The best soundbars for LG TVs 2024: boost your LG TV's sound

Here at T3, I'm in charge of looking after the Home Cinema and AV sections of the site as part of my job as Tech Editor. That includes soundbars, but in this guide I've rounded up the best soundbars for LG TVs specifically – as curated from the reviews of our expert team and professional freelance contributors.

It's fair to say that not all soundbars are created equal. Indeed, the best soundbars for LG's best TVs will differ to those of, say, Samsung's top sets. Why? It's because manufacturers are getting wiser with technologies and, crucially, creating their own ecosystems – in the case of LG it's the company's WowOrchestra (read my first impressions here), which pairs with mated LG TVs' speakers, to deliver an even more immersive wall of sound.

In this guide I've selected a broad price range of soundbars for LG TVs in 2024 – there are eight picks in total, selected from a much broader pool of dozens that we've reviewed on the site – so you can expect to pay from around £250 to £1600. Typically speaking the more you pay the more boxes you'll acquire – a separate subwoofer, then separate rear speakers – to deliver greater immersive surround sound experiences with Dolby Atmos content, but also more powerful room-filling sound.

There's plenty of technical jargon in understanding the best soundbars and, indeed, some of LG's own TV technologies (it's a brand well-known for making many of the best OLED TVs you can buy). But, fret not, I've broken down each included product in this guide into easy-to-understand summaries, so you can make an informed decision on the one that’s right for you. At the end of the article you can read my jargon buster, various key technologies explainers, and about how we test here at T3.

Don't forget that we're now in the middle of the holiday season, too, which often brings with it some great festive deals and discounts. For gift guides, deal spotlights and more, check out the T3 Christmas hub for all of our season content.

T3's Top Picks

The best soundbars for LG TVs 2024

Best overall

The LG S95QR is both soundbar and an entire surround sound system in one. It packs a huge amount of power into its four boxes, and as long as you have the space (and a TV big enough that it won’t be dwarfed by it!), it’s a brilliantly effective solution.

What makes it extra special for LG TVs is the inclusion of WowOrchestra, meaning it'll work in connection with compatible LG TVs' built-in speakers too, delivering additional immersion and height. Its replacement, the LG S95TR, does the same – but it'll cost you more and doesn't differ hugely, hence the older model's recommendation here.

The L95QR's configuration delivers front left/centre/right channels, two side channels, two width channels, three front height channels, two rear height channels, surround channels, and a wireless subwoofer. That creates a genuinely immersive experience that, from suitable Dolby Atmos soundtracks, delivers sound all around you. And thanks to Meridian Audio’s involvement the S95QR is also very musical.

As far as movies are concerned, it all works brilliantly. There’s subtlety and fine detail aplenty, as well as a wide-open soundstage and the dynamic potency to really kick off when the soundtrack demands it. The Dolby Atmos effect is very convincing, albeit with a little height lacking, as you can read more about in our LG S95QR review.

Best for most people

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a single-box solution, so if you don't have the space, plug sockets or sheer desire for a more complex setup with a separate subwoofer box or speakers around the back of the room, then it's a sensible all-in-one solution. It keeps things simple, but keeps things sounding great too – ideally matched to LG TVs of a mid-size to around 65-inches max.

The Beam 2 features a single tweeter, four ‘racetrack’ mid/bass drivers and a trio of passive radiators for low-end reinforcement, so it's most capable with audio output. Unlike the original speaker it replaces, the Gen 2 model has powerful on-board processing that wants to deliver height, as well as width, to the sound, and includes Dolby Atmos processing to that effect for pseudo-surround. It also improves low-end heft and clarity at the same time.

The Beam 2 also features eARC-enabled HDMI (good) but still lacks HDMI passthrough (less good, depending on your TV and sockets needs). Music streaming is possible via Apple AirPlay 2, and the Sonos control app can connect to streaming services, which makes Beam an ideal multiroom option. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are both built-in, too, which only adds to the convenience – this is one of the best smart speakers, not just a top soundbar.

Best of all, the Beam 2 leaves the unassisted sound of your TV looking weedy. It’s punchy, distinct, direct and very spacious – and even if it struggles to make good on its promises of Dolby Atmos height compared to something like the LG S95QR above, it’s still the best-sounding soundbar at this sort of money and scale, as our full Sonos Beam 2nd Gen review attests.

Best budget

Want a great soundbar but don’t want to break the bank? Don't have a super-massive TV to boost the sound of? Or perhaps you just don't want your room dominated by a big cabinet? Then don’t look any further – Yamaha has you covered with the SR-C20A. There's no separate subwoofer here (something the C30A model adds into the box), so not much space is needed, and it's a smaller unit than the majority of other picks in this best-of guide.

