LG Sound Suite system review

LG is clearly gunning for Sonos with its new Sound Suite.

Designed as a modular, multi-speaker home cinema platform, it pairs a flagship soundbar with wireless surrounds and a subwoofer to create a premium, stylish Dolby Atmos system that’s every bit as ambitious as its benchmark rival.

But LG is also bringing something genuinely new to the table in the form of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, a technology designed to adapt to your room to a degree hitherto unseen.

It’s a bold move, but you know what they say about taking a shot at the king…

Price

LG refers to the Sound Suite configuration that we’re looking at as the Immersive Suite 7 Pro. It includes the H7 soundbar, W7 subwoofer and two M7 speakers.

While bundle discounts feel likely in the future, buying the Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro as a package doesn’t currently confer a special price, so you still need to pay the full amount for the H7 (£900 / $1000), W7 (£600 / $600) and M7s (£400 / $400 per speaker), resulting in a full system price of £2300 / $2400 (Aussie pricing hasn’t yet been announced).

There’s an obvious rival here, in the form of the Sonos Premium Immersive Set With Arc Ultra, which consists of an Arc Ultra (£999 / $1099), Sub 4 (£799 / $899) and two Era 300s (£449 / $479 per speaker).

But while the cost of the separate components is higher if you go with Sonos, there are bundle discounts available that mean the full system currently costs a Sound Suite-beating £2086 / $2311.

That said, the pricing is close enough for these two systems to be considered in very much the same ballpark.

Design

This is a very smart-looking system.

The Sound Suite H7 soundbar is svelte and solid, with a low profile that won’t obstruct the bottom of many TVs and a lovely little display that clearly indicates the format of what’s being played but automatically dims after a set time so as not to distract from what you’re watching.

The mesh cover and metal trim give the H7 a premium look, and the raised icon buttons on the top are easy to find in the dark, should you need to.

The subwoofer and M7 speakers aren’t quite as weighty or solid-feeling as the bar (or their Sonos equivalents), but they are much larger than they look on paper, giving the system a substantial but stylish overall appearance.

It’s possible to wall-mount the soundbar and the surround speakers, and the subwoofer’s relatively slim design and flat back mean it can be positioned neatly against a wall.

The sub can even be laid flat if you prefer, and we can see some people choosing to slide it under their sofa. We find that subwoofers generally perform better when they have room to breathe than when they’re firing bassy frequencies straight up your bottom, but each to their own.

There’s some rather snazzy lighting towards the bottom edges of the soundbar and surrounds, and this can be customised in terms of both brightness and colour. You have a full palette to play with, which is pretty neat if you like that sort of thing (we do).

Features

This is one heck of a speaker-packed system. The H7 soundbar alone features eight full-range drivers (three in the front, three in the top and one in each end), four woofers (all up-firing) and eight passive radiators, which are both front and rear facing.

These work with clever processing (the bar features the same Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor as LG’s 2026 flagship TVs) to produce what the firm refers to as a 9.1.6-channel soundfield.

Each M7 speaker has three 38mm full-range drivers (two front-facing and one up-firing) and a woofer of its own, while the W7 sub boasts a 20cm driver that LG claims can deliver bass as deep as 25.9Hz.

When combined, this amounts to a 21-speaker system. Not enough for you? The Sound Suite system can accommodate up to two further speakers (either more M7s or smaller M5s), and your TV’s speakers, if said TV is a C5, G5, or one of its newer sets.

Arguably, the most interesting thing about the system, though, is the technology it uses to get these drivers working together to produce home cinema sound.

That technology is Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, so called because of the way it can flexibly accommodate less-than-ideal speaker placement. We’ll get to the effectiveness of this in the sound section, below (spoiler alert: it’s pretty flipping effective).

LG has worked closely with Dolby on Sound Suite, to the extent that this is the first family of products to support FlexConnect, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that DTS:X is not supported on top of Dolby Atmos.

Getting sound into the system is simple enough, but there is one obvious disappointment: there’s no dedicated HDMI input. Instead, you are expected to run any external sources into your TV first, and then back out of your TV and into the soundbar via eARC.

