Hi all I've started this topic three months ago. And after that time I've have to admit that I've changed my mind. I'm quite happy now with the HW-Q90R performance and the volume from the rears. However, theres are some caveats and explanations needed for those struggling with this issue.   I will always speak about non atmos/DTS:X content. Atmos/DTS:X should be perfect unless there is some technichal issue with the sound bar or configuration/compatibility/technical issue non related to the soundbar.  Here I refer to  5.1 sources ,from streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney +) and from REMUX mkv files played from a Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019.    My TV is a LG C9 (2019) , with eARC enabled (but this does not make any difference whatsoever for my configuration) and sound out in "passtrough" mode .    First, and foremost, if you want to enjoy the rears in your HW-Q90R to the full of their capacity there is only one option, choose always STANDARD sound mode.   In the beginning I always used SURROUND sound mode, as it seemed to make more sense. The reality is that this sound mode is not really well implemented for  a soundbar with rears like the HW-Q90R.  The idea about this sound mode is good, sound coming from all the speakers, but there are two big issues: - Lack of sound placement. All the sound is mixed and it is not coming from the right channels as the director/sound engineer intended .  - Rear speakers are muffled. With this sound mode the rear speakers volume is really low, like a whisper. I do not really know why. I suspect it is because it is a sound mode designed for a sound bar without rears. Anyways, it is really disappointing.  Surround sound mode should surround you with sound, and it is not the case, period.   Then , I've changed to ADAPTATIVE. Adaptative is a great sound mode in my opinion specially if your soundbar does not have rears, as it really lift the dialogues. However it does so at the expense of the rears, which are almost non existent.    I found that both Sorround, and Adaptative are good for 2.0 , stereo sources , (I prefer adaptative) , so for example for Youtube are the best sound modes.     I mostly watch series and movies with 5.1 sound track in the evening, and I was about to throw the towel with the bar because the rears were almost useless.  But then I started to use STANDARD sound mode. Standard is definitely the Ugly Duckling of the sound mode options, in the beginning it seemed  that it was not providing any added value,  I was wrong. Standard has a lot of advantages, and one disadvantage. - First of all, sound is completely natural, it sounds exactly the way intended by the director. The sound placement is perfect. In a 5.1 sound track , the rear speakers will play the rear channel of the sound track.  And they will sound loud enough.  - Second, Standard makes good use of the rears. The caveat is that all depends on the source. There is no magic, if the soundtrack has been recorded making an active use of the rears it will sound loud enoug in the hw-q90r . I can tell you about dozens of titles which are really a delight for the ears: Series, such as Stranger Things, Black List, Bosch, Man in the High Castle, etc Movies, such as the majority of Spielberg titles, Tarantino titles, etc. There are others, in which the rears are really pasive, for example "Orange is the New Black" , but it is because the director wants to be this way. - Only caveat is that Standard sound mode leaves center channel a little bit weak. Ideally I would like to have the center channel sound of the Surround/Adaptative sound mode, and the sound allocation of the Standard sound mode.   However by lifting the center speaker volume you can somewhat tackle this issue.  Since I've started to use Standard I'm really happy with the "Sammy" , my family is happy as well as we all enjoy more movies and series.    My volume  configuration is the following:   Treble: +3 Bass: +1 Sync: 0 Center: +6 Side: +2 Center top : +6 Rear:  +6 Rear top: +6 SW: +4 Virtual sound: OFF   I live in a flat, and I play movies/series between 12-18 dB in the afternoon, and between 8-12 dB in the evening. Exceptionally Atmos remux between 18-24 db in the afternoon. Now I think  I have finally the sound bar calibrated, and I do not use the soundbar remote anymore.              ... View more

It's set in passthrough.   I do not need PCM as I do not have any 5.1/7.1 PCM source connected to the TV  (came console, PC, etc). In the C9 we recently have received a firmware update to play PCM multichannel sources. So if you choose AUTO you get: - PCM multichannel - Downmix TRUE HD lossless Atmos to lossy DD+   With Passtrough: - PCM 2.0 -Lossless ATmos and DTS-X   So, there is no other option, you need to play with the settings of the TV  in order to get the most of each source.   ... View more

