The LG S90TY is a 2024 5.1.3 soundbar with a discrete subwoofer. It's essentially a stripped-down version of the LG S90TR, foregoing the dedicated rear speakers in favor of a simplified bar and sub design. Predictably, it borrows from the spec sheet of its sibling, featuring HDMI 2.1 capabilities with 4k @ 120Hz passthrough, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as an AI Sound Pro room correction feature. There's also a host of features available for integration with LG TVs, including WOW Orchestra, which allows you to integrate your TV's speakers as an extra playback channel and WOW Cast, which opens up the possibility of wireless Dolby Atmos playback.
Our Verdict
The LG S90TY is a great choice for mixed usage. It's a versatile, space-saving setup that does an impressive job of rendering both music and movie audio accurately. The dedicated sub brings some boom to the low-end, though it can overpower the less pronounced mid-range at times. There's plenty of sparkle at the top of the frequency spectrum, which adds just the right amount of high-end detail to sibilants and voices. Its wide soundstage and detailed center channel ensure stereo content is enveloping, while preserving dialogue clarity and focus. Its lack of rear speakers (and up-firing drivers on these speakers) means it's a bit more limited when it comes to surround sound and Atmos content though. While its three up-firing drivers convey some sense of height with Atmos content, this is limited to audio objects that are directly in front of you. It's also disappointing that it doesn't seem to let you pair LG rear speakers to help compensate for this.
AI room calibration tunes the sound to your space.
Compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats.
Minimal compression at max volume.
Wireless Atmos playback with a compatible LG TV.
Surround sound content hampered by lack of rear speakers.
The LG S90TY is impressive for TV shows and fast-paced dialogue. While there's a slight dip in the lower mid-range of the frequency response, the upper-mids and treble range are very balanced, yielding detailed dialogue and speech. This is aided by the dedicated center channel, which has good focus and tracks dialogue well. There's no danger of audio being too quiet as well—this bar is capable of hitting high volumes without compressing the source material much. There's an array of features that can help bring out dialogue further, too, like 'Dynamic Range Compression' and 'Clear Voice Pro', which ensure voices stay at the forefront of the mix without being overshadowed by other sonic elements.
AI room calibration tunes the sound to your space.
Great selection of sound enhancement options.
Surround sound content hampered by lack of rear speakers.
The LG S90TY is impressive for music. The discrete sub provides plenty of low-end heft, conveying the boom and slam of 808s and big room kicks. That said, this towering, and (somewhat unsubtle) bass can overpower the mid-range at times. The treble response is detailed, though, and injects some air into the digitally-manipulated highs of electroacoustic music, for example. It can get plenty loud too, while preserving the dynamics of recorded music, and the wide soundstage helps add a spacious quality to orchestral performances. If you're not a fan of the default sound, you can always adjust it to your liking via the bass/treble adjustments and selection of EQ presets.
AI room calibration tunes the sound to your space.
Great selection of sound enhancement options.
Minimal compression at max volume.
Surround sound content hampered by lack of rear speakers.
The LG S90TY is a good choice for movies. It features a balanced frequency response, with a strong, thuddy bass, courtesy of the discrete sub. While the bass can eclipse some lower-mid frequencies in particularly frenetic chase scenes, the upper part of the mid-range is balanced and reproduces dialogue accurately. The detailed treble range is clear without sounding piercing, rendering sounds like screeching metal in a way that's not grating. The bar's stereo soundstage is wide, and it can get loud without introducing much compression, but surround sound and Atmos playback can be disappointing. This isn't too surprising considering the lack of dedicated rear speakers and the presence of up-firing drivers only in the bar itself. As a result, surround sound content can sound muted, especially in the treble range. Atmos content does contain some semblance of height, but this is limited only to audio objects directly in front of you.
AI room calibration tunes the sound to your space.
Compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats.
Great selection of sound enhancement options.
Wireless Atmos playback with a compatible LG TV.