That’s neat, simple, and pretty common, even in soundbars at this level (the Sonos Arc Ultra is another offender), but it still isn’t welcome, and there are rivals that offer one (or more!) HDMI inputs and even full support for passthrough of 4K/120Hz signals.

Interestingly, this is also the first soundbar we can recall testing that has dropped the legacy optical connection. One suspects that very few people use the optical connection of a Dolby Atmos soundbar, not least because it lacks the ability to actually handle Dolby Atmos, but its lack here feels noteworthy nonetheless.

There are wireless ways to send music to Sound Suite, of course, including Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect.

Control is primarily handled via LG’s ThinQ app, which is broadly good but could be a little slicker in its handling of the Sound Suite system.

Getting everything connected to wi-fi proves more fiddly than it should, for instance. Each component has to be added individually, and for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, you must input your wi-fi password separately for each product rather than simply entering it once for the whole system.

The subwoofer, meanwhile, is added via a slightly different process to the soundbar and speakers, which adds to the sense that things could be more streamlined.

Once connected, the app is reasonably well laid out, and mercifully, Sound Suite doesn’t have dozens of baffling sound modes to wade through. Instead, there are just five presets (which LG slightly confusingly refers to as ‘Sound Effects’): AI Sound Pro+, Standard, Clear Voice Pro+, Bass Boost and Custom EQ.

Standard is the mode you’ll likely settle on (as discussed in the Sound section), while Clear Voice Pro+ is essentially a dialogue enhancer for those struggling with intelligibility. Bass Boost feels unnecessary given the system’s already generous low-end output, and the Custom EQ – which offers full manual adjustment – is best approached with caution unless you’re confident in what you’re doing.

AI Sound Pro+ is the most interesting of the presets, automatically analysing what you’re watching and adjusting the presentation accordingly. It also engages the AI Upmix feature, which converts incoming audio into a virtual 9.1.4-channel presentation. AI Upmix can be activated independently, but it cannot be disabled while AI Sound Pro+ is selected.

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect calibration is pleasingly swift. The system quickly assesses speaker positions and, assuming the master volume isn’t set too low, does a solid job of mapping the room.

Some aspects of the process feel slightly old-fashioned, though – notably the requirement to manually measure and input the distance between the soundbar and your listening position. Calibration is also carried out at the system’s current volume level, rather than an LG-defined volume that provides the best results, which seems a little unhelpful.

Within the Sound Settings menu you can trim the levels of the Subwoofer, Centre, Overhead and Side channels individually. There are also toggles for Dynamic Range Control and Auto Volume, though neither should be necessary in most set-ups (there’s a separate Night mode for those looking to temporarily reduce dynamics and bass weight). A separate Tone Settings menu allows independent adjustment of treble, mid and bass levels, providing additional scope for fine-tuning.

One particularly neat feature is the ‘Set Position’ button, which uses the FlexConnect technology to refocus the soundfield towards a different seating position at the press of a button. More on this below.

The app also allows you to assign a function to the heart-shaped shortcut button on the remote, though at present the options are limited to launching a specific internet radio station or Spotify playlist.

As hinted at, unlike the Sonos system, LG Sound Suite can also be operated via remote control, and a serviceable handset is included in the box with the H7 soundbar. It feels fairly light and plasticky, but the buttons are clearly labelled and logically arranged. Volume and input selection are easy to access, and the dedicated AI Sound mode button makes it simple to experiment with presets.

The absence of a dedicated Night Mode button, however, is a bit disappointing, as this is exactly the sort of feature you might want to engage quickly without having to dig into menus or reach for your phone.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the audio performance, it’s worth flagging that we did encounter some bugs during our week of testing the Sound Suite system.

Wi-fi connectivity proved temperamental at times, with certain components refusing to join the network on the first attempt and requiring multiple set-up passes through the app.

More concerning was an intermittent volume-control issue. On one occasion, the system powered on at an extremely high volume level – seemingly at or close to maximum – despite having previously been set much lower. The remote’s volume buttons reduced the volume number shown on the soundbar’s display, but the actual output didn’t change. The app, meanwhile, reported the volume as being set far lower than what we were hearing. Only after adjusting the level within the app did the system respond properly. Not a pleasant experience.

