The next range of LG soundbars isn’t just thinking of spatial sound formats Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, they’re also made to match LG’s OLED screens.
When you’re buying a new TV, there’s a good chance you might be thinking of buying a new sound system to go with it.
The television is one part of the entertainment package, and while it’s an important part, many reviewers (this one included) will argue that sound is often the more important part. In fact, if you’ve upgraded the screen without thinking of the sound, you may be doing your entertainment viewing experience a disservice.
This year, though, you can expect quite a few new screens, with these already being some of the main attractions, though they’re not alone. Soundbars are big news, too, and for LG, they’ll actually be designed to go under the company’s super thin TVs.
In 2023, the range will see support for spatial audio in both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and a technology LG calls “Triple Sound Technology”, which will use up firing speakers and a 3D engine to create a virtual mid-layer to create a more complete spatial sound. From the sound of things, it’ll see LG fire sound out and up, and also use psychoacoustic audio to simulate where a mid-height sound would go.
That technology will also apparently convert two-channel audio into multi-channel surround, something we’ve seen Sonos attempt in its upscaling on the Beam Gen 2, and like the Sonos use of TruePlay, LG will include room calibration to deliver a more precise sound customised for the room the soundbar will be in.
It’s largely expected LG’s soundbars will be for owners of LG TVs, and new TVs will even reportedly see settings for the soundbars able to be changed from the TVs themselves, improving the ease of use.
That ease of use continues in the design, with LG’s SC9 soundbar supporting a bracket that allows the soundbar to fit under its LG C series OLED screens, thanks to it being connected to the rear of the screen itself.
Interestingly, LG hasn’t noted whether its collaboration with UK audio specialists Meridian will continue this year.
Back in 2017, LG kicked off a working collaboration with Meridian to help build out the audio capabilities of LG sound products, covering speakers and portable audio, and we’ve seen Meridian’s hand and audio understanding in most LG audio gear ever since. This year, Meridian’s name appears to be absent in LG releases, which raises questions as to whether LG will keep the Meridian relationship going, though we’ve reached out and will let you know when we know.
As for Australian pricing and availability, LG Australia hasn’t said much at this time, though with TV change-over typically between March and May, you can bet the new models will pop up some time around then.
