Verdict
As well as heralding a possible new earth of radically upgradable soundbars , the S95QR is also well LG ’s good soundbar ever – especially if you have a peculiarly big room to occupy
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
LG officially launched its S95QR flagship sound in 2022 , but unusually it has continued the model on – keeping its flagship status – for 2023 .
Even more outstandingly , though , it ’s not now the same soundbar that it was when it first amount out . That ’s because LG late lived up to a surprising hope it made back at the Consumer Electronics Show in January by rolling out by far the most substantial , wide - ranging firmware update the soundbar world has ever run across .
So does the new improved S95QR have what it study to keep up with the all - new 2023 Inigo Jones ?
Availability
When the S95QR first get along out it be £ 1,699 in the UK – and it still does today . Whether you see that as a good deal debate it ’s benefitted from the soundbar world ’s biggest software update or a bit expensive for something that ’s been around for longer than some of its closest rivals is a matter of position .
Less undefendable to debate is the fact that its £ 1,699 terms makes it a premium soundbar proposition , up against other soundbar ‘ wedge ’ such as theSonos Arc plus Sub systemand Samsung ’s 16 - channelHW - Q990Cpackage .
thing start to look rather clumsy for the £ 1,699 UK price when equate with its Mary Leontyne Price ( at the prison term of piece of writing ) in the US : $ 999.99 . This is the consequence of a late $ 800 reduction that will hopefully be more or less matched presently in the UK .
The S95QR is widely usable across the world , with on the face of it no direct replacement likely during 2023 .
Design
As well as eating up much less living elbow room space than a distinctive separates audio system of rules would , the LG S95QR is seriously attractive . Or at least three of its four factor are , anyway .
The main soundbar sit low and blanket , providing plenty of space for the speaker unit to lock without it abut into the pictures of most of today ’s television receiver designs . Its sharp edge and corners and felt - cover front and incline combine with an elegantly brushed finish top boundary to impress event , while the addition of three grilled circular speakers within that top border adds to the gamey - technical school feel .
The S95QR is the first soundbar I ’ve meet to feature three top - edge drivers ; other premium Dolby Atmos soundbars only run two . The supererogatory gadget driver is in reality used by LG to repeat in a vertical commission the centre channel sound data that also fires out of a dedicated speaker in the soundbar ’s front sharpness . The mind being to make dialogue and arrangement effects sound as if they ’re coming from the screenland above the soundbar .
The rearward speakers included with the S95QR follow the smooth top / felt front and side of the main soundbar , and also feature rotary up - firers for Dolby Atmos meridian effects . outstandingly , their front edges feature a roof - like triangular shape – a result of LG correspond two onward - facing drivers in each rearward speaker pointing in unlike directions to achieve a full , wider fence sound experience .
I should say the two angled equipment driver in the front of each rearward loudspeaker system only repeat the same rear left / rear right epithelial duct selective information ; you ’re not get four dissimilar channel of auditory sensation . Even though LG count the rear verbalizer as adding four canal to the ‘ 9 ’ part of the S95QR ’s claim 9.1.5 channel enumeration .
If you ’re counting , you ’ll realise from the above that the main soundbar expect five canal of phone : centre , front left , front right , side left and side right .
The .1 bit of the arrogate 9.1.5 line count is provided by the least attractive element in the S95QR package : the subwoofer . This is relatively grandiloquent and slender by subwoofer monetary standard , but would still be best hide behind or down the side of a lounge if potential . So long as you do n’t block the promisingly large-minded 8 - inch number one wood build into one side .
The S95QR ’s connections comprise twoHDMI input signal , an HDMI output ( so an HDMI loopthrough ) , an optical digital audio input signal , and the usual Bluetooth and Wi - Fi wireless options .
The S95QR ship with a canonical but effective distant control that gets by surprisingly well on a very stripped back button count .
Two last blueprint points of note are the comprehension on the front edge of an LED video display , and on the top edge of a neat touch - sensitive row of control condition buttons .
Features
The LG S95QR talks a very good game . For starters , it promote the idea of what constitute a soundbar to its limit by institute four separate element : the independent soundbar , a large subwoofer and two multi - channel rearward speakers . These constituent deliver a middling mighty 9.1.5 claim communication channel reckoning .
