As good as most televisions are today in terms of speaker quality, they still can’t provide the same level of heart-pounding sound that you can find with a soundbar. This is especially true when looking at LG soundbars which pair so well with the company’s best-in-class OLED panels and TVs like the LG C2, LG G2, and LG B2.
Even as Sony, Samsung, and Sonos all try to provide the best sound, there is just something that works so well when two LG products are combined. Large or small, LG has proven time and time again that their Dolby Atmos-based soundbars punch well above their price points.
Here are the best LG Dolby Atmos soundbars you should consider today.
- Best Overall: LG S95QR Sound Bar
- Best for Dialog: LG S80QY Sound Bar
- Best Value: LG SP9YA Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer
- Best for Surround Sound: LG S80QR Soundbar
- Best for LG TVs: LG GX Soundbar with Subwoofer
- Best Compact: LG Eclair QP5 Soundbar
What Is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos immerses viewers in their viewing experience by offering surround sound technology. “Height channels” are built into these soundbars, which allow sound to be heard from above you, which gives the illusion that there’s sound coming from all around instead of just in front of you (like traditional speakers).
Soundbars are a great way to intensify your at-home movie or television watching because they can be integrated with TVs, projectors, and other viewing devices. Dolby Atmos has been available in soundbars and speakers since 2014. The first soundbar made with this technology was the Yamaha YSP-5100.
Best Overall: LG S95QR Sound Bar
- With surround speakers
- 9.1.5 Channel
- 810 Watts output
- Home theater audio with Dolby Atmos
- DTS:X
- IMAX Enhanced
As the flagship LG soundbar, the LG S95QR Sound Bar is the absolute best LG has to show as far as Dolby Atmos sound quality.
A combination Dolby Atmos DTS:X soundbar with five up-firing drivers, including the center channel, the LG S95QR offers heart-pounding sound. All totaled, the six-channel rear speaker soundbar pairs up with a detached subwoofer to create a full 9.1.5 channel surround sound. The moment you take one listen, you’ll quickly discover why this soundbar is often regarded as a best-in-class experience.
The inclusion of Dolby Atmos ensures that you have a powerful sound, and if you’re a subscriber to Disney+, you can get the full IMAX experience with IMAX Enhanced built right into the S95QR. Helping drive an even better sound experience is LG’s AI room Calibration Pro which uses spatial awareness when paired with an LG television. This AI technology boosts or reduces the soundbar’s audio settings so the output is perfect for any size room.
With a full 810W available, you can place the subwoofer anywhere in a room as well as the dual surround sound speakers. Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to connect both the additional speakers as well as a phone or tablet for audio control. Alternatively, you can also control the soundbar using voice commands from Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
Check out the LG S95QR Sound Bar on Amazon.
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Best for Dialog: LG S80QY Sound Bar
- 3.1.3 channel
- Center up-firing
- Dolby Atmos DTS:X
- Works with AirPlay 2 and Alexa
- Spotify Hi-Fi
- High-Res audio
- IMAX Enhanced
- Synergy TV
- Meridian
- HDMI eARC
- 4K Pass Thru
You won’t get the same level of heart-pumping sound as the top choice, but the LG S80QY Sound Bar is a fantastic choice for those who value dialog clarity above all else.
Because of its front-firing center channel and front-firing side speakers, the dialog is crystal clear and sounds wonderful. Should you want to take dialog quality up another notch, LG makes it possible with a built-in Clear Voice enhancement and Night Mode features to further enhance dialog clarity when listening at night. As a complete package, the LG S80QY gets a big thumbs up for dialog-heavy movies or TV shows.
Helping keep the price somewhat down is the 3.1.3 channel configuration, including the subwoofer for added bass. Dolby Atmos and Meridian Audio Technology pair together superbly as part of the LG S80QY and work together to make sure the audio is as accurate as possible. One final bump in favor of the LG S80QY is the addition of DTS:X technology, which provides a 3D virtual surround sound.
