'Massive' downgrade (presumably) from a full-blown powerful HT setup to a soundbar! Pls advise..

[Kannan]

could someone pls tell if the firmware update issue for the q990d been resolved now? or if i buy the q990d i'll be at risk still?

It is a non issue. The problem only surfaces with OTT update, which Samsung has now pulled down. Just disable automatic firmaware update on first install and you are permanently safe from OTT updates.
You can always manually update the firmware and no issues have been reported in that way of updating.
Even for future update, you can wait awhile for reviews of stability of firmwares before manually updating.

Happy listening

 

[TheSeeker]

It is a non issue. The problem only surfaces with OTT update, which Samsung has now pulled down. Just disable automatic firmaware update on first install and you are permanently safe from OTT updates.
You can always manually update the firmware and no issues have been reported in that way of updating.
Even for future update, you can wait awhile for reviews of stability of firmwares before manually updating.

Happy listening

thanks! that is relieving and good to know!

 

[rohitpuri]

A new update for q930d has come on Samsung india site. Ver 1021 , dated 16 April 2025. Just wanted to know if it's safe to update. Has anyone updated their soundbar

 

[TheSeeker]

so i have got samsung's q990d soundbar setup finally (new, for 75k). a big, BIG THANKS to FMs @Kannan ji and @rohitpuri ji and other members who advised me here! time allowing, i'd be listing my components of the HT setup on sale here sometime (hopefully) soon.

Having tried all highest end Sound Bar options from Sennheiser, Sony, Samsung and LG to me the newest highest end Samsung q series is the best sounding of them. It’s spacious and more importantly tonally accurate as it can get on a soundbar. Instruments and voices sound really natural on them. If the subwoofer is kept near the bar the integration to the bar is very coherent. It doesn’t sound like the bass is coming from a separate unit. If you move the sub to a different location, it might sound bit disjointed. Overall it’s the best ypu can buy.

i have placed the sub near the soundbar. the bass feels well-integrated. right out of the box the sub sounded quite boomy. looked up some recommended channel-levels to be set on the bar, and now the bass feels just with the right tightness & punch as well as boominess required for movies. and indeed the soundstage, tonality etc of the bar & surround sound feels quite close to my HT setup's. for atmos/dts-hd etc movies i found the bar to be very powerful & loud even at volume level 20 (i had read about this in several online posts). however in streaming movies, youtube etc i have to increase the volume to 25 or a bit more. home folks are not happy with this one too, thats another matter (for its size and loudness and sub+rears). to their eyes & ears a 'matchbox' bar costing 1/10th of the q990d with loudness enough for a small or mid-sized room would've been more than enough. but then there's no satisfying them. nevertheless, am good.

Give the Polk MagniFi series a try maybe? Comes with powered surrounds. The Mad Max starting scene sounded pretty decent at the ProFX demo room.

alas! somehow missed your message earlier and just now read this. could have travelled there to check this one out too.

View attachment 90086

View attachment 90085

First one has a structurally better design because it has 4 legs. Single leg may vibarate.

the above ones were for desktop-use. i ended up buying the tripod design one after watching the below vid. just unfold & set them up with the rears when required, and fold them & keep everything back after use!

It is a non issue. The problem only surfaces with OTT update, which Samsung has now pulled down. Just disable automatic firmaware update on first install and you are permanently safe from OTT updates.
You can always manually update the firmware and no issues have been reported in that way of updating.
Even for future update, you can wait awhile for reviews of stability of firmwares before manually updating.

Happy listening

@rohitpuri ji brought my attention to a bothersome tidbit of info that even if OTA firmware update/auto-updates over wifi are turned off in the smartthings app, the soundbar reportedly seemed to still connect to the network in some users' cases. the foolproof way to keep it off the net is by mac filtering in one's router-page. but am not sure how to ascertain the mac address of the bar. it doesnt seem to be given on any label on the bar. on my router-page, a recent added mac address has the hostname as just 'samsung'. i just assumed it to be the soundbar & have put on my mac filter blacklist.

A new update for q930d has come on Samsung india site. Ver 1021 , dated 16 April 2025. Just wanted to know if it's safe to update. Has anyone updated their soundbar

did you you update it via usb? as @Kannan ji had mentioned above, manually updating doesnt seem to be causing any issues.

 

[Kannan]

I am sure the sounbar will serve your needs for many years

 

[rohitpuri]

so i have got samsung's q990d soundbar setup finally (new, for 75k). a big, BIG THANKS to FMs @Kannan ji and @rohitpuri ji and other members who advised me here! time allowing, i'd be listing my components of the HT setup on sale here sometime (hopefully) soon.


i have placed the sub near the soundbar. the bass feels well-integrated. right out of the box the sub sounded quite boomy. looked up some recommended channel-levels to be set on the bar, and now the bass feels just with the right tightness & punch as well as boominess required for movies. and indeed the soundstage, tonality etc of the bar & surround sound feels quite close to my HT setup's. for atmos/dts-hd etc movies i found the bar to be very powerful & loud even at volume level 20 (i had read about this in several online posts). however in streaming movies, youtube etc i have to increase the volume to 25 or a bit more. home folks are not happy with this one too, thats another matter (for its size and loudness and sub+rears). to their eyes & ears a 'matchbox' bar costing 1/10th of the q990d with loudness enough for a small or mid-sized room would've been more than enough. but then there's no satisfying them. nevertheless, am good.


alas! somehow missed your message earlier and just now read this. could have travelled there to check this one out too.



the above ones were for desktop-use. i ended up buying the tripod design one after watching the below vid. just unfold & set them up with the rears when required, and fold them & keep everything back after use!
View attachment 90718

@rohitpuri ji brought my attention to a bothersome tidbit of info that even if OTA firmware update/auto-updates over wifi are turned off in the smartthings app, the soundbar reportedly seemed to still connect to the network in some users' cases. the foolproof way to keep it off the net is by mac filtering in one's router-page. but am not sure how to ascertain the mac address of the bar. it doesnt seem to be given on any label on the bar. on my router-page, a recent added mac address has the hostname as just 'samsung'. i just assumed it to be the soundbar & have put on my mac filter blacklist.


did you you update it via usb? as @Kannan ji had mentioned above, manually updating doesnt seem to be causing any issues.

Congratulations on your setup . I haven't tried the usb update. No update qued up in the smart things app (OTA) atleast for now .BTW on which version is your 990d on ?

 

[TheSeeker]

I am sure the sounbar will serve your needs for many years

not sure about the timeline but am finding it good for now

Congratulations on your setup . I haven't tried the usb update. No update qued up in the smart things app (OTA) atleast for now .BTW on which version is your 990d on ?

thanks! its on 1016.0. it reads that 'the latest version is installed'. it seems it updated the firmware OTA, because i seem to recall that earlier the version shown was 1012. but, i am not sure.
incidentally i also found the mac address on the bar. its given in the 'information' section of the soundbar in the smartthings app.

 

[TheSeeker]

one thing i wanted to know was, is extended warranty really necessary with this (or any) soundbar? the dealer was recommending a 2-year extended warranty to me for 9.5k. wasnt sure if it was required so i said i will think about it.

 

[rohitpuri]

My 930d is also on 1016.0 and shows it's the latest. Regarding the extended warranty i also asked the technician but he told me Samsung does not offer extended warranty on soundbars though you get a third party one. So please confirm.

 

[TheSeeker]

i think samsung might've rolled back on the 1020, so 1016 now shows as the latest firmware.

and yes, the extended warranty is not from samsung.