Which is better for a large living room?

The JBL Bar 1300X has more total power and a bigger 12-inch subwoofer, so it fills large rooms more easily. The Samsung HW-Q990F counters with SpaceFit Sound Pro, which tunes itself to the room's acoustics.

Which has better bass?

The JBL's single 12-inch driver moves more air and hits lower, down to 33 Hz. The Samsung's dual 8-inch drivers are tighter and less boomy at moderate volume.

Do I need a Samsung TV to get the most from the HW-Q990F?

No, but Q-Symphony only works with compatible Samsung TVs. Without one you still get the full 11.1.4 system, Atmos and room calibration.

Can I move the JBL's rear speakers to another room?

Yes. Both surrounds are battery-powered and detach from the bar, so you can carry one or both to a kitchen or patio for music.

Which is easier to set up?

Both use wireless subwoofers and rears. The Samsung adds automatic calibration, so you spend less time adjusting levels by ear.

Both are built to last, with metal grilles on the JBL and a wall-mount kit included with the Samsung. The JBL's battery surrounds will lose capacity over years of use; the Samsung's wired-power rears will not.

Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System vs JBL Bar 1300X

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the more polished system for movie rooms. It has a true 11.1.4 layout with fixed rear speakers, dual 8-inch subwoofer drivers, SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration and Q-Symphony with Samsung TVs. The JBL Bar 1300X hits harder on paper with 1170 W and a 12-inch sub, and its detachable battery-powered surrounds can move to a kitchen or patio. Owners rate both highly; the Samsung edges ahead on calibration and dialogue handling, the JBL on raw output and placement flexibility.

Choose the Samsung HW-Q990F if you want a set-and-forget surround system with automatic room tuning and you own a Samsung TV.
Choose the JBL Bar 1300X if you want the loudest bass and rear speakers you can detach and carry to another room.

Prices

Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System: $645.00 at Emafoo (last seen Nov 5)
JBL Bar 1300X: $950.00 at eBay (last seen Nov 8)
Difference: the Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System is $305.00 cheaper than the JBL Bar 1300X at the latest prices (Nov 5 and Nov 8)

	Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System	JBL Bar 1300X
Channel layout	11.1.4 with dedicated wireless rear speakers	11.1.4 with detachable battery-powered rear speakers
Subwoofer	Dual 8-inch drivers, 756 W system total	Single 12-inch driver, 300 W sub amp, 1170 W system total
Room calibration	SpaceFit Sound Pro auto-tunes to the room	No automatic room calibration
Rear speaker placement	Fixed rears, wall or shelf mount	Rears detach and run on battery for portable use
TV integration	Q-Symphony syncs with Samsung TV speakers	No brand-specific TV speaker sync
Dialogue clarity	Adaptive Sound with Voice Amplifier	PureVoice dialogue enhancement
Streaming and voice	AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, built-in Alexa	AirPlay, Chromecast, Alexa Multiroom Music, Alexa and Google Assistant
HDMI inputs	2 in, 1 eARC out with 4K pass-through	HDMI in and out with 4K pass-through

Spec	Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System	JBL Bar 1300X
Color	Black	Black
Style	Wall Mount	Soundbar, Rectangular
Assistant Support	Amazon Alexa, Siri	Alexa, Google Assistant
Max Wattage	756 W	1170W
Wall Mountable	Yes, with Included Hardware	true
Bluetooth	5.3 Dual-Mode	Yes
Wireless	Yes	—
Special Purpose	Soundbar	—
Set	Yes	—
Dolby Atmos Enabled	Yes	—
Connectivity	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI, Optical Audio	—
Height	13 in high	—

Spec	Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System	JBL Bar 1300X
Subwoofer Driver	2x 8" / 20.3 cm	—
Subwoofer Inputs/Outputs	Wireless	—
Channel Configuration	11.1.4-Channel	—
Placement & Mounting Options	Tabletop/Bookshelf	—
Speaker Positioning	Rear	—
Satellite Speaker Configuration	2-Way	—
Satellite Inputs/Outputs	Wireless	—
Environmental Resistance	No	—
Recommended Screen Size	55" and Up	—

Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System vs JBL Bar 1300X

Prices

Samsung HW-Q990F Soundbar System vs JBL Bar 1300X

Prices

JBL Bar 1300X

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