Flagship soundbars cost real money, and a fresh comparison from Tom's Guide puts two of 2026's priciest options side by side: the JBL Bar 1300X MK2 and Samsung's Q990H. After watching three films on each, the outlet's reviewer came down on the side of JBL, though not by much.
Both are 11.4.1-channel systems built for home theater setups, meaning 11 main channels, four height channels and one subwoofer. The Samsung Q990H packs 23 individual speakers and a 300W subwoofer with dual 8-inch drivers. The JBL Bar 1300X MK2 ships with removable, wireless rear speakers and its own standalone 300W sub, though the driver setup differs by region: a single 12-inch driver in the US model, dual 8-inch drivers in the EU and UK version the reviewer actually used.
Price and specs
According to the review, both soundbars were discounted at the time of testing. The Samsung Q990H was listed at $1,500, a markdown the reviewer flagged against a roughly $2,000 reference point mentioned elsewhere in the piece. JBL's Bar 1300X MK2 was also described as discounted, though no specific sale price was given. For context, the review also references the $3,500 Yamaha True X Surround 90A, called the best Dolby Atmos performer the reviewer has tested, but criticized for weak dialogue clarity and a price well above both the JBL and Samsung models.
Bass and dialogue, close to a draw
On bass, the review found little separating the two. Watching "Top Gun: Maverick" on the JBL, the reviewer wrote that the opening flight sequence "rumbled through the subwoofer with immense energy and depth," while sirens and alarms stayed audible over the low end. On the Samsung, watching "The Batman," the reviewer said colleagues downstairs could feel the subwoofer rumbling through the floor. Both soundbars include bass boost modes and individual subwoofer volume controls in their companion apps.
Dialogue clarity also came out roughly even. Samsung includes an explicit dialogue enhancement mode, which the reviewer said wasn't actually necessary during testing. JBL doesn't label a mode the same way, but its Movie mode routes dialogue to the center channel and uses what the company calls PureVoice 2.0 for speech isolation. The reviewer pushed back on online complaints about the JBL's dialogue performance, saying they never struggled to hear actors across any of the three films.
Dolby Atmos tips the scales
The deciding factor, per the review, was how convincingly each soundbar handled Dolby Atmos height effects. On the JBL, jets in "Top Gun: Maverick" "raced overhead as if I were truly outside," with the score staying "bombastic without overpowering" the engine noise. The Samsung fared worse here. The reviewer wrote that "width is great, but the Q990H doesn't sound quite as high as I'd like for $2k," and said even Surround mode left them wanting more height and immersion.
Both soundbars also support DTS:X, though the review focused on Dolby Atmos content for its comparison. Tom's Guide has not published a joint buying guide beyond this piece, so shoppers weighing either model are, for now, working from one reviewer's side-by-side impressions rather than a wider consensus.
GDFiled by The Gadgets Desk
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