Two of the channels in the ‘ 9 ’ bit are a tad affirmative for reason discussed originally , and the ‘ 5 ’ bit likewise includes one duct that ’s actually an upfiring repeat of the primary soundbar ’s centre duct . To be fair , it ’s clear that the S95QR ’s speaker organization , whatever the epithelial duct specifics , is all about delivering not just true surround auditory sensation , but the variety of immersive cerebral hemisphere of sound , perfect with overhead strait , that ’s so key to a full Dolby Atmos experience .
It ’s worth saying that some aspects of the utterer design have been ameliorate over the S95QR ’s predecessor . The woofer in the primary soundbar are bigger , enabling them to produce a wider dynamic reach and shift more melodic phrase , while the subwoofer driver has increased to eight inches from the precursor ’s seven .
A vast 810W of claimed power is apportion around the S95QR ’s drivers , and it ’s no surprisal given all of the features described so far that LG ’s flagship soundbar is adequate to of diddle both the Dolby Atmos andDTS :X formatsthat defend the current state of audio artistic creation in the home amusement world .
Format backup via the S95QR ’s legion connexion options is strong . The HDMI loop - through scheme can passDolby Vision HDRthrough to compatible TVs as well as the more typical HDR10 and HLG formats . There ’s support for HDMI’seARC functionalityon the soundbar ’s TV HDMI port , too , so that fittingly featured TVs ( such as many of LG ’s own 2023 OLED TV ) can pass lossless Dolby Atmos or DTS :X to the soundbar . The DTS :X support stretch to the particular tweaked variation of the data format associated with theIMAX Enhancedmastering banner .
you’re able to even pass Dolby Atmos from your tv set to the soundbar wirelessly if you endue in LG ’s WOWCAST wireless HDMI adaptor organisation . And unlike Samsung ’s similar system , WOWCAST delivers Atmos losslessly .
There stay a couple of format disappointment , though even after the update . First , there ’s no backup for the HDR10 + HDR data formatting found on many Prime Video andApple TV+shows and a few 4 K Blu - rays . secondly , the novel 4K/120Hz support is limited to standard dynamical orbit signal . So if you desire to habituate the soundbar ’s HDMI loop through , you ’re left face a choice of gaming at 4K/120Hz in SDR , or 4K/60Hz in HDR .
There ’s an improved ( and I can confirm extremely effectual ) motorcar calibration arrangement built into the S95QR too , which now analyses bass part frequencies across eight separate sections , rather than the less precise two sections previously . This organisation was further improve by a late software update .
The SS95QR provides a broad range of reasoned processing systems alongside its ‘ pure ’ Atmos and DTS :X systems . These include LG ’s AI Sound Pro mode for car - optimising the soundbar ’s multi - channel output to dissimilar type of source , and a Music preset that brings in a so - called Horizon processing organization designed by high - conclusion audio brand Meridian that up - converts stereo music to 5.1 .
I should wrap up this department by detailing all the new features added by the recent biz - changing update I have n’t cover yet . So , first , a new Triple Level Spatial Sound system , to quote LG , “ utilize channel analysis do by an HRTF - based 3D locomotive engine to add a virtual mid - layer to the soundstage ” . LG also claims to have ameliorate how stereo sources are upmixed to take advantage of the soundbar ’s full channel counting , and a young Clear Voice Plus option realize outspoken tracks more outstanding if you ’re struggling to make them out against a in particular dense admixture .
LG ’s WOW functionality was inflate to enable a deep , more effectual link with LG ’s latest TVs , and finally a newfangled WOW Interface feature was added that enables LG soundbars to be curb by LG telecasting remote . Add all the new enhancements and features together , and you could see why LG feel the revamp S95QR was changed enough by the update not to warrant the yield of an all new flagship soundbar for 2023 .
Sound Quality
The S95QR produces arguably the most flat - out muscular sound we ’ve heard from any soundbar . Including the phenomenal Q990C from LG ’s patronizing rival , Samsung .
This force can be felt straightaway in both the vast volumes the system of rules can achieve without sound in the least bit compressed or misshapen ; the massive dynamic range it can straddle ; and most uniquely of all , the stupendous space the speakers manage to throw their sound without the soundstage losing cohesiveness . The audio really does push to all four corners of your room , as well as right to your ceiling thanks to the five up - firing drivers .
You entirely forget that the physical Speaker are there , at least when take heed to a 3D Dolby Atmos sound stage , and instead you ’re enveloped in a monumental existence of sound .
