The LG S95TR 9.1.5 is one of the very few true Dolby Atmos soundbars using discrete three-way wireless rear speakers instead of vastly inferior virtual psychoacoustic faux Dolby Atmos. It is, frankly, outstanding.
At $1699 (often seen as low as $1250) and less when purchased as a bundle with an LG TV, the LG S95TR 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos soundbar offers exceptional value for money.
This is the soundbar that every fan of Dolby Vision/Atmos or DTS:X content should consider. Its excellent 2.0 to 7.1 free-to-air TV or digital streaming sound upscale enhances your viewing experience.
How CyberShack judges a soundbar
It is primarily about fit for purpose. A 2.1 soundbar (left/right/subwoofer) will significantly enhance free-to-air TV sound. A 3.1 soundbar adds a centre speaker to enhance clear dialogue. A 5.1 to 7.1 soundbar adds surround sound, perfect for most digital streaming content. So, it is not about the number of speakers or cost but what you need it for.
Do you need Dolby Atmos (DA)?
DA is solely about accurately placing 120 3D sound objects in a room and accurately moving (phasing) them up/down/left/right and across it (3D spatial sound). Imagine a dinosaur growling behind you or an aircraft flying overhead. It is about the Dolby Vision/Atmos/DTS:X/Imax 3D movie experience. The better ones also upscale from PCM/Dolby Digital/DTS 2.0, 5.1 or 7.1 to provide a better surround experience.
In our experience, the entry-level is Dolby Atmos 5.1.4 with dedicated rear speakers. Any other all-in-one (no dedicated rears) uses psychoacoustics to create a virtual, faux DA experience by bouncing up-firing sound off the ceiling and surround sound off adjacent walls. Very few homes have good psychoacoustics, so you have a pretty miserable, front-centric (close to the TV) DA experience.
What we look for in a DA soundbar
- At least 5.1.4 and preferably 7.1.4 (you can get up to 11.1.4)
- Discrete rear speakers that do not rely on psychoacoustics
- Volume at least 80dB with minimal distortion
- Clear Voice (a dedicated forward-firing centre channel focusing on the 1-4kHz frequency range).
- HDMI 2.1, 48Mbps eARC port for 4K@/100120Hz uncompressed 4:4:4 Dolby Atmos pass-through.
- A wide range of decoding, including DTS variants
- Room calibration via a smartphone App, remote control, or separate room mic
- An App is not mandatory, but adding more customisation, an EQ, etc, is easier.
- Voice Assistance is not mandatory (in fact, you can have too many voice assistants)
The LG S95TR 9.1.5 exceeds many of these parameters and, in our opinion, is a) the best of the LG 2024 range and b) presents excellent value for a fully-featured Dolby Atmos soundbar.
Read: Five tips for better TV sound – Dolby Atmos for beginners and How to buy a soundbar that meets your needs?
Australian Review LG S95TR 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos 810W soundbar with WOW Orchestra
| Website | Product Page User Guide Manual |
| RRP 10/7/24 | $1699 but seen as low as $1250 and look for LG TV/soundbar bundles |
| From | LG Online, Harvey Norman, Domayne, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Bing Lee, Appliances Online and many quality CE retailers |
| Warranty | 1-year ACL confers consumer rights against major defects for an extended period. |
| Made in | China |
| LG | LG (formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995) is a South Korean multinational conglomerate. It makes electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products. |
| More | CyberShack LG News and reviews CyberShack AV news and reviews |
We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
We are also tightening up on grading. For 2024 reviews, a Pass mark is 70+/100, with extra points added for class-leading and excellence. For 2023 reviews and earlier, deduct 10 points from them for reasonable parity.
First impression – Basic boring black! – Pass
The LG S95TR soundbar has a dark ABS finish and front and top speaker grills. The sub looks old-school, with a big side fabric speaker grill and a front bass port. The wedge-shaped 2.0.1 rear speakers are matte black.