At another point, the remote appeared to control only the soundbar itself rather than the system as a whole, and lowering the volume to zero would silence the bar but not the wireless speakers. Curiously, after fully unplugging and reconnecting the system during comparative testing, the issue disappeared and did not return.

These issues weren’t constant, and they will likely be addressed via future firmware updates – this is a brand-new system, after all – but they’re worth noting for anyone who’s planning to go early with a Sound Suite system.

Sound

Before diving into the LG Sound Suite system at its best, it’s worth addressing the AI sound modes – because, while they’re impressively bombastic, they’re not how this system performs at its most convincing.

The AI Upmix feature expands the soundstage and adds scale and weight, but it also exaggerates background sounds and lends dialogue an artificial, slightly echoey quality. Voices become less natural and less clearly defined, even as the overall presentation grows in size.

AI Sound Pro+ takes things further still by also boosting bass and upper frequencies to an extent that further exaggerates some of the system’s less positive sonic traits, such as its limited finesse and lack of midrange fullness. The result is undeniably big, but also aggressive and shouty.

Standard mode is therefore the only sensible option for serious listening. It’s in this setting that the LG system sounds most coherent, balanced and representative of its true character.

And there is plenty to like.

With Blade Runner 2049, the system immediately demonstrates one of its standout strengths: Dolby Atmos placement. The floating audio adverts are positioned with impressive precision, each inhabiting a clearly defined point in space, with one in particular hanging strikingly high and to the left.

During the baseline test, the interviewer is placed further back in the room, creating a tangible sense of depth and separation between him and K. Joi’s disembodied voice in K’s apartment is similarly well placed, helping to create an impressive sense of three-dimensional space.

In fact, the LG places lots of effects more dramatically than the Sonos Arc Ultra system, pushing sounds further along the ceiling and creating a slightly more exaggerated overhead bubble.

Scale is another clear strength. This is a genuinely room-filling system, capable of projecting effects confidently from front to back and floor to ceiling.

The opening race at Daytona in F1: The Movie is delivered with thrilling impact. The commentary floats high above the listening position, fireworks streak cleanly across the ceiling, and the crunching impacts as cars trade blows along the banked section land with satisfying force. The presentation is bold, expansive and undeniably cinematic.

Even the most complex Atmos moments are handled with notable composure. The large-scale musical sequence in Sinners, with its genre-hopping strands and swirling overhead effects, fills the room from every angle without collapsing into chaos. The tonal consistency between the H7 soundbar and the M7 speakers helps maintain cohesion as sounds sweep around the soundfield.

The Dolby Atmos FlexConnect feature also deserves credit. As mentioned, the calibration process is quick and, provided you don’t set the volume too low, pretty accurate in identifying the position of each speaker.

The app also allows you to shift the sweet spot with a tap of the ‘Set Position’ button, effectively refocusing the soundfield towards a different seat.

In practice, this works far better than expected. Within reason, the system does a convincing job of re-centring the presentation, so that even when we move to increasingly off-axis and unconventional seating positions, dialogue and key effects remain anchored, and the overhead layer still feels properly aligned.

FlexConnect is similarly effective at compensating for less-than-ideal speaker placement. While you inevitably lose some of the pinpoint surround-left and surround-right specificity when the M7 speakers aren’t optimally positioned, the system continues to fill the room convincingly and can still place effects impressively high above the listening position. If one speaker is well placed and the other isn’t, your ears are drawn to the imbalance surprisingly infrequently.

That said, FlexConnect can’t perform miracles. With all speakers clustered towards the front of the room, it can’t convincingly swing effects fully over and behind the seating position. The Atmos presentation remains surprisingly spacious, but there are physical limits to what digital processing can achieve.

In short, it’s still well worth taking the time to position the speakers as well as possible, but FlexConnect is more capable than it really has any right to be, and certainly the best technology of its type that we’ve heard.

Bass performance, too, is impressive in terms of depth and power. During the infamously challenging Chapter 2 of Blade Runner 2049, the W7 subwoofer digs deep and delivers substantial low-frequency weight without obvious distortion. There’s more outright heft here than from the Sonos system, and it lends action scenes and musical crescendos real physical presence.

