The LG SN6Y is a fairly ordinary 3.1 channel soundbar setup. Its standard sound profile is fairly bass-heavy, although it lacks the deep rumble you find in action movie sound effects or electronic music. It has a dedicated center channel for clearer voices and dialogue, but it can also sound harsh. It does a poor job downmixing surround content, making the surround channels overly bass-heavy, and doesn't support Dolby Atmos. On the upside, it gets loud, and it has several sound customization features so you can tweak the way it sounds a bit to better suit your needs. You can also purchase a rear speaker kit to transform it into a 5.1 setup.
Our Verdict
The LG SN6Y is decent for mixed usage. This 3.1 setup has a bass-heavy sound profile out-of-the-box, but it struggles to reproduce the low thump and rumble in the low-bass. However, there are bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound. Thanks to its discrete center, it's a solid choice for vocal-centric content like TV shows. Unfortunately, there's no Atmos support, and its surround performance isn't the most impressive.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
- No Atmos support.
The LG SN6Y is very good for vocal-centric content like TV shows. Thanks to its discrete center channel, voices are anchored to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. Dialogue is reproduced pretty clearly, though it can also sound a bit forward at times. That said, there's a dialogue enhancement feature available if you want to make voices more clear, and an auto-volume mode for watching TV at night.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Dialogue enhancement feature.
- Compression at max volume.
The LG SN6Y is satisfactory for music. Out-of-the-box, it has a fairly bass-heavy sound profile, and vocals and lead instruments sound a bit forward and harsh. Though it comes with a dedicated subwoofer, it still struggles to reproduce the thump and rumble in the low-bass, so it's not ideal for bass-heavy music genres like EDM. That said, there are some bass and treble adjustments if you want to customize its sound.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Compression at max volume.
The LG SN6Y 3.1 is okay for movies. This 3.1 setup doesn't support Dolby Atmos content. While it can play surround content, it has to downmix it to stereo to play it, which doesn't sound very immersive. It also lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep rumble in action-packed scenes. That said, you can always upgrade it with rear speakers if you want a better surround performance.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Gets loud.
- Lacks low-bass.
- No Atmos support.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 17, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Aug 04, 2021: Added more information about auto-off and app device casting features.
- Updated Jul 23, 2021: Updated results as the bar doesn't support 4k passthrough.
- Updated May 06, 2021: Updated results to include the new companion app. Also, changed Rear Level Adjustment to 'YES'.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The LG 3.1 channel 420w soundbar is available in 'Black'. You can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Soundbar Comparisons
The LG SN6Y is a mid-range 3.1 soundbar, replacing the LG SL6Y. It's a passable soundbar but doesn't stand out much among the competition. It sounds alright overall but isn't as well-balanced as the Samsung HW-R650. While it supports the major surround sound formats, it doesn't support Atmos like the Sony HT-Z9F. That said, it does 4k passthrough and has several sound customization features, which many other 3.1 soundbars lack.
See also our recommendations for the best soundbars, the best soundbars with a subwoofer, and the best soundbars for music.
The LG SN6Y is the next generation of the LG SL6Y. They're both 3.1 soundbars with decent overall performances, and depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The SN6Y reproduces a bit more low-bass out-of-the-box, so you feel more thump and rumble in your audio. The SL6Y gets louder, making it ideal for filling up larger rooms with sound.
The Samsung HW-A650 is a bit better for mixed usage than the LG SN6Y. The Samsung is better built. It has a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, which some users may prefer. Also, it comes with a graphic EQ so you can customize its sound, which is handy.
The LG SN6Y and the LG SN8YG are similarly well-built soundbars, but the LG SN8YG performs slightly better overall. The SN8YG's wireless subwoofer can produce a more thumpy bass, it can support Dolby Atmos as well as eARC content, and it has a room correction feature. You can also use Chromecast built-in or your Wi-Fi to connect to the bar, and it has Google Assistant integrated into its design so you can use vocal commands to control your soundbar. The SN6Y, on the other hand, has slightly less distortion at max volume, and if you're limited on space, its subwoofer isn't as wide.
The Sonos Arc is better than the LG SN6Y. The Sonos is a 5.0.2 setup that's better built and has better soundstage and surround performances. Unlike the LG, it has built-in voice assistant support and a room correction feature, and it supports Dolby Atmos content. However, the 3.1 LG has some EQ presets and a Full HDMI In port.
Test Results
The LG SN6Y is virtually identical to its predecessor, the LG SL6Y. It has a simple, straightforward design with a classic, traditional soundbar style that doesn't stand out in any particular way. It has a metal grill covering the front of the bar, while the rest is made of plastic. The top is embossed to give it a faux-leather look and feel, and the LG logo is visibly printed in white near the right-hand corner.
The LG SN6Y's subwoofer remains similar in design to that of the LG SL6Y, but with a few differences. The front of the sub is still covered in fabric, but the top is coated in plastic. The LG logo is also on the top of the subwoofer.
The LG SN6Y is a fairly wide soundbar, so it's unlikely to fit between the legs of most 55" TVs. On the upside, the bar isn't very tall, so it shouldn't obstruct the view of your screen if it's placed in front unless you have a TV that sits flush on the table.
The LG SN6Y's subwoofer is larger than the LG SL6Y's, but it's still not too large overall. It's around the same size as a large desktop PC, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find a spot for it in your TV room.
The back of the LG SN6Y soundbar has an opening on the side for you to access the inputs. The power connection is on the other side. The universal wall-mounting holes are on the underside of the soundbar.
