Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

LG’s new Dolby Atmos soundbars use A.I. for automatic room calibration

Simon Cohen
By

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

Just before CES 2020 got underway, LG released some of the details for its 2020 lineup of soundbars. The biggest new feature is called AI Room Calibration, a system that automatically adjusts the sonic properties of LG’s premium soundbar models to better match the acoustics of the room.

Recommended Videos

“These advanced models are self-calibrating, able to recognize and analyze tones to accurately assess the dimensions of a given space and adjust accordingly,” LG said in a press release. Apparently, the benefits of this system are particularly noteworthy when playing content mastered with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.

Related

A related onboard system lets LG’s premium soundbar models upscale lower-quality audio sources like MP3s or low-bitrate streaming music to “near-studio quality.”

Other features that LG is touting for 2020 include:

  • 4K pass-through
  • HDMI-eARC connectivity with support for Dolby TrueHD and hi-res audio
  • Google Assistant built-in for hands-free voice commands and smart home compatibility
  • Meridian Audio-tuned technologies such as Bass and Space, which boost low-frequency reproduction and widen the soundstage and Image Elevation
  • Optional wireless surround speakers
  • Command and control of other LG ThinQ connected home products

Not all of these features will be on every model of soundbar for 2020, but LG claims that the majority of its models will support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

LG hasn’t released the full lineup of models yet. For now, it has chosen to highlight just two models: The SN9YG and LG’s flagship, the SN11RG.

The SN11RG is a 7.1.4-channel system with two wireless rear speakers that deliver forward- and up-firing sound for 360 degrees of audio.

LG hasn’t released pricing information or any release dates for its 2020 soundbars, which it presented for the first time at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. If past history is any indication, most of the models will be available before summer 2020.

Digital Trends reviewed LG’s wall-mountable SL9YG Dolby Atmos soundbar earlier in 2019, and we were impressed at how good a single speaker cabinet could be at creating a convincing Dolby Atmos immersive surround effect. But there were still a few compromises, like poor music streaming and no option for surround channel satellites.

We’ll be looking to see how LG has improved on its 2019 lineup of soundbars — and we’ll keep you up to date with everything we learn.

There were a number of excellent and innovative soundbars at CES 2020. Check out our CES soundbar roundup for all the details.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
LG’s 2022 soundbars start at $400, pump out hi-res audio and 3D sound
LG S95QR soundbar seen in front of a TV.

After giving us a sneak peek at its new 2022 soundbar lineup at CES, LG has finally released these home theater speakers. The prices start at $400 for the entry level LG S65Q 3.1-channel model, and then head sharply upward, topping out at $1,800 for its LG S95QR flagship soundbar -- a 9.1.5-channel, Dolby Atmos-capable multi-speaker beast. All six new models, (S95QR, S90QY, S80QR, S80QY, S75Q, and S65Q) are available now on LG.com, as well as from select retailers like Amazon.com.

All of the new models offer a different set of features, but regardless of how much you spend, LG has included some common characteristics. Hi-res audio, with tuning by Meridian, is the key feature that unites these speakers. Soundbars tend to place an emphasis on delivering good TV sound, but LG has decided to put an equal emphasis on how these speakers work with music.

Read more
Denon’s new soundbar delivers Dolby Atmos at a budget price
Denon DHT-S217 Dolby Atmos Soundbar seen sitting in front of a TV.

Denon has launched a new version of its most affordable soundbar that is equipped with built-in subwoofers and can reproduce Dolby Atmos content virtually via a 2.1-channel speaker system. The $249 Denon DHT-S217 will be available starting in May from Denon.com and authorized Denon retailers.

The DHT-S217 contains several significant improvements over the DHT-S216, which also sells for $249. The biggest feature is the 217's support for Dolby Atmos content. The soundbar uses virtualization to present Atmos' immersive 3D effect through just a left and right channel, but it should still produce a more effective home theater sound than the S216, which relied on DTS Virtual:X.

Read more
Polk brings Dolby Atmos to its compact MagniFi soundbar
Polk Audio's Magnifi Mini AX soundbar.

Polk has a new model in its MagniFi range of ultra-compact soundbars. The $499 MagniFi Mini AX bears a strong resemblance to its MagniFi siblings, but with one key difference: It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound formats. The new soundbar goes on sale on March 15 at PolkAudio.com and other official Polk retailers.

Unlike Polk's recently released $399 Signa S4, a more traditional-looking Dolby Atmos soundbar, the MagniFi Mini AX doesn't have dedicated upward-firing drivers to achieve to height sound effects that are the hallmark of both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Instead, the speaker virtualizes these channels through its five-driver array, with low-frequency effects being provided by the included wireless subwoofer.

Read more