There is nothing wrong with the style. We make this observation because more and more buyers want ‘décor’ elements like the stylish white Sonos Arc or glass-top Bose 900. LG could take a leaf from its excellent decorator, Signature food prep, and laundry appliance range and offer colour façade options.
It has a remote control and three LED indicators that I challenge even a rocket scientist to use. The app is a must.
Speakers – Pass+
The soundbar is 1250.0 mm x 63.0 mm x 135.0 mm x 5.65kg (includes speakers 1-5 and up-firing 1-3).
The Rears are each 159.0 mm x 223.0 mm x 142.0 mm x 2.04kg (includes speakers 6-9 and up-firing 4-5)
All are 35W RMS unless stated (woofer means 200Hz to about 10KHz. Tweeter means a cut-over at 10kHz+ and is not part of Dolby Atmos numbering)
- Left front-firing (woofer + tweeter)
- Right front-firing (woofer + tweeter)
- Centre front-firing (woofer)
- Left front surround side/angle firing (woofer)
- Right front surround side/angle firing (woofer
- Left rear forward-firing 40W (woofer)
- Right rear forward-firing 40W (woofer)
- Left rear surround side/angle firing 40W (woofer
- Right rear surround side/angle firing 40W (woofer)
In addition, there are two rear passive ports, presumably to assist bass.
Up-firing
- Left front
- Right front
- Centre front
- Left rear 40W
- Right rear 40W
Sub-woofer 220W
201.7 mm x 407.0 mm x 403.0 mm x 10kg. This can be placed anywhere on the floor but works best closer to the TV.
LG S95TR base specs
- 9.1.5, 810W
- PCM, Dolby Digital and DTS Digital 2.0 to 7.1 upmix
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X metadata decode
- Bluetooth Rx only (no version disclosed – likely 5. x) SBC and AAC codecs
- Can upscale from 2.0 16-bit/42,400Hz to 24-bit/96kHz
- Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Apple AirPlay2 and Google Chromecast
- Wi-Fi N 2.4 or 5GHz
- Voice control: Alexa, Google Home (via external smart speaker) and Siri (via AirPlay 2)
- HDMI eARC and HDR10/Dolby Vision pass-through, VRR/ALLM/4K@100Hz (50Hz AU power)
- HDMI in 18Gbps
- Optical digital in
- USB-A 5V/.5A/2.5W
- WOW Orchestra with compatible recent LG TVs.
- AI Room calibration via the LG soundbar Android or iOS App
Setup, Placement and Calibration
It is straightforward. Unpack, connect the soundbar eARC port to the TV eARC port via HDMI (see HDMI later), and manually select HDMI sound instead of TV sound. If you have a compatible LG TV, you can select WOW Orchestra.
The soundbar should fit under most TVs but may be too long for those with side legs instead of a centre pedestal. Wall-mount brackets are supplied.
You need to create a DA/surround sound envelope. Typically, that envelope is between 3 and 5 metres from a TV and focuses on where most people sit.
To achieve that, you must place the rear speakers at a seated head height, 45° angle, at least 1 metre behind the seating area. They are also wall-mountable but need power. You use the app’s autocalibration mode to compensate for the seating position and room acoustics.
After calibration, we found the rear speakers overpowering. The app allows you to adjust the volume of any speaker. Eventually, we managed to get the right balance of voice from the front and 3D effects from the rear.
The LG Soundbar App – Pass+
It enables sound calibration, firmware updates, and voice assistance and offers quick access to all settings. Use it instead of the remote control and LEDs. It does not have a TV on-screen interface.
PORTS and HDMI test – Pass
- HDMI eARC
- HDMI in
- Optical In
- USB-A 5V/.5A/2.5W
LG advertises HDMI IN 4K@100Hz (AU 50Hz power) VRR/ALLM pass-through for Dolby Vision/HDR10 content. The small print reads – HDMI pass-through supports up to 4K @ 100/120Hz YCbCr 4:2:0 at 8 bits.
Our tests show it is HDMI 18Gbps, capable of supporting 25% of the uncompressed colour information 4:4:4.
