Adventures in AV: The LG Sound Suite didn’t hit the sonic mark, but we were impressed with its headline feature
We just finished testing LG’s latest Dolby Atmos soundbar and, if you’ve read our full review of the Sound Suite H7 and the Sound Suite system, you’ll know that despite a few redeeming features, we ultimately found the performance of both products to be a letdown.
The strong, screaming and vibrating sound unfortunately overshadowed the extended, powerful and detailed qualities of the sound bar and system, which is not the result we were expecting.
While LG isn’t technically the first to bring the FlexConnect system to market, that technical credit goes to TCL’s Z100 speakers, which are currently only available in select markets; these are the first FlexConnect speakers to enter our AV test room.
And what an impression they made. Although their sonic characteristics are not good, the implementation of flexible speaker placement and add-ons in the system market is definitely to be commended.
The convenience of reversing these speakers and leveling them at the push of a button is really nice. And now that our review is out, we can confirm that the system really does the hard work for you, automatically working out how to optimize the sound, no matter where the speakers are in your listening room.
The Sound Suite system we tested is also called Immerse Suite 7 Pro here in the UK, and consists of an H7 soundbar, two M7 speakers and a W7 subwoofer. The attraction here is that, unlike other sound bar packages, these speakers can work pretty much anywhere, meaning you don’t need to stress about where to place them in your room.
They can work as rear surrounds, or if you want to reinforce the H7 soundbar, you can use them as front left and right channels with the soundbar acting as a high-powered center channel. You can even pair an extra set of speakers if you want, front left and right channels next to the rear surrounds.
Now, it’s important to note that Samsung technically supports this on the HW-Q990F, as you can designate the surround speakers as additional front speakers to work around the bar. However, this is more of an “one-or-the-other” solution rather than the true flexibility offered by the LG system – hence the “Flex” in FlexConnect.
LG’s ThinQ app makes sound optimization very easy, thanks to the Sound Follow feature, which can identify the user’s position in the room and adjust the sound to better suit the living space. This can be adjusted with the simple press of a button, and it works seamlessly in our experience.
And that ease of use is supported by real sonic enhancements, making the sound more immersive. While the H7 alone handles Dolby Atmos high-end effects well, and creates big, bold sound on its own, those qualities are greatly enhanced by the inclusion of two M7 Dolby Atmos speakers.
The “sound bubble” that we so desperately seek with any Dolby Atmos soundbar system is perfectly realized with this system, as we find ourselves placed directly in the middle of the action with the Sound Suite system. Longitudinal effects are placed with surprising precision, and the sound sounds even bigger and more powerful than it does with the sound bar itself.
We’ve tested everything from the jets to the top Civil War in the growing dystopian hologram advertisements that are illuminated on the side of the building Blade Runner 2049, and in all cases, we were surprised how well the surround speakers could match the main soundbar.
The flexibility of how and where you can place the speakers, and the real improvement of the surround sound experience tells us that Dolby Atmos FlexConnect can really shake up the future of home cinema speakers and soundbars.
And while the Sound Suite wasn’t the sonic spectacle we were hoping for, it did a great job of showing off FlexConnect’s capabilities, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where it goes.
MORE:
Read our full LG Sound Suite H7 update
And ours LG Sound Suite System update
Also check out our selection of the best surround sound systems around
