LG Unveils Flagship S95TR Dolby Atmos Soundbar With 120Hz Passthrough And AI Tuning
Your TV's built-in speakers might get the job done but they'll never match the fidelity of dedicated speakers and bone crunching bass of a discrete subwoofer. The problem is, home theater speaker systems can be a bit of bear to set up. That's where soundbars come into play. To that end, LG is rolling out its new top-of-the-line S95TR soundbar system with Dolby Atmos on board.
The S95TR takes its place as LG's flagship soundbar for 2024. It's a 9.5.1 channel system with 17 "precisely arranged speakers," including five up-firing speakers, one of which is a center speaker. According to LG, it's the industry's first center up-firing speaker. The potential up shot (pun intended), if you will, is better Dolby Atmos audio.
Dolby Atmos soundbars bounce audio off the ceiling and walls. The point of doing so is to create immersive audio with sound coming to the listener from all directions, rather than a straight shot from your TV. In this case, the S95RT soundbar systems also includes a pair of "true wireless" rear speakers and a wireless 810W subwoofer. That means there's no wire to run from the rear speakers or subwoofer to the soundbar, though each one requires being plugged into an outlet, so there are power cords involved.
According to LG, the S95TR pushes the low frequency response down to 120Hz for what it says is a balanced sound profile. It also features 3D spatial, HDR passthrough support (HDR10 and Dolby Vision), eARC support, Apple AirPlay 2 support, Alexa support, Spotify Connect support, and an HDMI port (eARC) with 4K and 120Hz passthrough.
Naturally, LG claims the S95TR makes the perfect companion for its latest OLED TVs. Beyond the marketing angle, that claim is rooted in LG's WOWCAST technology, which enables wireless pairing to supported LG TVs and smart integration.
"LG's WOW Interface provides an intuitive and user-friendly way of navigating through LG TV sound settings and, with the press of a button, utilizing LG's WOW Orchestra technology. This symphonic alliance between the Soundbar and select LG TV orchestrates a harmonious fusion of audio channels, expanding the soundstage and adding layers of depth that elevate the heights of auditory imagery," LG says.
Getting the most out of any sound system requires proper placement and tuning. To help with that, LG's latest soundbar employs an 'AI Room Calibration' feature to "swiftly assess" the surrounding and fine tune the settings, according to LG.
LG's S95TR soundbar carries a $1,499.99 MSRP, though you can get it for a few bucks cheaper on Amazon. Just be aware that the bulk of user reviews on Amazon are for LG's S95QR that released in 2021.
