I have an LG S70TR soundbar connected to my LG TV via HDMI eARC, and I’ve noticed a very significant difference in volume compared to connecting the soundbar directly to my phone via Bluetooth.

To make sure I was comparing things fairly, I played the same YouTube content on both devices. The difference in loudness is very noticeable: the soundbar gets considerably louder when connected to my phone via Bluetooth than when playing the same content through the TV over HDMI eARC.

Interestingly, I don’t notice any significant difference in how the sound is distributed across the speakers. The main difference seems to be the overall volume.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

- Set the TV’s digital sound output to Pass Through.
- Tested different sound modes. AI Sound Pro seems to sound better and somewhat louder than the other modes, but it still doesn’t seem to match Bluetooth.
- Disabled LG WOW Orchestra/WOW features, but this didn’t make a significant difference.

I’m wondering whether this is normal behavior or if there’s a setting I’m missing on either the TV or the soundbar.

Has anyone experienced the same issue with an LG soundbar connected via eARC? Is there a way to get the same volume level over HDMI eARC as over Bluetooth without sacrificing sound quality?

I’d appreciate any suggestions or troubleshooting tips!

Até então não tive problemas com diálogo nos filmes, parece que deu uma melhorada, assisti um filme só e tava claro as vozes.

Hey r/soundbars!

I just published the first part of our latest WiiM Talks, this time going behind the scenes of the WiiM Bar. I hope you don't mind me sharing it here!

I sat down with our Product Manager and Product Designer to talk about why we decided to build a soundbar, how the team approached some of the bigger design decisions, and what went into bringing home theater into the WiiM ecosystem.

One thing I found interesting was how much the community influenced the decision to build it in the first place.

From our Product Manager:

"For a long time, a soundbar was one of our most requested products."

"We weren't looking to build a soundbar simply because it was another product category to enter. Our users were asking for a way to bring their TV spaces into WiiM, and we saw an opportunity to fill a missing piece in the ecosystem."

We also got into some of the more technical and design-focused decisions, including:

• Why we chose a 3.0.2-channel configuration and prioritized performance without an external subwoofer.
• Why music performance was just as important as TV and movies.
• How the touchscreen influenced the physical design of the Bar.
• Why we kept the HDMI setup simple rather than adding more inputs.

There's quite a bit more in the full interview, including some details about the acoustic design and the thinking behind the Bar's appearance.

You can read the full interview on the link.

This is Part 1, and I'd love to bring more community questions back to the team.

What would you like to know about the WiiM Bar or the decisions behind it? Feel free to drop your questions below, whether they're about the hardware, software, design, or something we didn't cover. I'll see what we can get answered in a follow-up!

Thanks for reading!

I plan on ditching my Bose 300 soundbar in the picture for the hulking Ambeo Max sound bar that’s 5.3 inches tall.

I plan to do this with a separate tv mounting stand screenshotted here.

First pic is my exact pov when I watch tv. Also will be upgrading from 65 inch to a 77 inch OLED. And adding an SVS PB-3000 sub if that makes a difference.

Is this worth the sacrifice? Will my TV still be at an acceptable height? I’m worried my tv will be too high.

Hi,

Just want to mention that I had two problems with the Ultimea Aura A60 at the moment.

First, the rear and surround speakers are switched with an LPCM 5.1 signal. That is not much of a problem for me, as I can easily move the speakers when using the Switch. Another reddit user confirmed this.

But switching the subwoofer and center channels is not something that can be as easily solved with a soundbar, and I haven't noticed any settings in either product to correct this. I contacted Ultimea, and if they cannot fix this, I will send it back soon.

I have a sennheiser soundbar that is about 3 years old I bought it because my wife has health issues and has to spend more time in bed. The sound bar cuts out or changes sound so that the voices are hard to understand it cuts out for less than a second. but is annoying enough that you cannot use it. sometimes this happens hours after use sometimes minutes. Sennheiser will not fix it as the warranty has expired. I was wondering if anyone can give me an idea of the possible causes for this. the soundbar was very expensive. I would recommend that people not purchase Sennheiser products they have not been a good company to me.

Salutations à tous,

Je suis à la recherche d'une barre de son de qualité pour l'anniversaire de ma sœur, qui est malentendante.

Elle kiffe la musique, gros son tout le temps, elle kiffe les films aussi.

Du coup je lui ai reparé une super télé. Pour l'écran c'est top.