Any gaming device, such as an Xbox or PS5, must connect directly to the TV’s HDMI 2.1 ports. A Blu-ray player is OK, as it does not need more bandwidth.
Sound Presets – Pass
- AI SOUND PRO: Artificial intelligence selects the optimal sound settings to suit the content. It outputs 9.1.5 surround and true DA/DTS:X.
- STANDARD: 2.1 optimised sound for FTA TV – no rears used. If the sound stream is up to 7.1, it is up mixed to 9.1.5.
- CLEAR VOICE PRO: Improves the clarity of voices using the centre front-firing speaker and recessing bass and treble – not meant for music.
- SPORTS: All sounds downmixed to 3.1, focusing on the commentator.
- MUSIC: 5.1.2 (rears inactive) upscale of 2.0 optimised for music.
- GAME: 3.1 optimised for game.
- BASS BLAST (BASS BLAST+): 3.1 bass sounds are enhanced, but mid and treble are recessed.
- SURROUND: Faux 3D sound regardless of the channels in the initially recorded content.
- NIGHTTIME: Reduces the general sound volume but raises the volume of soft and delicate sounds.
WOW Orchestra – Pass
WOW Orchestra simultaneously uses the LG TV and compatible LG Sound Bar speakers to create a ‘fuller’ sound. My take on WOW Orchestra is that it adds a slightly fuller sound to a soundbar but can introduce a less-than-perfect sound when driven at higher volume levels.
It also depends on the LG TV model. We tested an LG C4 evo OLED with a 40W 2.2 speaker system, and there was a slight improvement.
The good thing about LG WOW-compatible soundbars is that they lose no functionality when used with a different brand.
How does LG S95TR sound? Exceed
It gets Exceed because of the wide range of pre-sets that can make a massive difference to what you hear. For the most part, you will leave it on AI Sound Pro.
With DA, the action happens all around—exceed. Sound objects come from above, sides, and behind. The bass has lots of rumble that help you feel the intensity.
With 5.1/7.1 surround—Exceed. There are no 3D height channels, but you are still bathed in directional sound, and the rears really add to the experience.
Hearing-impaired will appreciate Clear Voice, up-firing centre channel and night mode (together or separately. Pass+
Music lovers will appreciate Wi-Fi steaming or high-res BT music – Exceed.
The sound stage is a little wider than the bar, but with DA and DTS:X content, it reaches at least a metre wider. Objects feel accurately placed and have clear directionality. Exceed.
| Deep Bass 20-40Hz | Starts at 30Hz |
| Middle Bass 40-100Hz | Builds solidly to 60Hz, then flat |
| High Bass 100-200Hz | Flat |
| Low Mid 200-400Hz | Flat |
| Mid 400-1kHz | Flat |
| High Mid 1-2kHz | Flat |
| Low Treble 2-4kHz | Flat |
| Mid Treble 4-6kHz | Flat |
| High Treble 6-10kHz | Dip to avoid harshness, then reasonably flat to 20kHz. |
| Dog Whistle 10-20kHz | Reasonably Flat |
| Volume | 85dB |
Continued
| Sound Signature type | It has a Neutral sound signature (the nirvana) and the audiophile standard. It neither adds nor subtracts from the original music. Being flat allows presets and an EQ to recess frequencies (which cannot add to a native signature) to focus on clear voice dialogue, night listening, music (where a warm and sweet signature may be better), and more. |
| Soundstage stereo | It is not much larger than the TV and matches the sound well with the image source. |
| Soundstage Dolby Atmos/DTS:X | Full Dolby 360° 3D height and surround without using psychoacoustics. |
| Comment | An excellent 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos soundbar gives a decent DA sound stage of about 3-5m from the TV. You won’t be disappointed. |
| BT (headphones) | BT SBC or AC codec is typical and crushes the mid-bass and high treble. Decent Left/Right separation. |
| Read | How to tell if you have good music (sound signature is the key – guide). |
Hearing-impaired – Exceed
Clear Voice Pro mode recesses bass and treble to focus on clear dialogue between 1-4kHz. It is excellent for voice but not for music.
