LG Soundbar: LG has a reputation for producing feature-packed soundbars that also generate amazing, room-filling sound. Its $1,000 SP9YA is the company’s latest effort in this arena, carrying on the 9-Series tradition of packing a tonne of audio capability (including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X) into just one soundbar and one wireless subwoofer. It’s an appealing alternative for those looking for large, cinematic sound and a straightforward setup.
LG Soundbar (SP9YA) makes a strong push to unseat Sonos’ Arc soundbar as the leader in simple home theatre sound. At $1,000, LG’s newest provides impressive Dolby Atmos performance and a slew of capabilities, but it’s hampered by a few audio quality problems and clunkier controls. It’s still an outstanding soundbar, and if you can find it on sale, it could be the system you’ve been looking for.
LG Soundbar (SP9YA): The SP9YA takes over from 2020’s SN9YG. Despite the fact that the two models are essentially identical, LG has made two minor but significant changes:
The SP9YA does not include the Google Assistant-based smart speaker capability of the 9YG, but it is Google Assistant-compatible.
The SP9YA supports AirPlay 2 as well as Chromecast. Only Chromecast was supported by the 9YG.
LG Soundbar (SP9YA): The soundbar, a wireless subwoofer with a power cable, two mounting brackets, and screws, a wall-mount template, remote control with AA batteries, an optical cable, and some very basic quick-start paper materials are all included inside the massive shipping box, which is made entirely of recyclable materials both inside and out.
It’s unclear why LG offers an optical cable but not an HDMI cable, but you’ll need one to get the greatest audio from your TV.
The SP9YA is a massive, 48-inch-wide soundbar that will look amazing in front of a 50-inch or larger TV, but it may easily dwarf a smaller screen. Because of its modest stature (just 2.24 inches tall), it is unlikely to cover the lower area of any TV, big or little.
LG Soundbar (SP9YA) has preserved the brushed aluminum look of the top surface on both the soundbar and the subwoofer, which is a wise decision because it reduces the appearance of what is a quite large set of speakers. The circular up-firing driver grilles are the only item that breaks up the otherwise smooth appearance. I prefer Dolby Atmos soundbars that conceal these height drivers, such as the Sonos Arc and Vizio Elevate, but this is a question of personal preference.
The top of the bar has a set of touch controls for volume, power, source selection, play/pause, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, but they’re hardly visible. In fact, with the exception of the forward-facing LED display hidden behind the metal grille (which dims but never completely shuts off), the SP9YA nearly completely vanishes in a darkened room.
The wireless subwoofer employs a front-firing configuration, which often outperforms down-firing units of the same power rating in my experience.
My only concern is the soundbar’s hardwired power connection, which could make some installs difficult, especially if the cord needs to be routed through cabinetry openings that are too small to accommodate the size of the wall outlet. While LG TVs have detachable power cords if a concealing panel is removed first, I don’t see a way to do so with the SP9YA.
The SP9YA has only four connectors on the back: a 4K/Dolby Vision-capable HDMI input, an HDMI ARC/eARC output, an optical input, and a USB port for storage-based music playback. At this price, I’d like to see more HDMI inputs, and I’m disappointed there’s no analog input or Ethernet connector, but these aren’t deal-breakers.
The good news is that, unlike some soundbars that treat the HDMI and optical inputs as a single input (meaning you can only use one or the other), the SP9YA treats both ports as separate inputs. The HDMI input can be used to connect a streaming media player, cable box, or Blu-ray player, while the optical port can be used to connect an audio source such as a CD player or a Sonos device. Each can be selected as a separate source, offering you a good selection of linked devices.
The SP9YA’s basic setup is simple. Simply connect the soundbar to your TV through HDMI or optical cords, then connect the wireless subwoofer to the wall and turn it on. The soundbar and subwoofer automatically establish a wireless connection, which is confirmed by a solid green light on the subwoofer’s rear. Take out the remote and you’re ready to go for TV sound.
However, the remote and the free LG Sound Bar app provide a far broader range of settings.
The A.I. Room Calibration tool is the first thing you should think about using. The bar generates a series of test tones over a few seconds, and the two built-in microphones determine how the acoustics of your area affect performance. Conveniently, the app allows you to hear before and after noises to choose which one is superior. I didn’t notice much of a difference, although that could be due to the particular room I was in.
You may convert the soundbar to Bluetooth mode at any time and pair it with a phone, tablet, or other Bluetooth device. However, if you want a plethora of superior audio options and deeper settings, you should connect the SP9YA to your Wi-Fi network.
After that, you can add the soundbar to Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit, use Spotify Connect, and stream audio to the system using Chromecast or AirPlay 2. In a moment, I’ll explain why this is a must-do.
