The HW-Q600A is the most affordable Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar in Samsung’s 2021 lineup. Its “affordable high-end” positioning is very attractive on paper; but what does it hide in terms of performance?
It’s a little hard to forgive the HW-Q600A for its extremely superficial Dolby Atmos/DTS:X compatibility, even to the point of being considered misleading. Still, the Samsung bar is in absolute terms a very good product, ideal for those looking for good “pure” audio performance for a relatively affordable price – and agrees to be content with virtual spatialization with very modest efficiency.
Strong points
- Good balance of sound reproduction.
- Impeccable distortion control.
- Excellent dynamics, even at high volume.
- Good manufacturing quality, fineness of the bar.
Weak points
- Dummy Dolby Atmos/DTS:X compatibility, no pitch channel differentiation.
- Just okay subwoofer.
- Rickety front display, access to the helm settings a bit laborious.
- No eARC, no HDMI 2.1 compatibility.
- No multi-channel LPCM support.
NB: The reported price drop is calculated by comparing the lowest price of the day with the average of the lowest prices charged by all merchants for the product last month, with security rules to exclude prices from shops whose the VAT policy is not clear (known as “grey” shops, typically in the case of imports from China).
Alternatively
The Yamaha YAS-109 certainly does not keep all its promises when it comes to the quality of its bass and its surround virtual. But we can’t really hold it against it, since it nevertheless offers more than adequate performance for its price range, satisfactory both for listening to music and watching movies – on the only condition of remaining wise on the sound volume.