For the money, the SR-C20A sounds straightforwardly great. Compared to your unadorned LG TV, the performance is deeper, wider and taller – and the Yamaha achieves that without even pretending to be a Dolby Atmos speaker. It has poise and balance, decent dexterity and more than a little low-end presence. And it will fit happily below titchy little 32-inch TVs, and is portable enough to be carried off and put beneath a games monitor or something.

Setup is simple, and as well as the more usual connections there’s also a 3.5mm analogue input for additional flexibility. Sure, the remote control looks cheaper and feels even cheaper – but there’s a great Yamaha control app available, so that’s not too much of an issue. And let’s not forget: as our SR-C20A review makes clear, this soundbar is affordable, versatile and sounds great too.

Best for flagship LG TVs

The LG USC9S is a very specific soundbar – as it's designed for tight integration with LG C3, C4 or G4 OLED TVs. That's because there's a stand in the box that marries TV and soundbar together in one, which makes it look fantastic.

If you don't have one of those TVs you still get a fair soundbar and subwoofer package, but other options would be far more sensible to purchase. But this is the best soundbars for LG TVs guide, so this is a very obvious choice for those sets listed above.

Initially we found this soundbar can sound a bit hit and miss, as stated in our LG USC9S review: "overall the USC9S's lacking in its headline features' capabilities – AI Sound Pro, WowOrchestra – that's the biggest letdown. But let this soundbar run in a handful of modes and its wall-of-sound delivery is loud and robust, acting as an obvious albeit not class-leading audio upgrade." Since then LG has updated the software, however, so it's meant to deliver an even better integrated experience.

If you're looking for an altogether more immersive soundbar experience then be prepared to pay more and look to the top-tier LG S95TR or earlier S95QR with its separate subwoofer and rear surround speakers for that extra edge. But if design and neatness are your go-for then the USC9S is a winner.

Best for Dolby Atmos surround

Hold up, what's a Samsung soundbar doing here? Well, while it might not offer LG WowOrchestra compatibility for TV-speaker pairing (Samsung offers its even-better equivalent, Q-Symphony, for Samsung TVs only) it's still a fantastic-sounding multi-box surround system.

Indeed, when is a soundbar not a soundbar? When it’s a soundbar, a subwoofer and a pair of rear speakers with an all-in total of 22 drivers and over 600 watts of power, that’s when. That's exactly what Samsung's HW-Q990D offers. At least its subwoofer and rear speakers are wireless, though, so the system’s not quite as ungainly as it first may sound.

The Q990D is an Award-winning 2024 flagship, which delivers 11 channels of sound (using angled drivers to create width and up-firing drivers for the height effect). Each rear speaker sits on short pedestal stands that neutralise potential colouration from whatever surface you’ve placed them on, and their top edges angle down at the front rather than being flat, to help push the sound from the up-firing drivers forward, and the subwoofer, well… it does that ideal subwoofer thing of delivering deep, taut bass without getting overconfident.

What's extra special about this 990D model is that it offers 4K/120Hz passthrough, which even the top-tier LG S95TR can't offer. That future-proofs this for gamers who want to send the top refresh rate signal through one of the soundbar's own HDMI ports, without unnecessarily having to use up the limited ones on the TV itself. Nice!

Read more about this soundbar in our Samsung HW-Q990D review. It's got a great feature set that also includes a pair of HDMI inputs, support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, plus wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and AirPlay 2. No, there's no WowOrchestra for LG, but everything else is very high-end indeed.

Best for sound quality in a single box

This soundbar is the step up to the Sonos Beam 2, also featured in this guide. The Arc is bigger, so delivers bolder sound and is better matched with larger-scale LG TVs as a result.

That sound is thanks to a complement of 11 speaker drivers firing at various angles, so the Sonos Arc gets closer than any other relatively affordable single-unit soundbar in creating a sense of width and height to Dolby Atmos soundtracks. Which is why it's so well-matched to LG's best TVs of 55 inches and up.

But there’s more to the Arc than simple audio trickery. It’s just a deeply impressive and thoroughly well-balanced speaker, no matter what you choose to listen to. Tonality is even and convincing for both music and movies, and by the standards of subwoofer-less soundbars it develops deep and substantial low frequencies (though can't truly match a subwoofer).

Because it's a Sonos, it's simplicity itself to set up, and can be integrated into a multichannel or multiroom system in moments. So if you have a variety of Sonos speakers to pair it with around the home, it adds yet another benefit to buying into this non-LG brand product.

