Last week I got to go see some of what LG is bringing to the marj in 2026 with its TVs and sound systems. I’ll talk about the TVs in a later article but what caught my eye (or ears) was its Sound Suite audio system.
You may know that I have a degree of angst about TV sound. More often than not, it’s not very good and isn’t likely to get better in 2026. The best solution is usually to rely on a soundbar or surround sound system and LG’s Sound Suite is, interestingly, both these things.
Flexible and modular
That’s because the Sound Suite system is modular, which I’ll harp on about again because it makes more sense than relying on a single soundbar. As long as you have space.
You can mix and match satellite speakers, subwoofer, soundbar – even your LG TV – and have them work together in concert. Like a sports team, they understand each other’s roles and can intelligently adapt.
There’s quite a number of combinations on offer. You could use the TV and soundbar, the soundbar and subwoofer; the TV and four satellite speakers, or all joined together as one harmonious whole. What if I wanted to take two satellite speakers and play in stereo? I can do that, and then when I’m done, reassign them as part of the group of speakers again.
There’s flexibility so you can start small and build up, adding speakers when you need (and if you need them). I can place these speakers anywhere I’d like in a room – the speakers can figure out where they are in relation to one another, and expand and contract the soundstage based on their proximity.
Each speaker has a microphone, which allows it to measure the distance from the soundbar (or TV), understand where it is relative to others, and measure the room acoustics. Do I need to worry about reflections in a room affecting the sound? According to Dolby, not really.
If I move a speaker, recalibrate (which takes twenty seconds), I can also see the new position of the speaker on the LG ThinQ app.
And it fixes an issue I’ve long held about Dolby Atmos, which is that in its current incarnation, it’s too front-heavy to be immersive. The idea of selling me a soundbar, and trying to make me believe that it can fling sounds all across the room (including behind me), is a non-starter.
But the ability to add satellite speakers, which some soundbars such as the Marshall Heston 120 or KEF XIO don’t even support, opens it up for a true surround sound experience.
Dolby FlexConnect finally arrives
And this is possible because of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which was introduced a few years ago and then put in its best impression of The Fugitive by being elusive and not very easy to track down.
TCL and Hisense announced FlexConnect support when it was first announced and then, if memory serves, neither really mentioned it much afterwards.
So this is, two years later, the first time I’ve actually heard a FlexConnect system in the wild. Instead of this rigidity that traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround system would enforce on me, I can now place speakers so they match the layout of my room. There’s potential for some good audio Feng Shui here.
And another pet peeve is how brands market surround systems where you’ve got a sofa dead centre in the middle of the room surrounded by plenty of open space. I know not of any living room that is that big or has that much space.
FlexConnect understands that no room is perfect and compensates. It can blend sound across physical speakers to make it sound like it’s coming from a specific area, so there’s no need to position speakers perfectly. What if I rearrange furniture in a room – will that affect the sound? Again, that’s not expected to be an issue.
It’s a clever system but the proof is in the pudding and judging from the time I spent listening to it, the sound depends on the speakers you have involved. I’m still not convinced about the sound from LG’s own TVs, so when partnered with the soundbar, it does sound thin and lacking weight and warmth. It sounded a little too brash.
But with the H7 Soundbar, W7 subwoofer, or the M5 and M7 satellite speakers engaged, and then you have something closer to a ‘proper’ sounding surround system. Poweful, energetic, expansive and immersive. It might be a bit too crisp for some, but this seems to be the tuning that LG is, and has gone for, for quite some time.
The price is… alot
The price though, is paramount. The H7 Soundbar is £899, the M7 satellite speakers are £399 a pop. For well over £1500, you only get a soundbar and two surround speakers. This is premium and compare that to the Samsung HW-Q990H which will have the soundbar, rear speakers and a subwoofer for probably around £1500, and suddenly the LG Sound Suite doesn’t look as good in terms of value.
But if there’s anything that would convince, it’s the ease of having Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. I’ll be looking forward to see how good it sounds, once I’ve got the system set-up.
