One of the best soundbars I've tested is not made by Sonos or Bose (2024)

One of the best soundbars I've tested is not made by Sonos or Bose (1)

ZDNET's key takeaways

  • The LG S95TR soundbar with wireless subwoofer is available for $1,499.
  • It's on the expensive side, but the high-quality audio easily makes it worth the price.
  • The soundbar is packed with features, but some of the best require a newer LG TV.

LG released the S95TR soundbar earlier this year as a high-end complement to its newest OLED TVs, following much hype.

The soundbar and wireless subwoofer setup comes with a host of impressive features, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound, and lots of extra features accessible through its app.

Also: I tested LG's new Mini LED TV for a month, and it beat my G2 OLED in 3 major ways

I recently went hands-on with the soundbar to see if it was worth all the excitement. Let's dig in.

View at Amazon

The S95TR includes four components: a main soundbar, subwoofer, and two small rear speakers. The good thing about the subwoofer and rear speakers is that they're wireless, so no additional cords are needed aside from the power connections and main HDMI cord.

The main concern that prevented me from committing to a surround sound setup in the first place was having to deal with wires running across my room, so I definitely appreciate the fact that it's wireless.

Also:The best soundbars you can buy, tested and reviewed

In order to take advantage of all the features, however, you'll need to download the LG Soundbar app. It's a little inconvenient that this is different from the LG ThinQ app that controls LG TVs, especially given that you'll probably use it regularly, but that's a minor quibble.

Setup was simple. After plugging in the speakers in the instructed order, installing the app, and adding the soundbar to the app, the speakers go through a process that tunes them specifically to your room setup. I played a movie before utilizing AI Room Calibration, and I can attest that it made a noticeable difference in how things sounded.

I then used the TV's built-in speakers to get a baseline for testing this soundbar. Over the noise of two kids and a dog in the house, I had to turn the volume more than halfway to hear comfortably: 65 out of 100. Conversely, when I switched the audio to the soundbar, it was more than loud enough in the 40s. Right away, I knew it would be a serious upgrade.

Also: This all-in-one soundbar turned my old TV into the ultimate 4K theatre experience

Another thing I like to test with audio equipment is how well it handles dialogue. With my everyday setup, I usually watch everything with captions because it's so easy to miss something.

The main soundbar here fixes that problem with a small up-firing center speaker in addition to the traditional front ones, something LG claims makes dialogue clearer. When I turned on one of my favorite shows, I noticed a decent improvement over the TV's built-in speakers and asignificantimprovement over my everyday soundbar's audio. If you struggle to catch every word like I do sometimes, you'll definitely appreciate this feature.

I then ran the soundbar through a variety of movie tests, including action scenes with explosions galore, suspenseful scenes in creepy woods, dialogue-driven scenes, and more.

Review:I replaced my expensive Klipsch soundbar with a $300 Hisense, and it surprised me in the best way

The audio from the S95TR setup actually makes background sound stand out in a realistic way. The same went for the second scene in my test, which involved a conversation between people in a car. The ambient road noise wrapped around the back of my couch while the conversation stayed in front of me, just like it would in real life, and there was enough of a rumble from the subwoofer to sound like a real road.

In every test, not only did the soundbar setup perform flawlessly, I felt like I heard things that I would have otherwise missed.

One of the best soundbars I've tested is not made by Sonos or Bose (3)

If you're worried about sleeping kids or neighbors, there is a Night Time mode - but you'll need the app or an LG TV to access it. This feature keeps the surround sound active, but the subwoofer is noticeably softer and the audio toned down. My setup was on a shared wall with my daughter's room, and she didn't complain about late night movies, so that's a win.

Also: One of the loudest Bluetooth speakers I've tested is also one of the most affordable

Gamers will appreciate 120 Hz HDR10 passthrough support, which makes sure there's no delay in getting sound through the speakers. I tried out several games on my PS5, and the experience of each one improved with this system. At one point, a sound behind me was so realistic that my dog shot his head up to see who was there.

ZDNET's buying advice

At first glance, the LG S95TR's price tag of $1,499 might seem a little steep, especially when there are budget, wired options available for under $400 with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If you're wondering if it's worth it, the answer is yes. It absolutely is.

