HW-Q60T

I would be careful. I got the Samsung - 5.1-Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Acoustic Beam - Black Model: HW-Q60T/ZA which was like $260 (I guess that’s budget…) and while it works well for me playing video games I have constant problems trying to watch films or modern tv shows and have to adjust things all the time because the music and sound feel like they are set to 11 constantly and the dialogue is at a 4. I can fix it somewhat if I do DRC and other cheats but that just fucks things up too and defeats the purpose of the soundbar and some things that should be louder just come across really flat and lack impact. I watch scenes I’m very familiar with and having the DRC or other cheats on the sound is just not quite right in the scene even if I can hear the dialogue now. Without the DRC the music and sound effects sound really great but it becomes a game of constantly holding the remote and adjusting the volume every few minutes or rewinding to rewatch part of a scene cuz I missed the dialogue which ruins the experience. I am beyond frustrated with it and because it works well with video games (sometimes small tweaks are needed but overall great) I keep thinking I’m doing something wrong but I’ve tried everything and I just think it must be a “budget soundbar” like you’re referring to even though it’s supposed to be 5.1 it seems like it’s missing channels or something and so yeah, I’d be real careful.

I see the big majority here is given to Samsung. I just bought a q60t (5.1) from 2020, I think it was. Finally got a Q symphony capable one to go with my Tv! And then bought a rear speaker kit to get massive surround sound for only $180 total

As a HT installer that’s installed just about everything, my favorite is the Samsung q60 which is now the q600. That guy sounds amazing with any brand TV. Bonus if you can utilize Q-symphony

If you get a Samsung 600,700 or 800 series you can add the rear speakers on at a later date for a couple of hundred bucks and then you have 80% the effect of the 900 series for 1/3 the price

Get the Sonos system. Samsung is terrible at support. Further you can buy the Sonos components from Costco. At least most of them. Return policy is quite generous as you probably know. Don’t be tempted by the Samsung pricing. It’s just not as good or reliable as the Sonos systems. He’ll even the JBL soundbar systems have better sound than the Q series.