Unlike one or two of LG ’s previous soundbars , too , sound effects are locate consistently accurately within the 3D sound space , and with good counterpoise and weight . You do n’t get the sense that background upshot are acquiring undue prominence . But also nor are insidious issue forced out of the mix by over - aggression from the main soundtrack elements .
This does not mean , though , that there ’s anything polite about the S95QR ’s speech sound . It extradite the crunches of punch , the stiffness of gunshot and the whoomph of explosion with great impact – much good impact , in fact , than its predecessor managed .
The new dual front and up - give the axe middle channels really do help dialogue sound well set on the blind – though the double number one wood approach could also sometimes , I feel , make dialogue seem just a touch too ‘ burnished ’ .
The bigger gadget driver in the subwoofer help the S95QR enjoy deeper basso than its LG forerunner managed , which in turn makes the moving picture world ’s deepest rumble phone cleaner and more natural , with no bottom - end compaction or clipping .
from time to time a peculiarly sudden freshwater bass barrage , such as the onset of a meaty explosion , can get the subwoofer napping , leaving it vocalize momently heavily - footed . For the most part , though , the S95QR can be relied on to deliver truly cinematic story of the downhearted frequency good stuff .
While the S95QR is mostly spectacular , piquant and fun with film soundtracks , though , particularly Dolby Atmos and DTS :X premix , there are a couple of other little niggles to report on top of those I ’ve outlined already . The main one being that for me the soundstage in reality pushes a little too far from the Speaker , so that it no longer feels as if it ’s tightly wrapped around you .
Also , moments in a soundtrack that feature sounds moving from front to back and vice versa can seem to ‘ jump ’ a little as they progress between the front and rear utterer , rather than their profound tracking consistently all the style down the slope of your room .
As you might desire given LG ’s kinship with Meridian and the encroachment of its big software system update , the S95QR fathom very accomplished with music . Even running in basic stereophonic system mode it continues to produce a Brobdingnagian sound , leaving even the most potent traditional succinct hi - fi systems go puny by comparison . This melodic munificence is well hold , though , deliver convincing theatrical production that does n’t fathom thrust or stretched .
The new subwoofer is lively enough to move in and out of music playback without drawing undue attention to itself , too , doing a more consistently good problem of adapting itself to the dissimilar demands of medicine than the subwoofers in Samsung ’s home film focused flagship soundbars tend to .
If you ca n’t resist the temptation of bringing more of the S95QR ’s many talker into play with music , the AI Sound Pro style really does make euphony satiate your elbow room , giving it a compelling surround element while also expand the dynamic ambit to produce a wide , more Atmos - like experience . Needless to say the S95QR sounds outstanding with actual Dolby Atmos music mixes .
The Music modality , with its 5.1 prime remix , is much more successful than the debut version of the technology that appeared on the S95QR ’s predecessor , ditching much of that model ’s vagueness and achieving a more systematically reliable and respectful correspondence between an original stereophonic system mixture ’s original elements . I personally still opt the AI Sound Pro approach to non - native stereoscopic picture playback , but at least there ’s a proper choice this metre round .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
- : The S95QR ’s huge power handling and high channel numeration help oneself it bring forth masses of dynamic range and a full surround soundstage that pushes right up to your walls and cap .
intelligibly any soundbar that comprises four freestanding components is go to be more of an imposition on your living room than a single unit soundbar .
Final Thoughts
The S95QR is n’t perfect . There are little cakehole in its Atmos soundstage , dialogue can now and again be a bit too pronounced , and film mixes can drive a slight too far away from your seating position .
None of these issues stop the S95QR from being a gravely good soundbar overall – one that leaves not just all build - in TV sound systems but also the vast legal age of other soundbars quaking under the assault of its massive power and staging . In fact , if you have a particularly swelled room or just like the musical theme of movies and music alike sounding flat - out epic poem , the S95QR is the soundbar for you .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every soundbar system we reexamine soundly over an extended stop of time . We use industry standard tests to compare feature in good order . We ’ll always order you what we obtain . We never , ever , accept money to review a mathematical product .
Find out more about how we screen in ourethics policy .
FAQs
Premium sound formats that use so - call off ‘ object establish ’ technology to place sound within a three - dimensional heavy stage , rather than sounds just appearing to come from location of your speakers .
It claims a 9.1.5 channel tally – that ’s nine master front and environs channels , one bass channel , and five up - firing distribution channel for top impression .
HDR10 , HLG , Dolby Vision , SDR up to 4K/120Hz , HDR up to 4K/60Hz .
