LG Sound Suite: How Sweet the Sound?

Design

• Quite big in size
• Multiple options
• Dressed in black

As the Sound Suite is a flexible sound system, it could be made up of a series of soundbars, speakers or a subwoofer.

The M7 and M5 serve as the satellite speakers to dot around a room. The M5 the more compact of the two if you’re looking to save space.

Both are wreathed in black/grey tones, with a wraparound fabric adding a touch of chic fashion to the home. There’s a perforated aluminium cone on top, while at the bottom is an LED light that communicates the speaker’s present condition. You can turn it off completely in the ThinQ app if it distracts.

Near the top are touch controls for playback, source input, ‘MY’ (favourites) and volume. Around the back is a switch for turning the speaker’s built-in microphone on or off, a USB-C input and a power button (you can turn the speakers off through the app too).

The W7 subwoofer is a Goliath – heavy and big with a fabric covering on one side. It’s oval in shape – purely for aesthetic reasons to match the M5 and M7 speakers – and has a rear-firing port, which implies placing it close to a wall for the best bass performance.

Unlike the Sonos Sub 4, this isn’t a unit that can be slotted beneath a sofa or concealed. It’s a little too big for that. It’s going to take up space, but can be oriented so it lies horizontally on the floor.

The H7 soundbar features a similar fabric cover (though more knitted and abrasive) and at 1200mm is something of a monolith. It took the entirety of the stand I placed it on, so to paraphrase Jaws, you might need a bigger stand.

There’s a display, thankfully, on the left-hand side to keep track of the soundbar’s mode, with controls on top that cover playback, volume, ‘MY’ (favourite), Bluetooth pairing, source select, and a Wi-Fi Direct button.

Connections are in a recessed area around the back, and the soundbar connects wirelessly to the subwoofer, though you’ll want to make sure that is the case in the app, as for a few days, I didn’t. Silly me.

The size of both the H7 bar and the W7 sub suggests they’re for large rooms and would be overkill in smaller spaces. LG hasn’t announced compact versions, and while I’m not a betting person, it’d be strange if there weren’t smaller versions in development.

The whole range is aesthetically minimalist. Build quality is good but not quite lavish. You can purchase floor stands, though they come in pairs – something to consider if you plan on adding more.

Features

• Dolby Atmos FlexConnect
• ThinQ app
• Room Calibration Pro

I must mention the setup because connectivity between these speakers can be, well, less than ideal.

The main culprit seems to be the stubborn ThinQ app. Entering the Wi-Fi password took three attempts despite being correct each time – I don’t think LG devices love our office Wi-Fi. A remote control is provided, but the app is where the action is.

Over the course of testing, there were multiple connectivity issues. The system would connect and disconnect, and (when prompted), the app would suggest an unstable connection (unlikely) or “group connection issue detected”.

This affected Dolby Atmos FlexConnect the most, and meant that DAFC couldn’t be set up. Sometimes the satellite speakers wouldn’t connect, other times the subwoofer – the end result was… frustrating.

With that out of the way, as this is a FlexConnect system, I’ll focus on that rather than other features. There’ll be individual reviews of the soundbar and the speakers that follow this review, which will go into more depth and detail.

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is the headline feature, with the LG Sound Suite being the first soundbar system to support it. To get the most from this version does require buy-in to the LG ecosystem though.

The idea that powers FlexConnect is that users can place speakers where they like in a room. The system will understand their positions in relation to each other and calibrate accordingly for the space, providing an immersive surround sound experience from the physical speakers as well as using ‘phantom’ speakers that place sound in-between the speakers.

But beware, as Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is supported only on select LG models. Support began in 2025 with C5 and G5 OLEDs, and 2026 follows that up with the W6, G6, C6, CS6, B6, B6E OLEDs, MRGB 95, 9M, 85 and the QNED85 and 82.

Once you’ve placed the speakers where you want, give the Room Calibration Pro feature a buzz and it’ll play a chime that measures the space. Looking at the speaker placement in the app is a nifty feature, especially after you’ve moved the speakers around and it recognises the movement. The calibration doesn’t take long either – I timed it at 14 seconds.

