- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Soundbars
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We've currently tested 22 LG soundbars, including all of the models in the 2022 lineup. The brand makes well-built soundbars with lots of connectivity options, but the models we've tested don't always stand out in respect to sound quality. See our recommendations for the best LG soundbars below.
Updates
- 06/07/2022 LG S95QR reviewed
- 06/06/2022 LG S80QY reviewed
- 05/25/2022 LG S75Q reviewed
- 05/20/2022 LG S65Q reviewed
- 05/19/2022 LG S90QY reviewed
Best LG Soundbars
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Best LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.8Dialogue/TV Shows7.9Music7.8Movies7.7Channels9.1.5The LG S95QR is the best LG soundbar we've tested. It's a premium 9.1.5 setup with lots of features, and its versatile performance makes it suitable for listening to everything from music to movies to TV shows. The design is pretty unique, with two up-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos content, as well as an additional up-firing center channel. Dialogue is clear and present in the mix, and the extra center channel slightly improves the location of the dialogue in the soundstage. However, it doesn't stand out compared to other bars that come with just a traditional front-firing driver. Like most premium setups, it also has a room correction feature, and with it enabled, the bar's bass-heavy sound adds lots of boom and punch to the mix. It's a bit muddy, but you can easily use its bass and treble adjustments to create a more neutral sound.
This soundbar stands out when it comes to movies—multichannel content, including surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, as well as height content like Dolby Atmos, is immersive, and sound effects seem like they're coming from all around you. Compared to last year's LG SP11RA, its satellites have an additional front-facing driver built-in, which helps to more accurately represent the action in the soundstage. While sound doesn't extend quite as wide as other premium models like the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module or the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers, it still does a really good job.
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Best Mid-Range LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.7Dialogue/TV Shows8.0Music7.8Movies7.5Channels5.1.3If you're looking for a versatile LG soundbar at a more affordable price, check out the LG S90QY. This 5.1.3 setup was released in 2022, and like the LG S95QR, it comes with three up-firing channels — two of which are devoted to height content, along with another that acts as a second center channel. It has lots of the same features, including room correction, and its default sound is fairly even, especially in the mids where voices and lead instruments are reproduced. Its dedicated subwoofer provides an extended low-bass, so there's plenty of thump in the mix. It's a solid option if you don't have space for rear speakers in your setup. This soundbar also supports multichannel content like Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos, which you can find on lots of different streaming platforms and Blu-rays.
It doesn't come with discrete satellites, so it uses side-firing surround channels built into the bar itself to represent sound effects in the soundstage. The resulting experience isn't as immersive, and sound seems like it's just coming from speakers placed in front of you. Its Atmos performance is just okay, too. However, you can always add rear speakers if you want to improve its performance. Keep in mind that LG doesn't currently offer the same 4.0.2 surround speakers that come with the LG S95QR as a separate add-on, so these speakers will only have a 2.0.2 design and won't offer the same immersive sound.
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Best Budget LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.0Dialogue/TV Shows7.7Music7.1Movies6.5Channels3.1LG also offers a couple of budget-friendly models, including the LG S65Q. This soundbar is a 3.1 setup that doesn't come with as many features as the top-of-the-line models, but it's still a really good choice, especially if you mostly listen to music and vocal-heavy content like podcasts and TV shows. The mids are balanced, so vocals and lead instruments are clear in the mix, and there's a little extra boom in the high-bass to help you feel the excitement in bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and EDM. There's no room correction feature, but you still have lots of customization tools on hand, including bass and treble adjustments as well as a dialogue enhancement feature.
Movie fans will also appreciate that the bar supports surround sound formats like Dolby Digital and DTS, which you're likely to come across on most streaming platforms. That said, the bar has to downmix them into stereo to play them, which doesn't sound as immersive. As with most budget bars, there's no Dolby Atmos support, limiting the amount of content you can watch while getting the intended immersive feeling. Still, it's a solid upgrade over your TV speakers, especially if you don't have room for satellites.
