LG has unveiled its latest soundbar at CES 2021 – and despite its small size, it comes with some mightily impressive audio specs, including upfiring tweeters for Dolby Atmos, a wireless subwoofer, and support for DTS:X.
The LG QP5 Éclair comes in at just 11.7 inches by 2.3 inches (W x H), making it an ideal choice if you're short on space – or if you simply dislike the look of traditional soundbars.
- Check out the best soundbars of 2021
- Read our Sonos Arc review
- How to build the home cinema setup of your dreams
As its name suggests, the new soundbar looks a little like an éclair pastry, with a compact frame and rounded edges.
It's slated to launch in late June or early July, and will initially come in white only (though LG is apparently considering a black version, according to Tech Hive).
If the price is right...
Inside the soundbar are five drivers. These consist of a center driver, left and right drivers (positioned at a 45-degree angle to widen the soundstage), and those also all-important upfiring drivers, which bounce sound up to your ceiling and back down to your ears to give your audio a sense of height when you're watching Dolby Atmos or DTS:X content.
The LG QP5 Éclair comes with a wireless subwoofer to boost the bass frequencies, and it's been optimized for smaller spaces, with bi-directional drivers reducing the amount of vibration. In other words, it shouldn't make it feel as though your entire home is rattling whenever you settle in for a movie.
There's no word yet on how much the new soundbar will cost, but if LG can price it competitively, it could be a great alternative to other small soundbars like the Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini.
LG wouldn't have to underprice its compact soundbar to achieve this; Definitive Technology's mini Dolby Atmos bar is set to cost $899 (about £670 / AU$1,200) in the US when it launches later this month, which is more expensive than the best soundbar of 2020, the Sonos Arc.
- Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2021 coverage. We're remotely covering the online-only show to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus a smattering of hands-on reviews.