Another big benefit for the LG S80QY is its benefits for gaming. With variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM), the enhanced functionality with gaming consoles will come through in every game you play.
Check out the LG S80QY Sound Bar on Amazon.
Best Value: LG SP9YA Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer
- 5.1.2 channel
- 520W total output
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- Meridian
- High Resolution Audio 24bit/192kHz with 4K Passthrough (HDCP 2.3)
- Wireless Subwoofer
- Connects to Alexa, Google Assistant, Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Putting out 520W of power, the LG SP9YA Soundbar offers a 5.1.2 channel sound powered by both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Featuring an AI-based room calibration method, you’ll have the option of both letting the soundbar choose the best audio experience or jumping into user-controllable EQ presets and finding your best sound. Regardless of whether you go for AI or manual presets, the use of Dolby Atmos technology will wrap you in sound with the LG SP9YA. Using the up-firing speakers enables the SP9YA to provide something of a virtual surround sound that feels like you have speakers all over a room.
On top of Dolby Atmos, LG also included Meridian Technology for its powerful high-resolution audio which enhances the overall speaker experience throughout highs, lows, and mids. Connecting to your television with just one cable through HDMI eARC, you can also utilize a variety of connectivity options. Support for AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant right through the soundbar amplify its feature to price value.
At 48 inches long, the LG SP9YA is no small soundbar but the bigger the size, the bigger the sound, plus you get the wireless subwoofer for deeper bass.
Check out the LG SP9YA Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer on Amazon.
Best for Surround Sound: LG S80QR Soundbar
- 5.1.3 channel
- 4ch rear speakers
- Center up-firing
- Dolby Atmos DTS:X
- AirPlay 2, Spotify, Alexa
- High-Res audio
- IMAX Enhanced
- Synergy TV
- Meridian
When it comes to getting a complete room-filling sound, the best LG Dolby Atmos soundbar is the LG S80QR.
While the majority of LG’s sound bars only provide a subwoofer as an extra piece of equipment, the LG S80QR adds three additional speakers for placement around a room to offer true surround sound. Totaling up to 620W of power in a 5.1.3 channel experience, the up-firing center channel in the soundbar is a true standout for movie and TV dialog. Movies will be especially enjoyable due to the inclusion of both Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos formats, helping you feel as if you are right in the middle of an action scene.
The subwoofer performs admirably and, while it doesn’t hit the same bass performance as the top choice with the LG S95QR, the S80QR is the next best choice and for hundreds of dollars less. Where the subwoofer does get a chance to excel is with the IMAX Enhanced solution for any IMAX-based content you can find on streaming services like Disney+.
On top of its already powerful surround sound experience, the LG S80QR also comes complete with VRR, ALLM, 4K-pass through, Spotify built-in, as well as support for AirPlay 2, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Chromecast.
Check out the LG S80QR Soundbar on Amazon.
Best for LG TVs: LG GX Soundbar with Subwoofer
- With subwoofer
- OLED Gallery TV matching
- 3.1 channel
- 420 power output
- Dolby Atmos
- High Res Audio
- HDMI eARC
- Wireless
- Black
When you are just looking for a soundbar that pairs up perfectly with LG’s Gallery series of televisions, the LG GX soundbar is the answer.
Featuring 5.1 channel audio, it’s not just the sound that stands out in this 56-inch wide soundbar, but its flush build that really differentiates it from the rest of LG’s Dolby Atmos soundbar lineup. Made specifically to match up with the LG GX series of televisions (the LG G1, G2, and coming soon, the G3), the stylish design fits flush to a wall instead of the standard soundbar placement on an entertainment center.
No matter how you place it, the inclusion of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio help sound fill any medium-sized room. There are no up-firing speakers which is a bit of a disappointment, but considering it’s built for wall hanging, the speakers face outward instead of up. There is still something great to be heard in the 24-bit/96KHz audio resolution which is part of the high-resolution audio LG proudly adds to all of its premium soundbars.
