When comparing Samsung HW-K950 vs Sony HT-CT390, the Slant community recommends Samsung HW-K950 for most people. In the question“What are the best Bluetooth soundbars?” Samsung HW-K950 is ranked 1st while Sony HT-CT390 is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Samsung HW-K950 is:
This soundbar can produce cinema-like surround sound using the latest Dolby Atmos standard. Aside from the rear speakers, it also adds height by producing sound above the listener’s head, through extra speakers that reflect it from the ceiling. The ceiling needs to be flat and relatively shallow for this to work best, though. The sheer number of speakers together creates a more realistic sound bubble around the listener, as opposed to soundbars that can only emulate it with limited speakers. While only Dolby Atmos content takes full advantage of these extra speakers, even standard Stereo or Dolby Digital can benefit from this extra dimension.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Amazing surround capabilities with an extra vertical dimension
This soundbar can produce cinema-like surround sound using the latest Dolby Atmos standard. Aside from the rear speakers, it also adds height by producing sound above the listener’s head, through extra speakers that reflect it from the ceiling. The ceiling needs to be flat and relatively shallow for this to work best, though. The sheer number of speakers together creates a more realistic sound bubble around the listener, as opposed to soundbars that can only emulate it with limited speakers. While only Dolby Atmos content takes full advantage of these extra speakers, even standard Stereo or Dolby Digital can benefit from this extra dimension.
Pro Multi-room audio streaming
Samsung has included an application that you can use to stream music from your phone, online streaming services and even media servers in your home network to the soundbar via Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to set up a multi-room system with other Samsung audio products that are compatible with the app.
Pro Powerful subwoofer
The 8-inch driver of the subwoofer outputs 165W and is powerful enough to make windows shake. Since this can be overkill in some use cases, like music listening, you can easily control the subwoofer levels through the soundbar.
Pro Audio enhancement mode
There are dedicated digital sound processing modes that can be used to enhance audio from movies, sports or music.
Pro OLED conveniently displays status information
The easy-to-read front OLED display gives you all the relevant status information.
Pro Detects Atmos automatically
The soundbar notifies you and switches automatically to Atmos mode when it detects a Dolby Atmos signal.
Pro Can be controlled with an HDMI-CEC device
If you have an HDMI-CEC compatible device, you can use it to control the soundbar.
Pro Good wired connectivity
There are two HDMI 2.0 inputs and an HDMI ARC output with 4K HDR passthrough capabilities, as well as an optical and an analog input.
Pro Supports wireless connectivity
The HW-K950 has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, for wireless media streaming from external devices. It also supports connecting wirelessly to Samsung TVs that support it.
Pro Dolby Atmos support
This soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, which has been becoming more popular in streaming services and new Blu-ray releases.
Pro Stylish look
This soundbar has a classic black look with a steel mesh around the unit with brushed aluminum ends. The screen is hidden behind the mesh and illuminates only when there is a change in input or a button is pressed. A blue LED indicates Dolby Atmos signal input.
Pro Conveniently sized rear speakers
The rear speakers are approximately the size of average desktop speakers.
Pro Easy to update
Software updates can be done automatically over Wi-Fi, using a dedicated Samsung app.
Pro Main unit can be wall mounted
The main unit can be wall mounted, using the included bracket, but you need to buy separate wall mounts for the rear speakers if you wish to mount them.
Pro Powerful, high quality speakers for a great audio experience
It has 16 speakers that combine to deliver the best audio experience for watching and listening to music. Combined, they have a power rating of 500W for a system that consists of a center channel, two front channels, two rear channels, four vertical channels and a low frequency channel. The highs and mids sound clean and clear, without being flat. Movie dialogue is clear and distinguishable thanks to the added central channel.
Pro Sleek and compact design
Measuring 35 x 2 x 5 inches, this soundbar is thin and doesn’t take up a lot of space in front of your TV. The slim profile makes an especially good fit when mounted to the wall as it will not seem much thicker than an average TV.
Pro Good wired connectivity
The soundbar has an HDMI ARC port, an optical port and an analog connection on the back. The inputs slots are easy to reach even when the soundbar is mounted on the wall. There is a USB port on the side of the soundbar that allows you to play music from an external USB storage.
Pro Very well suited for dialogue
This soundbar's excellent central channels ensure spoken dialogue will always sound clear and well distinguished. This makes the HT-CT390 especially well suited for content with a lot of dialogue, such as talk shows, news or sports.
Pro Controlable via smartphone
You can download a smartphone app called Songpal that allows you stream music and control the soundbar.
Pro Wall mountable
This soundbar comes with easy to install wall mounts included.
Pro Can help avoid disturbing the neighbors
There is a Night Mode that softens the overall sound, to prevent disturbing the neighbors.
Pro Bluetooth support
This soundbar supports Bluetooth, so you can stream music wirelessly.
Pro Wireless subwoofer
The included subwoofer is wireless and can be placed horizontally or vertically.
Cons
Con Remote control can be confusing to use
The remote control only has a few large buttons, and using them can be confusing, given that some functions are accessed via long presses of these buttons.
Con No info output to the TV screen via HDMI
There is no information output on the TV screen when using the HDMI output.
Con Issues with 4K HDR passthrough
This soundbar's HDMI inputs support 4K HDR passthrough, but some devices have issues regarding this, like broken HDR or periodic cut offs. As of Spring 2017, Samsung is working on adding additional support for devices, by releasing new software updates.
Con DTS formats are downmixed to stereo
The K950 downmixes DTS formats down to stereo, which may be an issue for people with film collections in these formats. On the other hand, a lot of Blu-ray players can convert DTS to DD.
Con Rear speakers need an external power source
This soundbar's rear speakers need an external power source, so they can’t be placed anywhere without access to power.
Con Large and heavy
The device is rather large and is best suited to pair with large TV sets, that are at least 50 inches. The subwoofer is also large and heavy, demanding a lot of space.
Con It noticeably lacks power
While its overall sound is clear and distinguishable, you may feel that this soundbar does not provide sufficient power and sound depth. Because of its slim speaker design, it struggles with mid-lows. Despite having a subwoofer, it still sounds subpar and lacks the power needed for a fully enjoyable experience.
Con No Wi-Fi support
The HT-CT390 has no Wi-Fi support.
Con Remote control is easy to lose
The included remote is small and easy to lose.