The Samsung HW-S60D is a 5.0, all-in-one soundbar released in 2024. It's the next generation of the Samsung HW-S60B/S61B. While the design and core features of the bar remain unchanged, this new iteration adds an HDMI eARC connection and built-in Chromecast support. Let's see if these small changes are enough to cement its place as one of the best budget all-in-one bars.
Our Verdict
The Samsung HW-S60D is decent for mixed usage. It has a relatively balanced sound out-of-the-box, with a boost in the high-bass that compensates somewhat for the lack of low-bass. This is to be expected with a standalone bar, though, and the attack of kick drums and basslines is still audible. The mid-range is well-balanced and, paired with a discrete center channel, makes for a clear and detailed reproduction of dialogue and vocals. It has a reasonably wide, immersive soundstage, too, and can get loud enough to fill the average living room. The wide array of sound enhancement features, including the SpaceFit Sound room correction tool, means that this bar is versatile enough to be used for movies, TV, or bumping tunes at home.
Dolby Atmos, DTS support
Graphic EQ and presets.
Room correction tool.
Lacks low-bass.
No upfiring drivers for height in Atmos content.
Sub-par surround performance.
The Samsung S60D is great for dialogue and TV shows. Its discrete center channel helps you localize dialogue easily, and the balanced frequency response (both in the center and the bar as a whole) ensures speech is clearly discernable. The bar gets loud enough to fill the average living room with sound, and there's not much compression in the mid-range at max volume that can interfere with speech clarity. You can also choose between the Active Voice Amplifier and Voice Enhancement sound modes if you want to ensure dialogue remains at the forefront.
Graphic EQ and presets.
Built-in Chromecast support.
Great center channel performance.
Lacks low-bass.
Sub-par surround performance.
The Samsung S60D is good for music. While its bass response doesn't extend too low without a dedicated subwoofer, there's a bump in the high-bass to ensure the transients of kicks drums and basslines still come through clearly. The mid-range is very balanced and ensures vocals and lead instruments are detailed in the mix, while a slightly underemphasized treble range dulls sibilants, like cymbals, somewhat. The soundstage is decently wide for a small bar, too, and it can get loud enough to fill your living room without compressing too much. There are also plenty of sound enhancement options available to cater to your music taste, including a 7-band EQ available in the 'Standard' sound mode.
Graphic EQ and presets.
Room correction tool.
Built-in Chromecast support.
Lacks low-bass.
Sub-par surround performance.
The Samsung HW-S60D is okay for movies. It features support for popular audio formats like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, and DTS. While it reproduces mid-range frequencies clearly, making for detailed dialogue and speech, the lack of low-bass can rob action-packed sequences of rumble and boom. Similarly, while the side-firing drivers help somewhat stretch the width of surround sound content, Dolby Atmos content lacks height and width. You can always purchase a sub and surround speakers separately to compliment the bar. On its own, the bar gets loud enough to fill a living room with sound, though, and audio will remain relatively clean and pure, even as you crank the volume.
Dolby Atmos, DTS support
Room correction tool.
Built-in Chromecast support.
Lacks low-bass.
No upfiring drivers for height in Atmos content.
Sub-par surround performance.
Changelog
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Updated Jul 09, 2025:
The Surround 5.1 section has been updated to compare the Hisense HS5100.
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Updated Mar 05, 2025:
The video in Audio Latency: ARC has been fixed. It previously displayed the incorrect video file; however, the text remains unchanged.
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Updated Jan 22, 2025:
The Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC has been corrected to state the soundbar supports PCM 5.1 audio.
- Updated Nov 21, 2024: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Samsung HW-S60D comes in one color variant: 'Black,' and here's its label. There's also the Samsung HW-S61D, which is the same soundbar in a white color scheme. If you encounter another variant of this soundbar, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The Samsung HW-S60D is an all-in-one, 5.0 soundbar. It's extremely similar in performance and features to the Samsung HW-S60B, which could be available at a lower price point. That said, if features like an HDMI eARC port or built-in Chromecast support are important to you, it'll be worth opting for the newer model. If you already own some Sonos products and want a bar that'll integrate within the ecosystem, it's worth checking out the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). It has a wider, more immersive soundstage but lacks support for certain wireless connections, like Bluetooth and Google Chromecast.
You can also take a look at our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best all-in-one soundbars.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the Samsung HW-S60D are similar 5.0 standalone soundbars with slightly different features that will appeal to different users. Both have relatively balanced frequency response with similar limitations, namely a lack of low bass. Neither has a great surround sound performance either. Thankfully, these limitations can be overcome in both cases, as you can purchase separate subwoofers and satellite speakers for both bars. Otherwise, the Sonos has a wider, more immersive soundstage and a better build quality. The Samsung is a better choice if you value center performance, though. It also comes with a wider suite of sound enhancement features and has better wireless compatibility, thanks to its built-in Chromecast and Bluetooth capabilities.
There's not much to differentiate between the Samsung HW-S60B and the Samsung HW-S60D. Both are 5.0, all-in-one bars that will suit users who need a compact soundbar that can do a bit of everything. Both bars support popular formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS, and utilize Samsung's SpaceFit Sound room calibration feature. The HW-S60D comes with built-in Chromecast capabilities, though, and also features an updated HDMI eARC port. Beyond this, the two bars are virtually identical in features and performance.
While the Sonos Arc is a better soundbar for most use cases, the Samsung HW-S60D might be a better value proposition, depending on what matters to you. The Sonos comes with two upfiring drivers that give it an improved Atmos performance. It has a wider, more immersive soundstage. It doesn't compress as much at max volume as the Samsung either and supports 7.1 PCM playback. That said, the Samsung has a wider array of sound enhancement features and offers compatibility with Bluetooth and Chromecast. It performs similarly when it comes to frequency response and surrounds, and even has a clearer-sounding center channel, at a fraction of the Sonos' retail price.
The Samsung HW-Q600C is a better-performing soundbar than the Samsung HW-S60D and will likely be the better choice unless you value a small form factor or need a wide variety of sound customization options. The longer Q600C comes with a subwoofer that helps output far more low-bass than the standalone HW-S60D. The two bars have a similar center channel performance and reproduce mid-range frequencies well, so they're both great choices for TV show dialogue. The HW-Q600C can get louder with minimal compression and has a better height performance with Atmos. That said, it lacks the HW-S60D's room correction tool and built-in Chromecast capabilities.
Test Results
