Review: LG Sound Suite Soundbar System

High-end soundbar systems live or die by how good the surround speakers are. Sure, the main bar can be excellent, but if you’re not getting immersive height channels and rear speaker information from behind you, there’s just really no way to simulate it perfectly.

That’s why I was excited to test LG’s C5 OLED TV alongside the brand's expandable Sound Suite system. I used two front speakers, two rear speakers, a soundbar, and a wireless subwoofer for bass. What makes the Sound Suite expandable is the ability to customize the setup: Opt for a bundled configuration or design your own with à la carte gear. Either way, it’s a multidriver array that fills any medium-size room with immersive 3D Dolby Atmos sound, and one that finally gives top-of-the-line soundbars from Samsung and Sonos a run for their money.

If you want an upscale setup that has the fullest bass you can buy, consider your search over. Of all the systems I've tested this year, this one creates the strongest cinematic experience, and one that is significantly more immersive than all but the best premium competitors.

Sound Suite

Photograph: Parker Hall

No matter the exact configuration of your Sound Suite, the centerpiece of the system is the LG H7 soundbar, which features 12 speakers. The two front and two surround speakers are identical LG M7s, which are round rectangles with up-firing drivers that bounce sound off the ceiling to simulate the sound coming from above. The wireless subwoofer is a hefty 19 pounds, but its thin profile makes it easy to place, even in rooms with an awkward layout.

Setup was relatively quick and painless. You just have to unbox four speakers, a soundbar, and a subwoofer, attach their power cables, and plug in everything. Pairing happens through the LG ThinQ app, which allows you to set up the Sound Suite system and tune it to exactly where you’re sitting in the room using your cell phone’s microphone.

You can also set up each speaker to play music and group it with any other LG smart speakers you might have around your home, like the more affordable $250 M5 bookshelf speaker, to create a whole-home system.

Once all the components were synced, I plugged the soundbar into the C5 OLED via HDMI, and was able to easily control everything via the TV remote's volume and mute buttons. More in-depth settings had to happen in the app, but if you’re anything like me, this won't become a regular chore. You’ll set it how you like it once and move on. While the pairing functionality with the LG TV was nice, it’s not required–the eARC port lets the Sound Suite work perfectly with any modern TV.

The bar itself runs the show, with a black-and-white display on the far left that shows your mode and volume, among other settings. In the center of the bar and below each speaker, an LED light strip that also shows you the volume when you change it, which is a nice touch.

Getting Musical

Photograph: Parker Hall

The sound of the LG Sound Suite is full and cinematic, thanks in no small part to the extra dedicated speakers. Most competitors lack front left and right, simply opting to use the soundbar for these channels. As such, the width and breadth of the soundstage were bigger than most competitors I’ve tried, with only Samsung’s flagship HW-Q990F as a real contender. Even the Samsung lacked the lower-frequency audio quality that these LG speakers provide.

I noticed the most impressive audio when watching 4K Blu-ray discs like Ford v Ferrari and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Engine noises and screeching tires felt intense, like I was in a real theater. In the Star Wars universe, especially, weird sounds often peek out from the edges—doors, droids, ship sounds—and all of them were hyper-realistic through the Sound Suite soundscape. At one point, I actually turned around because I thought a phone was ringing in my home, but it was just part of what I was watching.

Streaming content that only has 5.1 surround sound, like Casino Royale, still provided a wholly immersive experience, with the processing on the soundbar able to split audio into the rest of the speakers with ease. Music, like the Bond soundtrack and Spotify streamed through the TV, sounded excellent, with full but not overpowering bass, and a good amount of treble without being too bright.

While Sonos has a similar option, it’s not quite as aesthetically subtle, and it doesn't have the same bass quality. Samsung’s HW-Q990 is a direct competitor that lacks the Sound Suite's gusto, but costs a bit less (especially if you take our advice and get last year's).

Photograph: Parker Hall

The key advantage of this LG system is that you can slowly build it; you could start with the soundbar and subwoofer and add surround speakers until you have the full system. This option isn’t available with most competitors.

The LG Sound Suite is a sleek setup that looks good and fits below most modern TVs—not just those from LG. The wireless functionality, ability to fill spaces with 3D, and Dolby Atmos audio are impressive, and I can see this system being a frontrunner come late-summer sale season.