Recent reports indicate that Samsung’s flagship soundbar, the Q990D, is facing significant issues following a problematic firmware update released this week. Users have taken to Samsung’s community forums, Reddit, and AVSForum to express their frustration with the premium Dolby Atmos system.
The issue seems widespread, affecting customers from various regions, including the United States, Austria, the Philippines, Malaysia, and more. Users report that their soundbars have become unresponsive, with standard factory reset methods failing to resolve the problem. Additionally, access via Samsung’s SmartThings app has been rendered impossible.
It appears the root cause of the malfunction is the latest firmware version, 1020.7. Many Q990D units have automatic updates enabled, leading to a surge of complaints regarding this faulty software over the past few days. If you own a Samsung soundbar, it might be prudent to disable automatic updates until this situation is resolved.
There are isolated reports of similar issues affecting other Samsung models, such as the HW-Q800D and HW-S801D, but most complaints are centered around the Q990D. This soundbar is noted for its high reviews, making these developments particularly unfortunate.
The Verge has reached out to Samsung for further information. Some affected customers have been advised to send their Q990D soundbars in for repair, which is a worst-case scenario. Hopefully, Samsung will devise a simpler solution in light of the issue’s scope. Will a new firmware update fix the malfunction in the coming days? Stay tuned for updates.
