TCL QM7K review: stunning image quality for an affordable price

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We finally got our hands on the TCL QM7K Mini-LED QLED, winner of our Top Tech of CES 2025 award. Earlier this year we reviewed the QM6K and were impressed with its value and performance, so we’re excited to put the QM7K through its paces.

TCL continues to impress in the midrange and I’m happy to say, the QM7K did not disappoint. Mini-LED screen technology is making for gorgeous displays with incredible contrast more affordable for the average consumer, and TCL is really showing what the technology can do with this new entry.

There’s a good chance that this isn’t the last model we’ll hear about from TCL this year as the company has switched to a staggered release approach for its 2025 models, but for now let’s soak in the QM7K and all it has to offer.

TCL QM7K specs

Affordable price means a less premium build

The QM7K targets that affordable middle ground between a true budget TV and the premium flagship models of today. It aims to be within reach of most consumers, particularly in the smaller 55- or 65-inch models.

So I can’t say I was too shocked when I started unboxing and assembling the QM7K that I found its construction to be a little flimsy.

The stand that holds the TV is designed as one central piece, as opposed to the individual legs of the QM6K, which makes attaching it to the QM7K a straightforward process. It’s brushed to look like metal, but metal it is not.

The plastic T-shaped stand weighs about 5 pounds and does its job in holding the 85-inch model we tested for this review.

The TV itself weighs only 75 pounds, aided by a frame made almost entirely of plastic. Savings have to come from somewhere to hit these price points, right? The good news is that this makes assembly a lot easier than on far heavier (albeit sturdier) high-end models.

The QM7K sways a bit anytime you move it or the furniture it sits on, but it’s held securely enough that it’s not going anywhere.

Decent audio, nothing mind-blowing

The audio on the TCL QM7K is billed as having better audio than the QM6K, thanks to a Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade, which TCL says will offer “more accurate sound quality for an enhanced home theater audio experience.” All in all, the 2.2-speaker system performs about as expected for a mostly affordable model. Which is to say, it didn’t sound terrible, but it didn’t sound great.

The bass response left a lot to be desired, but it’s not like I was expecting a 6-inch subwoofer built into the TV. The dialogue could at times sound muddled, blending in a bit too much with a soundtrack or background noise.

This really only happened in intense scenes where loud music, dialogue, and sound effects all combined in a cacophony of sound. The QM7K natively supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital+ audio, but the built-in speakers aren’t doing it justice.

Seeing as this model supports Dolby Atmos passthrough, you’d be better off with a Dolby Atmos soundbar, or another dedicated audio system to get the most out of the Dolby audio available on most streaming platforms.

Color accurate right out of the box

The QM7K features a number of display profiles that users can select from, but for our purposes we’re going to focus on Filmmaker Mode, which was first added on the QM6K. This mode is designed for color accuracy, and it was spot-on right out of the box.

We tested the QM7K first in SDR while in Filmmaker Mode, and it delivered an impressive color delta E of 0.8. While this fell to near zero post-calibration, that’s honestly not even necessary, as the human eye struggles to distinguish a delta E of less than 1.0, making Filmmaker Mode more than sufficient.

More than bright enough

If you’re looking to sear your eyeballs out of your sockets during nighttime viewing, then the QM7K is the right TV for you. TCL advertises a peak brightness of 3,000 nits in HDR for the QM7K, though this varies by size and will vary slightly by panel.

In my own testing, I was able to get one 2,400-nit burst in HDR testing in a 10% window with brightness, peak luminance, and dynamic backlighting all turned up to the max. More stable readings in HDR came in around 2,000 nits in peak brightness. Peak brightness measurements in SDR came in at a still very respectable 1,600 nits.

If you’re wanting to get the best color accuracy and contrast out of your QM7K with minimal clipping and as much uniformity as possible, then you’ll likely be watching Filmmaker Mode in its default configuration, which still offers 800 nits with the brightness turned to 100 while keeping those other backlight and luminance settings turned off.

My gripe with reflections

While the brightness of the QM7K more than delivers, nothing could get away from the fact that the screen itself was pretty reflective. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen worse, but if your living room is like mine and has windows opposite the TV, you’ll find yourself getting up to close them every time you turn on the TV during the daytime.

I’m not even picking on reflections when sunlight is pouring in the windows midday, as this issue persists into the evening when the sun is already starting to set. With brightness settings maxed, the QM7K can handle as bright a room as you can throw at it, but any sort of light source directly in front of the screen from your viewing position will be thrown back at you and remains quite visible even in bright scenes.

A superb image overall

All in all, the TCL QM7K offers a stunning image for its price point. Without getting too far into the weeds, I’ll say that a lot of cool tech—like the condensed micro lens in the backlight system, helping focus and direct the light from each mini LED, and the decreased optical distance, which is the space between the backlight and the LCD—helps create an image with excellent contrast.

These technologies also help reduce haloing in HDR, as they lead to less light scatter. The QM7K really goes to show that Mini LED QLED panels are taking the fight to OLED, bringing premium-level picture quality to your living room without costing you a small fortune.

Value remains the focus

TCL has continued to impress with panel technology and image quality while maintaining approachable pricing. The 85-inch model we tested launched just over two months ago and is already being sold by all major retailers and TCL at about a 30% markdown from its original MSRP of $2,500.

Right now, that means you can pick up an 85-inch QM7K for $1,800, and the 55-inch is currently marked down to under $900. Look for these prices to continue dropping as the year goes on, especially as we get into the holiday season.

The TCL QM7K is an impressive entry that blurs the line between flagship and mid-range in performance while staying solidly in the realm of mid-range pricing. I’ll be eagerly awaiting any TCL launches hopefully still to come this year.