the Q950T. I've had one for weeks and haven't so much as had one cut out, or inputs switching or anything. I do wish it had an auto calibration tool and the app was much better, but the audio experience has been very solid. If you can be bothered using an SPL meter and manually calibrating it, there isn't a single soundbar system out there that it doesn't beat (and I've tried a few). It's shame Samsung probably rushed this out to market and this is almost required though..

[@JDM_UK]

Very well layed out video/review. Easy to follow and mentioned a lot of things people need to know about a product. However, one friendly tip/request, please can you mention what version HDMI the Input/Outputs are e.g. 1.4, 2.0a, 2.0b, 2.1 etc. Also if they support the HDCP 2.2. This type of information isn't always the easiest to find and i think it would be great if you are able to mention this going forward. I'm starting to become a fan of your videos, keep up this good work and I'm sure you will become one of the "go to" KZbinrs for a review/information on a product

[@JonahMatthes]

I really appreciate the feedback! I'll do my best to mention the supported HDMI versions and HDCP 2.2 support where needed in the future. Can definitely see how these will be useful for people. Thanks for the support!

[@JDM_UK]

@@JonahMatthes Great stuff, and no problems dude. Looking forward to future videos!

[@neildavid6375]

How did you find the Samsung with Apple TV. I'm hearing there are issues as it won't recognise LPCM formats and therefore downgrades the signal to remove the atmos track.

[@MrProfessorPN]

At first thought, after watching this review, I was stoked on getting the Sonos Arc system. But here in the Netherlands, the Q950T costs 1149 euros, while the Sonos Arc costs a whopping 2096 euro, so almost double that of the Q950T. Do you think that the Sonos Arc system is worth almost DOUBLE that of the Q950T? Or is the Q950T a better value soundbar? I'd love to hear your/anyone's opinion.

[@JonahMatthes]

The Q950T is a better value soundbar at those prices. The Sonos system is not worth double the amount that the Q950T is worth.

[@alexandrughita7376]

@@JonahMatthes I live in Romania and here I got a Q950t resealed for 734€ and I also found the Sonos Arc just the soundbar for 606€. Is it worth it to replace the Q950t with the Sonos Arc soundbar and maybe add 2 SLs for another 300€ for the moment(and maybe buy the subwoofer lately)? Is the subwoofer(the price is 700€)of the Sonos Arc make a big difference versus a Q950t? Thank you!

[@เควินดาวินชี่]

Pls compare with jbl9.1 and klipsch bar800

[@tommygun7702]

Sabadee my friend

[@Truck_OFF]

Hi. I am looking to get decent surround system for listening to house music and occasionally watching movies. Choosing between this one sony hta9 ,a7000 and bose 900 and samsung q950a ? Which one would you recommend for higher quality audio? Thanks

[@ericguhong]

This video provides much clarities and is super helpful on my decision-making process!

[@rzw9583]

I actually just got the Q950T, I previously had the Q90R the first thing I realized was the cloth material and I don’t like it at all. It looks cheap unlike when I had the Q90R. My Samsung tv is a 2019 but doesn’t have eARC. Would you suggest that I exchange my Q950R for the Sonos ARC?

[@MotorSportWallOfShame]

Great video, noticed after this is a 1 year old video, I'm about to buy the q950A do you know if the connectivity problems have been resolved please? Thanks

[@karthikr177]

The Q990 is much better now and it is on sale in many places. Check it out if you haven't got any sound bar

[@Senna-xi1gr]

Yes I got to the end so thanks for all your time.👍🇬🇧🏆

[@mikem237]

We also experience audio cutting out when connecting with HDMI to the tv

[@piotrrodi9712]

please tell me, if you don't look at the price, which is better to buy - JBL 9.1 or Q950t?

[@TheChatterCafe]

Samsung Q990B vs JBL 9.1, which one is better for watching movies and listening to music ? I am planning to buy one, so please guide me.

[@diegogarcia4255]

I don't have experience with the Sonos Arc, but my sound experience with my Samsung HW-Q950T has been excellent. To be fair, I use a high spec'd PC and with Dolby Atmos (via Dolby Access). Dolby Access app allows me to enable channel upmixer, and I think it does a good job. I also use a Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen), which has Dolby Atmos support, and I really don't have complaints with it. For example I watched Formula One Drive To Survive on it, which has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and it's incredibly immersive. I think most of the bugs have been fixed through firmware updates, outside of occasionally having the subwoofer or rear speakers go offline, I don't really have a whole lot of issues. I have found that there will be a few songs that the subwoofer makes like a crackling sound, apparently it has something to do with the subwoofer channel, which can be adjusted, so I'll test that out next time I have the issue. My biggest gripe will always be the stupid display on top of the soundbar, WHO IN THE WORLD thought that was a good idea?

[@TheTucsonTwo]

Great review, Jonah. A few quick statements about placement ( different for everyone, I know ) would be appreciated. A brief mention of manufacturer/other mounting options ( wall or otherwise ) would also be interesting. Thanks, I'm a subscriber now !

[@cleonghant]

Thanks for this video. Best Buy gave me a super discount and I bought the 950T for $1099. With that price in mind, would you consider the Samsung being the better option?

[@JonahMatthes]

Absolutely! People’s experiences seemed to be mixed with the Q950T as far as reliability goes. But this will likely get better with future FW updates. Nice deal!!

[@cleonghant]

@@JonahMatthes Thanks for reply

[@Kyt2024]

I actually just got basically the exact same deal from a retailer here in Canada. Can't wait to set this up tomorrow! I also got a 75" Q90T, so that effectively adds 2 more speakers as well via Q-Symphony Really interested to see how it all works together.

