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LG S95AR soundbar: One minute review
The LG S95AR is the successor to the already great LG S95TR soundbar system. There are a few good improvements, but at a couple of hundred dollars more, it can also seem redundant.
That said, if you don’t already own the LG S95TR, then I can enthusiastically recommend the LG S95AR, as it ranks among the best soundbars available, not to mention one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars. This 9.1.5-channel system not only offers incredibly immersive surround sound and spatial audio, but it does so with plenty of power and clarity.
The LG S95AR’s feature set is about as impressive as on any soundbar I’ve tested, with AI Room Calibration that’s good enough to rival Sonos soundbars. On top of all of that, it’s very easy to set up.
I have some small nitpicks with the S95AR, such as its use of basic LED indicators to let you know when the volume or settings have changed instead of having a full LED display. And, of course, its price is going to be prohibitive for a lot of people. But if you can handle the high price, you’ll be impressed.
LG S95AR soundbar review: Price & release date
- Price: $1,699.99 (about ÂŁ1,260 / AU$2,610)
- Released in April 2025
While I wouldn’t call it a soft launch, the LG S95AR Soundbar is currently only available in the US. If you’re located in one of the fifty states (or Puerto Rico and Guam), getting the LG S95AR will set you back a hefty $1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AUD$2,610).
The LG S95TR, this model’s predecessor, was also originally available only in the US, but has gone worldwide with a slightly better (but not by much) pricing of $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,699.
Both models come with a large soundbar, two rear speakers with multiple drivers, and a powerful subwoofer. They’re almost exactly the same, except that the S95AR has a redesigned subwoofer and better integration between the soundbar system and LG TVs. Oh, and there’s a new app, but more on that later.
LG S95AR soundbar review: Specs
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
Soundbar: 49.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 in (1250 x 63.5 x 134.6mm); subwoofer: 7.9 x 16 x 15.9 in (200 x 406 x 404mm); rear speakers: 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 in (160 x 223.5 x 142mm) |
|
Speaker channels |
9.1.5 |
|
Connections: |
2x HDMI (1 with eARC), optical, digital, Bluetooth, USB type-A |
|
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X |
Yes/Yes |
|
Sub included |
Yes |
|
Rear speakers included |
Yes |
|
Features |
4K @ 120Hz passthrough, Wi-Fi Streaming, Voice assistant support, AI room calibration, LG WOW Orchestra, LG WOW Interface, WOW Cast |
LG S95AR soundbar review: Features
- First-party features for LG TVs
- Wi-Fi Streaming and Alexa/Google Assistant support
- AI Room Calibration
There are several features of the S95AR that only owners of compatible LG TVs can access, which I wasn’t able to test with my non-LG TV. (You can tell which ones they are, because they start with the prefix “WOW.”) WOW Orchestra, for instance, combines an LG TV’s speakers with the LG S95AR for an even more immersive audio experience. And the WOW interface allows you to use one remote to control the soundbar’s functions as well as the TV’s via an onscreen interface. Lastly, WOW Cast lets you make a lossless wireless audio connection between the soundbar and specific LG TVs.
Luckily, there are plenty of features still accessible for non-LG TV owners. Wi-Fi streaming via Apple AirPlay 2 is available, as is Alexa and Google Assistant support. There are some gaming-related features as well, such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), as well as 4K, HDR10, and Dolby Vision support on the HDMI passthrough port.
Along with supporting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the LG S95AR can handle high-resolution audio, making this soundbar as capable of giving an immersive listening experience for music as it is for movies. There’s even what LG calls Smart Up-mixing that utilizes all the speakers for stereo audio playback.
What really puts the LG S95AR over the top in the feature department is its AI Room Calibration Pro, which I also appreciated when I reviewed the LG S95TR. Using LG’s app, you sit in the ideal listening spot (most likely your couch), and the soundbar will send out test tones. The app then measures the response and calibrates the soundbar’s audio output for your room. It’s pretty cool!
After calibration, the soundbar’s “AI Sound Pro Mode” will reflect the calibration. Speaking of sound modes, all the usual suspects are here, such as Cinema, Sports, etc., but the two I like to highlight are Night Mode and Clear Voice Mode. Both work very well, with Night mode compressing the audio to limit spikes without losing sound fidelity and Clear Voice mode pushing the dialogue level without distorting the frequency range, something that often happens with these types of modes.