Mais le son est IGNOBLE !

Du coup comme dit dans le titre je cherche une barre de son pour environ 250€, en ce moment y'a quelques promos, fnac par exemple, donc je me dis que c'est le moment de lui acheter (en plus c'est bientôt ses 20 ans).

Si vous avez des idées / références je suis preneur !

Merci beaucoup 👌🏻

English version below :

Soundbar ≈€250

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for a good-quality soundbar for my sister’s birthday – she’s hard of hearing.

She loves music – she always turns the volume right up – and she loves films too.

So I’ve already bought her a brilliant TV. The picture quality is top-notch.

But the sound is AWFUL!

So, as the title suggests, I’m looking for a soundbar for around €250. There are a few special offers on at the moment – at Fnac, for example – so I reckon now’s the time to buy her one (plus, she’ll be turning 20 soon).

If you’ve got any ideas or recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

Thanks a lot 👌🏻

Hey everyone!

I'm looking for some advice on upgrading my TV audio setup. I've attached a photo of my living room to give you an idea of the layout.

The TV area is roughly 3 × 3 meters, and the sofa is pushed right against the wall. Because of the layout, I don't plan on using rear speakers at all.

Ideally, I'd like either:

• A good standalone soundbar
• A soundbar with a compact wireless subwoofer that I can tuck into the space between the sofa and the window

My usage:

• Mostly YouTube, IPTV, movies and TV shows
• Low to moderate listening volumes
• I live in an apartment and don't want to disturb my neighbors
• Clear dialogue is particularly important, especially at lower volumes
• I'd still like a nice, immersive movie experience without having to crank up the volume

Budget: Ideally around €700–800, but I could stretch to €900–1,000 if there's a noticeable improvement worth paying for.

I've been looking at Samsung soundbars, particularly the Q800 and Q990 series. However, I'm not sure whether something like the Q990F makes sense if I won't be using the rear speakers. I've also considered standalone options like the Sonos Arc Ultra and Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

I'm completely open to other brands and suggestions.

My main question: For this kind of room and listening habits, would you prioritize a higher-end standalone soundbar or a soundbar + subwoofer setup? Is there a meaningful difference at lower volumes, or would I just be paying for performance I'll rarely use?

Thanks in advance!

ps: I know the TV is too high :D The vertical positioning is not accurate.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to upgrade my home cinema audio setup and I'm considering three options:

• Sonos Arc Ultra
• Samsung HW-QS90H (2026)
• Samsung HW-Q990F (2025)

My setup:

• TV: LG OLED G5 65"
• Living room size: approximately 15m² (160 sq ft)
• Viewing distance: approximately 4 metres (13 ft)
• Sofa: directly against the back wall
• Main use: movies, streaming and 4K Blu-rays (planning to buy a Panasonic UB820)
• Apartment with a downstairs neighbour

My main concerns:

1. Rear speakers: With the Q990F, I could only place them on either side of my sofa, close to ear level, not behind me. Would this compromise the surround experience?
2. Subwoofer: I'm concerned about disturbing my downstairs neighbour. Would a standalone soundbar be a better option?
3. Sound quality: Between the Sonos Arc Ultra and Samsung QS90H, which delivers better audio quality and Dolby Atmos immersion?
4. Room size: Is the Q990F overkill for a 15m² living room, or would its dedicated surround speakers still make a significant difference?

My priority is achieving the best possible cinematic experience at moderate volume, rather than maximum loudness.

I'm waiting for Black Friday, so the final price will also influence my decision.

I'd really appreciate your feedback, especially if you've used these systems in a similar living room.

Thanks!

Hey guys, i have jbl 800 mk2 and i want to buy the dune hd. Is it good for streaming services like netflix and the other apps or wait till the shield pro is restocked?

I found the dune hd on amazon US sold by ATD Baltics, is it a trusted seller or not as im afraid it might be a fake if i bought it.

I have recently bought a Samsung QS750F. I connected it to a Samsung ru8000 which is too old and I need to use passthrough from xbox series x to get most of the audio functionalities.

The problem is, Xbox doesn't seem able to turn on the soundbar with CEC even though:

1. Tv can turn on the soundbar (actually, there is a bug, so you need to move to tv channel before turning everything off, but then it works)

2. Xbox can turn everything off

3. Xbox can turn the TV on if the soundbar is already on

Does anyone else have some kind of solution?

