The Samsung HW-Q60T is a mid-range soundbar with a MSRP of $500. If you are looking to upgrade your home theatre system, will this model be worth your money? Is it still worth your money if you do not own a Samsung QLED TV? This is our review of the Samsung HW-Q60T 5.1Ch Soundbar.
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List of Specifications
Table Of Content
| Channel Configuration | 5.1 |
| Product Dimensions | 2.3 x 38.6 x 4.1 inches (Soundbar) |
| 13.9 x 8.1 x 11.9 inches (Subwoofer) | |
| Weight | 7.5 lbs (Soundbar) |
| 13.7 lbs (Subwoofer) | |
| Wireless Audio Protocol | Bluetooth |
| Audio Decoding Codecs | DTS Digital Surround |
| DTS Virtual:X | |
| Dolby Digital | |
| Amplifier Output | 200 W (Soundbar) |
| 160 W (Subwoofer) | |
| Subwoofer and Satellites Type | Wireless |
| Connectivity | 1x Optical Input |
| 1x USB Input | |
| 1x HDMI ARC Input | |
| 1x HDMI Output |
What’s good?
- Offers HDR10+ and 4K video passthrough
- Sleek and attractive design with solid build quality
- Wide soundstage for immersive experience
What’s not-so-good?
- Lacks Wi-Fi connection
- Lacks high-resolution audio support
What’s in the box?
- Samsung HW-Q60T Soundbar
- Wireless Subwoofer
- Remote Controller
- Batteries for remote controller
- Wall mount kit
- HDMI Cable
Design and Build
The Samsung HW-Q60T soundbar stretches 2.3 x 38.6 x 4.1 inches and weighs a hefty 7.5 lbs. Like most soundbars by Samsung, it comes with a rather high-quality build. The soundbar has a pretty sleek and attractive design that can fit almost all TV or interior setups. It is fully covered in metal grills which contribute to its weight and gives it a heavy-duty feeling. A total of 9 drivers are built into the soundbar as well.
The subwoofer stands at 13.9 x 8.1 x 11.9 inches and it weighs a good 13.7 lbs. Just like the soundbar, it gives users that high-quality, heavy duty feeling.
Overall, the build quality of the soundbar is decent as is with most Samsung soundbars. It is covered fully in metal grills to protect the interiors of the soundbar. The sleek design makes it suitable as it fits most TV setups and interior designs in your home.
Controls
The physical buttons are located on top of the soundbar. They are the general, straightforward controls for any audio device: power button, volume increase/decrease as well as the button to switch between inputs.
A remote controller comes with the soundbar as well so that you will not have to get up and control it from the soundbar all the time. On the remote are also straightforward controls for the soundbar. There is the power button, the input select button, play/pause button, mute button, button to switch between sound modes, sound control button to access the equalizer, a button to get into Bluetooth pairing mode, direction buttons for navigation and volume buttons that rock up and down to adjust the volume of the subwoofer and the Samsung soundbar.
There is a display interface located on the right side of the front panel. The display interface lights up behind the metal grills whenever you make any adjustments such as volume or sound mode.
Unfortunately, there is no companion app for this soundbar. Everything is fully controlled either from the soundbar or the remote controller.
Connectivity
The Samsung HW-Q60T comes equipped with a HDMI ARC input, a HDMI output, a USB input (only for music playback) as well as an optical input. With these physical connections available, you will not have to worry about what TV setup you are running as most modern TVs are equipped with HDMI ports.
If you already have your favourite music stored in a pendrive, you can just plug it in, select the USB input and start enjoying your favourite tunes.
This model only offers Bluetooth as wireless connection. If you have a Samsung TV that supports Bluetooth connection, you can connect it to the soundbar without having to use a cable. However, you will not be able to connect your smart phones if it is connected to the TV. Two different mobile devices can be connected at the same time but this will require a cable connection from your TV to your soundbar.
