The S95QR comes with Google’s Chromecast built-in. Working in conjunction with streaming services such as Spotify, Google Play and Deezer; this lets you hook up with your favourite music from your smartphone or tablet. With TuneIn, you also get access to a massive range of Internet radio and podcasts – all easily accessible. The S95QR’s power, speaker/channel count and convincing Dolby Atmos experience, though, still make it an excellent and compelling addition to the sound bar world – especially anyone looking for a soundbar to go with an LG TV. Vocals are staged well, sitting nicely at the heart of a strong stereo soundstage without sounding forced or exposed. The scale of the sound works particularly well with orchestral or ‘live’ recordings, but the sound adapts nicely to pretty much any genre.

The rear speakers included with the S95QR follow the smooth top/felt front and sides of the main soundbar, and also feature circular up-firers for Dolby Atmos height effects. Unusually, their front edges feature a roof-like triangular shape – a result of LG fitting two forward-facing drivers in each rear speaker pointing in different directions to achieve a fuller, wider surround sound experience. The twin angled drivers on each rear speaker hook up to create an impressively complete-sounding rear soundstage, while the upfirers on both the main soundbar and the rears just about manage to join up somewhere above your head. Even if the sound they produce is inevitably not as precise and detailed as it would be if you had actual speakers in your ceiling.

LG's flagship one-box soundbar package has everything to get you started in full surround and can be set up in seconds

As for the dynamic range, the newly designed subwoofer pumps out deep bass that underpins big action scenes with great presence and heft, but which is also both more willing to chip in during more delicate sequences than LG subwoofers of old, and more flexible when it comes to adjusting its weight and depth to keep up with subtle shifts in a scene’s dynamics. For hardwired connections, there are eARC, optical and USB inputs, as well as two additional HDMI passthrough ports that support gaming features such as (VRR) and (ALLM). However, 4K HDR signals are only handled at up to 60Hz.

Stereo soundstage was pretty narrow and didn't stretch beyond the physical confines of the soundbar itself. The good news is that vocal clarity is in some ways better than movie dialog, which may seem strange but I imagine has been aided by Meridian's music tuning expertise. The LG S95QR is an impressive performer right out of the gate, but as with most audio products, a bit of thought during set up will pay dividends. More than just a movie and gaming maestro, this LG is made for music. Not just any music, either – it’s compatible with many Hi-Res music files. Hi-Res sound gives greater detail and a more natural acoustic. The S95QR is compatible with a wide range of HD audio formats, up to 24bit/96kHz. Netflix-approved: LG OLED achieved Netflix Recommended TV status in 2017 and 2018 for its fast and user-friendly experience. LG’s WOW functionality was expanded to enable a deeper, more effective connection with LG’s latest TVs, and finally a new WOW Interface feature was added that enables LG soundbars to be controlled by LG TV remotes. Add all the new enhancements and features together, and you can see why LG felt the revamped S95QR was changed enough by the update not to warrant the production of an all new flagship soundbar for 2023. Sound QualityIt’s a relief, too, to find the new channels LG has provided seemingly helping the S95QR avoid the sometimes rather vague and unbalanced staging that we’ve experienced with one or two LG soundbars of the past. Unlike previous LG soundbars, the bass is allocated to each channel correctly, and the new sub is better integrated. It can occasionally feel a little muddy, but is responsive, delivering the goods when required. The same goes for the amps, which have sufficient power to never sound strained and distorted as you dial up the volume.

Neither of these issues occurs consistently enough to be seriously distracting, though, leaving all the good things the S95QR does overwhelmingly to the fore. There’s support for a wide-range of music file types over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi too, including all the key high-resolution formats, while LG’s connection with high-end audio brand Meridian means there’s a Music preset that deploys specially designed Meridian ‘secret sauce’ processing to remix stereo music into something more multi-channel. There’s an improved (and I can confirm extremely effective) auto calibration system built into the S95QR too, which now analyses bass frequencies across eight separate sections, rather than the less precise two sections previously. This system was further improved by a recent software update. OLED TV brings breath-taking clarity and detail to your living room. Stream 4K HDR content from Netflix, Sky or Prime Video. Key benefits of LG OLED TVs:

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Dimensions: 47.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 inches (soundbar); 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 inches (surrounds); 7.9 x 15.9 x 15.9 inches (subwoofer) I still personally preferred in the end to listen to most music in regular stereo mode, as the Meridian Music mode slightly muddies bass lines and can flatten some of a high quality mix’s detailing and atmospherics. But it’s worth at least experimenting with.

It doesn’t take long listening to the S95QR to tell that it’s comfortably the best soundbar LG has ever made. In fact, for movies and gaming in particular, it’s one of the most satisfying home theater soundbars we’ve seen from any brand, period.The LG S95QR has a fantastic selection of sound enhancement features. Like most premium bars, it comes with a room correction feature that optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's acoustics—it's called AI Room Calibration, and you can set it up in the LG Sound Bar app. You can customize the bar's sound, too, using its bass and treble adjustments as well as its EQ presets: 'AI Sound Pro', 'Standard', 'Music', 'Cinema', 'Clear Voice', 'Sports', 'Game', and 'BassBlast'. The 'Cinema' preset acts as a virtual surround mode, replicating a more three-dimensional sound. There's a night time mode in the app to balance the volume level when you watch shows at night. The S95QR is widely available across the world, with seemingly no direct replacement likely during 2023. Design The S95QR produces arguably the most flat-out powerful sound we’ve heard from any soundbar. Including the phenomenal Q990C from LG’s arch rival, Samsung. So does the new improved S95QR have what it takes to keep up with the all-new 2023 Joneses? Availability Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 26th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)