This LG flagship soundbar takes my home theater to the next level. Currently on sale for $500.

Released by LG S95TR Soundbar Earlier this year, it received a lot of hype as a premium complement to the latest OLED TVs. The soundbar and wireless subwoofer setup comes with a number of impressive features, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound, as well as a host of additional features accessible through the app. I recently tried out the soundbar myself to see if it was worth all the fun. Let’s dig in.

Also: Change 5 soundbar settings to make your living room feel like a movie theater.

The S95TR includes four components: a main soundbar, a subwoofer, and two small rear speakers. The subwoofer and rear speakers are wireless, so no additional cords are required other than the power connection and main HDMI cord.

The main concern that initially kept me from doing a surround sound setup was dealing with the wires running across my room. So I appreciate that this system is partially wireless.

Unfortunately, you’ll need to download the LG Soundbar app to use all the features. It’s a bit inconvenient, especially given that you use it separately from the LG ThinQ app that controls your LG TV, but that’s a minor issue.

Setup is simple. If you connect the speakers in the instructed order, install the app, and add the soundbar to the app, the speakers will go through a tuning process to suit your room setup. I played the movie before using AI Room Calibration, and I can see a noticeable difference in the sound.

We then used the TV’s built-in speakers to get a baseline for testing this soundbar. Due to the noise from the two kids and one dog in the house, I had to turn the volume up by more than half to hear comfortably. It was 65 points out of 100. Conversely, when I switched the audio to the soundbar, the sound was loud enough. 40s. Immediately I knew it was going to be a serious upgrade.

Plus: This soundbar is recommended if you have limited space at home ($100 off).

Another thing I like to test with my audio equipment is how well it handles dialogue. I usually watch everything with captions because in a casual setting it’s easy to miss something.

This soundbar solves the problem of having a small upward center speaker in addition to the traditional front speakers. LG claims this makes conversations clearer. When I turn on one of my favorite shows, the TV’s built-in speakers and important An improvement over the audio of your everyday soundbar. If you’re like me and have a hard time keeping track of all the words, you’ll definitely love this feature.

We then ran the soundbar through a variety of movie tests, including explosion-heavy action scenes, suspenseful scenes in a creepy forest, and dialogue-heavy scenes.

More Info: Best Soundbars to Buy, Test & Review

The audio from the S95TR setup makes background sounds stand out realistically. In the second scene of the test, which involved a conversation between people in a car, the ambient road noise enveloped the back of the sofa and the conversation stayed in front of me, just like in real life. There was enough hum from the subwoofer to make it sound like a real road.

In all my tests, the soundbar setup performed flawlessly, and I heard things I would have otherwise missed.

If you’re worried about sleeping kids or neighbors, there’s a night mode available through the app and remote control. This feature keeps surround sound active, but the subwoofer becomes noticeably softer. My setup was on a wall shared with my daughter’s room and she never complained about late night movies, so this is a win.

Also: This midrange Yamaha soundbar is superior to systems costing twice as much.

Gamers will appreciate the 120Hz HDR10 passthrough support, ensuring that sound doesn’t lag through the speakers. I’ve tried out a number of games on the PS5, and my experience with each has improved while using the system. At one point, the sound behind me became so real that my dog ​​looked up to see who was there.

ZDNET’s Buying Advice

At first glance, LG S95TR The retail price of $1,499 may seem a bit steep. Especially when budget-friendly wired options are available with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for under $400. If you’re wondering whether the LG S95TR system is worth the price, my answer is yes.

Setting up wireless was easier than any audio system I’ve ever encountered, and the S95TR performed better than any system I’d ever heard before. If you’ve built a setup that caters to these components, you’ll be spending more anyway, so the LG S95TR will save you money. In that respect, it’s money.

also: This Roku soundbar transformed my old TV into the ultimate 4K theater experience.

The soundbar setup will work with any TV, but works best with LG’s B4, C4, and G4 OLED TVs. If you don’t have one of those TVs, you may be missing out on some features.

This article was originally published on June 18, 2024, and was updated on December 23, 2024.