Given that the SP9YA supports Chromecast and Google Assistant, it’s great that LG doesn’t need you to complete the Wi-Fi setup from within the Google Home app — something we’ve seen a lot on Chromecast devices like the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage. If you like, you can always add the SP9YA to the Google Home app, but that is entirely up to you.
Similarly, Apple’s AirPlay 2 is ready as soon as you connect to Wi-Fi – no additional setup is required.
The accompanying remote for the SP9YA is well-designed from an ergonomic standpoint — it’s pleasant to grip and easy to use — but it’s not lighted, making it a little more difficult to utilize in a dark room.
Most TV remotes should be able to control the volume and mute functions of the soundbar if it’s connected to your TV via HDMI ARC/eARC. I also discovered that streaming media devices connected to the HDMI input of the soundbar may control these functionalities (I tried it with an Apple TV 4K and an Nvidia Shield TV). Normally, TVs connected by the optical connection will not be able to control the volume of the soundbar – unless you have an LG TV, in which case setting your TV’s Sound Sync option should offer you this capacity.
You can also utilize the remote for sophisticated functionality such as A four-way directional pad allowing you to access more advanced settings such as speaker volumes. However, the LG Sound Bar app is so fantastic that I highly recommend using it instead of the remote for these complex settings. It displays all of the available channels (subwoofer, center, side, overhead, and so on), as well as slider settings for each one.
Music playback is the one area where usability falls short. As a Wi-Fi-connected speaker, there should be a means to access your personal media stored on a computer or hard drive linked to your network, however, the Sound Bar app lacks this feature, as does the remote control.
At the same time, if you wish to play music from a USB storage drive, you must use the remote control to traverse its contents — the app cannot view or control that music.
The SP9YA is a powerful system for both movies and music. When I’m not reviewing soundbars, my regular system consists of a Pioneer Dolby Atmos receiver linked to a 5.1.2 set of discrete speakers, including ceiling-mounted speakers immediately over the listening area. In terms of immersion, the SP9YA is the first soundbar I’ve tested that comes close to this arrangement.
No, it’s not a direct replacement, but given its low cost and ease of use, it’s a very appealing option.
The headliner of this show is Dolby Atmos. I believe the soundbar works well with all audio formats, but if you buy the SP9YA, you owe it to yourself to hunt for movies with an Atmos soundtrack on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or other services.
The SP9YA has the sheer power required to replicate movie theatre excitement, whether it’s high-speed car scenes in Mad Max: Fury Road, Ford v Ferrari, or John Wick: Chapter 2, or superhero action in a Marvel movie, while its height- and side-channel drivers give believable 3D effects. The wireless subwoofer performs an excellent job of generating low-end bass that you can feel in your chest, but it also delivers a discreet performance that never overpowers the rest of the music.
If you live in a condo or share a wall with your neighbors, invite them to watch with you because they will hear and feel the explosions as well.
If you want a 7.1.2 experience, you can add LG’s optional $180 SPK8-S wireless surround speakers. They will boost the sense of depth, but they will have no effect on the Dolby Atmos height channels.
Use the Sound Bar app to increase the volume of the above channels. This is essential for hearing the noises that make Atmos, well, Atmos-like.
The optional sound effect settings (of which there are eight to choose from) are inactive when playing Atmos content. However, while playing non-Atmos audio, settings such as Music, Cinema, or Game can have a significant impact on the sound. Rather than just depending on LG’s labels and thinking that Cinema is the best for movies, I recommend that you try them all. LG’s AI Sound Pro feature is designed to detect the type of audio you’re listening to and select the optimal setting for it, but I found it wasn’t always to my liking.
When streaming music, for example, Game mode proved to be a better option than the genuine Music setting. Similarly, the Bass Blast option, which was supposed to amplify low-frequency sounds, appeared to accomplish the reverse.
Aside from the odd label, I had no trouble getting the SP9YA to provide satisfying audio output from TV episodes, movies, and music. If you’re looking for a soundbar to boost dialogue clarity, the SP9YA is a good option. Even with the default settings, I found the speech to be extremely intelligible, and I was able to make it more prominent by using the Clear Voice option and increasing the center channel output.
Bluetooth is useful for when you have visitors over and they want to rapidly play anything from their phones, but for pure audio quality, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast outperform Bluetooth by orders of magnitude.
Got all the lights untangled? Finally went ice skating? Whatever the reason, celebrate your winter…
Commonwealth Bank has established a technology hub in Brisbane’s CBD to help support the expansion…
Over the past four decades since the HIV epidemic began, we have seen incredible progress…
Audi has launched cutting-edge plastic covers for seatbelt buckles in its Q8 e-tron models; the…
Barclays data reveals that the number of people falling victim to purchase scams is up…
Nike football boots are made for the modern game. No matter the playing style, no…
This website uses cookies.