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Best Small LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage6.6Dialogue/TV Shows6.8Music6.6Movies6.5Channels3.1.2Don't have a lot of space in your setup? The best small soundbar from LG we've tested is the LG Eclair QP5. It's just under 12 inches wide, so it can easily fit under your TV without obscuring the screen. Despite its small size, it still has a decent soundstage performance, and audio extends well past the edges of the bar. It's one of the smallest bars we've tested with Dolby Atmos support, though its performance isn't as impressive as the manufacturer's top-of-the-line models.
This bar is best-suited for listening to dialogue-centric TV shows and podcasts, as its balanced mid-range can reproduce voices pretty clearly. However, even though it has a dedicated sub, it struggles to reproduce low-bass, and its recessed treble results in a dark and muffled sound. When you watch movies and listen to music, there's a noticeable lack of emphasis in the bass range, and you don't feel a deep thump and rumble during action-packed scenes. If you don't have room for a subwoofer, you can also look at the older standalone LG SK1, though it doesn't offer Atmos support.
Compared to other brands
- Very good build quality. LG soundbars are generally very well-built, even their more affordable models. Some companies cover their soundbars with a dark fabric that tends to collect dust that makes the bar look dirty. Fortunately, the LG soundbars we've tested all have a more premium design, with a brushed metal or textured plastic finish that looks and feels more high-end.
- Great wireless playback options. While most soundbars support Bluetooth, LG's soundbars tend to go above and beyond by supporting wireless playback over Wi-Fi, as well as Chromecast built-in.
- Lots of connectivity inputs. All the LG soundbars we've tested have optical, HDMI ARC, and full-HDMI inputs, with the higher-end models often having two full HDMI inputs.
- No graphic EQ. Most LG soundbars come with standard bass and treble adjustment features to help you customize their sound. It's suitable for more casual listeners, but audiophiles who like to control frequencies across the range will be disappointed by the lack of a full graphic EQ.
- Unremarkable stereo soundstages. A natural soundstage helps make music, movies, and video games sound more immersive. While none of the LG soundbars we've tested have a particularly bad soundstage, none are very good, either. Generally, they're only about as wide as the bar itself, if not a bit narrower, and sound diffused.
- Low max volume. The LG soundbars that we've tested have all been quieter than most. Their 2018 models were the worst offenders, but even their newer releases struggle to get as loud as the competition.
Like Sony or Samsung, LG makes different soundbars at several price points. While their higher-priced models are generally more feature-packed than their more affordable ones, all LG soundbars we've tested, regardless of price, have been well-built, with lots of different physical input options. The best LG soundbars support additional surround sound formats and wireless playback options but don't deliver as premium an experience as other brands, especially when it comes to soundstage.
Lineup
Like with their TVs, LG uses a combination of letters and numbers for their model names.
- SK* = 2018
- SL* = 2019
- SN* = 2020
- SP* = 2021
- S* = 2022
- *Q = standard, no extra features or speakers
- *QY = with Google Assistant
- *QR = with rear speakers and Google Assistant
Recent Updates
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Jun 16, 2022: Updated article with 2022 lineup. Replaced the LG SP11RA with the LG S95QR, the LG SP9YA with the LG S90QY, and the LG SP8YA with the LG S65Q.
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Feb 16, 2022: Added the LG Eclair QP5 as 'Best Small'.
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Nov 18, 2021: No changes in product picks after verifying their accuracy and availability.
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Aug 20, 2021: Replaced the LG SN11RG with the newer generation LG SP11RA. Replaced the LG SN9YG with the LG SP9YA since it performs better overall. Also replaced the LG GX Soundbar with the better-performing LG SP8YA. The text was updated for consistency.
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Apr 22, 2021: No changes in product picks after verifying their accuracy and availability.
Conclusion
LG is a brand well-known for its wide range of TVs, but they've also been making quite a few different soundbar models over the past few years. They're generally very well-built, with many different physical inputs and wireless playback options. However, they don't deliver the best sound performance, mostly due to their fairly narrow, diffused soundstages. Fortunately, most of the models we've tested have a few different sound customization features, so you can usually tweak them a bit to get a sound profile that you like.