Performance
Samsung has designed the HW-Q60T to go with their own TVs and because of this, you can only bring out the full potential of the soundbar if you pair it with a Samsung QLED TV. The soundbar’s remote control will not be needed as you can control both the soundbar and the TV with the TV’s remote.
The soundbar is equipped with Samsung’s very own Q-Symphony feature. Normally, the whole point of purchasing a soundbar is to upgrade your TV’s sound quality and with a soundbar, most would turn off the audio from their TV. However, the Q-Symphony feature allows the TV’s speakers to work in tandem with the soundbar in order to create a richer and more immersive cinematic experience. These are just 2 extra perks if you own a Samsung QLED TV. So, how does it perform without a Samsung QLED TV? Find out more below!
The Samsung HW-Q60T can also produce panoramic audio with Samsung’s unique Acoustic Beam technology. On top of the soundbar are flute-like sound ports that help track individual sounds and direct them so that they would accurately line up with what is being shown on the TV. These sound ports plus the dedicated left-, right-, and centre-channel speakers, supported by DTS Virtual:X, the soundstage can be expanded with the 3D Surround mode to bring you a more immersive experience.
One of the sound modes available is the Adaptive Sound mode. This sound mode analyses the audio signal in each scene to make dialogue easier to hear. With this, the dialogue will not be lost in the movie’s soundtrack. Unfortunately, the low-bass frequencies from the subwoofer are not the most impressive. Hence, it might be a little inadequate when it comes to dramatic sound effects like explosions.
Besides movies, the Samsung HW-Q60T also caters to gamers with the Game Pro sound mode. This sound mode will project the directional sound effects to match the game space to give you a more immersive gaming experience and help to keep you more competitive. This will be advantageous especially to those who play first-person shooter games like Warzone, where they need to pinpoint the location of the enemies.
When it comes to music, it gives decent but not the best bass thumps, especially in the low-bass frequencies. If you are one that loves songs that are very bass heavy, this soundbar might come off as a little inadequate for you. Fortunately, you can adjust the sound with the equalizer available. The mid-range frequencies are also decent but could have been better for this mid-range soundbar.
Overall, the Samsung HW-Q60T has decent all-round performance, no matter for music, movies or gaming. With the different sound modes and equalizer available, you can still fine tune the sound to find a more suitable sound for you.
Competition
With Samsung’s own special technology integrated in the unit itself, how does the HW-Q60T fare against other mid-range competitors? Below are 2 competitors to the Samsung HW-Q60T:
JBL 5.1-Channel Soundbar
With the same price point, you will get a deeper thump of bass with a larger subwoofer than the Samsung HW-Q60T. The out-of-the-box sound is so good that you would not need to make any adjustments to it. Get the JBL 5.1-Channel Soundbar from BestBuy.com here.
Even though the out-of-the-box sound is great, some would still want to adjust it to get the sound they prefer. The Samsung model allows such customizations whereas the JBL does not. You can only adjust the bass level on the JBL whereas with the Samsung you can play around with the bass and treble.
VIZIO 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar
At $50 cheaper, the VIZIO 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar offers 2 extra wireless speakers whereas with the Samsung HW-Q60T, you have to purchase them separately. Besides that, movie fans would pretty much prefer this over the Samsung because it offers Dolby Atmos and it also works with Google Assistant.
Get the VIZIO 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar from BestBuy.com here.
Conclusion
In short, the Samsung HW-Q60T is a decent mid-range soundbar that is adequate for mixed usage. This is a soundbar that requires connecting to a compatible Samsung TV in order to bring out its full potential. Nevertheless, it also works well without one. It features a sturdy heavy-duty build with a sleek design that fits anywhere. If you are one that loves a deep, heavy thump, this soundbar might be a little disappointing for you. All in all, this is a decent soundbar that is great for mixed usage.
Buy the Samsung HW-Q60T from BestBuy.com now!
