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
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?
@@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!
@@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.
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?
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.
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
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.
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.
@@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
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.
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.
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.
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. 😊
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!
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
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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 TH-cam. Can't thank you guys enough! Let me know if you have any questions about anything, I'm happy to help!
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
The best way to evaluate audio quality is based on how it sounds through my phone speakers in a TH-cam video. Also turn the volume up all the way. I want to hear how loud they are.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Great review. I bought the Q950T and have had to send it back after a day. Films were great, but music through Spotify connect or BT was terrible. The rear speakers sounded like they were under water and were only possible to hear if you had your ear next to them. The screen on the top annoyed me more than I expected it to as well. Having to get up to check which source was selected and which surround mode was on just seems rediculous. Time to save for the Sonos.... but that is now almost double the price as Samsung have dropped theirs to 1000.
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.
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!
@@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.
@@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!
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.
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 !
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
@@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).
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(?)
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" TH-camrs for a review/information on a product
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!
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 ;)
I don't understand why all these reviewers on TH-cam 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..
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?
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 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.
@@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?
@@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).
@@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.
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.
Got the hw-q80r last year for around 500euro. Still happy with it and way cheaper. Also full metal and screen in front of the soundbar. (Couldnt fit the rears in my livingroom thats why i dint get the q90r, and the q80r was 400 eu cheaper)
Thank you, and great job! I had 5 systems to choose from, and these two were the finalists. I can't believe Samsung didn't put the Google assistant in the Q950. Plus the rears and sub definitely looked like and afterthought.
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.
Funny, I never had a problem with syncing or sound cutting out in my Q950T. I worked every time, may be I got a good one. Also, I don't mind the cloth that everyone was complaining about, but I do hate the top display, unless I just set ip up and leave it there and just control the volume. Also, I wish there was some sort of indication of what kind of audio it is receiving - Dolby Surround, Atmos, or DTS-X, or whatever. The sound is good enough for me since I only use it to watch movies. I never use a sound bar for audiofile music. I have a studio with class A amplifiers for that. So far I'm happy with the Q950T. May be when I get a chance I will try out the Sonos Arc.
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.
Hey, that was a great review, also like the fact that you mentioned the issues you were facing with the Samsung system plus the inconsistencies with the system which is often overlooked but is a piece of important consumer information. I do have a question though Keeping in mind that the cost of the setup would increase substantially will the Sonos ceiling speakers give better atmos performance? I like to stick to Sonos for its modularity and simple setup. Thank you for your insights.
Thank you for taking the time to do such a comprehensive comparison. I purchased the Q950T as I got a great for it at $1200 USD, however, I am strongly considering returning it. Reviews like this reinforce the idea as well. Not sure if you can speak to this but I’ve heard the 2019 version of this soundbar (HW-Q90R) is much better overall (much improved surround + Atmos performance) than the Q950T and has less bugs. I’d go with trialing a Sonos bar, but it lacks many audio codecs like LPCM 5.1/7.1 and DTS:X. Just hoping to get some further thoughts from you here. Thanks again!
Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with the Q90R. But I've heard the same things. I can imagine the Bugs and Issues with the Q950T will get better over time as Samsung releases new firmware updates. But it wasn't a smart move to release a Soundbar that is ridden with so many problems. And I agree, I wish the Sonos Arc supported more audio codecs. There's no telling if they will add support for other audio codecs later on either.
Jonah Matthes FYI Samsung rep here in Canada informed me that there is firmware updates coming out in a week or so that addresses the dropouts, connection issues and eARC bandwidth limitations. My plan is to hang on to my Q950T for another week and if nothing is solved with this update, I am going with a Sonos Arc. Hopefully Sonos will add upward firing drivers on its surrounds soon.
Just to inform you, the product design reason for the Samsung to keep the display at the top is to not have light distractions when watching video. The volume control lights are a nice touch too.
Hi Jonah! New sub here! Great job on your videos!! I love that you articulate without rambling and cover the info so thoroughly. Don't forget about us Apple folks though please. The voice enabled Sonos Ones do support Homekit/Siri but I've watched 2 of your vids covering Sonos and I don't think you mentioned that? Anyway, I hope your channel gets huge because you are really talented at this! :)))
Nice to watch this after already bying Sonos Sub gen 3, 2x Five, 2x One gen2 and the Beam. Still tho, I have 0 complains and seems like I made the right decision anyway, amount of issues on the Samsung doesn't impress me.
god once you said those issues with the 950t at the end of the video is just a reminder of the n950 i had - so many issues i had to return. i wanted to love it and when it worked it sounded great. im thinking just doing the 900t or MAYBE sonos arc setup but i love my blu-ray collection so DTS-HD is a no-no with the arc which is so sad....
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
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
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?
@@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!
@@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.
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?
Does The samsung q950t can work without connecting the surround speakers?