Surround sound content hampered by lack of rear speakers.
Disappointing Atmos (height) performance.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The LG S90TY comes in one color variant: 'Black', and here's a picture of its label. If you encounter another variant of this bar, please let us know in the comments.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The LG S90TY is a 2024 mid-range 5.1.3 soundbar that comes with a dedicated sub. For all intents and purposes, it's a pared-down variant of the LG S90TR, which was released in the same year. The S90TY comes at a slightly lower price point, at the expense of discrete rear speakers (and the improved surround sound performance these speakers represent). This could be to your advantage if you're dead set on a bar/sub combo or don't have the space for rear speakers in your setup. Otherwise, the two bars are virtually indistinguishable from one another in terms of features and performance. While LG soundbars integrate well into an ecosystem if you own other LG products, with features like WOW Cast and WOW Orchestra that can incorporate your LG TV, there are other competitors that offer entryways to other brand ecosystems. The 2024 Samsung HW-Q800D, for example, has a similar configuration and performance at a lower price, with a better surround and Atmos performance. For owners of a compatible Samsung TV, it'll offer a similar level of integration via the brand's Q-Symphony connectivity. If you're hankering for quality surround sound, you can even opt for the slightly pricier Samsung HW-Q910D and enjoy the vast improvements in 5.1 content.
Check out our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars for movies, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
The Sonos Arc Ultra and the LG S90TY are both solid options for pared-down home cinema setups. While both are functionally 5.1 setups, the Sonos is an all-in-one bar with a built-in subwoofer and two up-firing drivers, while the LG features a discrete subwoofer and three up-firing drivers. The Arc Ultra is Sonos' flagship 2024 bar, and as a result, it performs like a premium bar in many respects. Despite the lack of a discrete sub, it's capable of outputting a balanced sound, with a wide soundstage and excellent center channel focus. It has a better surround and Atmos performance than the LG. That said, the LG's discrete sub does allow it to extend lower than the Sonos, adding a dynamic quality to chase sequences and bass-heavy soundtracks. The LG also has HDMI passthrough capabilities and a broader suite of sound enhancement options.
The LG S90TR and the LG S90TY offer a surprisingly similar performance and feature set, considering one features dedicated satellites and the other is a streamlined bar/sub combo. This translates to a very obvious difference when it comes to surround sound performance, where the discrete rear speakers that come with the LG S90TR are capable of producing a much wider sound with 5.1 content. Otherwise, there's almost nothing to split the two bars. Both feature balanced frequency responses, great dynamics performances and can passthrough 4k signals @ 120Hz. If space in your living room isn't a consideration, you can see which of these is available for a lower price.
The LG S90TY and the Samsung HW-Q800D are very similar bars with some slight differences, though the Samsung will be a better choice for most people. They're both bar/sub combos, eschewing dedicated rear speakers in favor of side-firing drivers. That said, the Samsung handles surround and Atmos content far better than the LG, creating a sound field with more width and height. It's also better-built. However, the LG creates a wider sound when playing back stereo content, with good focus across the entire length of the bar. Both bars feature ways of integrating TVs and speakers from their respective product eco-systems (WOW Orchestra for LG and Q-Symphony for Samsung), which can sway your decision if you already own products from either manufacturer.
The Samsung HW-Q990D is the brand's flagship 2024 11.1.4 soundbar, while the LG S90TY is a mid-range 5.1.3 bar. As a result, the Samsung has a more extensive feature set, and the bells and whistles translate to a better overall performance. It has a more balanced default sound, as well as better performance in pretty much all of sound tests. The most notable difference arises with Atmos and surround sound content, where the Samsung excels at creating an immersive experience. While both bars support 4k @ 120Hz HDMI passthrough, the Samsung is the only one capable of doing so at 10-bit. That said, you'll want to consider the LG if space is at a premium in your living space or you already own an LG TV, which will allow you to take advantage of LG-specific features, like wireless Dolby Atmos.
Test Results