The back of the LG SN6Y's subwoofer is markedly different than that of the older LG SL6Y. The port is more pronounced, and the pairing button is more evident. The power cable also uses a right-angle connector, which helps keep the cable from bending if the back of the sub is placed next to a wall.
The LG SN6Y is a well-built subwoofer. It's very similar to the previous model, the LG SL6Y, but the sub is of better quality. The bar is still made of plastic, with a metal grille covering the front that gives a nice look and feel. The front of the subwoofer is covered in fabric, which tends to collect dust and is prone to rips or tears.
- Remote with 2x AAA batteries
- Bar power cable
- Bar power brick
- Subwoofer power cable
- Optical cable
- Wall-mounting brackets and screws
- Manuals
The LG SN6Y soundbar has a decent stereo frequency response. Compared to the older LG SL6Y, it's quite a bit more bass-heavy. Although it still struggles to produce the deepest rumbles of explosions or electronic music, it has a lot more thump and punch. The mid-range is decently neutral, but the over-emphasis in mid-mid and low-treble make instruments and vocals sound a bit forward and harsh. It also sounds a bit too bass-heavy on some songs, so overall, its sound profile isn't the best-balanced.
The LG 3.1 channel 420w soundbar has a good stereo frequency response with calibration. With its bass set to '-4' and its treble set to '4, it has a more neutral, balanced sound profile with a touch of extra brightness in the treble. It still struggles to reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the bass range, disappointing for bass-heavy music and action-packed movies.
The LG SN6Y has a decent stereo soundstage. It has good focus, making it easy to pinpoint the location of objects in the sound image. However, it only feels about as wide as the bar itself, so there isn't a noticeable improvement over the older LG SL6Y's soundstage.
The LG 3.1 channel 420w soundbar has decent stereo dynamics. It can get pretty loud, so it's suitable for use in large rooms and crowded parties. That said, at max volume, it compresses a bit more than the LG SL6Y, especially in the bass range.
This soundbar's stereo total harmonic distortion performance is decent. At normal listening volumes, there's little distortion. However, when you push this soundbar to max volume, it distorts quite a bit more. However, distortion isn't noticeable to everyone, especially when it's most prominent in the bass range, like with this soundbar.
This soundbar's center channel performance is excellent. Since it's a 3.1 soundbar, it has a discrete center channel, which helps dialogue in movies and TV shows sound clearer. While it doesn't get as loud as other options like the Klipsch Bar 48, the extra boost in the low-treble helps make voices still sound adequately present. However, this can also sound a bit harsh to some.
The LG SN6Y is a 3.1 soundbar, so it doesn't have surround channels. Surround content is downmixed to stereo and distributed between the front three speakers. This means you don't get the effect of real surround sound; instead, you feel like the sound only comes from out in front of you. This soundbar's downmix is also particularly bass-heavy, resulting in a poor surround experience.
For a soundbar with Atmos support, check out the LG S80QY.
The LG SN6Y has a decent number of sound enhancement features. There are a few different sound effect options, like LG's AI Sound Pro feature and DTS Virtual:X surround. You can independently adjust the treble and bass levels, as well as the sound level of the subwoofer and center channel. There are also auto-volume settings you can access in the app on Android.
The manufacturer also says that this soundbar supports LG ThinQ. This technology lets you control connected LG ThinQ home appliances with your TV and your soundbar.
The LG 3.1 channel 420w soundbar has the same input options as the older LG SL6Y. There's an HDMI ARC port to connect to your TV and a full HDMI-IN for your gaming console or Blu-ray player. You can also connect to your TV via optical and play music off a USB flash drive. It doesn't have a 3.5mm AUX port, though, making playing music off a turntable or older MP3 player more complicated.
This soundbar doesn't have eARC, and it only supports Dolby Digital and DTS over HDMI ARC. That said, it downmixes these formats to stereo, so the benefits of more advanced surround support like Atmos would be lost, anyway. If you're looking for a 3.1 setup that supports eARC, check out the LG GX Soundbar.
While the LG SN6Y doesn't support the most advanced surround sound formats, like Dolby Atmos, you can still play Dolby Digital, DTS, and 5.1 PCM surround content.
Although this soundbar downmixes surround content to stereo, it still supports Dolby Digital and DTS content over optical.
The LG SN6Y has an excellent latency performance. It has fairly low latency, so there isn't a noticeable difference between the audio you hear and the video you see. As a result, it's a solid choice for watching movies and videos. Some apps and TVs compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience can vary.
You can stream music to the LG SN6Y from your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, but it doesn't support Chromecast built-in or Apple AirPlay for a more seamless streaming experience.
This soundbar doesn't support high-quality passthrough. The highest available option is 1080p.
The subwoofer connects to the soundbar wirelessly and only needs to be connected to a power outlet.
This soundbar has an easy-to-read display screen behind the metal grill. It shows which input you're on or what you're changing when adjusting the soundbar's settings.
This soundbar has four controls located on the side. The silicone button pad lets you adjust the volume, change inputs, and turn the soundbar on or off.
The LG SN6Y comes with the same remote that most LG soundbars have. It's fairly small and is easy to use with large icons. It gives you playback control and lets you adjust most of the soundbar's options.
Update 08/04/2021: We added more information to mention that you can only cast files when a USB thumb drive is plugged into the soundbar. A window appears on the app that lets you see the list of songs on the thumb drive.
The LG SN6Y is compatible with the LG Sound Bar app. While the app is available on both iOS and Android, we could only get the app to work on an Android device. It lets you control your music and change all of the bar's settings.