LCD Reloaded
Sound & Vision|October - November 2021
IN 2020, Sound & Vision tested Samsung’s 65-inch Q90T series TV, an LCD model that lacked some of the features and refinements found in the company’s flagship sets from the previous year.
Thomas J. Norton
LCD Reloaded

But at $1,900, it also struck us as a solid deal given the overall price-performance ratio and received a Top Pick. Samsung’s new Neo QLED QN90A series LCDs, available in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes, are pricier than the Q90T models they replace, though the higher prices in this case come with marked performance upgrades.

FEATURES

The QN65QN90A model that Samsung sent us to test features a center-positioned stand that offers an easy fit on a wide range of furniture in a table-top setup. It’s sturdy, heavy, and provides enough space under the screen for a slim soundbar. (Wall-mounting, of course, is also an option.)

The QN90A’s built-in speakers fire audio outward from all sides of the screen, a design Samsung calls Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+) because it follows the trajectory of the onscreen action. OTS+ is also designed to work in conjunction with an optional Samsung soundbar (not tested here). By itself, without the soundbar, OTS+ audio performance is fine, as long as you don’t expect miracles.

Lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is accessible via the set’s optical digital output, but DTS sources were limited to 2.0 via this link. Samsung’s HDMI eARC feature functioned with a Dolby Atmos source in my 5.2.4 speaker setup, but only after exhaustive period of trial-and-error of both the Samsung’s settings and the Denon AVR I used it with it. Hint: I had to enable Samsung’s Anynet (HDMI-CEC) prior to selecting the Auto HDMI-eARC Mode and turning on the Dolby Atmos Compatibility setting.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SOUND & VISIONView all
The Big Clean
Sound & Vision

The Big Clean

Chances are you probably do not think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make; where you would put those new tower speakers, or how a second or third subwoofer would really tame those bass modes in your room, or how much more cinematic a larger screen would be. Sure, you think about that part of your system. But how often do you think about the well-being of your system?

time-read
5 mins  |
August - September 2024
Planar-Magnetic Attraction
Sound & Vision

Planar-Magnetic Attraction

THE DIPTYQUE DP 115 speakers are a new model 2-way, ribbon, and planar magnetic driver dipole \"isodynamic\" speaker system designed and built in France.

time-read
10 mins  |
August - September 2024
Full-Featured 4K
Sound & Vision

Full-Featured 4K

THE QN95D is one of two televisions we went hands-on with on a recent trip to Samsung's New Jersey QA Lab, the other being the S95D quantum-dot OLED.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024
Party Animal
Sound & Vision

Party Animal

FOR ANY party, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Outdoor Bass Bluetooth Speaker is an essential invite.

time-read
7 mins  |
August - September 2024
It's the End of the World. How About Popcorn and a Movie?
Sound & Vision

It's the End of the World. How About Popcorn and a Movie?

Attention all preppers! Today's column is right up your alley-or, more precisely-your tunnel to your underground bunker.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2024
Bridging the Analog-Digital Gap on a Recliner
Sound & Vision

Bridging the Analog-Digital Gap on a Recliner

When I shopped for a motorized recliner, I rejected models with their own Internet Protocol address and built-in speakers. No need. I had already placed a smart speaker on an étagère beside the space where I had planned to put the chair. I'd have a smartphone in my hand and the room would be bathed in Wi-Fi.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2024
BACK TO THE GARDEN
Sound & Vision

BACK TO THE GARDEN

AN AQUARIAN EXPOSITION in WHITE LAKE, N.Y.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024
Big Sound, Small Price
Sound & Vision

Big Sound, Small Price

DOLBY ATMOS, once a costly premium, is enjoying a surge of popularity across a range of new audio gear.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024
Classic Sound with Streaming Smarts
Sound & Vision

Classic Sound with Streaming Smarts

THE TWENTIETH century had its Roaring Twenties; welcome to the twenty-first's Streaming Twenties.

time-read
10+ mins  |
August - September 2024
Stand and Deliver
Sound & Vision

Stand and Deliver

IT DOESN'T seem all that long ago that SVS first entered the audio scene.

time-read
9 mins  |
August - September 2024