The Samsung HW-Q60B is a simple 3.1 setup released as part of Samsung's 2022 soundbar lineup. It comes with a dedicated subwoofer, and you can add on separate rear speakers if you want to enhance its surround sound. It also supports Samsung's Q-Symphony technology, which lets you pair the bar with a compatible Samsung TV to use the bar's speakers in tandem with the TV's speakers. It's advertised to have two up-firing channels, which seem to be related to Samsung's Acoustic Beam technology, but they don't play sound like more traditional up-firing height drivers. Overall, it doesn't offer as many features as Samsung's more premium models, like the Samsung HW-Q990B - for example, there's no room correction feature or voice assistant support, and you can't control it using the SmartThings app.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q60B is good for mixed usage. It's a simple 3.1 bar that has a pretty neutral sound out-of-the-box, so voices and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix. Like most Samsung models, it offers lots of customization tools, too, including a graphic EQ as well as lots of presets. While there's support for surround sound and Dolby Atmos, unfortunately, it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it. There's a lack of low-bass, too, that's noticeable with action-packed movies and bass-heavy music.
- Graphic EQ.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Lacks some low-bass.
- Downmixes surround and Atmos content into stereo.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is great for dialogue-focused content like TV shows and podcasts. It's a 3.1 setup with a discrete center channel that helps reproduce voices more clearly and accurately, and its balanced mids ensure that dialogue is detailed and present in the mix. You can also use its 'Adaptive Sound' dialogue enhancement feature if you want, or its Night Mode to balance the volume level for dialogue clarity when you watch TV at night.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Night mode available.
- No Wi-Fi, Apple Airplay, or Chromecast support.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is good for music. Its default sound is pretty neutral, especially in the mids where more voices and lead instruments are reproduced. There's a little extra boom in the high-bass that adds a nice rumble. You have lots of customization tools on hand, including bass and treble adjustments as well as a 7-band graphic EQ. However, its low-frequency extension isn't the most impressive, so you don't feel the deep thump in bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Graphic EQ.
- Lacks some low-bass.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is decent for movies. It supports Dolby Atmos as well as surround sound content like Dolby Digital, which you find on lots of streaming platforms and Blu-ray discs. However, it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive as setups with discrete surround speakers or up-firing height drivers. The lack of low-bass means that you don't feel the deep thump in action-packed scenes or intense scores, either.
- Graphic EQ.
- Dolby Atmos support.
- Lacks some low-bass.
- Downmixes surround and Atmos content into stereo.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 28, 2023: We updated the Stereo Soundstage score from 7.0 to 6.5. This is a subjective evaluation, and testing the next gen Samsung HW-Q60C gave us a better point of comparison. We also corrected an error in the bar's height in Dimensions - Bar.
- Updated Jul 25, 2023: Added market comparison with the Samsung HW-Q60C in the Stereo Frequency Response box.
- Updated Jul 06, 2023: Thanks to user feedback, we identified the Samsung HW-Q67CB as a Costco-exclusive variant of this soundbar.
- Updated Jun 28, 2023: Added a market comparison with the Sony HT-S2000 to the Sound Enhancement Features box.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-Q60B is available in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here. You can find a version of this soundbar at Costco called the Samsung HW-Q67CB. It's the same bar and subwoofer, but it also comes with satellites.
If you encounter another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-Q60B is a simple 3.1 bar ideal for listening to music and vocal-centric content like TV shows. Like most Samsung bars, it comes with lots of customization tools to help you adjust its sound to your liking. However, it lacks more premium features like room correction, and it has to downmix 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos content into stereo to play it.
Make sure to also check out our recommendations for the best Samsung soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars for dialogue.
The Samsung Samsung HW-Q60C is the next generation of the Samsung HW-Q60B. Both bars have similar designs and similar overall performances regarding their sound. However, the Q60C offers a few improvements, notably with low-frequency extension.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is a more versatile 3.1 bar than the Samsung HW-B650, especially for movie lovers. Unlike the B650, the Q60B supports Atmos content. It has to downmix it into stereo to play it, though. If you watch a lot of Atmos movies on streaming platforms, go with the Q60B, but if you don't watch them, the B650 is a better value.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is better than the LG S75Q for most uses. The Samsung is a 3.1 setup, and it has a more neutral sound out-of-the-box, especially in the treble range. As a result, higher-pitched sounds like cymbals are more detailed in the mix. It has a graphic EQ for customization, too. However, the LG's better for Dolby Atmos content since it offers up-firing height drivers, while the Samsung's advertised up-firing drivers aren't for height content.
The Samsung HW-Q60B is better than the LG S65Q. They're both 3.1 setups, but the Samsung supports Dolby Atmos content, unlike the LG. It also comes with a few more customization tools, including a graphic EQ.
Test Results