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.
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
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.
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.
My cats would nudge me towards the Q950, as the kind of high-end scratching post they think they deserve.
Oh hell no, time to get rid of those cats!
Hahahaha
This is why I do not own cats
@@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
my cats don't do this anymore, they associate that kind of behaviour with pain.
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.
And that lackluster subwoofer.
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.
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.
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. 😊
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!
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
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
@@tumunamegabe1968 €2250 in europe, on sale mind you. Which translates to $3281 australian.
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.
so happy and proud owner of Sonos setup 👍😊
Im a samsung rep and even i say go with Sonos
Didnt finished the video yet, but I already wanna thank you for it!! Really well explained! :)
Fair play for not bothering with audio samples, complete waste of time on youtube
never understood when people complain about the reviewer not testing audio while they listen on their laptop
@@vincentseidle954 bb no n. Bbbonnnnnnnnnnyyo
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!
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.
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!
I just got mine last Sunday and I love it. The sub is a beast
I just bought the Sonos along with my lg G2 and it’s great! A year after this video…
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.
Thank you for your comment. Long but really insightful for a potential soundbar buyer like me.
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.
Great job man! I like that you explained how hearing the systems through TH-cam is a waste of time. Also liked your audiophile joke.😂
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!
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!
Man, I love your reviews. Very detailed and useful. You rule👍
I appreciate that! Thanks so much!
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.
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 TH-cam. Can't thank you guys enough! Let me know if you have any questions about anything, I'm happy to help!
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
The best way to evaluate audio quality is based on how it sounds through my phone speakers in a TH-cam video.
Also turn the volume up all the way. I want to hear how loud they are.
Good stuff bro. I wish the sonos could do more speakers, would like some upward rears. Maybe doable in near future.
I was told you can connect more one sl or ones if needed
Excellent coverage, keep up the awesome content Jonah.
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.
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.
Hands down.. it’s the Sonos for looks and performance.
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
Sounds interesting do you have a guide I can follow please?
@@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.
@@galagus187 m.th-cam.com/video/ecoliBpLcDI/w-d-xo.html
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.
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.
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.
I just hooked up the Samsung 950A. Great system!!!
Great review. I bought the Q950T and have had to send it back after a day. Films were great, but music through Spotify connect or BT was terrible. The rear speakers sounded like they were under water and were only possible to hear if you had your ear next to them. The screen on the top annoyed me more than I expected it to as well. Having to get up to check which source was selected and which surround mode was on just seems rediculous.
Time to save for the Sonos.... but that is now almost double the price as Samsung have dropped theirs to 1000.
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.
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!
@@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.
@@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!
Jonah, love your reviews. You cover all the basis’ and easy to understudy
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.
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?
Great video brother. Keep it up.
I'm looking at the q950a after your review of that system.
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 !
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
I can definitely see that happening.
It’s only a matter of time.
Been thinking the same. Will prioritize the sub first then...
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
that would be nice
I have the Arc, 2x Subs and 2x ones and it sounds amazing !
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.
How about the Klipsch Cinema 1200?
Just got the Sonos Arc at costco for 1050. I’ll get the subwoofer and speakers in December
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.
I was looking exactly for same, as the price is huge difference
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
I've had a HW-Q950T for five months and never had any reliability or operational problems.
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.
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.
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?
@@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).
@@MrRobaloAmigo Got it.
Yes I got to the end so thanks for all your time.👍🇬🇧🏆
Also WiSA will offer those who want a wider fuller sound stage, but ease of use just what they are looking for.
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(?)
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" TH-camrs for a review/information on a product
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!
@@JonahMatthes Great stuff, and no problems dude. Looking forward to future videos!
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 ;)
Happy Wife Happy Life
Your wife has to be a Lady outside, be a good cooker a be a Legend in bed😉
HW q90r is a beast.., no problems!!!..
Thanks for your review & your conclusion was what i was expecting! 😊
I don't understand why all these reviewers on TH-cam 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..
This video provides much clarities and is super helpful on my decision-making process!
Great review. Very fair and balanced, giving recognition to better sounding bar but giving better overall userexperience to Sonos
Great review! Had narrowed my choices down to these two and making the final decision is now trivial.
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?
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.
Any issues with the 700? I've been debating on getting the arc vs the 700 but the 700 has mixed reviews.
@@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.
@@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?
@@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).
@@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.
Great comparison man !!! recently purchased Sonos full setup like yours and its really blow my mind and ears. Its so good and balanced.
Awesome! Just the review I was looking for, thanks!
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.
Surprised alexa didnt know you were talking about her and say something about it lol
6:53
Jonah- *talking*
Cat in bottom left corner - “BABABOI”
Thanks for this video! Great job and totally appreciate this review.
