Should you buy the five-star HW-Q990F or wait for Samsung's 2026 flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar system?

We're often faced with a dilemma when it comes to recommending the best TV, AV and home cinema products: "Should I buy this year's model, or wait for next year?"

It's a question that never really has a straightforward answer, and it varies on a case-by-case basis. For example, not every product is on an annual update cycle.

However, Samsung has, in previous years, decided that it needs to release a new series of soundbars every year. While that may sound slightly egregious, it has unquestionably struck gold with last year's HW-Q990D and this year's HW-Q990F.

So, it's natural to assume that a new candidate for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar title could be launching next year, and we've technically already had confirmation from Samsung that we'll be seeing some new soundbars.

Cast your mind back to September 2024, when our TV and AV Editor, Tom Parsons, was treated to a top-secret listening session with Samsung's upcoming soundbar technology at its Audio Lab in California. During that trip, Samsung's Vice President and Head of Audio Lab, Allan Devantier, confirmed that a prototype Q990 soundbar, which was shown off, will feature technology that will likely trickle into Samsung's 2026 soundbar range.

Fast forward to 2025, and we've been asked by a reader, who's eager to see if Samsung is going to launch a new soundbar next year with better height effects, if they should wait until next year's edition of the HW-Q990 series soundbar.

Better Dolby Atmos height effects could well be coming next year, as Tom Parsons noted in his hands-on experience of the prototype Q990 that, "Many Dolby Atmos soundbars deliver sound in two or three vertical layers, but here there’s fluidity to the verticality, which makes everything sound more natural." Which means patience could well be rewarded for anyone happy to wait.

However, it's not guaranteed. We've had countless behind-closed-doors demos from various prominent AV brands, which tease upcoming technologies that end up being very different when it comes to the final product. While we don't necessarily expect Samsung to backtrack on its audio demonstration, we'll have to add a pinch of caution to our excitement.

Furthermore, at some point, you have to accept that there will always be a bigger and better version of whatever you want to buy in the works. This is naturally accelerated by Samsung's strategy of releasing a new soundbar range annually – something that Sonos, Sony, JBL and Sennheiser tend not to do.

However, you have to pull the trigger at some point; otherwise, you'll basically find yourself in an infinite loop of waiting for the next version.

It's also worth noting that we were incredibly complimentary of the Q990F's "impressively placed height effects", praising the "impressive accuracy" to which the effects were positioned in relation to their location on screen.

The Q990F is a seriously smart buy right now...

There's also something to be said for the current value that the Q990F holds, as its performance-to-price ratio is currently second to none. We reviewed the system in July, which isn't that long ago in the grand scheme of things.

However, that hasn't stopped the price of the Q990F crashing to as low as £815 / $1298 / AU$1444, which is a huge saving over the launch price of £1699 / $1999 / AU$1999.

In fact, the Q990F is currently just £15 more than 2024's Q990D here in the UK at Amazon, and if you live in the US, then you can currently pick the newer system up for a whopping $200 cheaper than its predecessor at Best Buy.

That value proposition alone is enough for me to recommend this soundbar system, as we deemed its performance worthy of a five-star review at its launch price.

Slicing said price in half here in the UK, and offering the new model at a price that undercuts its predecessor in the US, therefore, makes it a no-brainer purchase.

Now, Samsung soundbars are often subject to deep discounts throughout their life spans, so we could expect to see Samsung's 2026 Q990-series 'bar follow a similar trend, but the Q990F did launch at a premium compared to its predecessor in some markets, so it's a gamble no matter how you look at it.

Buy now or wait for 2026?

Putting it bluntly, the HW-Q990F is an excellent soundbar system that is certain to impress, and it's heavily discounted right now. That's why I would have no trouble picking it up, even though Samsung could well announce a new one at CES 2026 in three months.

It features excellent cinematic sound, HDMI 2.1 passthrough ports with all of the HDR and gaming features supported, and the new subwoofer proves to be the star of the show with excellent low-end effects.

Samsung's next soundbar system could (and likely will) be better again, but it's probably not due to hit shelves for at least another six months, so you'll be waiting quite some time.

That being said, Samsung's new sound technology could be a game-changer if you do have the patience to wait that long – but there is, of course, no guarantee that this will be the case.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F review

Check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And find the full Samsung soundbar line-up here