Downsides are remarkably few, but not exactly insignificant. There’s only a single HDMI socket, and no passthrough, so you'll lose one of your TV's HDMI ports by connecting the Arc – and if your LG TV can't decode or pass through Dolby Atmos then there’s no Dolby Atmos for you. It’s a frankly bizarre state of affairs, but this is only a problem for older LG TVs.

Best budget soundbar with subwoofer

Get the Denon DHT-S316 underneath your LG TV, and not only do you have the peace of mind that comes with the Denon brand name, you also have a good value soundbar upgrade that's going to boost your TV's audio significantly without requiring you to spend over the odds. What's more, it comes with a sleek and stylish aesthetic design too.

You'll struggle to find many decent soundbars for your LG TV for less than the cost of the Denon DHT-S316, and yet despite its budget price, we found that it offers a full, expansive, and well-balanced soundscape. Ramp up the volume, and the soundbar continues to cope very well indeed, keeping the detail and depth in your audio no matter what the source.

Of course, at this sort of price point you're not going to get a host of advanced audio features to play around with, or more than three integrated speakers. However, if your main objective in looking for the best soundbar for your LG TV is to get the most bang possible for your buck, then the Denon DHT-S316 model is well worth shortlisting.

Best build quality on a compact box

You'll often get the best results when you pair a soundbar and TV from the same manufacturer, and the LG Eclair USE6 should certainly have no problems getting connected to any LG TV you like. The usual HDMI, optical audio, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi options are here, along with support for Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, so you're certainly well covered.

It's one of the better soundbars we've seen in terms of build quality, and its compact size means it'll snuggle up nicely against your television. There's no subwoofer, so you don't need to find any extra room by your TV setup, and considering this is an all-in-one soundbar it manages to output an impressive amount of volume and bass. It's ideal for smaller LG TVs.

Audio optimisation to suit the layout of your room is simple to set up, via the accompanying app – and in general it's an appealing choice if you don't want to spend too much money, but do want a substantial upgrade on your television's built-in audio. It has the key features you're likely to need, while still staying firmly in the mid-range category.

Key specs to consider in the best soundbars for LG TVs

In this guide I've presented more than just 'soundbars', really, as the term is a catchall. Those multi-box solutions are more realistically surround sound systems, or close to it, but are still bundled into this category. Nontheless, here's a summary of the important factors that may affect your buying decision.

Single / subwoofer / separates

1. Many soundbars are single-box solutions, i.e. just the one unit to sit in front of your TV. No additional boxes, like a subwoofer to worry about. However, that can limit their frequency range potential – certainly better than a skinny TV, but if you want big bass then only the bigger products, such as the Sonos Arc, will suit your wants.

2. That said, a lot of soundbar packages include a separate subwoofer, which you'll also need to plug into a second socket – but wireless connectivity is now the norm, so it's easy. Subwoofers vary in size and low-end thump, but make a huge difference for movie nights and Hollywood soundtracks in particular.

3. Some soundbars venture into 'surround systems', as I've said above, when there are multiple boxes. That's the case with LG's S95TR, for example, which is brilliant for surround but might be too many boxes and plug sockets for you to manage in a living room or bedroom setup.

Three-dimensional audio: Dolby Atmos / DTS X

While many soundbars stick to stereo output, many more deliver three-dimensional audio – irrelevant of how many speakers or channels are involved in a product's build.

The two main formats you'll want to look our for are Dolby Atmos and DTS X. These can create sideward and overhead sound immersion, whether using psychoacoustic processing, and/or additional speakers.

If you choose a soundbar with rear speakers included, you'll get an even more immersive Dolby/DTS experience. It's like being in a cinema at home. But that's also why these soundbars are much pricier.

Connectivity

This is important and not to be overlooked: most basic soundbars only have an optical input, which you'll need to cable directly from your TV.

A more practical solution, as you'll get from modern soundbars, is an HDMI port. The latest eARC (that's enhanced audio-return channel) makes it simple to connect to the relevant TV port and the soundbar handshakes for perfect sync and output.

More advanced soundbars feature additional HDMI ports in their built, allowing for additional products to be plugged into them – which is a great way to expand beyond a TV's typical four slots. Do note, however, that you'll want the HDMI 2.1 standard to passthrough 4K at 120Hz refresh rate, which is the highest current gaming standard (HDMI 2.0 will cater for 4K, but 60Hz instead).

