LG US95TR

Verdict

A powerful, energetic and exciting soundbar system from LG, while the S95TR fixes some flaws from previous efforts, it’s not wholly successful in everything it tries to do.

Introduction

As soundbars go, LG has been up and down. The S95QR was eventually updated into a commanding flagship model, but the USC9S was underwhelming.

LG’s audio engineers have gone back to the drawing board and returned with the US95TR (or S95TR in the US). A flagship immersive soundbar that aims to put you right in the middle of your favourite TV shows and films.

Designed to work in perfect synchronicity with LG’s TVs, where does the S95TR fall? Towards the highs of the S95QR, the lows of the US9CS or somewhere in-between? Let’s dive in.

Design

• Side-firing rear speakers
• Upfiring centre for dialogue
• A literal dot display

Like the bars before it, the S95TR comes in a smart if unflattering grey/black colour – a functional effort that isn’t too interested in style. The subwoofer and rear speakers share the same aesthetic so it’s not as if they’re going to spruce up your home cinema room, but that’s fine.

What’s more unique about the S95TR compared to rival competing sets is that it features three upfiring speakers – two at either end of the main bar to project audio upwards for Dolby Atmos sound, while the speaker in the centre is designated purely for lifting dialogue from the bar onto the screen.

Connections are housed in a recessed area in the unit’s underside, of which there is an HDMI input, output (eARC/ARC), digital optical out and a USB input. The subwoofer is enormous and a front-firing unit, which gives it some leeway on where to place it in a room. My preference was to keep it closer to the main bar.

The rear speakers have a triangular shape to them and the reason is because they feature side-firing speakers as well as an upward firing one. The hope is for a wider spread of sound behind you to expand the size of the S95TR’s performance.

What continues to disappoint is that the display is a series of dots, and quite frankly I have no idea what they indicate. If it’s meant to simplify things then it’s done the opposite. The LG Soundbar app provides plenty more information and I would suggest you use it instead.

I rarely bothered with the physical remote control – it’s the same as the one packaged with LG’s previous soundbars but given the nature of the display, it just seems like a waste of batteries to keep the remote running.

Features

• 9.1.5 channels of sound
• LG Sound Bar app
• WOW synergy with LG TVs

The LG S95TR doesn’t boast as many channels as Samsung and JBL’s flagship bars (both tied at 11.1.4). Here you get 9.1.5 for fifteen channels of sound.

WOW Orchestra combines the speakers in the TV with the soundbar to expand the soundstage and create a more immersive performance. WOW Interface means the TV and soundbar share the same interface, so instead of having to deal with the TV’s interface and a different one for the soundbar, WOW Interface makes it seamless. Obviously, these are features that only work with LG TVs.

The LG Sound Bar app I mentioned previously allows you to switch modes and inputs, check what audio track is playing, adjust the height and volume of speaker and begin the AI calibration process.

I tried out the calibration process and didn’t notice a difference between how it sounded pre- and post-calibration. I think it’s worth a try to see if there’s difference, after all, not every room is the same and if you have many reflective surfaces then you’ll want to see if it has an impact.

Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi (naturally) Google Cast (that has to be enabled first), AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC, AAC). A fairly annoying issue I had with the Bluetooth connection was that after quitting the connection the soundbar would keep trying (and successfully) connecting to my phone, to the point where I had to restart the soundbar.

Soundtrack compatibility includes Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, DTS:X, and DTS Digital Surround. Apparently it does support IMAX Enhanced but there’s no mention of it on the website.

LG has tweaked things with its HDMI passthrough support. It can passthrough 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision signals, and features VRR and ALLM support. While there’s mention of 4K/120Hz passthrough for gaming, VRR appears limited to 60Hz so some gamers won’t get the best performance available through the soundbar’s inputs.

There are eight sound modes in AI Sound Pro, Clear Voice Pro, Music, Standard, Cinema, Sports, Game, and Bass Blast. Again, it seems a little weird that there’s no mention of IMAX Enhanced. Maybe I’ve missed something somewhere.

