Revision of LG's SL9YG sound bar: a powerful Atmos punch with quirks



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Since Atmos moved from revolutionary theater technology to one of the hottest home theater words, we have seen all kinds of colorful iterations in the form of sound bars. Whether it's massive sound-scattering bars throughout the room or mega-11-channel systems with wireless surround, the variety does not lack variety in this growing segment.

Still, the LG SL9Yg manages to bring something really different to the table. The 4.1.2-channel system (you read it correctly, this bar does not contain a central channel) has a gigantic size. It also has many features, including Google Assistant, and even allows you to change the position of the speakers when they are mounted in the front with a gyroscope. At a price of $ 1,000, the SL9 is no small investment, but LG's latest Atmos system strives to offset its cost with an immersive sound that makes the room vibrate.

A big box

We do not use the word "mammoth" lightly, and the bulky SL9 black box is a bold entry into your TV room. By removing the top layer of foam, you get a sexy sound rectangle covered in faux brushed metal and stretching out over 48 inches long and 5.7 inches deep. With a little over 2 inches tall, the SL9 slips easily under most TVs. Just make sure your support is long enough. The word "Meridian", widely used throughout the box and bar, clearly alludes to LG's partnership with British audio brand KK for Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and hardware upgrades.

lg sl9 soundbar
Riley Young / Digital Trends

In the lower compartment of the box, you'll find a wireless subwoofer speaker with a matching brushed metal top panel, a front-wired woofer and a rear bass port. This may seem minimal, but this modest cabinet houses a complete train of horses (prefiguring).

A rectangle of her sexy, covered with faux brushed metal.

Accessories include a medium sized remote control and batteries (with the "F" key), as well as mounting instructions, a small startup manual and an optical cable. You may want to connect this system using a high-speed HDMI cable. The fact that this $ 1,000 bar does not include this rule is a little frustrating. (What does that add to the end result, like $ 2?)

Install

Setting up the SL9 was easy – except for Google Assistant.

First, you need to connect the HDMI ARC output from the bottom of the bar to the HDMI ARC port on your TV. This is the only way to get Dolby Atmos and DTS: X formats from a supported TV. It also controls volume and power. with your TV remote. (You may also need to enable HDMI CEC and set the sound to External in Settings.) If your TV does not have HDMI ARC, you will need to connect via the supplied optical cable.

LG SL9YG Review
Riley Young / Digital Trends

For Google Assistant, you need to download Google Home App, then follow the instructions to connect a new device. The application found the SL9 instantly, but our network was having connection problems and it's frozen in an attempt to update. After turning the system off and on again, the bar is finally connected to the network with a nice chime, but that is not the case with the glorious simplicity of the Sonos setup. Also strange – you can not stream Bluetooth content without connecting to Wi-Fi. As a result, those with network problems have no other choice.

Features and design

As mentioned, the SL9 is charged, including 500 watts of total power, with 220 watts in the sub-only and the remaining 280 watts split between stereo front channels, dual-height channels on top and rear speakers surround side designed to bounce the sound of your walls for a better immersion. An additional HDMI port with 4K / HDR transmission (although Dolby Vision and HDR10 + are not supported) allows you to connect directly to a Blu-ray player or game console. As we are starting to see more often, it is not There is no analog input. In its place, a USB port on the back allows you to search directly for high resolution audio files.

There is also multiroom audio support alongside Google Assistant via Google Home (once you've installed it, of course). The wizard allows you to not only control playback from broadcast services such as Spotify, Google Play Music and Pandora (not Apple Music here), but also to make wider queries , ranging from access to your calendar to the weather. You can just shout "Hey Google" with streaming music or use the button on the remote with microphone.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

Touch controls for basic functions are based on the top panel of the sound bar, highlighted by cool LEDs placed just below the panel surface. A screen on the front of the bar lets you know which source you are using, specifying the HDMI ARC / Optical inputs for TV audio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and HDMI.

The direct connection of a Blu-ray player is a great way to use high-end sound sources, as the SL9 is loaded with the full range of high-end audio codecs, including (of course) Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, as well as Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and their lower-level counterparts. Support for high-resolution files includes FLAC, OGG, and WAV 24-bit / 96 kHz files.

Offset control

The remote control provides deeper features, including the play / pause and song skip buttons for streaming audio, the Night mode, the EQ, and the "Function", which is the change of source, what this big "F" key represents, although in most cases the bar automatically switches to the source you are using.

Movie mode is much stronger than other modes. We do not know why, but it worked rather well to speed up the action.

EQ allows you to control the bass and treble, of course, but also to tune the different levels of channels – once you've identified the odd abbreviations used by LG. "OVC" means "overhead channels", ie channels in height; "S" refers to the side-mounted drivers that transmit information from the surround back channels of your walls. and "WF" (for "woofer") controls the level of the subwoofer. We would like a discreet touch to easily adjust the level of the subwoofer, but at least it is available.