To use your soundbar for music, most also feature Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi to stream wirelessly. Extras such as Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 or Chromecast built-in are a bonus. Some soundbars will also have microphones with support for Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice control.

How to choose

There are, of course, some practical considerations when it comes to picking a new soundbar to partner your LG television: you need to set a realistic budget (and then stick to it) for example, and these soundbars vary significantly in terms of how much they cost. We've included a spread of prices in our list, using attached shopping widgets to present dynamic pricing.

Soundbars can be bought for under £100, but they're not going to be great for most LG TVs. A PC monitor, sure. But that's the thing: pricing tends to match feature set. At the other end of the scale, high-end soundbars can cost well over £1,000 – only worth it if you have the space, want immersive sound, and are happy with additional speaker units.

You also need to think about the design of your new soundbar – LG TVs tend to be sleek and minimal in appearance, and you don't want your soundbar ruining your decor. If your LG TV is wall-mounted, for instance, it's probably worth giving special consideration to soundbars that can be wall-mounted too. If your TV stands on its feet, though, and the soundbar is going to sit below the screen, make sure there is enough clearance to prevent the soundbar from obscuring the bottom of the screen. It's important to consider the width of the soundbar, too – you don’t want it to be wider than the screen it’s serving.

In addition, think about whether the TV matched with an LG soundbar specifically can use WowOrchestra sync technology. That's when the soundbar utilises the TV's speakers for even more height and immersion. Only LG's own soundbars offer this specific feature for LG TVs, of course, so if you pick another brand it's not going to happen.

As per the 'key specs' above, make sure your soundbar has all the connections you need, too. HDMI is the easiest way to attach your soundbar to your LG TV – and your TV is almost certain to be HDMI ARC enabled, meaning audio can travel in both directions along the HDMI cable. On some older TVs it's a pain to use an HDMI, because it might be one of your only 4K-capable ports. That's why you may pay more for a soundbar with additional HDMI ports for passthrough. It'll add to your spend, sure, but for those with lots of AV gear it's worthwhile.

How we test

Our dedicated How We Test page tells you everything you need to know about how we weigh up the products that we come across – but in summary, we're comprehensive in everything that we do. Whether it's noting down physical dimensions or studying brightness levels, we're always thorough in what we do.

The 'how to choose' section above tells you how important the specification is in a soundbar. So that's a major factor in our testing process: how can it connect to the TV, are there additional ports, do all these ports function as expected in delivering Blu-ray, PS5, Xbox Series X and other products paired with an LG TV?

When unboxing and setting up – another important part of the test process, ultimately –we'll also ensure to cover the number of units in a package, the speaker arrangement (if known, sometimes this is hidden), whether the soundbar can handle three-dimensional audio processing from Dolby Atmos to DTS X, and has HDMI passthrough.

We also put the soundbars that we review into a wider context – whether that's in terms of their current pricing against others, or how they compare to similar products. That can really make all the difference in certain categories, soundbars included, where there are lots of similar products available.

Audio performance is a key area of assessment – and this is where our expertise comes in. As the myrida reviewers list on this page shows (see the 'reviewer panel' below) T3 has extensive experience in audio products. From bass to mids to highs: context is key here and we've got the years of experience to explain what's good and why.

We strive to be as consistent as possible in our testing, but as we do test in multiple environments – echoing the experience of any at-home reader, really – that is one consideration to variation in results and option. But we think that's an overall positive – as we test in people's homes, T3 reflects the consumer experience all the better. And that benefits you, our readers.

Reviewer panel

Mike Lowe

I've been reviewing soundbars and curating content from audio experts for over a decade. From my first-hand knowledge to the expert voices also on this page, who I've collated the reviews of for this guide, you can be assured that the soundbar picks in this guide are the very best soundbars for LG TVs.

Simon Lucas

Simon is a freelance technology journalist, with a particular focus on audio/video and home entertainment. Before writing for T3 he was editor of What Hi-Fi? – a highly reputable industry publication (and still sister title of T3) with independent testing facilities for AV products, such as soundbars and LG TVs.

Steve Withers

Stephen has been writing about AV products, including soundbars, for over 10 years. He is a professional calibrator, with Level 2 certification with THX, the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) and the Home Acoustics Alliance (HAA). He knows the ins and outs of soundbars and has reviewed very many of them over the years too.

Matt Bolton

Matt was T3's former magazine editor and has a host of experience under his belt – including as T3's AV Editor before Mike (above) took over. Matt currently works for T3's sister publication, TechRadar, as the boss of Entertainment. In his over-10-years of experience he's seen and commissioned reviews for many a soundbar.