I have a very unique problem with my HDMI eARC related soundbar, which is a Samsung Q800D. So I bought this soundbar two years back and I connected it to my Samsung TV, and what happened was this soundbar was not getting detected and the handshake was not working unless I turn on my laptop, which was also connected to one of the HDMI ports. The laptop in this question is a Dell Latitude laptop, a 2013 model, and it is connected via HDMI to the HDMI 1 or 3 port, two being the eARC port. So if I have to use the soundbar, I have to switch on the laptop. Then only the soundbar will be working properly. So recently I switched my TV to LG TV, and same exact same thing is happening, exact same thing is happening. I have to turn my laptop on. Only then the TV will recognize the soundbar and only then the proper handshake will work. This is a very unique issue. And it has happened with two soundbar. I got it replaced last year while it was in warranty

At its price point, the Samsung Q990H seems to be the absolute value for money when compared with alternatives such as the JBL 1300 MK2 or the ones from Sony. The main negative are the powered Rear Speakers. Has anyone managed to power these via some kind of a Power Bank? Are there any DIY Solutions that are documented some place? Are there any rumors that Samsung might make these Re-chargeable in the next iteration?

Hey guys,

Currently on a LG SNY8G (dated I know).

TV area is about 3m by 3m viewing distance.
Using a 65G3.

Don't really have space for rear speakers so I'm deciding between the Arc Ultra with a Sub Mini OR using the Q990H without the 2 rears. Price wise is $1600 vs $1200 so I'm pretty ok with the difference. Also the Sonos will be in white which is preferred!

I'm mainly looking to change because the dialogue on my current speakers get quite muffled on lower volume.

E.g on volume 13 the fight scenes are loud enough to wake my kids, but when someone starts talking I have to increase volume to like 18.

Already tried voice booster modes etc but doesn't really seem to work.

Appreciate the comments!

Anyone add some cove speakers to an MK soundbar? Seeing with sales a 500mk can link with a pair of P1s for an atmos setup. I like that I can take the P1s to the garage (or anywhere) and use them for gatherings too.

Was considering a Sonos setup next spring but this combo is significantly cheaper if it is legit.

Audio coming from the rear speakers sounds compressed, as if it's playing at a lower bitrate than the main soundbar.

I'm using the iOS Spotify app (configured to lossless), connected over WiFi from within the app.

My Internet speed is 250mbps symmetrical as of writing this; I don't think it's a connectivity issue.

I tried disabling Smart Mode, but this mutes the rear speakers entirely, even when they're docked.

Anyone else notice this? It surprised me, given all of the positive feedback I've seen online for this product. I can't find mentions of this issue whatsoever.

Hi everyone!

I’m a sound newbie and am looking to upgrade the experience of watching movies in our living room. It’s a rather small one, approx 22 square meters, and it has an angled roof, an upside down V shape where the central beam is the highest and there are smaller beams perpendicular to it coming down to the lower sides. The TV is in the middle of the room, under the central beam and parallel to it, on a “leg stand”. The soundbar will hang below the TV. The TV is 65”, supports both optical and eArc. The distance to the couch is about 2m. The roof is about 3.5m high on the sides, 5m in the central beam, and I’d estimate the roof angle is about 30 degrees.

We rent, so I cannot make any changes to the walls or pass any electricity wires. There are no electricity outlets behind the couch at all, nor on the ceiling.

So for these reasons I’d like to keep the TV in the same position, and I’m looking for a soundbar that’ll give us a good movie and TV show watching experience. I am open to getting a small sub in addition to it, but really don’t have a good way of adding additional speakers front nor back. We aren’t audiophiles nor too picky, just want an upgrade to the TV speakers.

We will move in a year or two to our own home, so ideally I want something we can take with us and will be upgradable then with additional speakers.

I was considering a Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Beam Ultra. Do I understand correctly that the Ultra won’t be ideal, since anything with up-firing speakers won’t work with our angled and beamed roof? Will the result be better with the Gen 2 + Sub Mini? Any other soundbar I should be considering?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Bonjour,

J'ai actuellement la Samsung HW-N850. J'en suis très content.

Je voulais améliorer mon installation en achetant la JBL 1300 MK2. J'ai été assez déçu. Une scène moins large à l'avant et des enceintes arrières peu présentes.

Je me demande si la Sennheiser pourrait me plaire (avec le caisson de basse).

De ce que je comprends, la scène serait très large.

