LG HX906PA review

The LG HX906PA is a Blu-ray system with talent Tested at £425

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

The LG is talented enough to warrant a serious audition, despite its lively treble

Pros

  • +

    Good Blu-ray picture

  • +

    dialogue sounds excellent

  • +

    integrated wi-fi

Cons

  • -

    Speakers sound thin and harsh at the top end

  • -

    no automatic speaker set-up

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This system comes with some rather fancy-looking tall-boy speakers. Granted, these towers aren’t especially subtle or discreet, but they’re solid, sturdy and stable. And they give the impression that you’re getting a lot for your money.

The LG doesn’t really need too much help there, though, boasting as it does a healthy list of features and functions.

There are twin HDMI sockets for external kit, and an ethernet socket and built-in wi-fi for accessing the web and enjoying the system’s ‘smart’ functionality – which includes Apps, video on demand and internet radio.

There’s also a connection for LG’s iPod dock, which comes as part of the package.
The remote control is longer than most, which makes it slightly less manageable.

No automatic set-up
The only thing really missing from the LG’s arsenal is any kind of automatic set-up system.

Still, via the menus you have access to all speaker distances, levels and a test tone, so you should be able to get decent results without a tantrum.

There’s also a small upgrade path; the speaker cable connections are normal spring clips, so you could swap it all out for runs of budget (around £3/m) wire.

As it is, the HX906PA sounds lively and exciting. The panning of surround effects is handled well and the system erects a cohesive sound field.

Dialogue from the chunky centre channel is extremely clear and convincing; during The Expendables, the LG manages to decipher Sly and Arnie’s mumblings with relative ease.

When the film explodes into life, the subwoofer remains relatively controlled. Indeed, it’s to the top of the frequency range that your attention gets drawn.

Here, the LG can be a little bright. There’s detail to be had, but the lack of finesse leads to the odd wince when cars, bodies and bullets start smashing and crashing.

Good Blu-ray pictures

Blu-ray images (2D and 3D) are detailed with a good sense of depth. Colours are bold and bright, and there’s fine detail to be found in the darker scenes of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

But edges aren’t quite as sharp as those drawn by the best and there’s a touch more noise and instability when watching DVD.

None of that, though, is by any means off-putting, and the LG does more than enough to cement a solid four-star rating.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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