Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Samsung HW-Q990F
Get the Samsung Q990F. Unless you want one Bose bar and no extra boxes — then the Lifestyle Ultra.
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar
Smooth, easy listening and a premium build, but reviewers split on its Atmos, and the Sonos Arc Ultra does more for the same money.
Samsung HW-Q990F
A full 11.1.4 surround system with a sub and rear speakers, and the best Atmos you can get from a soundbar. Big, and the box is full.
We earn a commission from these links.
The Q990F is a full system with a sub and rear speakers, so effects move around and over you, and it plays every film format. The Bose is one well-made bar with clear dialogue, but reviewers split on its Atmos and it plays no DTS at all.
- —You want one bar and no extra boxes.
- —You want Bose, or already have Bose speakers.
- —You use Google Cast.
- —You want real cinema surround.
- —You watch DTS:X films or plug a console into the soundbar.
- —You have room for rear speakers behind the sofa.
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Premium glass-and-fabric build
- +Clear dialogue
- +AirPlay and Google Cast
- −No DTS of any kind.
- −One HDMI eARC port, no HDMI inputs and no optical port.
- −No remote in the box.
- −The glass top reflects the TV picture.
- +Real surround and overhead effects
- +Deep, tight bass from the included sub
- +4K/120 passthrough for consoles
- −The front display is hard to read.
- −Setup needs Samsung's SmartThings app.
- −Some owners report the volume getting out of sync when streaming music.
- −The bar is 123cm wide, too long for TVs under 55 inches.
Ready to choose?
- Is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra worth it?
- Is the Samsung Q990F worth it?
- Arc Ultra vs Samsung Q990F
- Arc Ultra vs Sonos Beam
- Sonos Beam vs Sonos Ray
- Sonos Ray vs Arc Ultra
- Best soundbars
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: RTINGS, What Hi-Fi, What Hi-Fi, manufacturer specifications.