Not only is the wireless setup easier than any audio system I've encountered, the S95TR performed better than any system I've heard before, point blank. If you built your own setup that matched these components, you'd end up spending more anyway, so this may even be saving money in one respect.

Just keep in mind that although the soundbar setup works with any TV, it works best with LG's B4, C4, and G4 OLED TVs – and you'll miss out on some features if you're not using one of those TVs.

Featured reviews

  • I tried Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC and it beat my MacBook Air in 3 ways
  • One of the best soundbars I've tested is not made by Bose or Sonos
  • I compared a $90 robot vacuum to a $700 one. Here's my buying advice for budget shoppers
  • I tested Beats' new $80 earbuds and I'm already looking forward to the next model. Here's why
One of the best soundbars I've tested is not made by Sonos or Bose (2024)
Top Articles
Intels Ruf im Wanken: Stabilitätsprobleme bei CPUs der 14. und 13. Generation werfen Schatten auf das Unternehmen
Roblox Mod Menu Platinmods
Hub.vacation Club.com
Family Day returns to Dobbins bigger than before
Dover Nh Power Outage
A Man Called Otto Showtimes Near Fort Collins
Https Paperlesspay Talx Com Boydgaming
Look Who Got Busted New Braunfels
Wotr Dyra
Jeff Siegel Picks Santa Anita
Elgin Il Building Department
Orange Craigslist Free Stuff
Oracle Holiday Calendar 2022
Santa Cruz Craigslist Cars And Trucks - By Owner
Anchoring in Masonry Structures – Types, Installation, Anchorage Length and Strength
Wdel News Today
Sofia the baddie dog
Aly Raisman Nipple
Armslist Dayton
Best Builder Hall 5 Base
Onlybaddiestv
2021 Lexus IS 350 F SPORT for sale - Richardson, TX - craigslist
Metoprolol  (Kapspargo Sprinkle, Lopressor) | Davis’s Drug Guide
MLB The Show 23 Marketplace: Your Ultimate Guide to Trading and Collecting - Belvidere Youth Baseball
Cocaine Bear Showtimes Near Harkins Cerritos
Identogo Roanoke Va
Craigslist Storage Containers
Dovob222
Apartments / Housing For Rent near Trenton, NJ - craigslist
Isaimini 2023: Tamil Movies Download HD Hollywood
Walmart Careers Stocker
Mcclure Nba Dfs
Baycare Intranet
Lvc Final Exam Schedule
Understanding P Value: Definition, Calculation, and Interpretation - Decoding Data Science
Oasis Buds Slime Rancher
Clinical Pharmacology Quality Assurance (CPQA) Program: Models for Longitudinal Analysis of Antiretroviral (ARV) Proficiency Testing for International Laboratories
Police in Germany arrest 25 people allegedly planning to overthrow the government
Everstart Maxx Jump Starter 1200 Manual
Dan And Riya Net Worth In 2022: How Does They Make Money?
Mission Impossible 7 Showtimes Near Regal Bridgeport Village
Quazii Plater Nameplates Profile - Quazii UI
Pre-Order Apple Watch Series 10 – Best Prices in Dubai, UAE
SP 800-153 Guidelines for Securing WLANs
Borderlands 2 Mechromancer Leveling Build
Heatinghelp The Wall
This Meteorologist Was Wardrobe Shamed, So She Fought Back | Star 101.3 | Marcus & Corey
Job Training and Education Scholarships | Workforce Solutions | Greater Houston | Texas
Cibo Tx International Kitchen Schertz Menu
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test Understand the Test & Your Results
Enchiladas Suizas | Mexican Food Recipes, Quick and Easy.
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Fredrick Kertzmann

Last Updated:

Views: 6194

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fredrick Kertzmann

Birthday: 2000-04-29

Address: Apt. 203 613 Huels Gateway, Ralphtown, LA 40204

Phone: +2135150832870

Job: Regional Design Producer

Hobby: Nordic skating, Lacemaking, Mountain biking, Rowing, Gardening, Water sports, role-playing games

Introduction: My name is Fredrick Kertzmann, I am a gleaming, encouraging, inexpensive, thankful, tender, quaint, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.