However, once the initial spectacle subsides, the system’s limitations become more apparent.

Even after calibration, the balance feels slightly skewed, with the soundbar a touch recessed against the surrounds and the subwoofer proving slightly domineering.

Each channel can be manually trimmed, but achieving a truly natural balance proves difficult. We frequently find ourselves reducing the subwoofer level, as it can become overbearing, occasionally introducing a broad, slightly indistinct rumble rather than tightly controlled punch.

By comparison, the Sonos system deploys its bass with greater precision and control, delivering punch without the same sense of excess.

Dialogue is, unfortunately, where the LG is at its weakest. While not overtly harsh, voices lack warmth, richness and dynamic subtlety. In the Vegas penthouse scene between K and Deckard in Blade Runner 2049, Harrison Ford’s voice sounds breathier and less expressive than it should, and this is a recurring theme with everything we watch.

Through the LG, voices simply sound flatter and less expressive, with a faint raspiness and a touch of sibilance that becomes noticeable over time. Emotional inflections are missed, reducing the sense of intimacy.

Even in Standard mode, background elements can sit too far forward in the mix. As K walks through the precinct in Blade Runner 2049, for example, the ambient buzz and chatter draw attention away from the opening dialogue of the baseline test. The Sonos keeps those elements more firmly in the background, resulting in a cleaner, more focused presentation.

Similarly, in F1, while the LG delivers scale and impact in abundance, the Sonos sounds tighter and more composed, with a more precise beginning and end to each effect and commentary that feels more naturally integrated into the soundfield.

Music playback follows a similar pattern. In Standard mode (the AI processing is once again best avoided here), the LG is punchy, energetic and very bassy. Olivia Dean’s Nice To Each Other has plenty of drive and momentum, and the low end is pretty tuneful and rhythmic, if slightly overplayed. The system is certainly engaging, at least on a surface level.

But, disappointingly predictably, vocals lack warmth, texture and dynamic subtlety, sounding slightly raspy and inorganic. The Sonos delivers significantly greater clarity, expressive nuance and overall realism, drawing you closer to the performance. The LG, on the other hand, feels as though it’s putting a veil between you and the singer.

Also, while not bright, the Sound Suite’s treble is rather sibilant and insistent, drawing the ear in a faintly annoying way and distracting from the more important elements of a track. This issue manifests with pretty much everything we play: it’s in the steel strings of the acoustic guitar in Agape by Bear’s End, the hi-hat in Progress by Public Service Broadcasting, and the synthetic snaps and maracas in Waterbreathing by Che-Yung.

If you’re wondering to what extent the soundbar is dictating the system’s sonic character, it’s worth noting that the M7 speakers have very similar traits. Using one of them in isolation reveals the same punchy but somewhat aggressive and cold approach to sound.

This familial resemblance is what allows the Sound Suite system as a whole to reproduce those surround and Atmos effects so effectively, but it also reinforces the system’s slightly hard-edged presentation and makes the M7 a rather synthetic speaker in its own right. The Sonos Era 300 is a much more accomplished and musical standalone performer.

Verdict

LG’s Sound Suite is an ambitious and genuinely innovative attempt to take on Sonos at the top of the premium soundbar system tree.

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect isn’t a gimmick – it’s an impressively effective technology that (in LG’s hands at least) delivers convincing height, scale and spatial precision even when speaker placement isn’t ideal.

And, at its best, Sound Suite is thrilling, producing a large, room-filling presentation with dramatic overhead effects and deep, powerful bass.

But while LG has nailed spectacle, it’s fallen short on subtlety. The overall balance tends towards the cold and slightly aggressive, with bass that can dominate and dialogue that lacks warmth, richness and expressive nuance.

If scale and flexibility are your priorities, Sound Suite impresses. For all-round sonic sophistication, though, it’s a fair way behind the best in class.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Features 4
• Build 4

MORE:

Read our review of the LG Sound Suite H7

Also consider the Sonos Arc Ultra

Read our Samsung HW-Q990F review

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