Need Help Choosing between Samsung Q990F vs JBL 1300 vs Equivalent in Sony or LG

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1

I’m choosing a high-end soundbar primarily for movies (≈80%) and only occasional music (≈20%).

Goal: cinema-like experience at home—big, immersive surround bubble, convincing Dolby Atmos heights, and clear dialogue even at lower volumes.

Shortlist

Samsung Q990F (11.1.4)

JBL Bar 1300 (11.1.4) — detachable rears

Open to Sony/LG equivalents if they can match or beat the above for movies

What I care about (movie-first):

1. Atmos height realism & overall envelopment in a typical apartment room.

2. Dialogue clarity at low volume and during loud action scenes.

3. Subwoofer quality (tight, impactful—less boom, more control)

4. Room calibration effectiveness and ease of setup

5. eARC reliability

Extras welcome

Placement tips for rears/sub in a semi-open room

If there’s a better bang-for-buck or step-up option I should consider for movies, hit me with it.

Thanks in advance

2

Would recommend posting this on hifivision.com

3

Cool

will have to make an account there is why i was avoiding it, just lazy i guess

but am sure our TE members are equally skilled and knowledgeable

4

Yes lot of knowledgeable people on TE.

However, Hifivision people are all Audio-Visual enthusiasts and someone will already be using the Soundbars you have mentioned.

5

BTW Q990F is highly regarded.

Also new Marshall soundbar looks good too - have to purchase a separate Marshall Sub to go with it however.

6

The Samsung Q990 series seems the one to beat. The 6 Best Soundbars of 2025 - RTINGS.com

7

Even i feel q990 will be best suited

considering jbl has a muddy bass

8

q990 seems nice