There’s no built-in voice assistance with LG offering ‘Works with’ varieties of Alexa and Google Home, which means you need to connect a native Alexa (or other device) to get hands-free control with the soundbar.

Sound Quality

• Energetic, powerful sound
• Rich, big bass
• Rears feel a little detached

There were things that I liked about the USC9S and other things I ultimately felt reserved about. LG has taken the feedback from the US95TR onboard and improved some areas but other aspects could use further improvements – more on that later.

First, this an energetic and raucous sounding system. In the past I’ve felt that LG soundbars have been too crisp and sibilant but this is a much better effort – smoother and more natural in its Cinema preset, and the AI Sound Pro mode has been improved as well, striking a better balance between the more important stuff (foreground action) without blowing up the background action and creating distracting noise.

The subwoofer packs a wallop with films such as Tenet. The opening action sequence features some absolutely thumping low frequencies that I was worried was going to disturb the floor above. The dynamic range of this soundbar system is impressive, the jumps in quiet and loud are swift and impactful.

With John Wick Chapter 4, the subwoofer feels better integrated into the frequency range, with Wick’s fists utterly exploding into the training beam at the film’s beginning. Bass here sounds rich but the highs are treated well enough too. In an action sequence later on, glass shattering is both detailed and sharply conveyed along with the meaty hits and kicks.

Dialogue intelligibility is well handled for the most part, though the out of box settings with the upfiring centre do feel a little conservative. Raising it up a little lifts better from the soundbar and into the mouths of those speaking when watching Civil War.

Playing around with the modes and Cinema is fantastically bombastic, while Standard favours less energy. The AI Sound Pro sounds less warm than the Cinema preset and the soundstage is smaller too – voices also sound smaller but seem to have a slightly more specific placement on screen. It sounds more natural, which is a steady improvement on models from previous years.

The WOW Orchestra feature is better too, the integration of low frequencies is much better handled and the time it takes to switch to the mode is faster. I actually think it might be the best way to enjoy this soundbar system in that it helps pick background details better and position on and off-screen better with the TV speakers in sync. The soundstage in Civil War becomes wider and taller for a more spacious effect.

With TV and a stream of The 100 on Prime Video and in the soundbar’s AI Sound Pro, the Dolby Surround sound track is more balanced, with highs that are sharp and bright, although it’s the first time I notice a touch of sibilance. It never gets to being whistle sharp, but there are traces of it whether it’s men or women talking.

The rear speakers provide a solid accompaniment in terms of creating an ambient soundscape. They fill out the information behind you well to create an enveloping sound but there are moments where the rear speakers don’t seem attached to the front speakers. With the ‘Can You Hear the Music’ sequence in Oppenheimer, when the sound of atoms rushes forwards and moves to the rear speakers, there’s a noticeable gap before it reaches the surrounds. It breaks the levels of immersion.

The rear speakers aren’t the most detailed either. Whereas the front speakers sound punchy and taut, the rear speakers are a little loose and lacking in precision.

The biggest thing missing with the US95TR however is its sense of height.

It’s not that it isn’t there but the hemisphere of sound the LG S95TR hopes to create is not a detailed one. As Maverick takes off in the experimental military plane at the beginning of Top Gun: Maverick, the sound of the jet taking off never really reaches above me. With Blade Runner 2049 as the spinner descends on Sapper Morton’s farm, there’s only a vague sense of defining it in the overhead channels. I can’t really place where the spinner is descending from.

With music, the LG S95TR is an improvement. The smoothness of its tuning means it no longer sounds crisp and harsh – it’s a clearer, weightier performance, not hemmed into the bodywork of the soundbar but more spacious. Highs are bright and crisp but not to the fatiguing extent it was with the USC9S. There’s better balance and a more convincingly natural performance.

It is undermined somewhat by the AI Sound Pro mode, which sounds thin. It also splits audio between the front and rear speakers, which just sounds messy – like too little butter spread over too much bread. The Music preset is a good choice, though I found it sounded exactly like the Standard preset. Which makes me wonder why have both?

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