LG Electronics has been teasing a number of products ahead of next month’s big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including some pretty weird TV concepts. Now, added to that list is the company’s flagship soundbar for 2022, and it is said to be the first in the world to feature a central up-firing speaker.
The LG S95QR soundbar is in fact a sound system that’s comprised of the soundbar itself, plus a wireless subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers that together can produce an impressive 9.1.5 channels out output, with 810 watts of power.
The subwoofers are larger and more powerful than those seen in earlier LG systems, and the rear speakers are said to come with six channels, as opposed to four seen on last year’s high-end system. The complete package offers five up-firing channels in total, with three on the soundbar and one each on the separate wireless rear speakers.
LG promised that this should help significantly in terms of adding height to the audio output, witj the result being more immersive sound and clearer dialogue.
As expected the LG S95QR soundbar is packed with premium features, with support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced technologies. The company claims the rear speakers are improved in other ways too, as they can distribute sound evenly across a 135-degree space, providing users with more placement flexibility and better sound distribution in smaller spaces.
There’s also a more sensitive receiver that enables the subwoofer and rear speakers to be placed further away from the main soundbar without having any impact on the audio quality, which makes it ideal for larger rooms. The soundbar also supports Meridian Audio Horizon tech, which allows it to up mix two channel audio to 7.1 channels in music mode.
Other features include support for variable refresh rate and auto low-latency mode, which means PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X gamers will have audio that keeps pace with the on-screen gaming action. It doesn’t, however, support 4K at 120Hz passthrough.
Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa compatibility give users a way to control the soundbar when listening to music through media or a streaming service. The LG S95QR can also be paired with an LG Wowcast audio dongle that’s sold separately, enabling lossless multi-channel audio without running a cable to the TV.
Of course, the LG S95QR is perfectly compatible with LG TVs, with its AI Sound Pro feature enhancing the audio to make it clearer and more lifelike. The LG Magic Remote can also be used to control the soundbar, and there’s an enhanced AI Room Calibration feature for tweaking the audio output to match the room’s unique acoustics.
