Key Points
- Bowers & Wilkins soundbars offer superior sound quality with rich bass and fine audio details.
- LG soundbars have a more affordable price range and come with smart features like AI Sound Pro and voice control.
- Bowers & Wilkins soundbars have a sleek and elegant design that can enhance the decor of your living room.
- The choice between LG and Bowers & Wilkins depends on your budget and audio needs.
Soundbars are more affordable than ever and with a reasonable budget, you can enhance your TV experience with a high-quality soundbar from brands like LG or Bowers & Wilkins. These two brands are among the most popular in the soundbar industry, offering a wide range of soundbars for everyone’s taste and budget.
Bowers & Wilkins is more expensive, but LG offers a number of smart features. Can soundbars from LG compete with soundbars from Bowers & Wilkins? Read on, because that’s exactly what we’ll break down in the comparison below!
LG vs. Bowers & Wilkins: Side-by-Side Comparison
LG | Bowers & Wilkins | |
---|---|---|
Sound Quality | Rich bass | Fine audio details and a warm sound |
Virtual Assistant | Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant | Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant |
Multi-Room Capability? | Yes | Yes |
Integrated or External? | External | Integrated |
Price Range | $ | $$$ |
Bowers & Wilkins vs. LG: What’s the Difference?
The main differences between LG and Bowers & Wilkins are the brand histories, sound quality, design, smart features, and price. Bowers & Wilkins is a well-known company in the audio industry as it specializes in, and limits itself to, audio equipment. LG is primarily known for its televisions, appliances, and mobile devices.
Can LG match the quality and tradition of Bower & Wilkins, or do you need to spend more money to get top-notch audio? We’ll break down the differences between these two brands below, so read on!
Brand and History
We believe that it’s important to mention the brands and their histories because there is a big difference in the path that these companies have taken. LG is a versatile electronics company that offers consumers almost any kind of gadget to improve their modern lives.
On the other hand, Bowers & Wilkins is a company that has been making audio equipment for almost five decades. Even though the technology is rapidly evolving and brands like LG are trying to catch up, that’s a hard thing to do. Bowers & Wilkins is on a different level and the craftsmanship is noticeable in everything they build.
Both companies have their advantages. For Bowers & Wilkins, it’s a long history of specializing in professional audio equipment This brings a unique level of performance to all of their consumer soundbars. LG has been around longer than Bowers & Wilkins, but the company is more diversified. They have been active in many areas of technology since 1958.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is what matters when it comes to soundbars, and it’s safe to say that the Bowers & Wilkins is a strong contender for the top spot. Bowers & Wilkins offer a high-caliber selection of soundbars. One of the most popular soundbars is the Formation Bar, which features nine drivers and is capable of reproducing fine audio details, as well as rich sound. The soundbar offers top-level sound quality that combines well with other Bowers & Wilkins speakers, like the Flex, to create a surround sound experience.
LG falls a bit short of Bowers & Wilkins’ sound quality, but the company is a competitor for a good reason. LG has collaborated with Meridian, a British company that specializes in audio equipment. In addition, LG soundbars are equipped with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. That being said, you can expect a full and rich sound experience that will pull you into any movie you watch.
Design
Not only do Bowers & Wilkins soundbars have excellent audio quality, but they also catch your attention. No matter which Bowers & Wilkins soundbar you look at, you’ll notice sleek and elegant lines that make the soundbar aesthetically pleasing under any TV. We can say with a clear conscience that the Bowers & Wilkins soundbars are so refined that they can almost be a part of the decor of your living room.
On the other hand, LG has a modern, minimalist design. LG’s soundbars are also aesthetically pleasing, but the superior workmanship is more noticeable with the Bowers & Wilkins soundbars.
Additional Smart Features
Both the LG and the Bowers & Wilkins come with additional features that enhance the use of the soundbar. One of the biggest smart features of the Bowers & Wilkins soundbar is voice control, which lets you control the soundbar entirely by voice. All Bowers & Wilkins soundbars are Alexa-compatible, so you can connect the Alexa and take control by saying the popular, “Hey Alexa” phrase.
Bowers & Wilkins also has an app that lets you control the Formation-enabled soundbars like the Panorama 3. The app lets you set up and control your soundbar from a smartphone.
One of LG’s additional smart features is AI Sound Pro, which automatically adjusts the sound to the content you’re playing to create the best audio experience. You can also control your LG soundbar using Alexa or Google Assistant. You can even stream music directly from your smartphone to some LG soundbars via Bluetooth.
LG is clearly more innovative when it comes to technology. Even if the audio quality isn’t quite as good compared to the Bowers & Wilkins, the company makes up for it by integrating various smart features.
Pricing
Price is the last but not the least important difference between the Bowers & Wilkins and LG soundbars. As mentioned earlier, LG offers much cheaper soundbars, so you can get an LG soundbar for as low as $116.
The Bowers & Wilkins’ tradition in producing specialized audio equipment plays a huge role in its pricing, as well as the quality of its soundbars. That’s why their soundbars are much more expensive than LG’s. You can get an entry-level soundbar from Bowers & Wilkins for about $761.
While there’s a big difference in price between these two brands, there’s also a big difference in audio quality, so the choice depends on your budget and needs. One thing is for sure — The Bowers & Wilkins soundbars are worth the price because they offer exceptional sound quality.
LG vs. Bowers & Wilkins: 5 Must Know-Facts
- Bowers & Wilkins soundbars are ideal for home theater and multi-room applications.
- Bowers & Wilkins offer a warmer, richer, and ultimately better sound than a soundbar from LG.
- LG is much cheaper than Bowers & Wilkins.
- Both Bowers & Wilkins and LG offer compatibility with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.
- LG soundbars have many smart features that enhance the user experience.
Wrapping Up
Bowers & Wilkins soundbars are far superior to soundbars from LG, especially when it comes to audio quality. Still, LG can keep up in terms of design, and they make up for shortcomings with many smart features.
You can’t go wrong with either of these brands, but LG is much cheaper than Bowers & Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins is the clear winner when it comes to sound, yet it’s almost seven times more expensive than LG. That’s why we recommend you choose depending on your needs, your audio enthusiasm, and of course, your budget.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Zulkarnieiev Denis/Shutterstock.com.