tldr; Previous gen Q700. 3.1.2 Atmos entry bar. Find on clearance for budget Atmos with Samsung quality.
$397.99 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Samsung HW-Q700A
“I've actually experienced all configs you've stated The surround experienced of the Q700A with rears is still better than those bars without rears so I wouldn't really put much thought into how they would perform surround without rears Q700A & SWA-9500S is a good surround system, the bar does lack a bit of the others & the sub only goes down to 40hz or so (bass enhancement helps a little) Q800D + SWA-9500S (richer front sound, better low end performance, movies such as The Batman shine with the stronger subwoofer Q930 (about 10% better than the 800+rears) I only upgraded from 800 + Rears as I got those used thus had no warranty but also because I actually made a profit, haven't noticed enough of a difference to say the 930D is a must have over the 800 + rears The extra channels of the 930 aren't really going to meet too much since they'll just be upscaling content that already maxes out at 7.1 or 7.1.4, the 990 with its extra side rear channels is the only real improvement channel wise imo (in the Samsung lineup) but that model needs extra rear space thus i didn't spend the extra money to get it TLDR: 800+rears or 930 will both be good upgrades with very similar results, choose which is more convenient & best financially”
“I bought a Samsung Q700a, to pair with my 65" Q80T, because I fell for the Samsung Q Symphony marketing. After 3 years and trying every configuration under the sun I came to the conclusion that the soundbar on its own works far better than when the Q Symphony feature is enabled.”
84 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/5/2026