The LG GX forgoes some of the extras as far as connectivity as there is no voice assistance built into it; instead, it focuses on providing you exactly what you need. This results in Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, optical inputs/outputs, and music streaming solely through Bluetooth.
Check out the LG GX Soundbar with Subwoofer on Amazon.
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Best Compact: LG Eclair QP5 Soundbar
- 3.1.2 channel
- 320W power output
- Dolby Atmos DTS:X
- Up-firing heigh speakers
- Compact design
- 4K and HDR pass through
- Black
If size matters most of all, the compact LG Eclair QP5 soundbar is the perfect option for ensuring a better audio experience with just a minimal impact on space.
Also known as the LG Eclair GP5, there is 3.1.2 channel sound mixed with 320W of total audio output. As LG’s smallest speaker to feature Dolby Atmos, it’s surprisingly immersive for its size, and that’s likely in part due to the inclusion of a giant subwoofer that perfectly complements the main soundbar. Paired with up-firing speakers, you’ll hear the sound above you as well as what feels like coming right at you for a truly unique experience.
At just under 12 inches in size, the length of the LG Eclair QP5 belies its power as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are all present and accounted for. The same goes for 4K and HDR passthrough as well, which makes the LG Eclair QP5 almost as fully featured as some of its larger (much larger) LG soundbar counterparts. LG even included a sound-field expander within the hardware to make the QP5 feel as if it’s three times larger than it is.
On the downside, there is no way to manually adjust EQ settings but you can choose from any of the preset EQ options to find the best sound for you.
Check out the LG Eclair QP5 Soundbar on Amazon.
What to Know Before Buying LG Dolby Atmos Soundbars
In the case of LG’s Dolby Atmos-based soundbars, there are a lot of similarities among the available options. First and foremost is the inclusion of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio, which help power unrivaled sound while watching movies and TV shows. The biggest differences between the available options in the LG soundbar lineup really focus on the number of available channels, connectivity options, and speaker placement.
As far as channels like 5.1.2 or 9.1.5, the bigger the number, the better the sound (in most cases). The larger the first number, the more speakers and, in the case of a soundbar like the LG S95QR, you will find nine total speakers for room-filling sound. When it comes to connectivity options, you will want to determine if additional benefits like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or AirPlay 2 are hugely important as part of your soundbar. You may already have a lot of these options built into your smart TV so you can choose a less expensive soundbar and forgo having these connectivity options twice.
Speaker placement is perhaps the most important and with a number of these LG Dolby Atmos speakers, the up-firing placement inside the soundbar is a real benefit. As the sound is pushed above your head and then filtered down to you, the overall audio experience sounds better than just using front-firing speakers. Thankfully, many of the products on this list already include the up-firing speaker.
Using LG Dolby Atmos Soundbars: What It’s Like
The best part about all of these soundbars is that setup is incredibly simple and you should be up and running in just a few minutes. Plug in a power cable, plug in an HDMI eARC cable or an optical input, select the new soundbar speaker on your television for audio output, and you’re ready to go. The use of wireless subwoofers is equally as enjoyable to set up as the fewer cables, the better.
There is no question that no matter which LG soundbar you choose, it will sound better than your television. This is true with and without Dolby Atmos, but including Dolby Atmos is well worth the price of admission. The advantages far outweigh the extra cost over non-Dolby Atmos soundbars as you find crisper dialog, better EQ settings, and overall better sound during fast-moving scenes.
Up Next
- Don’t Buy an LG Dolby Soundbar Until You Read This — Now that you know our top six choices for an LG soundbar, review our consumer guide to learn more about these products.
- LG vs. Klipsch Soundbars: Which is Better? — See how LG compares with Klipsch for soundbar production quality.
- The 6 Best Alternatives to an LG Dolby Soundbar — Here are six alternatives to the LG soundbars listed above so that you can choose the best product for your audio needs!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©BobrinSKY/Shutterstock.com.