[@Bushey4545]

@@Kyt2024 right now I see that it's on sale for 1399 how do you get a super discount at best buy for 1099

[@Kyt2024]

@@Bushey4545 I didn't buy it at Best Buy. I bought it an electronics shop called Visions. They were offering the soundbar for $1500 with the purchase of a Samsung TV (the q90t I bought) and then I negotiated $200 off each the soundbar and the TV. But since I was buying the TV anyway and the soundbar was just an addition, I look at it as getting the bar for $1100. - I'm realizing now that I think you didn't mean to tag me in your reply :)

[@PerfectorZY]

Also WiSA will offer those who want a wider fuller sound stage, but ease of use just what they are looking for.

[@YKZL]

Great comparison man !!! recently purchased Sonos full setup like yours and its really blow my mind and ears. Its so good and balanced.

[@Shoubox1]

Great job! Very well reviewed. Great information.

[@bolundholm6788]

Thanks for sharing. Very informative indeed.

[@grahamhaynes4284]

I've had a HW-Q950T for five months and never had any reliability or operational problems.

[@garretts431]

Its amazing how some customers get flawless performance with samsungs complete surround wireless systems. My n950 was plagued with disconnects and many forums agreed and same with the q90r - especially having quiet rear speakers.

[@larsmenken2679]

With the Sonos, have you experienced any delay issues? Like speech not being in sync with the pictures?

[@davidbosshart4448]

Yes. Rebooting has helped.

[@davidvillalbafernandezorte4430]

Having a Samsung new 75q95T TV would you also go for Sonos Arc rather than the Q950T? Thank you for all your reviews; they are very helpful.

[@rahuls55555]

Great review! I have been looking for a new sounder system for a while. Would you say that the dialogs best with the Sonos? I have a slight hearing problem and hearing dialog is an issue. I have a Samsung HW-H751 with subwoofer and two WAM351 satellite speakers but the dialog is so bad that I prefer to just listen to the TV audio.. Curious to your opinion, thx.

[@JonahMatthes]

The dialogue on both of these units is extremely clear, so I wouldn’t worry about that.

[@johnheap7519]

P

[@guelphdgc7995]

No google assistant is a big detractor for Samsung. Maybe Sonos will make One SL + with an up firing speaker.

[@philb-ze8sz]

Sound bars are excellent for easy setup over TV sound. I have heard many and this one and they all sound thin. While my ZVOX 580 does not do surround and such, it sounds much fuller than the Sony, Samsungs, and LG I have heard. PLUS the ZVOX has subout so I can connect my Martin Logan Depth-i Sub which outputs to other smaller subs placed around my family room. These brands will not use sub out because they want to lock you into their subs, the ONLY sound bar I would consider is the AMBIO series dues to having sub out.

[@shannonw2782]

I have the Arc, 2x Subs and 2x ones and it sounds amazing !

[@thegoodnews5877]

Thanks for the review! How does sonos sounds if you watch regular videos and movies without dolby atoms?

[@abandonbelief]

Surprised alexa didnt know you were talking about her and say something about it lol

[@MrRondonmon]

There has to be a way to see those settings without getting up. Some kind of cheap camera relay would do it. I mean, a small video camera, I can see on my phone, would solve that issue.

[@PsyGazm]

Great review, I just bought the arc last week and I got the sub yesterday (what an incredible improvement that did) But isn't the sonos setup 7.1.2? I'm thinking of the side firing speakers in the arc? 3 in front and two in the sides? Or am I completely wrong?

[@JonahMatthes]

Thanks! And great question! From everything that I’ve read and seen, the soundbar adapts to a 3.0.2 channel configuration once you connect the surround speakers. It makes more sense for it to be a 7.1.2 channel configuration in total, but I don’t believe it is. I hope I’m wrong about this though haha

[@PsyGazm]

@@JonahMatthes so doesn't the arc use the side speakers when rears are active? Or am I not understanding your answer correctly? 😊

[@gair1944]

@Javoy Johnson What did you wind up getting and how do you like whatever you chose?

[@fredrikohlsson3640]

Great review. One question though: It seems Samsung released a firmware update on Oct 12, did you try it out?

[@decarvalh0]

Just got the Sonos Arc at costco for 1050. I’ll get the subwoofer and speakers in December

[@funkygster]

Have you heard of any sync issues with the Sonos Arc system ? I believe they were with movies, if I’m not mistaken and pertaining to the Dolby Atmos.

[@shockjock35]

I currently have an LG soundbar that I custom fit into my mantle above my fireplace. So if I upgraded to the Sonos or Q950T the upfiring Atmos speakers would be rendered useless as they would be covered in the mantle enclosure. Plus in ceiling Atmos speakers sound way better.

[@danielreckwell3043]

I wish you didn't favour the sonos. It felt like the whole time you just ripped on the samsung and didn't give it a fair go. I watched your other review on the Samsung and similar reaction as well. Hard to make a decision when you already like one. Your not giving people a chance to make there minds up. No hate, you did a great job and got a thumbs up. This is just my opinion.

[@melobulldog]

I’ve decided to purchase the arc on its own to start off but was hoping you could answer a question for me. I’ve heard that the arc is always on standby and does not have an on/off button. Does that mean that whenever I turn on my TV that the sound from the arc will come on automatically? I only want the soundbar sound when watching movies and don’t need it to watch the news etc. Sorry if it’s a dumb question. Thanks!

[@JonahMatthes]

You are correct, the Sonos Arc does not have an on/off button. Once the TV is powered on, the soundbar will also power on. I would suggest always playing audio from the Sonos Arc, even if you’re watching the news it will improve the dialogue 10x compared to your TVs speakers.

[@melobulldog]

@@JonahMatthes thanks for your response.