The Samsung HW-Q65T is a setup from the manufacturer's 2021 lineup. While it's advertised as a 7.1 soundbar, the bar actually has a 5.1 channel setup, with three channels on the bar and two on the satellites. As a result, it has a similar performance to the 5.1 Samsung HW-Q60T, but with a better surround sound thanks to its included satellite speakers. The bar comes with Samsung's Acoustic Beam technology, which is described by the manufacturer as up-firing speakers; these aren't the same as actual channels. Real up-firing speakers are designed for Dolby Atmos compatible files, which this bar doesn't support. Instead, Acoustic Beam uses an inward-firing speaker to push sound through a series of small holes in the bar to widen the soundstage. This technology doesn't play files like a traditional speaker, though. The other two channels cited by the manufacturer may be related to Q-Symphony, a feature that's advertised to sync up the bar with the speakers on compatible Samsung TVs to enhance your listening experience.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q65T is good for mixed usage. Its out-of-the-box sound profile is pretty neutral, but with a little extra boom in the bass and a bit of darkness in the treble range. That said, there are lots of sound customization features available, including bass and treble adjustments, a graphic EQ, and presets. It also comes with dedicated surround speakers. However, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, and it doesn't support Atmos.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Gets loud.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Lacks low-bass.
- No Atmos support.
The Samsung HW-Q65T is impressive for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Thanks to its balanced mid-range and dedicated center channel, it can reproduce voices clearly and accurately. There's even an 'Adaptive Sound' dialogue enhancement feature to help make voices more clear and crisp, as well as a Dynamic Range Control feature that balances the volume level between different programs. It's also Bluetooth-compatible, so you can wirelessly stream podcasts and audiobooks from your mobile device to the bar.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Auto-volume mode.
- Doesn't support Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Chromecast built-in.
The Samsung HW-Q65T is good for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a pretty neutral, though slightly dark and boomy sound profile. However, it comes with lots of sound customization features, including bass and treble adjustments and a graphic EQ with presets if you prefer a more neutral sound. It also gets loud without a lot of compression at max volume. Unfortunately, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, which can be disappointing for fans of bass-heavy music like EDM.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Samsung HW-Q65T is decent for movies. Though it struggles to reproduce the thumpy low-bass that helps you feel the deep rumbles in action-packed scenes, its balanced mid-range can reproduce dialogue clearly. It gets pretty loud, too, and its discrete surround speakers help accurately localize surround objects in the soundstage. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
- No Atmos support.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 12, 2023: Updated the 4k Max Refresh Rate result to 60Hz.
- Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
- Updated Mar 27, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
- Updated Mar 22, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-Q65T comes in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-Q65T is a 5.1 setup from 2021 that comes with a dedicated subwoofer and satellites. It also supports Q-Symphony technology, advertised to work with compatible Samsung TVs to create a more immersive listening experience, though we don't currently test for this. It has a very neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box but it struggles to reproduce low-bass and it doesn't come with a Full HDMI In port.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best Samsung soundbars, and the best 5.1 soundbars.
The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q65T. The Vizio supports Dolby Atmos content and has a better stereo soundstage. It also reproduces a more extended low-bass. However, the Samsung comes with a graphic EQ for sound customization, unlike the Vizio.
The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-Q65T. The Vizio has a more extended low bass and a more neutral sound profile out of the box. It also supports Dolby Atmos content. However, the Samsung is better built and has a graphic EQ for sound customization.
The Samsung HW-Q65T is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-Q60T. Both bars have slightly punchy sound profile and can get loud without too much compression. However, the HW-Q65T comes with two discrete satellite speakers, which create a better surrounds performance.
The Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 is better than the Samsung HW-Q65T. Unlike the Samsung, the Vizio supports Dolby Atmos content. It also reproduces a more extended low bass and has a better center channel performance. That said, the Samsung is better built.
Test Results
