Better sound experiences can mean lots of things to different buyers, so LG’s approach to sound this year does, too.
While buying a new TV is often the first thing many people think about when it comes to the idea of upgrading your home theatre, improving the sound can often be a better idea, simply because the sound can get seriously better.
New TV sound systems are improving, but dedicated components for sound are always going to sound better than the speakers found in or behind a television panel. Connecting a separate system made just for sound will deliver larger speakers, a wider soundstage, and a more dedicated approach to sound delivery. It’s just how it works.
It’s no wonder that home entertainment manufacturers are working to build better sound systems that connect with the modern formats and technologies we rely on, such as the spatial audio capabilities of Dolby Atmos and 3D sound. A more expansive sound than standard stereo, spatial systems often rely on two speakers that fire upwards to create a bubble of sound around the listener, basically encompassing you in a sphere of sound not unlike what a movie theatre is trying to do.
That’s the norm for spatial systems, but this year, LG is turning it up a notch.
While two speakers firing up may well be the regular thing for spatial soundbars, LG’s 2024 S95TR will include five up-firing speakers, including the industry’s first up-firing centre channel, giving you three up in the front and two up in the back, alongside another ten channels of sound.
That’ll bring the total to 15 channels of audio completely, with the S95TR being a soundbar, subwoofer, and speaker combination made to deliver 9.1.5 audio, translating to:
- 9 channels of sound around
- 1 subwoofer
- 5 up-firing dimensional sound sources
It’s a fair amount of sound for a fair amount of impact, and one that’ll cover both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, if you have movies that use it.
The LG S95TR won’t be the only soundbar in the lineup, with a flatter and more streamlined model in the S70TY.
LG will also reportedly use AI for its sound processing, building an understanding of the layout for sound using AI room calibration, while its “triple level spatial sound” technology will improve the dimensionality of sound, as well. And last year’s T90 Tone Free earphones will also get an update, boasting improvements to head tracking, something we found it needed in last year’s review.
As with most CES announcements, there’s no word on Australian pricing or availability, but we expect that will only take a few months until we find out what those are.
