I just went hands-on with the TCL QM9K — and it's one of TCL's most powerful TVs yet

TCL has surprised us all with a new TV in its 2025 roster: Meet the TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV, its most premium model yet, featuring a slew of enhanced gaming features in tandem with superb brightness and color volume. It's one serious new entry and goes toe-to-toe with the Hisense U9QG.

I got to see the QM9K in action at a special event held in New York a few weeks back. The new set was saddled up alongside the TCL QM8K, one of this year's best TVs, to show the leaps in brightness and color control its extra dimming zones offer.

As a huge fan of the Hisense U9N Mini-LED TV from last year, I was excited to see what TCL could bring to the table in a premium set like this. Read on to see my initial thoughts of TCL's new 2025 flagship.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Sizes, pricing and availability

TCL hasn't given any word on pricing just yet, but expect a high premium for this set. The 65-inch TCL QM8K launched at $2,499 earlier this year, but is currently marked down to $1,299 in the midst of Labor Day TV sales.

You can expect the QM9K to be slightly more expensive, though it's hard to say where the MSRP might end up.

The next closest TV we can look to for guidance on its potential sticker price is the 75-inch Hisense U9N, which launched at $3,000 last year. (The U9N is only available in 75-inch and 85-inch configurations.)

Thus, the TCL QM9K could be anywhere from $2,799 to $3,299 for the 65-inch model, but we should know more later this month.

Fortunately, the TCL QM9K will be available in a range of sizes, including 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, and 98-inch models. It would be nice to see the display in some extra smaller sizes, but given its premium specs and features, it only makes sense to keep it in a higher range.

TCL has given no word on any official launch date, aside from a projected release "later this month." You'll be able to buy it at Best Buy, Amazon, and other select retailers in your region.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Specs

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Design

The TCL QM9K is a lot like other Mini-LED sets in the market; super thin with slim bezels. According to the spec sheet, the 65-inch and 75-inch models measure with a depth of just 2.0-inch without the stand. The spec sheet also lists the weight of the TV at just 50.9lbs with the stand, which means you'll definitely want some help setting it up.

TCL has gone with a chrome polish for the framing around the TV, which matches well with the pedestal stand that's available on all but the 98-inch model. I personally find the pedestal stands more optimal over the leg variety, as they're often easier to fit on smaller surfaces. (Even TCL had it placed on one of the smallest stands in the room at the event.)

If you're not too keen on using a stand and would rather mount it to a wall instead, it will come equipped with a 300x300 VESA mounting pattern on the 65-inch model. This will vary depending on size, so be sure to check depending on the model you end up going with.

Mirroring other models in its lineup, the TCL QM9K is kitted with an audio system made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen. Speaker specifications, like channel numbers and power output, are still unclear at this time, but Tom's Guide has reached out for more information.

It's also unclear if the QM9K will have a set of four HDMI 2.1 ports or just two sets of 2.0 and two 2.1. We've also asked for further clarification on this and will update this page when we know more. It does come equipped with a 144Hz refresh rate, which is much lower than the 165Hz presented across Hisense's 2025 TV lineup.

One specification the QM9K will have that no other TV this year can claim is a bespoke sensor that detects your presence when you walk into the room. It's a handy feature for those who want to get quick bites of info from their TV widgets, like news and weather forecasts, all without touching the remote.

Speaking of the remote, TCL's hasn't changed much over its other 2025 models. The QM9K will have the same chrome silver design with backlit buttons and instant access buttons to some of the best streaming services.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Performance and features

According to TCL, QM9K boasts over 6,000 dimming zones, gifting it improved control in its brightness and contrast. TCL also claims it can spit out 6,500 nits of brightness, which definitely sounds unreasonable. We won't be able to confirm that number until we get it in for testing, but the QM8K did show some of the highest we tested this year at 4,437 nits in HDR.

In our hands-on demo, TCL had the QM9K set up next to the QM8K and an unnamed OLED TV. The team played scenes from "Gemini Man," as well as other stock 4K HDR content with bright, colorful floral patterns on the screen. It was all done in a super dark room, which gave us a great perspective on its contrast control and highlights.

Its 6,000 dimming zone are definitely aiding in enhancing performance, as the QM9K had some excellent contrasts. Colors also looked superb on the screen. You can tell the QM9K is a step above the QM8K by quite a large margin, as the former is far less bright and has more muted colors against the new flagship.

A particular highlight for me was a closeup of Will Smith wearing a white robe. Smith's skin tones looked natural and the white color of the robe was a flawless enamel, which was less vibrant and accurate on the QM8K. Even the OLED TV struggled a bit in this particular section, showing a slight tinge of green on the white robe.

While the QM9K shows promise in its performance, especially in darker scenes, the issues plaguing most Mini-LED TVs still persist. These include some concerning blooming and poor anti-glare mitigation, which were more noticeable on the TV that was in the outside room, where more natural lighting was present.

Although we didn't get any hands-on time with the TV speakers, as TCL wanted to flex its new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect functionality, I can see this being of major concern, as well. Even with the Bang & Olufsen sound system, the QM9K might not have the most bombastic speaker output. Unfortunately, even the best flagship TVs have lackluster speaker systems which is why we often recommend pairing them with a soundbar or a dedicated speaker system.

Despite these setbacks, the QM9K definitely shows promise. From what I saw, I was thoroughly impressed with its performance, most especially in color volume and accuracy. Overall HDR brightness will also be a particular highlight for this TV, but we'll have to get it in for testing for a full analysis.

TCL QM9K Mini-LED TV: Outlook

As its top-of-the-line Ultimate Series TV, the QM9K serves as a window into unparallel performance. TCL aims to go to toe-to-toe with some of the best OLED TVs with its new flagship, and it seems a worthy challenger.

Without a definitive price for the TV just yet, it's hard to say where the QM9K might land in the market. It has some incredible performance to my eye, especially against the QM8K, plus the QM9K offers more in terms of its features, highlighted best in its wrangling of Google Gemini and an ambient sensor that automatically turns the screen on when you walk near it.

Are these features for everyone? Probably not, but at least TCL is going slightly against the grain with its new flagship, and that could be what sets it apart from the rest.

More From Tom's Guide

• I just went hands on with the Hisense U7QG Mini-LED TV — and it could be the dream TV for gamers on a budget
• Samsung TV lineup 2025: new OLED, Neo QLED and 8K TVs announced at CES
• 2025 could be the year of cheap OLED TVs — here's why