Klipsch Bar 48 vs Samsung HW-Q90R vs Bose 700 Specs Comparison

If you are on the market for a new soundbar, check out our Klipsch Bar 48 vs Samsung HW-Q90R vs Bose 700 Specs Comparison.

The TVs today have turned extremely flat with even thinner bezels. And this has been one of the primary reasons why the audio performance has gone duller. That is perhaps what necessitates the need for a soundbar for your TV. But, choosing a capable soundbar does not come that much easier.

Related: Bose Bass Module 700 vs 500 Home Woofers

With practically a vast number of options available at your disposal, it should be an arduous task to pick your best choice among the perfect soundbars. From that perspective, we thought of comparing three of the most popular and influential soundbars ever. We will examine three of the highly efficient and effective soundbars viz Klipsch Bar 48, Samsung Q90R, and Bose 700 soundbars and find which among them work best.

Klipsch Bar 48 vs Samsung HW-Q90R vs Bose 700 Comparison Table:

Klipsch Bar 48 – An Overview

Check on Amazon

Klipsch has been one of the popular manufacturers when it comes to audio accessories. The 3.1 channel Bar 48 is one of the latest entrants (2019) among the already robust collection of soundbars that the brand offers you. The soundbar provides you access to a wireless subwoofer option as well.

One of the most durable features that would make it a formidable choice is the availability of horn-loaded tweeters. They would provide you with a higher degree of sensitivity and better audio efficiency. That apart, there are several other advanced features such as a backlit remote. However, the soundbar also falls short of several elements that would have made it a rather good option. Single HDMI ARC connection and lack of support for object-based audio may be a few shortcomings.

The horn tweeters may be an excellent option for sound enhancement, but they would also turn the soundbars a little ugly. The wooden construction should ideally be one of the better advantages compared to the plastic options made available at this price point. The soundbar comes with a low profile construction and should ideally be one of the best options for use with large sized TVs.

The soundbar does not come with a real display and offers you access to LED lights as a means of a few indicators. You would have access to a few basic controls, such as power, volume, and input. You also have a subwoofer as well. The subwoofer is made of wood, just like the central unit. It will pair automatically with the soundbar as soon as you turn it on.

The remote available is full-sized and comes with a backlighting functionality. The remote offers access to keys for a wide range of options such as power, volume, and the various inputs. The soundbar and the remote gives access to different modes such as Dialogue, Surround, and Night.

As for the connections, you can check out the options, such as a single HDMI-ARC port, an optical digital audio input, and a 3.5mm analog input. Only one HDMI ARC port may be a concern for some of us. Other options available on the soundbar would include a USB port for a firmware update, IR extender connector, Bluetooth, and a subwoofer connection port.

In terms of features, you would get a plug and play compatibility, and that should perhaps explain the need for opting for a 3.1 channel speaker configuration. The separate subwoofer should be yet another excellent option that handles the lower frequencies efficiently. If you are looking for immersive audio, you are out of luck, but support for DTS Virtual:X is likely to be introduced through a firmware update.

You can expect the best possible 3.1 channel performance. The front soundstage is what would offer you an excellent performance. This has more to do with the sensitivity of the horn tweeters.

Pros

• Perfect audio performance at 3.1 channel audio efficiency
• Perfectly done subwoofer
• Ease of setting it up

Cons

• No immersive audio performance in the range.
• The performance falls flat without the subwoofer.
• No HDMI input.
• Pairing surrounds is sometimes challenging

Samsung HW-Q90R – A Sneak peek

Check on Amazon

The Samsung HW-Q90R should be one of the most robust options in the soundbar category and provides you access to an enhanced experience through wireless rear speakers and four upward-firing drivers. That would mean you are in for a wonderfully immersive experience. Availability of Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X can be yet another huge plus point.

The design is quite impressive. It comes with a cleverly designed look along with metal grilles and carbon silver finish. The soundbar is more full enough and should be one of the excellent choices if you are looking at the compatibility with big-screen TVs. However, placing it under your TV can be a severe concern.

The soundbar also comes with a more uncomplicated LCD. It does light up as soon as it receives a command indicating the necessary level of information. You also have a few of the controls on the top, and they would provide you details on powering it on or off, changing volume, and changing the inputs. The remote controller is available with a traditional design. The remote is designed quite ergonomically. Working with the remote should ideally be quite comfortable and intuitive in every right.