There is also an "R" level setting in case you want to connect discrete surround speakers and a dedicated LG amp to extend the SL9 to Full Surround (sold separately).

Finally, the Sound Effect key lets you choose from several options, including Music, Movies, Bass Boost, and Standard. There is also an Adaptive Sound Control (ASC) mode that is designed to automatically adapt to the sound source in real time, but it does not really seem to do much and we ended up using Movie for movies and Standard for all of them. rest.

Another strange quirk: Movie mode is much stronger than other modes. We do not know why, but it worked rather well to speed up the action.

Fit or not mount?

As indicated above, you can place the bar horizontally on the stand of your TV or mount it on its underside, which changes the orientation of the channels of the bar. This is a strange inclusion in the design of an Atmos bar, because the height channels located on the top of the bar, designed to return the sound of the ceiling for a 360-degree immersion, suddenly become the stereo channels before and the front channels become the height channels.

"But are not they pointing to the ground now?", Ask yourself. This is indeed the case, but LG says that it allows a useful double bounce: the sound resonates first on your floor, then on your ceiling, then finally lands in your ears. We could not test this orientation at home, but suffice it to say that we think the SL9 is probably better used in its standard orientation for Atmos and DTS: X applications, especially for people with floor carpeting. .

Performance

At first, we were a little disconcerted by the lack of central channel at SL9, but for the most part, this powerful Dolby Atmos ship warmed our ears. The bar responds with dedication to the sound source it feeds: send a basic sitcom program or stereo to get the correct details and clarity, but nothing special. However, opt for a more refined surround sound source and watch it take off.

LG SL9YG Review
Riley Young / Digital Trends

Our Dolby Atmos demo disc is always a fun test case, and we were not disappointed when we called the first demo, Surprise. It was so named for a reason and we were immediately impressed by the clarity, the immersion and, above all, by the rich and powerful bass.

A living jungle scene that ends up bursting into a violent storm, astound is designed to impress, but we were always surprised at how much the SL9 could make a spherical motion from its front position. The immersion does not reach the same level of immersion as the bars with complete surround satellites (and two other channels in height), as in the configuration of channels 5.1.4 of Vizio, but it is a beautiful stroll for a two-part configuration. The jungle bird supposedly flying around your head almost ended its revolution by stopping just behind the bottom of the room, while the raindrops of the storm hit with enough precision to allow us to steer towards the ceiling.

Brash cymbals tend to break strangely, as if the system was getting a bad quality MP3 file.

We had similar experiences with the other demos, wishing only more back immersion. The dialogue also loses some clarity as some scenes get warmer – you can only cover too many things without a central channel – but we were especially fascinated by the clarity and even a little frightened by the chaotic chaos caused by this heavy box bass.

In a more practical test, we also had a good time with an old favorite, the Sam Mendes classic, Bond Sky Fall. One of the film's most difficult scenes occurs when Bond catches up with his antagonist – played (disturbing) by Javier Bardem – in the London Underground. An explosion opens the tunnel and into the falls a whole subway train in a screaming metal creak, explosives and clattering concrete debris, all neatly and without distortion. The helicopter at its peak was equally remarkable, the powerful rotors sweeping the room with a brilliant realism, ending with an explosion that trembled from the window.

The SL9 impresses less music, especially jerky cymbals, which tend to break, as if the system was receiving a poor quality MP3 file (even in Wi-Fi with Spotify Connect). The less organic music was better rendered, if not a bit square, and we enjoyed old favorites like Radiohead. Everything is in its place and even instrumental rates like Snarky Puppy's Go. Yet, as in many film systems, music is clearly an afterthought.

guarantee

The SL9YG comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor. To learn more about LG's warranty, visit the company's website.

Our take

LG's new SL9YG is an asset, but it's a great way to keep Dolby Atmos surround sound powerful and immersive, without the extra speakers typically associated with this experience.

Is there a better alternative?

It depends on the space you are willing to sacrifice. If you like to lay cables, install speaker mounts (or drill holes for mounting), the obvious answer is Vizio's 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos bar, which offers an impressive Atmos immersion with surround back speakers wired support) at the same price.

The Sony Z9F is another solution. It does not offer the type of immersion the SL9 can create, but it uses its DSP with impressive results for Atmos and DTS: X sources, as well as for music. That said, you'll have a hard time finding this immersive and powerful sound in a two-piece SL9 class system.

How long will it last?

With many features, a Google assistant and a 4K / HDR transmission, the SL9YG should be well configured for the future, although the lack of Dolby Vision and HDR10 + support limits HDR applications in the short term.

Should you buy it?

For those who do not fear additional traffic jams, Vizio's 5.1.4 system offers the best price-performance ratio for pure sound. However, those looking for a powerful two-piece system that brings Atmos bacon back home will certainly want to give LG's SL9YG a great look.

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