The Q800H is a useful intermediate arrangement. You get a real bass cabinet and a dedicated center for speech, without having to run power to the back of the room. The difference from a full surround package becomes clearest when effects are meant to travel behind the sofa.
In depth
Samsung HW-Q800H review
Published
Best forFilm and TV viewers who can place a subwoofer but have no sensible spot for rear speakers.
At a glance
- Channel configuration
- 5.1.2
- Included system
- Soundbar and wireless subwoofer
- Immersive audio
- Dolby AtmosEclipsa Audio
- TV connection
- HDMI eARC
Pros
- The separate subwoofer supplies deep bass in independent testing.
- A dedicated center and dialogue controls suit speech-heavy programs.
Cons
- The standard package has no rear speakers.
- The subwoofer needs both floor space and an outlet.
- No DTS decoding for discs with a DTS soundtrack.
Surround Sound
- 5.1.2 channels
- two up-firing channels
Samsung uses the bar itself to place side and height effects. There are no supplied boxes behind the listener, so the shape of the room matters. An open doorway beside the TV or a sloping ceiling offers a different reflection path from a conventional rectangular living room.
Bass & Dialogue
- Dedicated subwoofer
- dedicated center
In its Q800H tests, RTINGS found substantial low-frequency extension from the sub and a balanced starting sound. It also found that the dedicated center kept dialogue distinct. 1 That pairing is useful when a quiet exchange in a movie has to remain intelligible over background effects. Use the voice settings before turning everything up.
Connectivity
- HDMI eARC
- Dolby Atmos
Connect the bar to the TV’s eARC socket to hear TV apps and connected devices. One important change from the Q800F affects a disc collection. RTINGS reports that the Q800H drops DTS support; a player or another device must decode DTS audio first. 1 Check its audio output options before choosing the newer bar.
Setup & Controls
- Wireless subwoofer link
- night mode
The subwoofer can be placed separately from the TV, but still needs power. For a late show, reducing bass and the dynamic range in night mode is more neighbor-friendly than trying to keep whispers audible by increasing the overall volume.
Alternatives
Samsung’s QS90H places its woofers inside one cabinet, freeing the floor beside the TV. Take that route for a room where even one bass box is unwelcome. A Q990F comes with separate rear speakers if the seating layout and budget can make use of them.
Q800F owners already have a 5.1.2 bar and subwoofer. The H adds Sound Elevation, which aims to raise the apparent source of voices, but loses DTS support. Keeping the F makes sense if your player sends DTS directly. 1
Verdict
The Q800H is most persuasive for a front-focused setup that still needs genuine bass. Make sure there is somewhere to plug in the sub, then judge whether you care enough about sound from behind to buy a larger package.
About this review
This is a research-based review. The Fasit has not physically tested this product.
Sources & Research
1 reference
Independent sources cited in this article.
- RTINGSHW-Q800H review and test findings (opens in a new tab)https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/samsung/hw-q800h
Review of the included bar and subwoofer: low-frequency extension, dedicated center, limitations of side-firing surrounds.