LG has unveiled a new 9.1.5-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbar with an innovative upward-firing centre speaker that bounces dialogue off the celling and into your ears, allowing you to hear it clearly. While up-firing drivers are a common feature of soundbars in general (it’s one of five here), LG claims the up-firing centre is a first in the world. The soundbar also comes with a pair of wireless rear speakers that can now convey sounds to the room’s side walls, potentially increasing audio immersion.
Greatly’s important to note that the new up-firing centre speaker uses the same channel as the regular centre, but it improves dialogue clarity. The two extra side-firing drivers of the rear speaker pair are on the same channel as the soundbar’s side speakers. LG claims that its AI Room Calibration can automatically configure each speaker’s timings and synchronise everything.
The total power output of this new LG soundbar (model S95QR), its back speakers, and the accompanying wireless subwoofer is 810W. The LG S95QR is positioned as a luxury soundbar and a successor to the LG SP11RA soundbar, which features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Unfortunately, the new soundbar, like its predecessor, does not allow 4K 120Hz HDR passthrough. You might not want to plug your game console straight into the bar if you have a newer 4K HDR TV and a Series X or PS5. However, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) functionality should still be available.
The soundbar also has Auto Low-Latency Mode (ALLM) and can be operated with Google Assistant, Alexa, and “other AI assistants” through smart devices. The earlier LG SP11RA soundbar supported AirPlay 2 and could be controlled with Siri, but LG’s press release doesn’t say if the new soundbar does as well (but we’re optimistic).
LG also claims that their Wowcast Wi-Fi audio dongle, which was released last fall and is accessible on LG’s UK page, is supported. For cases where running a cable between the TV and the soundbar would be difficult, the Wowcast is a gadget that makes the soundbar wireless. It attaches to the back of your TV and allows an HDMI eARC connection to be made between it and the soundbar. According to LG, the Wowcast will be sold separately, so we can expect it to be released alongside the new soundbar in the United States.
However, LG did not reveal a price or a release date for the new LG S95QR. The soundbar will be one of the first goods introduced and featured in the company’s virtual CES 2022 booth.