The Samsung HW-S60A is a compact 5.0 soundbar released in 2021 that's the next generation of the Samsung HW-S60T. It comes with built-in Acoustic Beam technology and Side Horn Speakers advertised to help create a more immersive sound. It also has built-in Alexa voice assistant capabilities, so you can control the bar using your voice. While its sound profile is pretty neutral out-of-the-box, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass. Fortunately, it offers lots of sound customization features, including a graphic EQ.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-S60A is decent for mixed usage. Out-of-the-box, it has a pretty neutral sound profile suitable for lots of types of audio content. However, it struggles to reproduce the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. While it supports surround content, it doesn't offer a very immersive listening experience. That said, there are lots of sound customization features available.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Lacks low-bass.
- No Atmos support.
The Samsung HW-S60A is very good for dialogue-centric content like TV shows. Thanks to its dedicated center channel and balanced mid-range, voices are reproduced clearly and accurately. It even has a Voice Enhancement feature to help make dialogue more clear and crisp and an auto-volume mode to balance out the volume level across different programs. You can also wirelessly stream podcasts from your phone to the bar via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Apple AirPlay 2, which is handy.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Auto-volume mode.
- No support for Chromecast built-in.
The Samsung HW-S60A is satisfactory for music. It struggles to reproduce a thumpy, punchy low-bass, disappointing for fans of bass-heavy genres like hip-hop. However, the rest of the range is quite neutral, so vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly. There are also lots of sound customization features available, including a graphic EQ and presets as well as bass and treble adjustments.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Samsung HW-S60A is okay for movies. Its balanced mid-range reproduces dialogue clearly and accurately; however, it lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep rumble in action-packed scenes. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and while it can play surround content, it doesn't offer the most immersive listening experience. However, there are lots of sound enhancement features available to help you customize its sound.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Lacks low-bass.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 30, 2023: Added a market comparison to the Samsung HW-S60B/S61B in the Height (Atmos) box.
- 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.
- Updated Feb 16, 2022: Updated to firmware 1010.1.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-S60A comes in 'Black', and you can see the label for the model we tested here. You can also purchase a variant of this soundbar called the Samsung HW-S61A. It appears to be the light gray version of this bar, so we expect it to perform similarly.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-S60A is the next generation of the Samsung HW-S60T, and it also comes with Acoustic Beam technology and Side Horn Speakers that can fire sound towards your walls to create a more immersive sound. Unlike its predecessor, it offers a discrete center channel and Apple AirPlay 2 support, and some features that we don't test for, like Tap Sound, advertised to mirror audio from your phone when you tap it against the bar.
See our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best soundbars under $300, and the best Samsung soundbars.
The Samsung HW-S60B is the next generation of the Samsung HW-S60A, and it offers better overall performance. Both models have a similar standalone design, but the S60B adds new features. Notably, this bar supports height content like Dolby Atmos, unlike its predecessor. It also adds a room correction tool and a more premium design, thanks to the manufacturer swapping out the fabric mesh for metal grilles.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the Samsung HW-S60A are both versatile standalone soundbars, but the Sonos scores better overall. The Sonos is better built with Dolby Atmos support. It also has a better soundstage. The Samsung gets louder with a little less compression at max volume.
The Sonos Arc is a better soundbar than the Samsung HW-S60A. The Sonos has a better soundstage performance, and thanks to its two up-firing speakers, it supports Dolby Atmos content. It also comes with a room correction feature. However, the Samsung has a graphic EQ and presets and supports Bluetooth connectivity.
The Samsung HW-S60A is better than the Bose Soundbar 500. The Samsung is a 5.0 setup with better soundstage and surround performances. It gets louder than the Bose, and it has more sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ. That said, the Bose is still a decent choice for music and dialogue-centric content like TV shows.
Test Results
