LG S95QR soundbar review with pros and cons

LG is no stranger to making high-quality audio products, especially soundbars and speakers. The brand enjoys good reputation in the field, much like Sony does with regard to TVs. One such recent product from LG is the LG S95QR 9.1.5 channel High Res Audio Wi-Fi Soundbar with Surround Speakers. Priced at Rs 1,09,990, the LG S95QR falls on the high-end spectrum of surround sound products, but there are a few reasons why that’s the case. Some notable features include wireless connectivity, Dolby Atmos support, up-firing speakers, and triple-level spatial sound.

The lowdown

Here’s what you get in the LG S95QR’s box:

• One soundbar
• One wireless subwoofer
• Two wireless rear speakers
• One HDMI cable
• Four AC power cables 
• One remote

To set up the speakers with your TV, start by using the HDMI cable to connect the soundbar (HDMI > TV eARC port) to your TV’s HDMI port. It’s worth mentioning that by connecting the speakers through HDMI eARC, you can get Dolby Atmos audio from supported content on services like Netflix and Prime Video. Next, position the soundbar directly below the TV for optimal audio experience. Place the subwoofer on the left side and position the rear speakers behind you on both the left and right sides, aligning them with your seating area. Connect all four speakers to a power source using the AC cables.

The easiest way to connect the soundbar and speakers to the TV is through a smartphone and home Wi-Fi. Make sure the soundbar and speakers are all switched on. You’ll see “Wi-Fi” flashing on the soundbar’s display. Download the LG Sound Bar app via Google Play Store or Apple App Store. The app will search for the soundbar using Wi-Fi. Once paired, you’ll be able to see whether all the speakers are connected.

You can use the app to test the connection of the speakers, adjust the volume of each speaker, tweak the brightness of the LCD display, and more. For some reason, the surround sound setting is off by default, which is strange for a surround sound system. Note: You will definitely need to adjust the volume for each speaker, especially the soundbar’s overhead speaker, using the app to improve audio clarity.

On a design level, the LG S95QR soundbar and accompanying speakers are quite plain and simple to look at. They come in a dark Grey finish and can adapt to pretty much any decor in the house. This rather understated look might disappoint those who expected a premium or luxury design given the price tag.

You have a few sound presets to choose from like Cinema (which is ideal for movies and shows), Clear (which focuses on vocals and drowns out lows and highs), Sport (enhances vocal clarity, making it easier to listen to sports commentary), Music (which offers a balanced response), Game, Bass, and AI sound (which adapts to the content type), and Standard.

The LG S95QR gets a total of 17 speaker drivers and 9.1.5 channels to deliver an output of 810W. It also gets support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced. There’s Hi-Res Audio certification, SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, and support for Dolby Vision, 4K, and HDR10 content. Suffice it to say, the LG S95QR comes loaded with drivers and relevant technology, though it does miss out on some important codecs like aptX HD and LDAC that would have delivered better audio streaming quality over Bluetooth.

Let’s jump straight into the sound quality. The LG S95QR delivers an immersive surround sound experience when watching movies like Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Interstellar. The 360-degree soundscape in these movies pours through nicely from each speaker, especially the rear ones. Spatial sounds are attractive and the low-end sound signature is pleasing when listening to the bass-heavy background music in the above-mentioned movies. The mids, especially the vocals, are pretty average by default, but a few tweaks in the volume settings can fix that.

I enjoyed my experience playing The Last of Us Part 2 with the LG system’s Game mode sound preset. The stereo effect was great, particularly during rainy scenes and when encountering Clickers. The sound was well distributed across the front, rear left, and right speakers, perfectly matching the corresponding in-game sound source. That said, the vocals felt a bit suppressed, but that can be fixed by tweaking the speaker volume levels through the app. Wi-Fi connectivity was solid throughout the review period, with negligible audio-visual lag.

Streaming music was a rather mixed experience. The LG sound system doesn’t have a wide soundstage, which means songs with multiple instruments, especially in the Rock genre, will sound cramped. Hip-Hop and Pop songs sound pretty good, and the former gets a nice bass response from the subwoofer. Overall, the LG S95QR won’t offer a consistent music listening experience across different genres.

The physical remote that you get in the box features buttons for controlling volume, switching between sound presets, equaliser settings, general settings, mute, Bluetooth, and HDMI eARC, among other things. You can, of course, use the TV remote to adjust the volume levels of the speakers as well.

Verdict

In terms of sound and connectivity, the LG S95QR provides pretty much everything you can ask for. It is a high-tech system that comes with a number of connectivity options, including the fact that they are wireless speakers, making it easy to set up at home without needing a lot of cables.

The LG S95QR is the perfect sound system for watching movies and shows, especially Dolby Atmos-supported ones. The speakers deliver an immersive and cinematic sound experience, even while gaming. However, these aren’t the best speakers for streaming music and you’ll find better alternatives over Rs 1 lakh, such as the Sony HT-A3000 5.1 ch.

Editor’s rating: 3.5 / 5

Pros:

• Impressive surround sound
• Good connectivity features
• Easy to set up

Cons:

• Lacks wide soundstage
• Doesn’t look premium