The left and right speakers offer a similar look and design in tune with the central unit. They provide you with upward and forward-firing drivers and built-in amplification. The subwoofer is redesigned from what it was in the previous model. You can experience an improved bass response along with better overall control.

The prime feature of Samsung Q90R is the support for Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X. You would find the soundbar offering a total of 12 speakers using a total of 17 drivers. You would get a total of 12 channels on the soundbar – front left and right, center, two sides, two rears, two front heights, a pair of rear elevations, and a subwoofer.

The installation and setup are relatively good and excellent in its own right. If you are looking at the connection options, you have two HDMI inputs and one output. All the pots support 4K at 60 fps and a high dynamic range. That should ideally indicate that Samsung should handle everything that you throw at it. You will also get access to an optical digital input if you are checking out the multiple wireless options, such as WiFi and Bluetooth. However, we found a lack of support for Chromecast and Apple AirPlay. The soundbar does provide you access to host sound modes. You can choose between – Standard, Surround, Game Pro, and Adaptive Sound.

The soundbar can support a wide range of audio formats, and that includes AAC, WAV, OGG, ALAC, AIFF, and FLAC. The availability of the SmartThings app should be yet another advantage. This will be much useful in setting up your soundbar and controlling it along with other connected devices.

The prime reason we would recommend opting for the Samsung Q90R is its immersive audio performance. It should be one of the transcendent choices when you think of using it for music and other types of audio. The availability of object-based sound, along with lossless performance, should ideally make it a great choice in the long run.

Pros

• An exemplary and impressive sound quality
• An exceptional sound quality
• Option for the Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X
• Ease of installation and use.

Cons

• A less number of HDMI ports
• No auto-calibration option available
• An expensive option for a soundbar.

Bose Soundbar 700 – A Concise Review

Check on Amazon

If you are checking out the options for a perfect performance with not much focus on the bass efficiency, the Bose Soundbar 700 should ideally be a great choice you would want to go with. The availability of Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant should be one of the features that should make it one of the much-preferred options ever. The Bose Soundbar 700 is one of the excellent opportunities for the best smart functionality ever.

One of the strengths of the Soundbar 700 from Bose is the HDMI- eARC support. Other plus points offered by the platform would include AirPlay 2.0 support, a redesigned universal remote when compared to the Soundbar 300. The support for the Bose Music app is yet another excellent functionality that should take you ahead.

The soundbar does not support Dolby ATMOS or DTS:X, and that should make it a little out of place in comparison to the Samsung Q90R. It does not even have a separate subwoofer. That may be perhaps yet another drawback we found on the Bose soundbar.

In terms of design, the soundbar does pack in a host of features and functions. It does offer you the look of a high-end soundbar ever. The soundbar provides you with a sleek, stylish, and superior level of build quality. The soundbar comes with a low profile and thus should not ideally block your TV. It is suitable enough for even more full TV screens.

The design is exceptionally minimalistic. There are only two touch-sensitive controls over the soundbar. There is no display offered except for a row of lights to indicate some necessary information. As for the connections, you have access to an HDMI port, an optical digital input, an Ethernet port, and a micro USB port. A few other connection options would include power cable, and four 3.5mm jacks for a subwoofer, data, IR extender, and the ADAPTiQ headset.

Lack of HDMI inputs may appear to be a concern. There is only one HDMI output, but thankfully it comes with eARC functionality. The wireless connectivity options on the soundbar would include WiFi, Bluetooth, and Apple AirPlay 2. The WiFi supports both 2.4 and 5 GHz connectivity.

The Bose Soundbar 700 does arrive with a universal remote. The remote offers you a metal construction and motion-activated backlighting. You can pair it with a host of devices that include a TV, Blu-ray player, games console, video streamer, or set-top box.

Pros

• An excellent and best possible front soundstage
• Excellent remote app in the form of Bose Music app
• Availability of ADAPTiQ audio calibration
• Option for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Cons

• Low level of bass performance
• Nonavailability of Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X
• There are no HDMI inputs

Which one should you go with?

Well, that would be something that would be dependent upon the personal preferences you may have. We would consider the Samsung Q90R one of the excellent options among the three soundbars we just discussed.

In any case, the above discussion and the concise review of each of the soundbars here should ideally provide you with an insight into the features, specifications, and functionalities of each of them. Go through analysis and choose the best that meets your actual expectations.

More on Soundbars:

• Best HDMI eARC Soundbars
• Sonos Beam vs Bose Soundbar 500 vs Soundcore Infini Pro