 I've performed an extensive test and I did not notice  any differences.    My set: LG Oled C9 connected to the soundbar via eARC, HW-q90R, Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 connected to the soundar via HDMI, Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019 connected to the TV    Test Material: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 5.1 streaming , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade mkv DTS 5.1 REMUX,  Mad Max Fury Road opening scene mkv lossless ATMOS , Ready Player One race scene mkv lossless ATMOS .    Players : Amazon prime internal app, Amazon Prime Nvidia app, Kodi Nvdia app   Sound mode: Standard   Volume settings: Treble: +2 Bass: +1 Center: +6 Side: +2 Center top: +6 Rear: +6 Rear top: +6 SW: +4 Virtual mode: OFF       Results: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.    - Amazon Prime LG C9 Intenal app: Clear and loud in all the speakers. Great sound allocation.  - Amazon Prime Nvidia app shield conected to the soundar: Clear and loud in all the speakers Great sound allocation.  - Kodi app Nvidia shield connected to the soundbar, REMUX DTS 5.1: Very poor performance, muffled sound, rears quiet - Amazon Prime Nvidia app shield conected to the TV, TV connected to the soundbar via eARC: Clear and loud in all the speakers Great sound allocation.  - Kodi Nvidia shield conected to the TV, TV connected to the soundbar, REMUX DTS 5.1: Very poor performance, muffled sound, rears quiet.   So in this case, the content is critical. The streaming version is excellent, while the 40GB DTS 5.1 Remux rip is very poor quality when it comes to sound. Do not really know why.   Mad Max Fury Road.  Opening scene. Dolby Atmos   - Kodi app Nvidia shield connected to the soundbar: Mindblowing effects, rears load and clear. - Kodi Nvidia shield conected to the TV, TV connected to the soundbar: Mindblowing effects, rears load and clear.   Ready Player One race scene   - Kodi app Nvidia shield connected to the soundbar: Mindblowing effects, rears loud and clear. - Kodi Nvidia shield conected to the TV, TV connected to the soundbar: Mindblowing effects, rears loud and clear.   What  I did notice is that after the latest firmware update I feel the LFE from the Subwoofer  less powerful. But It might be just a wrong impression as I cannot peform a direct comparison.   I recommend you to perform similar tests and share with us.    ... View more

If you choose Surround sound mode it will use rear speakers with any content. Adaptive mode will also use them with any content. With standard sound mode the rears only will play sound with 5.1 or superior source. With 5.1 content the standard sound mode will play the audio exactly the way it was recorded, while the other sound modes will upmix everything. You dont need to plug hdmi to use the rears in your q60r. Its fine with the optical. ... View more

For my HW-Q90R , this is the only configuration that manages to obtain a little whisper from the rears. But still they are rather underwhelming.  Sound Mode Adaptative   Treble  0 Bass. 0 Sync 0 Center level -5 Front top level +5 Side level -5 Rear level +6 Rear top level +6  Subwoofer + 5 Virtual on (I do not know what is this for tbh) ... View more

I will wait for the verdict of reviewers ,gamers and audiophiles once both machines are released. But I would tend to think that Microsoft experience with Atmos would give the Xbox the edge in terms of making the most of our hw-q90r. ... View more

Sorround sound mode does a extrange blend. For me it does not sound convincing at all. It does not just replicate side speakers sound in the rears, it replicates everything including front channel sound  but at a quieter volume.    I've tried the title "Test Patterns" (it is just a continous cycle through the different sound channels used to set/ adjust AV equipment) in Netflix ( I've used the US netflix via vpn) to test the speakers in the different sound modes, and the "surround" sound mode mixes all the channels in the rears and atmos speakers. It is very artificial.   Adaptative and Standard though, sound crisper, louder, and clearer in this Test Patterns title.  ... View more

It is exactly what you explain @mauromol   In the HW-Q90R surround channel sound in the majority 5.1 mixes is played through the side speakers of the main bar unit.  This leaves the rears as mere ambient speakers, thus leaving lots of Hw-q90r customers very dissapointed.    Simple solution would be to replicate side speakers sound on the rears with 5.1 mixes  in the Sorround sound mode, with same volume/power for both side and rears, but it does not seem to be in any update pipeline.  ... View more

Lg C9 (I own one)  internal player cannot play lossless files. You need an external player, such as nvidia shield, or blu ray player.   I do not know about other internal apps such us Plex, but Plex only can play files from a server, not from files connected to the tv USB.     ... View more

I use a Nvidia Shield Pro TV 2019 for atmos and Dts-x movies. I have it puggled directly into the soundbar. Now with the eARC update do you recommend to plug the shield to the TV hdmi (I have a LG C9) Is there any advantage other than free one of the soundbar's hdmi's? I mean, in terms of sound/picture quality. Thanks ... View more

It's great you are enjoying your new kit.   There is no perfect formula for those parameters.   They can be adjusted based in your room configuration. For example, if your rears are far away from your seating position you will need them to be +6. (Or if you have a crapy rear speakers that make almost no sound like the ones in my hw-q90r)   It also depends on the type of material you play the most. If you play mostly music , you would like to play around with treble and bass parameters.  Or, you prefer movies , then center channel is key for dialogues so put it +4+5+6. I love all the "boom" "crash" and "roars" so I put my woofer to +6 so the floor shakes with the subwoofer.   "Top level" are the atmos speakers, and those effects are always cool, put them always +6.   Thing is that you will need to compromise, and decide what is more important for you. Because by emphasizing one channel you will overshadow the others. You cannot put everything +6 . ... View more

That happens most probably because your TV internal player cannot play MKV files with lossless sound. (Mine cannot either, andI own   a LG Oled C9, so it is not an old model) For that kind of files you would need an external player such as Nvidia Shield TV, or any other TV box capable of  decoding high resolution sound and video.  Another option is trying to use any file converter program that converts mkv files into H.264 mp4 files without quality loss, there somefor  free on the Internet if you google it. It is little bit complicated but definitely cost free if you do not want to spend money in a multimedia player.   Sorry for the inconvenience, but the majority TV internal players are a long way behind of High Resolution soundbar technology.    ... View more

yes , it does not. I've edited my reply. ... View more