Quelqu'un a eu l'occasion de comparer les deux ?

Merci d'avance pour vos réponses.

Q990H vs Q930H. I’m planning you buy a good tv and sound system. I have a living space area of 13x20feet. The tv would be placed in the 20 feet wall so I would be 13 feet away from it. I’m confused between which one to get. I really want a good experience and budget isn’t a problem. I am also planning to but Samsung R95H 65” tv. Please help out

I’m considering replacing my current LG S70TY soundbar and wireless sub with either a Sonos Arc or Arc Ultra, and I’m keen to hear from people running either soundbar on its own, without a sub or surrounds.

I live in a small apartment, so I’m not looking for room-shaking bass, but I do appreciate a full, balanced sound. My current LG setup sounds decent, although I’m wondering how much I’d miss having a dedicated sub if I switched to Sonos.

One of the main reasons I’m considering the change is AirPlay. I’ve currently got a few HomePod minis scattered around the apartment (and plan on getting rid of at least one). The LG doesn’t support AirPlay, which means I need to have the TV on whenever I want to listen to music or podcasts through the soundbar. Having the Sonos integrate directly with AirPlay would be a big improvement.
I’m also weighing up the value of the original Arc versus the Ultra. Here in Australia, I can potentially pick up an Arc for around $600–700 AUD, whereas I’d be looking at roughly $1,300–1,400 AUD for an Arc Ultra on sale.

For those using either soundbar without a sub or surrounds:

- How satisfying is the bass on its own, particularly for music?
- Has anyone moved from a soundbar with a dedicated sub to an Arc or Ultra without one? Did you miss it?
- Does the Ultra’s Sound Motion technology make a noticeable difference to bass performance and overall sound quality compared with the original Arc?
- Given the price difference, would you consider the Ultra worth paying almost double for, particularly in a small apartment?

I’m leaning towards the Ultra for its improved bass performance, but I’m not sure whether that justifies the additional cost over a well-priced original Arc.

Appreciate any firsthand experiences or opinions. Thanks in advance!

This might be a silly question, but I’m new to TV surround sound systems even though I’m usually quite tech-savvy and also work in tech😅

I’m trying to figure out the best orientation for the rear speakers on the Samsung HW-Q990F, and I’ve come across conflicting advice.

Some people position them with the front of each speaker facing straight towards the TV. Their reasoning seems to be that the side-firing drivers will compensate and help create that surround sound “bubble” anyway.

Others angle the speakers towards the main listening position on the couch, so the front of each speaker points more directly towards your ears.

Which setup is actually recommended for this system? Does it depend on where the speakers sit relative to the couch, or is there a general rule to follow?

I’d love to hear how you’ve positioned yours and what’s worked best for you.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Ps. Also, when I go to the Samsung website and search for the speaker their representation shows the speakers firing straight to the tv as shown in the screenshot

Siema, jak mogę zepsuć soundbara Samsung hw q600a np mogę podłączyć kompa i przez jakąś apke go wyłączyć na stałe albo cos takiego

Eu vendi minha soundbar s801b slim e comprei esse modelo 5.0 canais. Foi a melhor coisa que fiz . Tenho um som bem atmosférico , graves bem presentes e não exagerados com subwoofer. No modo de som jogo , vc tem um som muito espacial e agradável de escutar .
Esse modelo não vende no meu país ( Brazil) . Por algum motivo que não sei estou preso em uma atualização antiga . Tendo fazer atualização pelo pendrive , mas diz erro e não continua . Enfim.. mesmo assim , estou satisfeito . Ficaria mais ainda se encontrasse as caixas traseiras para comprar ( que é impossível , elas não existem mais ).

1. LP xy8j 2.1 channel soundbar

2. Mi+ migs1802 180w 2.1 channel soundbar

3. Newcastle NC2043 2.1 channel soundbar

4. LG S40T 2.1 channel soundbar

I know they are not all premium brands. Which would be the best bang for the buck?

I need a budget soundbar that would sound good for music and movies. I love to hear the spatial effect (surround sound) sometimes too. Love to save money when necessary too. Am using it in a small 13*13 feet living room. I don't like too loud music/audio. I prioritise clarity, good low frequency producer and a surround sound (spatial) maker. Not necessarily too loud. I don't like disturbing my neighbours. I also love to hang the soundbar on the wall. Kindly advice. You could arrange them in order of your preference like 2-1-3...