LG's unique new Dolby Atmos soundbar is now on sale

LG Soundbar
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

It was one of the most talked about pieces of new tech at this year’s CES, and now home cinema fanatics can get to hear what all the fuss was all about for themselves, with LG’s ground-breaking new Dolby Atmos soundbar system now available to buy.

The new S95QR sound system’s big calling card is its unique up-firing centre-channel  speaker, which cleverly uses sound reflections from your ceiling to make dialogue sound like it’s coming from the centre of your display.

As well as offering a hefty 810W and 9.1.5 channels of audio, the new soundbar also features a wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speakers, getting rid of the trails of cables that put many folk off from having a surround system.

Those rear speakers also have a 4.0.2 setup, sporting six channels of audio instead of the four found on the company's previous flagship, thanks to two additional side-firing drivers, which LG claim makes for better sound dispersal behind the viewer.

LG meanwhile claim its AI Room Calibration room correction system should ensure even the weirdest-shaped living rooms still get the full Atmos effect.

The S95QR is priced at $1,799 in the States, £1,699 in the UK, while home cinema enthusiasts Down Under will need to shell out AUS$1,999.

LG soundbar

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

Analysis: Plenty to reflect upon with LG’s new soundbar

While there’s nothing novel about a soundbar bouncing its output off ceilings and walls to create a surround effect – Sonos’ Arc and JBL’s Bar 9.1 do similar - no one’s gone quite as far with the concept as LG have with the S95QR.

Very few home cinema fans will be prepared to go to the effort, or indeed be able to afford ceiling mounted speakers for what audio purists will argue provides a true Dolby Atmos experience, but this up-firing centre-channel solution is likely to come pretty close to emulating the experience.

The big question is, just how close does it come? At $1,799, the S95QR’s asking price rivals that of a conventional high-end Atmos setup, and many will need to weigh up the convenience the S95QR offers to its performance.

Kevin Lynch

Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.