Samsung HW-Q800H sound bar review

My listening impressions

When I unpacked the system, I found myself appreciating the design, a thing I rarely take the time to do. The HW-Q800H looks and feels pretty darn classy, combining clean lines and smooth surfaces with a glossy finish. The bar was nice and slim, easily fitting under my TV's pedestal stand. And the sub felt, dare I say, dainty compared to most subs I'd played around with. And I ended up pleasantly surprised, as the sub was able to produce much deeper bass than I expected. (More on that soon.)

The Samsung HW-Q800H delivers robust home theater sound for movies, games, sports, and more.

The setup only took a few minutes. I plugged both components into AC power, then connected the included HDMI cable into the eARC ports on the bar and my TV. The sub automatically paired with the bar as soon as it was powered on, which I liked. I then scanned a QR code on a sticker to download the Samsung Sound app. I found the app easy to use when I was streaming music, but I'm a little old fashioned, so I ended up mostly using the remote throughout my testing.

Atomic disaster on two legs

Apparently craving onscreen destruction, I booted up Shin Godzilla first. The scene where our eponymous creature releases his atomic breath on Tokyo contains a dynamic range of sounds. The scene cuts back and forth between the giant monster stomping through the city, various officials responding to the crisis, and a handful of jets soaring through the sky prepping an airstrike. A melancholic choral track plays during the attack, creating a feeling of awe and impending doom.

Zilla's breath starts as a huge torrent of flame that put the system's sub to the test. I found that the impact it provided reinforced the gravity of the disaster: a sustained and satisfying throoom. The soundscape then shifts, as the atomic breath is focused into what I can only describe as a laser. The sound is sharper, almost shrill, as that beam cuts through the city, cutting buildings in half with a series of crashes and explosions. Before and after the attack, the voices came through clear as a bell, helping to ground all that destruction with the perspective of the officials desperately trying (and failing) to respond to it.

Pulse-pounding horror — in space!

I find that survival horror games are a great gauge for a sound system's performance. Ambiance is key to building tension, after all. So, I booted up the pitch-perfect remake of Dead Space and got to creeping my way through the USG Ishimura: a city-sized spaceship infested from bow to stern with undead monsters. To be honest, I'd wager that half or more of my total testing time was spent playing this game. The sound quality just made for a great experience. And if you're having fun...why stop?

The HW-Q800H reinforced the horror, providing clarity, detail, and a sense of directionality for all of the game's eerie sound effects: flickering lights, sparks from malfunctioning equipment, and subtle whispers just out of sight. One of my favorites was the heavy thunk of my spaceboots on the metal floor and their coinciding echo through the abandoned hallways. It wasn't all subtle effects and environmental details, though. Few games can fill me with legit panic the way that Dead Space can. This system made the jump scares even worse. The sound design amped up moments like the screech of metal from an air vent being rent open behind you, or the tram you're riding grinding to a sudden ka-kranching halt as the power cuts out.

This sound bar has both side- and up-firing drivers for a big soundstage with immersive overhead effects.

The soundscape while fighting the monsters felt visceral and impactful, too. The basic starting weapon is a great example: an engineer's plasma cutting tool for ship repairs. Each shot has a satisfying combination of a higher frequency pshhh with a low-end thunk. You could tell from sound alone when you were missing or hitting one of the undead baddies. I'll spare you the gory details, but I enjoyed how the Samsung captured those differences. That feedback helped keep me literally on target mid-battle. The system also managed to keep a wide variety of other effects distinct during the chaos of fighting, especially the creepy screeches and roars of the monsters themselves.

Dancing with the family

I finished off the last day of my testing by blasting some tunes from my Qobuz account over Bluetooth. I started with "Baianá" by Barbatuques. The Samsung must've been doing a good job with the song's boundless energy, because the kids had been scattered elsewhere and the music quickly lured them back to the living room. As we wiggled and danced, I found that I could easily distinguish the stamps and claps of the song's body percussion. And while I only know a few words of Portuguese from my days doing Capoeira, the distinct style of the multiple vocalists came through clearly as well.

The final track we played before I had to pack the sample up was "Swan Song" by Dua Lipa. The bouncy rhythm and catchy lyrics were a perfect way to finish up. I may or may not have imagined myself in the world of Alita: Battle Angel while we listened, imitating cyborg martial arts with the kids. While we "danced," I appreciated that this system brought to life the background vocals layered throughout the song. It's easy for this kind of thing to get muddled or lost in the sauce, but no such trouble with the HW-Q800H.

Details

• 5.1.2-channel system with side- and up-firing drivers for a wide, tall soundstage
• dedicated center channel and processing for clear dialogue
• compact sub with 6-1/2" active woofer + 8" passive radiator for deep bass
• music: Bluetooth®, Apple AirPlay® 2, Google Cast, & more
• select Samsung TVs play along with the bar for bigger sound
• control the system with your voice with built-in Bixby and Alexa
• subwoofer pairs with the bar wirelessly but requires AC power
• can receive a wireless Dolby Atmos signal from select Samsung TVs
• HDMI connections pass 4K/HDR signals to your TV (2nd HDMI cable sold separately)
• subwoofer pairs with the bar wirelessly but requires AC power
• warranty: 1 year

Questions? Contact us!

Still have a few lingering questions about the HW-Q800H? Or wanna know how it stacks up to our other sound bars? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our friendly Advisors. They'll make sure to point you in the right direction.

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