We've currently tested 26 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
- 05/16/2023 LG S75QR reviewed
- 05/09/2023 LG SC9S reviewed
- 02/10/2023 LG S90QY with SPQ8-S Speaker Kit reviewed
- 02/09/2023 LG S80QR reviewed
- 06/07/2022 LG S95QR 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 many 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 and 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 and 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 Upper Mid-Range LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.8Dialogue/TV Shows8.0Music7.9Movies7.5Channels5.1.3If 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 and 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 reproduce. 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 many streaming platforms and Blu-rays. However, since it doesn't come with discrete satellites, it uses side-firing surround channels built into the bar itself to represent sound effects in the soundstage. The resulting experience is less 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 the performance, and you can even see the results of the LG S90QY with SPQ8-S Speaker Kit if you're interested.
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Best Mid-Range LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.8Dialogue/TV Shows8.0Music7.9Movies7.5Channels3.1.3The LG S80QY is a great alternative if you're looking for a more affordable soundbar setup. This setup, released in 2022, offers many of the same features as its more premium cousins. For example, it includes AI Room Calibration to optimize its audio output based on your room's unique acoustics and a second up-firing center channel to improve vocal clarity in the mix. Overall, its sound quality is impressive for the price, so everything from music to movies to TV shows sounds clear and accurate through the bar's drivers. Bass and treble adjustments allow you to customize its sound, too.
This Dolby Atmos soundbar supports many audio formats commonly found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays, including Dolby Digital. However, since it's a 3.1.3 setup, it has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it. The resulting sound isn't quite as immersive as 5.1 bars on the market, like the LG S90QY, and audio seems to come from a speaker placed in front of you rather than from all around your room. Fortunately, you can always add on satellites like the LG S80QR if you want to improve its surround performance down the line. That said, this model is a better value overall if you don't watch much surround content.
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Best Budget LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage7.0Dialogue/TV Shows7.7Music7.1Movies6.5Channels3.1Shopping on a budget? The LG S65Q might be the right pick for you. This affordable 3.1 setup comes with fewer bells and whistles than the top picks on our list, but it's still a solid upgrade over your existing TV speakers that won't break the bank. Overall, this setup is ideal for listening to stereo content, which includes most music and TV shows. Voices and lead instruments reproduce with great clarity and accuracy, and the discrete center channel works to improve dialogue reproduction. There's no room correction tool like with the LG S80QY, but you can manually adjust the bar's sound thanks to its bass and treble adjustments.
The bar's also suitable for watching movies, including more immersive audio formats like Dolby Digital. It can playback surround sound content, though it has to downmix it into stereo, which reduces the overall immersive feel. You can't watch Dolby Atmos content, which is disappointing, given how common it is on many different streamers. That said, if you don't subscribe to any streaming platforms and don't plan to watch much Atmos content, it's still a great choice to enhance stereo sound. This affordable setup is a great way to start for those new to the soundbar space.
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Best Small LG Soundbar
Mixed Usage6.6Dialogue/TV Shows6.8Music6.6Movies6.5Channels3.1.2Low on space? Live in a smaller apartment? Check out the LG Eclair QP5. This small and compact soundbar is ideal for audiophiles with limited room in their setup. The bar is just under twelve inches wide, so it fits easily under your TV screen or monitor. It also comes with a subwoofer to improve the overall bass reproduction. It's a small bar, but it still packs a punch—in fact, its soundstage extends well past the edges of the bar itself, so you get a more immersive feel. It's especially useful with more immersive audio formats like Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos.
This premium 3.1.2 soundbar is one of the smallest Dolby Atmos bars we've tested. However, it doesn't come with satellites, and you won't find a room correction feature like with the LG S95QR. As a result, it sounds different depending on the acoustics of your space. Thanks to the bass and treble adjustments, you can always make up for this manually. It supports TV Sound Mode Share, making it easy to pair the bar with a compatible LG TV for a more immersive sound. Whether you're listening to music, movies, or TV shows, this small setup is worth a look.
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, making 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. 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.
LG vs Samsung
Samsung and LG both manufacture soundbars available at a wide array of price points to address different market segments. You can find top-of-the-line models with room calibration tools to optimize their sound, as well as more budget-friendly options designed as simple upgrades over your TV speakers. That said, Samsung's bars tend to offer more customization tools, like a graphic EQ, so you have more control over their output across the range. Their soundstages are generally better than LG's bars, too.
LG vs Sony
Sony has a slightly more limited soundbar lineup than LG, but you can still find everything from premium to budget-friendly models from the manufacturer. Both companies excel at dialogue reproduction, but LG tends to perform better with surround sound. Plus, they offer more customization tools on average when compared to Sony, so you can make them sound more like you want.
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.
Recent Updates
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Jun 01, 2023: Confirmed product picks. Minor text updates for clarity.
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Mar 14, 2023: Due to pricing changes, we've replaced the LG SP9YA with the LG S80QY as the 'Best Mid-Range' pick.
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Dec 14, 2022: No changes in product picks after verifying their accuracy and availability.
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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.
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 you like.