#95

The Soundbar Surround Championship

audioApril 6, 2026
Arc 2

Sonos

Arc 2

$899

Buy Now
Winner
HW-Q990G

Samsung

HW-Q990G

$1,299

Buy Now
Smart Soundbar Ultra 2

Bose

Smart Soundbar Ultra 2

$899

Buy Now

Tale of the Tape

Arc 2
HW-Q990G
Smart Soundbar Ultra 2
Sound
9/10
10/10
9/10
Immersive
10/10
10/10
8/10
Setup
9/10
10/10
7/10
Streaming
10/10
8/10
8/10
Value
7/10
10/10
7/10

The Breakdown

Sound

Samsung's full package with included sub and rears delivers room-filling bass and genuine surround immersion out of the box. Sonos Arc 2 with Sub 4 and Era 300 rears matches Samsung on quality with more refined tuning. Bose sounds excellent for a single bar but needs expensive add-ons to compete on immersion.

Immersive

Both Sonos and Samsung deliver convincing height channels that make Atmos content feel three-dimensional—helicopters fly overhead, rain falls from above. Bose's 9.1.2 virtualization is good but can't match physical up-firing drivers for genuine height effects.

Setup

Samsung includes everything in one box—plug in, run calibration, and you're done in 10 minutes. Sonos setup is wireless and elegant but requires purchasing components separately. Bose's single-bar setup is simplest but surround expansion means more boxes and cables.

Streaming

Sonos' app remains the gold standard for multi-room audio—every service integrated seamlessly with excellent search. Samsung and Bose both support major services but their apps feel clunky compared to Sonos' polish. AirPlay 2 works equally well on all three.

Value

Samsung's $1,299 includes everything you need for true surround—no hidden costs. Sonos Arc 2 starts at $899 but the full package with Sub 4 and Era 300 rears pushes past $1,600. Bose asks $899 for the bar alone, with full surround costing similar to Sonos.

The Verdict

The Winner
S

HW-Q990G

The Q990G delivers true 11.1.4 surround for less than the competition's base prices

Samsung keeps refining their flagship soundbar, and the Q990G is the culmination of that work. For $1,299, you get the main bar, a powerful 8-inch wireless sub, and two wireless rear speakers with up-firing drivers—everything needed for Dolby Atmos in one box. The soundstage is massive, bass hits hard without getting boomy, and the rears actually create a wraparound experience. Compare that to Sonos, where the Arc 2 alone costs $899 and you're spending $1,600+ to match Samsung's included components. Yes, the Sonos ecosystem is slicker and the Bose sounds great for music, but for pure home theater value, nothing touches the Q990G. Setup takes 10 minutes, calibration is automatic, and the included rears mean you're not running speaker wire across your living room.

But consider:but consider the Sonos Arc 2 if you want multi-room audio—the Sonos ecosystem is unmatched for whole-home music and the tuning is more refined
Buy HW-Q990G

Quick Specs