Most of these features are only accessible through LG’s control app, which is fairly easy to navigate. You can even individually adjust the volume of the rear speakers, subwoofer, upward-firing speakers, and the center channel here. My only real gripe is that there’s only a three-band EQ for adjusting audio to taste.
LG S95AR soundbar review: Performance
- Sound is a little mid-forward, but clear
- Incredibly immersive soundstage
- Stereo upmixing to all channels
The S95AR’s sound quality is very, very good – only the most nitpicky audiophiles will find some fault with it. I consider myself audiophile-adjacent, and the only issue I could hear is that its midrange was just a bit forward-sounding. Of course, there is a three-band EQ in the app to help with that.
That said, the midrange is generally well-balanced. This is particularly true with dialogue. You can enhance dialogue, either by turning up the center channel level or using the dialogue mode in the app, but I never really felt the need to. Whether it was when watching a scene from The Batman or Deadpool &Wolverine, or playing a game like Dead Rising 2 where the main character is often talking while a lot of various audio elements (well, zombies) are occupying sonic space, dialogue was consistently clear.
The S95AR’s bass is nice and present. At default settings, it has that “you can feel it before you can hear it” effect, so it blends in nicely with the rest of the frequency range. When watching a blockbuster like Deadpool & Wolverine, there’s a lot of low-end information since half of every set is exploding, but even without turning the subwoofer up and having the soundbar set at a modest volume, I could sense the impact of everything and anything that is supposed to go boom.
The high-end also resolves nicely so that I didn’t miss any details, whether watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a game.
As far as the S95AR’s soundstage goes, it was just as immersive as when I reviewed the S95TR. The surround sound works perfectly – I was a bit unnerved to hear zombies behind me when I booted up Dead Rising 2 – and the upward firing speakers give all the audio elements a sense of height along with the left to right and front to back directionality. It’s quite the experience.
LG S95AR soundbar review: Design
- Soundbar is fairly large
- Wireless connectivity
- Basic LED indicator display
The LG S95AR is not a small soundbar, and that’s without getting into the fact that this is a four-piece system. The main soundbar is almost fifty inches wide with ten drivers in it – three of them pointing up for Dolby Atmos height effects – and requires a fairly large entertainment console to properly hold it.
The rear speakers are sizable as well, but there’s a good reason for that. Unlike most rear speakers, these don’t have just one driver. They use three – one slightly angled to the right of the speaker, one to the left, and one out of the top for spatial audio or Dolby Atmos effects.
The subwoofer houses an 8-inch side-firing woofer that’s helped along with a forward-facing port, which helps with bass extension and output.
A nice design feature is that all units have recessed power ports with angled power cables so that everything looks flush when installed. Soundbar connections, meanwhile, include optical digital, two HDMI (one of which supports Dolby Vision HDR passthrough), and a USB port.
The soundbar does have a set of capacitive buttons so that everything looks clean, but you can still power on the soundbar, change the volume, change inputs, connect Bluetooth, or enable Wi-Fi (necessary for pairing to the app) without using the remote.
I also want to mention that, like the S95TR before it, there is no display other than three LED indicator lights on the right side of the soundbar that light up and change color depending on what you’re doing, whether it’s adjusting the volume or changing to Bluetooth connectivity.
Speaking of the remote, it has a good feel in the hand and comes with a decent set of controls, though it’s not as robust as the app. Since the soundbar itself just has the three indicator lights, cycling through certain settings via the remote, like different sound modes, is somewhat of a guessing game.
LG S95AR soundbar review: Setup & usability
- Removing the various pieces from the box takes the longest
- Physical setup is incredibly easy
- Mounting brackets included
The S95AR comes in a big box. It takes a minute to get all the pieces out as they’re very well packed, with the rear speakers and subwoofer bound in recyclable packing material. But getting all the pieces out of the box (and putting the box away) is the most time-consuming part of the whole setup process. I would estimate it probably took me about 10 minutes at most.
