135

Samsung HW Q850A Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Dec 20, 2023 11:30 AM

True Score

69
68
1

Experts

75
1

Consumers

Expert Rankings

With discrete satellite speakers, the Samsung HW-Q850A unleashes the full potential of Dolby Atmos and surround content, providing an immersive movie-watching experience. It’s one of the most immersive and versatile soundbars for movies, music, and TV shows today.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Samsung HW-Q850A is the high-end 5.1.2 soundbar that made its debut in 2021. It comes with some high-end sound enhancement features, including SpaceFit Sound and Q-Symphony for syncing with various TVs.

The system comes with discrete surround speakers, standing out from the best-rated speakers on market today. It supports Dolby Atmos content, providing a spatial soundstage that will appeal to music and movie enthusiasts alike.

With a dedicated subwoofer, this system produces a boomy profile, although it struggles a bit with low extended bass. This sound system has a lot of sound customization features that include a graphic equalizer and presets.

Connecting this model to TVs and other home theater equipment is easy, thanks to the ports such as optical, combined HDMI ARC+out, and full HDMI.

This system also boasts Bluetooth technology, built-in Wi-Fi, and built-in Apple airplay. Continue reading our Samsung HW-Q850A review and be sure to check out the finest soundbars on the market.

Consensus

our Verdict

Product testers were delighted by the impressive surround and Dolby Atmos performance of the Samsung HW-Q850A, recommending it for movies, music, and TV shows.

Experts from RTINGS were delighted by its incredible wired and wireless connectivity options. Reviewers from Tech Hive love its discrete arrangement with satellite speakers, observing that it has a realistic 3D soundstage, and they were able to identify the direction of various objects in the movies during their tests.

This soundbar has a graphic equalizer and presets for customers, which is handy for customizing the sound profile. Details loved Its built-in Amazon Alexa, which provides effortless voice control.

This system also has low audio latency, providing flawless syncing between the audio and video fields during dialogue scenes. The system has a dedicated subwoofer, but it struggles with extended low bass. That said, it gets loud enough to entertain gatherings.

However, if you need a model with the deeper extended low-bass, check out our Polk Audio MagniFi MAX SR review today.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Dolby Atmos, so excellent Dolby Atmos and 3D Surround Soundstage is great for movies
  • Good selection of wired and wireless connectivity options
  • Built-in Amazon Alexa supports effortless voice control
  • Graphic equalizer and presets our good for music enthusiasts
  • The system gets remarkably loud

Reason to Avoid

  • So-so extended low bass
  • Audio quality deterioration at the maximum volume
  • Lacks built-in Chromecast

Samsung HW Q850A Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth4.5"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight2.4"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels5.1.2
SubwooferSubwooferIncluded
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantAmazon Alexa
Wall MountableWall MountableYes
WeightWeight33.7 lbs
WidthWidth38.6"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithAmazon Alexa, Bluetooth, Remote Control, SmartThings, Wi-Fi

All Specs

Test Results

Low End Roll Off (Hz)34.621
High End Roll Off (Hz)2,416.32
Max Volume Test (db)94.4
Latency (ms)67
THD @ 80dB0.39

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Product Comparison

Samsung HW Q850A Review

True Score

69
83
85
75
NR

Ranking

#

135

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149

#

26

/

149

#

12

/

149

#

112

/

149

#

/

Market Context

The Samsung HW-Q850A is the high-end 5.1.2 soundbar that made its debut in 2021. It comes with some high-end sound enhancement features, including SpaceFit Sound…

The Samsung HW-Q850A is the high-end 5.1.2 soundbar that made its debut in 2021. It comes with some high-end sound enhancement features, including SpaceFit Sound and Q-Symphony for syncing with various TVs.

The system comes with discrete surround speakers, standing out from the best-rated speakers on market today. It supports Dolby Atmos content, providing a spatial soundstage that will appeal to music and movie enthusiasts alike.

With a dedicated subwoofer, this system produces a boomy profile, although it struggles a bit with low extended bass. This sound system has a lot of sound customization features that include a graphic equalizer and presets.

Connecting this model to TVs and other home theater equipment is easy, thanks to the ports such as optical, combined HDMI ARC+out, and full HDMI.

This system also boasts Bluetooth technology, built-in Wi-Fi, and built-in Apple airplay. Continue reading our Samsung HW-Q850A review and be sure to check out the finest soundbars on the market.

The Samsung 3.1.2 HW-Q800T has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box than the Samsung HW-Q850A. That said, the Samsung HW-Q850A is a better…

The Samsung 3.1.2 HW-Q800T has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box than the Samsung HW-Q850A. That said, the Samsung HW-Q850A is a better choice for movies with its more immersive 5.1.2 setup with discreet satellite speakers. You can learn more about the 3.1.2 soundbar in our Samsung HW-Q800T review.

Featuring discrete satellite speakers, the Samsung HW-Q850A provides a more immersive 3D surround soundstage than the Sonos Arc, which comes as a standalone soundbar. It…

Featuring discrete satellite speakers, the Samsung HW-Q850A provides a more immersive 3D surround soundstage than the Sonos Arc, which comes as a standalone soundbar. It also produces deeper extended low bass and has a graphic equalizer and full HDMI input, unlike the Sonos speaker. That said, the Sonos speaker has a room collection feature, unlike the Samsung device.

The Samsung HW-Q850A boasts a wider surround and Atmos soundstage than its predecessor, the Samsung HW-Q850T. The newer system also supports PCM 5.1 content and…

The Samsung HW-Q850A boasts a wider surround and Atmos soundstage than its predecessor, the Samsung HW-Q850T. The newer system also supports PCM 5.1 content and Apple AirPlay, unlike the HW-Q850T. Check out or Samsung HW-Q850T review to learn more.

The Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 has a more balanced out-of-the-box sound profile than the Samsung HW-Q850A. However, the Samsung device is the clear winner in terms…

The Vizio M-Series M512a-H6 has a more balanced out-of-the-box sound profile than the Samsung HW-Q850A. However, the Samsung device is the clear winner in terms of surround and Atmos performance, delivering a really immersive 3D experience. It also has a graphic equalizer and built-in Alexa, unlike the Vizio speaker.

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Yes

Yes

Depth

4.5"

4.5"

4.5"

Dialogue Enhancement Feature

Yes

Yes

Energy Star Certified

No

Yes

Yes

HDMI ARC

Yes

Yes

Height

2.4"

2.4"

2.3"

Number of Audio Channels

5.1.2

3.1.2

5.1.2

Subwoofer

Included

Yes

Included

Dig Deeper

Samsung HW Q800T Review →

Sonos Arc With Sub One Sl Speakers Review →

Samsung HW-Q850T Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

68

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

75

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

69

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    101.4

    Category Trust Rating

    79
    The Samsung HW-Q850A is very good for mixed usage. This soundbar has a pretty neutral… Read More

    By:

    Jake Thauvette

Customer Scores