Samsung sells a dizzying number of soundbars, which can make choosing anything apart from its multi-speaker Dolby Atmos flagship, the HW-Q990C (or older Q990B), pretty confusing. The HW-Q800C, which sits a step or two beneath the Q990, stands out as a top choice for those looking to dive into 3D soundscapes and great sound at a more reasonable price.

The Q800C is a chip off the old Q990 block, borrowing the same angular hexagon profile and plenty of trickle-down features in a pared-down package. As a two-piece system, it’s easier to incorporate into your listening room than Samsung’s priciest bar, while its included subwoofer gives it a cinematic edge over stand-alone options like the Sonos Arc and other competitors.

The kicker is that you can usually pick up the Q800C for well below its $1,000 MSRP, often as low as $700, which makes its impressive sound quality and generous feature set all the more enticing. While not without its limitations, this is a compelling Atmos bar that’s well worth considering on a midrange budget, even if it floats under the radar.

Samsung makes nearly everything simple with its soundbars, though unboxing the Q800C may be the exception. Its L-shaped packaging seems almost designed to confound, requiring you to open multiple ends to dig everything out. That said, after renegotiating its position and freeing the contents, I had the subwoofer and 46-inch bar in place and belting out sound in no time.

You’ll most likely be connecting the system to your TV over HDMI ARC/eARC, which offers the best sound and simplified control over power and volume with your TV remote. Most newer TVs will find the bar and send sound automatically, but older setups may require you to choose it as an external device. If your TV is notably seasoned, you may need to connect over the Q800C’s optical input, but this negates Dolby Atmos, which kind of defeats the point.

The Q800C supports Dolby’s object-based Atmos sound format at full resolution from sources like 4K Blu-ray directly from the bar’s spare HDMI input, or in compressed form via streaming services. Unlike Sonos’ and Bose’s top soundbars, the Q800C also supports Dolby Atmos’ primary 3D-audio competitor, DTS:X, alongside just about every other major audio format you’ll encounter.

The Q800C offers some Samsung-only tricks, including the ability to source Atmos wirelessly from select models like the brand's Q-series TVs or work in tandem with their onboard TV speakers via the proprietary Q-Symphony system. Users of any TV can enjoy other modern features like a built-in voice assistant via Amazon Alexa, and Spacefit sound calibration to automatically analyze your room and adjust performance accordingly (though I’m not sure I heard much improvement there).

Connecting the bar to your Wi-Fi network via the SmartThings app lets you dig into settings like channel levels and EQ, and going online unlocks high-quality streaming over Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Apple AirPlay. Google’s Chromecast is conspicuously absent (in the US version anyway), but Bluetooth streaming is available as an alternative.

After spending countless hours listening to Samsung’s latest soundbars, it was no surprise to find that the Q800C serves up brilliant sound across a wide variety of content. The sound profile is highlighted by full-bodied midrange and bass frequencies, treble that sings with sweet lyricism in brass and strings, and solid dynamics that bring out everything from subtle dialog to potent explosions (or both at once) with tempered balance.

The first time I really sat up and took notice of the Q800C’s Dolby Atmos talents came with one of my go-to test pieces, Netflix’s Our Planet. Calling up one of the ocean episodes revealed dimensional sonic spacing that brought out the collage of chatty dolphins, splashing deep sea creatures, and spouting Blue Whale behemoths with lifelike dynamism.

The bar’s 5.1.2-channel configuration comprises 11 different speakers, including both upfiring and side-firing drivers, helping it bounce both 3D sound and traditional surround sources off your walls and ceiling for convincing immersion. It can’t compete with multi-speaker setups at the back of the room, let alone the 11.1.4-channel bombardment supplied by the pricey Q990, but I was consistently pleased with how well the sound envelopes the listening position. The bar does well at curling audio beyond its frame to spin effects past your ears and over your head.

Even when I turned to 5.1 or 7.1 soundtracks, the Q800C showed impressive sound staging and accurate placement of effects like strafing bullets and buzzing motorcycles at the front and sides, drawing me into the action. You may find more immersion in competitors like the Sonos Arc (9/10, WIRED Recommends) or Sony’s flagship HT-A7000 (dependent on your listening room to some degree), but this system does well in keeping pace with most single-bar setups.

It’s not a single bar, of course, and we can’t forget its formidable side-firing subwoofer, which appears to be a descendant of Samsung’s flagship soundbars of years past. It was too formidable for my relatively small listening room at full blast, forcing me to coax it down by several notches with the included remote’s handy subwoofer key. Bass still got a little hot and heavy at times, but mostly stayed in check for a potent punch of cinematics that blends well with the main bar.

Occasionally the Q800C can sound too tight in the upper midrange, revealing some extra whine that moves toward distortion. These moments were rare, though, standing out all the more considering how good things sound in the higher treble frequencies.

The Q800C is also fantastic for music streaming. Its default Adaptive Sound mode, designed to analyze whatever you’re playing for the best performance, lets it seamlessly move from action flicks and sitcoms to big band and electronic music. You’ll find taut beats, zesty instrumental timbres, and present vocals all excellently placed across a soundstage that spans far beyond the soundbar’s long frame.

That makes the remarkably inconsiderate volume control from mobiles apps all the more annoying. When I tried to use my iphoness’s onboard volume keys from Spotify Connect or within the SmartThings app, the volume jumped up or down in increments of five or six points instead of one or two. With AirPlay and Bluetooth it’s slightly better, moving at three or four levels per click at higher volumes, and offering more precise controls at lower volume levels, but it was still often too loud or too quiet whenever I made quick adjustments.

This may be a software glitch that will be fixed in an update, but it made casual music streaming frustrating, forcing me to track down the remote or attempt to move the given app’s precarious digital slider. The majority of bars we test offer much more nuanced control, while Sonos’ app goes further with a wide selection of playback options and features like the ability to group multiple speakers for multiroom audio, feeling much more sophisticated by comparison.

Irksome streaming controls aside, I highly recommend the Q800C as a good alternative to less potent stand-alone soundbars or pricier multi-piece options. It’s loaded with features and packs performance that elevates TV sound from thin and paltry to head-turning.

That’s what great Dolby Atmos soundbars are made for, and if you’re shopping in this price range, the HW-Q800C is one worth separating from the crowd.