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LG adds five Dolby Atmos soundbars to its 2020 lineup

By Nick Woodard Published April 25, 2023

LG revealed the pricing and availability of its 2020 soundbar lineup, which features five different Dolby Atmos-supported models.

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The new roster includes seven different soundbars, two of which are already available. Two of LG’s top models, a pair of CES 2020 Innovation Award winners in the $1,699 SN11RG and $999 SN9YG, will be available later this month alongside the $1,299 SN10YG and $799 SN8YG. One additional soundbar, the $499 SN7Y will debut in June.

According to a LG press release, each of LG’s five premium models will feature Meridian sound technology that outfits the soundbars with “advanced audio performance.” Just as importantly, these models — the SN11RG, SN10YG, SN9YG, SN8YG, and the SN7Y — will all have upfiring speakers built into the soundbars in order to support Dolby Atmos.

DTS-X and Hi-Res Audio will also be supported by the entire lineup.

The flagship model of the bunch, the SN11RG, will have upfiring drivers in the system’s included rear surround speakers, allowing for a complete 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience. The SN11RG is also the most powerful of the group, boasting 770 watts in total.

The SN8YG, SN9YG, SN10YG, and SN11RG will have “advanced connectivity through eARC,” per the press release, as well as an A.I. room calibration feature that measures the acoustics of the room the soundbars are in, then balances the bars’ audio settings to best fit that environment. Google Assistant is also built into each of these soundbars.

Filling out LG’s lineup is the $399 SN6Y and $279 SN5Y, which are 3.1 and 2.1 channel soundbars, respectively, that feature support for Hi-Res Audio and DTS Virtual:X. These soundbars, plus the rest of the roster, will be compatible with LG’s SPK8 Wireless Rear Speaker Kit ($179) in order to add surround sound without the need for wires running across your room.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As an A/V Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Nick Woodard covers topics that include 4K HDR TVs, headphones…

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Watch Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

An iPhone 15 Max displaying the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show with Apple AirPods Pro 2 next to it on a wooden table.

One of the coolest technological advancements that happened for Super Bowl LIX, was the broadcast being available with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. After 4K and HDR was added in recent years to improve the visual presentation and take advantage of newer TV technology (even if it is, in reality, a 1080p signal being upscaled with professional-grade equipment), the inclusion of spatial audio steps up the auditory immersiveness for those with a Dolby soundbar or discrete Dolby-capable speaker setup. Hopefully this signals a future where more live TV includes spatial audio presentations.

While getting the entire Super Bowl broadcast with Dolby Vision and Atmos is a great step forward, it was only available for Comcast subscribers that had the proper equipment. But Apple Music has made the full 13:21-long Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show available on the Music app in spatial audio (which makes sense considering the Halftime Show was officially the Super Bowl LIX Apple Music Haltime Show). The Atmos mix isn't groundbreaking in its use of sonic placement, but when the camera moves as much as it did during the performance, it's of utmost importance to keep the performers front and center aurally so there's a central focus.

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Super Bowl 2025 will be broadcast in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the first time

The Xfinity home screen showing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for Super Bowl 2025.

Super Bowl LIX is shaping up to be quite the spectacle. For the first time ever, when the Kansas City Chiefs defend the Super Bowl title against the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, some viewers will be able to watch the game with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Comcast and Dolby are bringing the game with both technologies to Xfinity TV customers on the Fox broadcast. It's a part of Comcast's Enhanced 4K on Xfinity X1. We first saw this level of presentation with the Paris Olympics last summer, with an ultra-low latency allowing for a delay of only a few seconds. Comcast says the Super Bowl will have a similar lag of only a few seconds behind the game action.

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Grammy 2025 song and album winners to listen to in Dolby Atmos

A record player on the front of the Grammys poster.

Awards season is a great time to reflect on the previous year and either catch up on what we might have missed, or re-appreciate something that's fallen out of our regular listening playlist. (It's also a time to say "Hell, yeah!" to winners that take the opportunity to speak out against injustices within the industry. Way to be, Chappell Roan.) Many of the well-deserving songs and albums are available in a Dolby Atmos mix -- still waiting for Cowboy Carter to show up with the Atmos badge on any streaming service, though. Here are some of Sunday's award winning music that can be found in Dolby Atmos through Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal.
Not Like Us -- Kendrick Lamar
On the surface, it might not feel like a diss track would be an award contender, but when its by Kendrick Lamar, voters take notice. And rightly so. The track took home all five awards it was nominated for -- Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. The Atmos mix isn't a huge departure from the stereo mix, mostly expanding the soundscape and giving more space for the sonic elements with more reverb while keeping everything primarily in the front channels.
Short n' Sweet -- Sabrina Carpenter
Both Sabrina Carpenter's album Short n' Sweet and the single Espresso picked up awards at the Grammy's last weekend -- Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance, respectively. The entire album is available in Atmos, and much of it takes advantage of Atmos (I particularly like the opening piano lick in the final track, Don't Smile, that nicely captures the in-room sound of the piano hammers and string resonance in the rear height channels). Award-winner Espresso, a fun pop bop, throws elements into unexpected areas that support the fun playfulness of the music and lyrics.

In addition to Sabrina Carpenter's version of Espresso, the Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix) also won for Best Remix and is available in Dolby Atmos as well.
Chappell Roan