The HW-S60B should tuck under most TVs without drawing attention to itself or taking up the space. The experience will be unobtrusive if you want to wall mount it, allowing you to concentrate on the TV rather than a huge black bar hugging your living room wall. It is only a fraction of an inch wider and a few centimetres longer than the Beam Gen 2. They both fit their duties of fading into the backdrop and are nearly identical to the naked eye. The HW-S60B is as straightforward and understated as it is compact, with rounded corners and smooth plastic sides covered in tens of thousands of tiny holes. While some users would prefer a fabric cover, pet owners and parents will undoubtedly value its durability and ease of cleaning. Equally basic controls are located up top, with the power/function, volume, and mic-off buttons arranged neatly in the middle. A power port, a USB port for software updates, an optical connection, and a single HDMI ARC port are all located below. Although you won’t be holding it much, it’s a well-made, solid-feeling soundbar that feels hefty and premium in the hands. The HW-S60B boasts a long list of features on the spec sheet that belie its small size. Highlights include wireless Dolby Atmos and DTS: Virtual:X audio, which both guarantee to enhance and widen the soundscape by mimicking virtual surround sound. A dedicated centre channel would also be greatly appreciated, especially in this day and age when “background” music and on-screen action sometimes overpower conversation in movies and television shows. Bass enthusiasts will also like the wireless subwoofer compatibility, and the built-in AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi streaming for apps like Spotify, and Google Assistant/Alexa support neatly round out the remainder of the feature list. With the latter, all you need is your gorgeous voice to operate your TV and provide the typical smart assistant requests. It’s important to keep in mind that competitors like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 also have many of the same capabilities, however Samsung’s product has an edge in some instances. For instance, Sonos products do not support DTS:X. Some audiophiles contend DTS audio offers better quality since it is encoded at a greater bit rate. Though not every video will be encoded in a 3D audio format, it all depends on what you’re watching.