The Sound Follow mode recognises where you’re sitting (through your smartphone) and redirects the sound to you. You don’t have to move speakers around if you want to sit in a different position; you just need a smartphone that supports Ultra-Wideband, and it’ll pinpoint the exact location of your phone (i.e., you) and take care of the rest.

Surprisingly, there’s a hard limit on the number of satellite speakers you can add (four), but there are plenty of combinations to dabble in, whether through a wired connection (HDMI) or wirelessly straight to the TV. Combinations are extensive.

With compatible LG TVs, the built-in speakers can sync with the speakers and soundbar to create a bigger sound; although this is not something I could get working, as the 48-inch C5 OLED didn’t have the WOW Orchestra option (it was greyed out).

The speakers are affected by connectivity issues, but despite that, the features LG and Dolby have brought to the table are genuinely innovative.

Sound Quality

• Big sense of scale and power
• Lacks immersive heights
• Good spread of sound

All this would be for nought if the LG Sound Suite didn’t sound good. So it’s a good thing that it does, though this comes with caveats.

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure the AI Sound Mode isn’t enabled by default in the ThinQ app. With it enabled, dialogue sounds hoarse and unnatural – actors sound like they’ve contracted a cold.

The AI Upmix is another feature that should be turned off with Dolby Atmos sources, as it creates an echoey tone, boosting background sounds (unnecessarily), which makes dialogue harder to hear. Turn that off tout suite.

Once done, there’s no doubting the size and scale of the LG Sound Suite. There’s a cacophonous sense of scale to a film like Dune with bass that’s strong and powerful, and there’s plenty of dynamism that makes the film a true cinematic event – in your living room.

Dialogue is clear and naturally delivered without the AI gubbins turned on, though I’d prefer the Litany of Fear to be projected further from the soundbar. While it’s audible, it still feels crowded by the surrounding sounds.

Watching the battle of Washington D.C in Civil War and I have to turn the volume down because it’s so loud – and it’s only at level 35! There’s a greater sense of spaciousness here than I can recall from older LG sound systems, which felt as if the front and rears weren’t properly attached. This system produces a more seamless and immersive bubble of sound.

Sounds pan convincingly across the soundstage. Dialogue is delivered with crispness, and the bass is big, rich, and weighty, though that does encourage distortion every now and then. Nonetheless, there are a few areas I could point to for improvement.

The overall sound could be clearer and more detailed. While there’s energy to sequences in Civil War, there’s not quite the punch and attack I’m looking for.

Some may disagree, but I find the Sound Suite takes on a warmer, smoother tone, and loses a little sharpness and definition when it’s just the H7 soundbar. But the potential benefit is a sound that’s less fatiguing.

But where I find the Sound Suite disappoints the most is the lack of true height effects. Switching from the Sound Suite and the H7 soundbar makes this difference readily clear. There’s a better sense of height with the H7 on its own than there is with the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect configuration. The ceiling for the sound, ironically, is lower than the actual ceiling.

The lack of true height continues with Blade Runner 2049. As K enters his apartment block, the ad announcements happen on-screen rather than away or above it. The Samsung HW-Q800F sounds more expansive and taller. Though the Samsung is front-heavy without rear speakers, it does sound more open.

There’s also the positioning of sounds that I don’t think rings true. In the Bassline sequence where K is interrogated, the voice comes more from the rear speakers than the front, which doesn’t seem right for how the scene is set.

However, with Ballerina, the Sound Suite shows it enjoys making a racket with a nice intensity to the explosions, strong placement of effects in front and behind the seating position, and proper weight and depth – this system is a bass monster and not for anyone living in a flat or with thin walls.

With music, the Sound Suite is pretty decent: dynamic, clear, crisp, with decent bass. It’s better to use AI Upmix here, as it sends the signal to the rear speakers while maintaining crisp, clear sound.

Should you buy it?