Design and build:

JBL 9.1 and Samsung Q990B soundbars are available in standard black color. They have a regular rectangular shape but the Q990B has angled sides. Comparing JBL 9.1 vs Samsung Q990B, the Q990B is longer in width which means it is a perfect fit for large TVs. It is made of plastic and has a metal grille. It has standard sized rear speakers.

In case you have medium sized TVs, the JBL 9.1 is a good option. It is made of metal and plastic. It has small rear speakers that you need to attach on the sides of the bar for charging. The bars are wall mountable and come with necessary accessories. Overall, they have good build quality and seems long lasting.

Performance:

Comparing JBL 9.1 vs Samsung Q990B, Samsung Q990B has more number of drivers. It is an 11.1.4 channel bar whereas the JBL 9.1 is a 5.1.4 channel configuration. Samsung has neutral profile making it a ideal choice for different music genre. While playing music, try tweaking the settings like treble level to see if it improves the performance. It has up-firing drivers on the bar along with rear speakers. This makes overhead sounds prominent and noticeable.

Bass response from 8” subwoofer is quite powerful. Users can enjoy bass-heavy songs with tighter and deeper bass. The bar has excellent clarity and richness in the performance. With a dedicated center channel driver, the dialogues are loud and clear. There is also a voice enhancement option in case you need it. In Samsung, the bar works with digital signal processing to deliver big and massive performance. The bar has broad soundstage and that good accuracy.

JBL 9.1 bar focuses on creating a sphere of sound around the user. It emits sounds towards the ceiling that bounces off back to the user creating an illusion of height. Comparing Samsung Q990B vs JBL 9.1 bar, the Samsung has more accurate height effects. It has a 10” subwoofer that has forward bass that seems adequate in most cases as long as you are looking for room shaking bass. The performance depends on the rear speaker placement, so try performing calibration each time you move them.

It has average dynamics and a flat center channel. While voices remain clear in most cases, we wish it had a dialogue improvement mode. While movie soundtracks and effects are enjoyable, it might lack perfection which audiophiles seek. Similar to Samsung, the JBL 9.1 bar has a broader sound field and sound seems to follow actions on screen. In terms of surrounds, the Samsung Q990B shows better performance creating immersive sound around the user.

JBL 9.1 is not bad either. It shows good and satisfying performance with rear speakers. They can get very loud, but we suggest placing the JBL 9.1 is small to medium sized rooms. Try placing the Samsung Q990B is medium to large spaces.

 Features: 

Unlike the Samsung Q990B, the JBL 9.1 bar has both Chromecast and Airplay support. Chromecast allows creating multiroom audio with other Chromecast supported speakers. Samsung only works with Airplay which means Apple users can take advantage if it. With Samsung TVs, users can use the Q-Symphony feature where the TV and soundbar will work together creating more realistic and cinematic sound.

If you own a Samsung QLED 2021-2022 TV, then the bar can utilize SpaceFit feature to calibrate sound as per room design. Comparing JBL vs Samsung, the Samsung Q990B with HDMI 2.1 and ALLM is better for gaming. These will make gaming scenes clearer and they will sound livelier.

Connectivity:

In terms of connectivity, the soundbars are almost similar. They have optical port, HDMI eARC and an HDMI In. While the Q990B has an additional HDMI In, the JBL has an Ethernet port. With versatile connection ports, users can connect new or older TVs along with gaming consoles. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are also available. JBL 9.1 doesn’t have any built-in voice assistants but with Chromecast, users can purchase voice-enabled devices separately and talk to Google Assistant.

Control options:

For controlling the bars, they come with remote control. Samsung Q990B has Alexa built-in but JBL 9.1 doesn’t support any. JBL 9.1 will work with Google Assistant if you add 3^rd party enabled devices separately. Physical buttons are available on the top of both bars. JBL has switch input, volume up/down, switch on/off buttons. Samsung has input change, volume up/down and mute/unmute mic.

Settings:

Samsung HW-Q990B has more options and settings including bass and treble, voice enhancement mode and rear speaker level adjust option. The soundbars also have some common settings like night mode, subwoofer, surround and height level adjustment and virtual surround. These models come with a room correction feature that enhances the sound based on room acoustics. With these options, it becomes quite easier to adjust the sound based on user preference or content type.

Cost:

Comparing JBL 9.1 vs Samsung Q990B, the Samsung HW-Q990B is costlier than the JBL 9.1 soundbar. The JBL 9.1 is available at almost half the price of that of the Q990B. This means users who have a tight budget will love the JBL 9.1 that exceeds $500.

FAQ:

What are some other best soundbar brands except Samsung and JBL?

Along with Samsung and JBL, Sonos, LG and Bose are some of the best soundbar brands in the market.