You can alter individual speaker volumes to suit your tastes. There is also a night mode, which reduces general sound volume but raises the volume of soft and delicate sounds.
CyberShack’s view – LG S95TR 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos 810W soundbar gives a real 3D sound immersive experience.
Let’s be clear—it is LG’s best offering, and if you can get it for less than RRP, it is a bargain. It is more than you need for real 3D Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound. Plus, it has that extra centre-up-firing speaker for excellent, clear voice.
Some brands offer 11.1.4, and Sonos has a unique 7.1.2 Arc soundbar + sub that can be paired with two 4.0.1 Era 300 rears—all for about $4,000. Read Sonos Era 300 as rears to the Sonos Arc – superb Dolby Atmos 7.1.4.
You can spend more if you wish, but it won’t give you much more.
LG S95TR rating 82/100
2024 ratings use a 70/100 pass mark.
- Features: 80—It has everything you need but loses points for HDMI 2.0 pass-through.
- Value: 85 – very competitive pricing
- Performance: 85 – Excellent 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos sound envelope
- Ease of Use: 85 – The app makes it very easy. A 12-month warranty is too short. Do not buy an extended warranty – Australian Consumer Law covers that. Read ACL Consumer tech warranty not a priority for the majority – it should be
- Design: 75—Big black bars may be efficient but not stylish. A choice of white or a fashionable colour would make it stand out.
CyberShack Verdict
LG S95TR 9.1.5 Dolby Atmos 810W soundbar
RRP $1699 but seen as low as $1250
6 comments
Joe
I bought this in November but just installed it with my LG G4 TV as we just moved into a new house. I only have the bar and sub going right now. I dont even have cable or Internet yet but had the TV streaming from my phone’s hotspot on the built in LG channels and Ancient Aliens came on. Just the base from the subwoofer during the suspenseful music they play was impressive, I didn’t have the volume cranked high but you felt the bass going through you and the bar sounded great. I was impressed.
Ray Shaw
Yes, we were impressed too – wait until you get the surrounds going.
Mark Sco
I own this soundbar and have been very disappointed with it. The subwoofer is very weak, so much so you do not notice it. As a result the sound is unbalanced and high pitched. It is very hard on the ears and is so bad for listening to music that I purchased an alternative system for listening to music. I have tried re calibration many times and it does not make any difference. The only time I hear the sub woofer working is during calibration, and when playing the inbuilt demo.
Based on my experience I do not recommend this sound system, it is terrible.
Ray Shaw
I own one of these and have had a totally different experience having to back off the bass. Can I suggest that you reset the soundbar and start over. How to reset:
a Press and hold the Wi-Fi button on the top of the product until you hear a sound signal.
b All LEDs blink white, and all wireless network settings on the product will be cleared.
Once you reset the product, you will also need to reconnect it to the smartphone via Wi-Fi on the LG Soundbar app. The retry AI calibrate in the app.
If this does not work contact LG service https://www.lg.com/au/support/contact-us/.
Mike Scobie
I have LG S95TR soundbar setup and are very disappointed with its performance. It appears that there is a big void between the bass level the sounbar can produce and the bass level where the subwoofer response starts. This results in an unbalanced high pitched shrill sound that is hard on the ears particularly when the volume is up.
It is absolutely terrible when listening to music, which for a soundbar that is marketed as the soundbar for music affiononados is poor.
Based on my experience I would not recommend d this soundbar.
Ray Shaw
Hi Mike
That is not our experience although we only used it for three weeks. I would contact LG as it seems more of a warranty issue. https://www.lg.com/au/support/chat-email Subs usually handle from 30Hz to as high as 100Hz. If you look at the frequency response graph in the review you will see its very smooth from 50 to 200Hz. It has been returned so I can’t retest but I suspect that you may have Bass Boost enabled. Try the standard default settings.