I’ve reviewed a number of TVs – each massive and small, budget-friendly and high-end – however what will not be lined almost as usually, regardless of being crucial, is the sound system that accompanies them. Many occasions, the TV’s efficiency lacks the punch to ship on the audio entrance. That is the place a soundbar, like LG’s SC9S, comes into the image – to finish the house leisure bundle. Priced at Rs. 34,991 (present provide worth), I just lately had the chance to check out the LG SC9S soundbar + subwoofer mixture. Let’s dive in and see if it fulfills its audio promise or not:
Design and Setup: The soundbar and subwoofer are available one massive field, together with a wall mount and distant management. The soundbar itself is about 39 inches vast and weighs round 4.1kg. It’s made out of plastic with steel grills within the entrance. LEDs on the entrance grill point out energy and quantity adjustment. The again of the soundbar homes HDMI in, HDMI out, USB A port, 3.5mm audio jack, and digital optical inputs. On the highest, there are contact management buttons for WiFi, Bluetooth, energy, quantity controls, enter switching, and observe altering. The subwoofer weighs about 7.8kg and measures round 15.5 inches in peak.
Organising the soundbar is an easy course of. You possibly can join it to your TV utilizing wires or use it whereas enjoying media over WiFi or Bluetooth, relying on the app. For instance, for those who use Spotify, you should utilize Spotify Join, which works flawlessly and even syncs quantity management.
The soundbar additionally helps audio passthrough, permitting you to connect it to 1 HDMI port of your TV whereas connecting a media field (like Chromecast or Apple TV) to a different HDMI port. It seamlessly handles audio from the media field with none further setup required. This function labored properly for me proper from the beginning, with none pointless changes. Not each premium audio setup can declare this degree of comfort.
Sound and Expertise: The LG Soundbar app permits you to replace firmware, alter sound settings, add one other speaker to the setup, and even add an Amazon Alexa appropriate speaker. It additionally gives sound calibration for the room the place the soundbar is positioned, together with the subwoofer. The SC9S helps Bluetooth 5.0 (with SBC and AAC codec), WiFi, in addition to Chromecast and AirPlay 2.
Utilizing the three.1.3 channel, 400-watt soundbar for watching motion pictures and TV reveals, I used to be impressed by the readability with which it delivers dialogue. The improved readability enhances the viewing expertise with the TV. You possibly can change EQ presets to search out the very best sound for the TV present or film you are watching, or the streaming app you are utilizing. The soundbar helps IMAX Enhanced sound, Dolby Atmos, and HDR audio, together with 120HZ VRR ALL for higher gaming and video experiences. Not many soundbars at this worth level can deal with all of those options. LG suggests pairing it with an LG OLED TV for the very best efficiency, though I used to be unable to check this particular mixture. Nevertheless, I didn’t encounter any points whereas utilizing IMAX, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, or HDR content material.
The soundbar options three upfiring drivers to enhance the 220-watt subwoofer. When listening to music through Spotify Join or Tidal Join, the audio output is clear and clear, with a give attention to vocal notes and devices. The bass is clear however not the deepest or loudest you could get from a subwoofer. You possibly can experiment with totally different settings to search out your most well-liked sound profile. Whereas the lows are dealt with properly, they might not ship the thumpiest bass.
I additionally discovered that the soundbar handles MQA from Tidal and Nugs with none technical points. Nevertheless, I nonetheless want precise lossless FLAC or ALAC playback, which the soundbar helps from Tidal in addition to from a USB disk drive. Apple Music might be performed over Chromecast, however understand that Chromecast doesn’t assist Apple’s lossless codec, ALAC. The one space the place the SC9S appeared to lack was Dolby Atmos output. It didn’t ship as immersive an expertise as I anticipated from an LG system with Dolby Atmos, whether or not it was from a streaming app or a music app with Dolby Atmos albums. It is doable {that a} firmware improve or a further speaker is required to completely expertise Dolby Atmos with this soundbar. That being mentioned, for different use instances comparable to music, motion pictures, TV reveals, and gaming, the SC9S is well-equipped and handles almost all content material with none points.
Verdict: On the present provide worth, the LG SC9S soundbar looks like an excellent purchase to enhance your TV and full your house leisure bundle. Whereas I might have appreciated it to supply a better quantity output total, it’s ample for a room measuring 15×15 toes. Though Dolby Atmos is its weak spot, the SC9S delivers clear dialogues for motion pictures and TV reveals, has clear bass, and gives good connectivity choices with no main glitches when connecting to totally different gadgets. General, it’s a worthy contender to your audio wants.