Connecting the soundbar to the TV via the included HDMI cable and power, and then connecting the various other speakers to power (remember, they’re all wireless) took half that time. And, since the rear speakers and subwoofers are paired out of the box, there was no other physical setup besides placing the included batteries into the remote.
I did have to go through one more step, which is connecting the app to the soundbar system. It does take an additional 5 to 10 minutes, but it is mostly just following instructions on a screen. This is a necessary step, however, as the remote can’t access all the features and fine-tuning capabilities found in the app.
If you want to wall-mount the soundbar and rear speakers, LG has helpfully included brackets and screws for both without an extra charge.
- Setup & usability score: 5 / 5
LG S95AR soundbar review: Value
- Similar-specced soundbars come with similar price tags
- Building out a home theater sound system probably costs more
- Cheaper surround sound and Dolby Atmos systems available
With a price tag of $1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AUD$2,610), the LG S95AR is expensive. However, that’s par for the course for a flagship soundbar system. The Samsung Q990D, for instance, retailed for $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 when first released and covers a lot of the same ground, being a feature-filled 11.1.4-channel system.
Of course, building out an actual home theater setup with individual speakers is probably going to cost even more if you get decent speakers. That said, there are cheaper options if you want surround sound and Dolby Atmos, such as the Hisense AX5125H. Being a 5.1.2-channel system, it is not as robust as the LG S95AR, but it goes for a much, much cheaper $299 / £349 (roughly AU$449). Of course, you’re giving up a lot in terms of features as well
Should I buy the LG S95AR soundbar?
|
Section |
Notes |
Score |
|
Features |
Even if you can’t use the features that only work with LG TVs, there’s a lot to take advantage of, including AI Room Calibration |
5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The sound quality is immersive and clear, with plenty of low-end rumble |
5 / 5 |
|
Design |
Big, with lots of drivers, including upward-firing ones on the rear speakers. Unfortunately, the LED display is very limited |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Setup & usability |
Easy to set up and quick, too, though you’ll need to use an app to get at more sophisticated setup functions |
.5 / 5 |
|
Value |
Expensive, but priced in line with other flagship soundbar systems |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
LG S95AR soundbar review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
LG S95AR soundbar |
Samsung HW-Q990D |
Hisense AX5125H |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$1,699.99 (about ÂŁ1,260 / AUD$2,610) |
$1,799 / ÂŁ1,699 / AU$1,995Â |
$299 / ÂŁ349 (roughly AU$449) |
|
Dimensions (w x h x d) |
Soundbar: 49.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 in (1250 x 63.5 x 134.6mm); subwoofer: 7.9 x 16 x 15.9 in (200 x 406 x 404mm); rear speakers: 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 in (160 x 223.5 x 142mm) |
Soundbar: 1309.0 x 595.0 x 277.0 mm (51.3 x 23.4 x 10.9 in), Subwoofer: 220.0 x 413.0 x 410.0 mm (8.6 x 16.2 x 16.1 in), Rear speaker: 129.5 x 201.3 x140.4 mm (5 x 7.9 x 5.5 in) |
Soundbar: 36.2 x 18.8 x 3.5 in (920 x 478 x 90mm); Subwoofer: 8.5 x 12.3 x 11.9 in (210.5 x 310 x 300mm); Satellites: 3.6 x 5.7 x 4.3 in (90.1 x 140.5 x 110mm) |
|
Speaker channels |
9.1.5 |
11.1.4 |
5.1.2 |
|
Connections |
2x HDMI (1 with eARC), optical digital audio, USB type-A |
11.1.4 |
1x HDMI Out (eARC), 1x HDMI in, optical, USB, 3.5mm AUX |
|
Dolby Atmos/DTS:X |
Yes/Yes |
Yes/Yes |
Yes/Yes |
How I tested the LG S95AR soundbar
- I used the LG S95AR Soundbar for several weeks
- Tested with both TV, movies, and music
I used the LG S95AR Soundbar regularly for several weeks with TV, movies, and music. I listened to the different sound modes and I tested the various features.
As has been hopefully expressed in the review, this is a powerful, immersive soundbar that does a very good job of offering an immersive home theater experience and should work for anyone with the budget for it who wants the convenience of a soundbar.
I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.
Read more about how we test
- First reviewed: July 2025
Read the full article here