We also experience audio cutting out when connecting with HDMI to the tv
Androids aren't limited to Bluetooth. The Wi-Fi connection to my Sonos system works fine.
I love Sonos Arc, awesome sound quality
Got the hw-q80r last year for around 500euro. Still happy with it and way cheaper. Also full metal and screen in front of the soundbar. (Couldnt fit the rears in my livingroom thats why i dint get the q90r, and the q80r was 400 eu cheaper)
Thank you, and great job! I had 5 systems to choose from, and these two were the finalists. I can't believe Samsung didn't put the Google assistant in the Q950. Plus the rears and sub definitely looked like and afterthought.
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.
Great review 🤠
Anyone having lip sync issues via ps4pro .. no issue while in PCM but massive delay with bitstream
No google assistant is a big detractor for Samsung. Maybe Sonos will make One SL + with an up firing speaker.
Funny, I never had a problem with syncing or sound cutting out in my Q950T. I worked every time, may be I got a good one. Also, I don't mind the cloth that everyone was complaining about, but I do hate the top display, unless I just set ip up and leave it there and just control the volume. Also, I wish there was some sort of indication of what kind of audio it is receiving - Dolby Surround, Atmos, or DTS-X, or whatever. The sound is good enough for me since I only use it to watch movies. I never use a sound bar for audiofile music. I have a studio with class A amplifiers for that. So far I'm happy with the Q950T. May be when I get a chance I will try out the Sonos Arc.
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.
Great job! Very well reviewed. Great information.
Samsung HW-Q950T Soundbar is the King
I have the Q950T and have never had 1 problem with it. But you works better when paired with A Samsung QLED TV 📺
Great review! I’ll be upgrading my Sonos setup sometime next year.
Thanks for sharing. Very informative indeed.
Hey, that was a great review, also like the fact that you mentioned the issues you were facing with the Samsung system plus the inconsistencies with the system which is often overlooked but is a piece of important consumer information. I do have a question though Keeping in mind that the cost of the setup would increase substantially will the Sonos ceiling speakers give better atmos performance? I like to stick to Sonos for its modularity and simple setup. Thank you for your insights.
Thank you for taking the time to do such a comprehensive comparison. I purchased the Q950T as I got a great for it at $1200 USD, however, I am strongly considering returning it. Reviews like this reinforce the idea as well.
Not sure if you can speak to this but I’ve heard the 2019 version of this soundbar (HW-Q90R) is much better overall (much improved surround + Atmos performance) than the Q950T and has less bugs.
I’d go with trialing a Sonos bar, but it lacks many audio codecs like LPCM 5.1/7.1 and DTS:X. Just hoping to get some further thoughts from you here. Thanks again!
Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with the Q90R. But I've heard the same things. I can imagine the Bugs and Issues with the Q950T will get better over time as Samsung releases new firmware updates. But it wasn't a smart move to release a Soundbar that is ridden with so many problems.
And I agree, I wish the Sonos Arc supported more audio codecs. There's no telling if they will add support for other audio codecs later on either.
Jonah Matthes FYI Samsung rep here in Canada informed me that there is firmware updates coming out in a week or so that addresses the dropouts, connection issues and eARC bandwidth limitations.
My plan is to hang on to my Q950T for another week and if nothing is solved with this update, I am going with a Sonos Arc. Hopefully Sonos will add upward firing drivers on its surrounds soon.
The 950T is a very impressive bar.
I love the cloth covering on the q950!
Therefore anyone 👍🏻 Heck with the cats
I'll go with the Samsung!
Yesir Samsung
fast forward to the 18 min mark and it's a great video. You're welcome. (no disrespect, YT needs a TLDR que to videos)
Good job. Great comparison. I just suscribed.
Just to inform you, the product design reason for the Samsung to keep the display at the top is to not have light distractions when watching video. The volume control lights are a nice touch too.
this doesn't make sense, as they could just switch off the display when inactive to avoid the problem. Very bad design.
Hi Jonah! New sub here! Great job on your videos!! I love that you articulate without rambling and cover the info so thoroughly. Don't forget about us Apple folks though please. The voice enabled Sonos Ones do support Homekit/Siri but I've watched 2 of your vids covering Sonos and I don't think you mentioned that? Anyway, I hope your channel gets huge because you are really talented at this! :)))
Great review. Thanks so much for your advice!
Nice to watch this after already bying Sonos Sub gen 3, 2x Five, 2x One gen2 and the Beam. Still tho, I have 0 complains and seems like I made the right decision anyway, amount of issues on the Samsung doesn't impress me.
god once you said those issues with the 950t at the end of the video is just a reminder of the n950 i had - so many issues i had to return. i wanted to love it and when it worked it sounded great.
im thinking just doing the 900t or MAYBE sonos arc setup but i love my blu-ray collection so DTS-HD is a no-no with the arc which is so sad....
Absolutely great comparison