At the tail-end of last year, Dolby Atmos introduced its latest product, FlexConnect, designed to allow for imperfect speaker placement. The goal was simple: to deliver better-balanced surround sound delivery for Dolby Atmos content, regardless of the space in which a home-cinema setup exists.
LG was among the first to introduce a system to utilise said Dolby tech, as reviewed here in the full Sound Suite system. But sometimes being early can bring its share of issues – as many early reviewers had heaps of issues with the system's setup.
Patience can be a virtue, however, as I received the full Sound Suite system – that's an H7 soundbar, four M7 speakers, and a W7 subwoofer – at a time when LG has now pushed out ample updates to ensure a smoother pairing process.
With my LG OLED G6 TV also in for review – since for FlexConnect to function you need to sit within LG's own ecosystem, as there's no cross-brand adoption – I've been able to experience the full 13.1.7 sonic immersion that this system can deliver.
The full Sound Suite setup is wildly expensive, but since it's effectively a modular solution, you could expand it piece by piece to spread the cost. It's also rare to find a system with separate front left/right (including upfiring channels) speaker options, giving the LG an edge compared to many.
Price & Availability
Here's the thing, though, go all-in on the Sound Suite and it costs a small fortune. I've put together a table below so you can see the individual cost of each component part.
UK |
USA |
|
H7 soundbar |
£899 |
$999 |
W7 subwoofer |
£599 |
$599 |
M7 speaker |
£399 |
$399 |
M5 speaker |
£249 |
$249 |
Immersive Suite |
Now, keep in mind that you'll want a 2025 or 2026 LG OLED TV for any of the speakers to work with FlexConnect – unless you buy the H7 soundbar, that is, which will operate with any TV via eARC – with the C or G series the only compatible OLED models (the 2026 MRGB another compatible set).
Not that you have to buy everything. LG is pitching this setup in multiple formats: you could run a pair of M5 speakers with a smaller LG TV; or M7 for larger sets. No soundbar is needed in such a setup, if you don't want. Indeed, you could just buy four speakers – a la Sony's Bravia Theatre Quad system.
My setup, however, is the full 13.1.9 arrangement, comprised of one H7 soundbar (£900/$1000), one W7 subwoofer (£/$600), and four W7 speakers (£/$399ea), totalling a whopping £3096/$3196. Yikes. Add in the OLED G6 and it's a fair bit more, of course.
What's New?
Unlike Samsung, which persists in outputting a new soundbar year after year – even with seemingly no physical changes, such as the HW-Q990F and Q990H – LG has taken a different tack with its best soundbar range.
That sees the Sound Suite range as an all-new line-up, stepping in after a 2025 absence, and effectively replacing the previous S95TR system (a 9.1.5 channel system, boxed in one with soundbar, subwoofer and rear speaker pair).
Being 'all-new' does mean that everything about LG's Sound Suite is, indeed, new. That Dolby Atmos FlexConnect compatibility is a key component, of course, adding to the modularity of this system.
But the design is also new and upgraded, with some well-considered aspects – and others of a more sour and ill-considered take. The most obvious is the lack of any HDMI passthrough for the H7 soundbar, which is almost inconceivable at this price point. It does have eARC, though, as you'd expect.
Design & Setup
When my delivery driver turned up with the Sound Suite system, the number of trips from van to front door was almost amusing. Every product is individually boxed, you see, totalling six varying-shaped oblongs. I'm a little perplexed that a full product suite isn't available at a discount in the one package, honestly.
From here on in, however, things were generally smooth sailing for me. Although – another sour note – why on earth the cable lengths are so comically limited, I cannot understand. Each M7 has a 1.25m cable, which might read like a lot – but it's far too limiting for this kind of product.
Anyway, speakers positioned and plugged in to various sockets, I then installed the LG ThinQ app on my phone, which you'll need to pair with the speakers and then perform the relevant 'DAFC' (that's Dolby Atmos FlexConnect) placement routine.
That you can't pair all the speakers simultaneously or in a more automated fashion seems a little short-sighted, perhaps, but the one-by-one pairing by pressing the volume down button when instructed worked nonetheless. Everything connects via Wi-Fi, so you'll need a robust enough network – and I've not suffered drop-outs or latency issues with mine.
Once everything's setup you needn't worry about doing so again, unless you're adding additional speakers later. Also, should you move any speakers, then you'll want to run the DAFC process again – but this only consists of a series of sounds for the speakers to contextualise their placement.
It's here where FlexConnect shows its worth. Given the limited cable lengths, I wasn't able to perform an ideal setup in terms of speaker placement. But my slightly skewed positioning – which might've ruined other systems' performance – was nicely auto-offset by the Sound Suite.
It's important you run the DAFC routine, however, and ensure your hardware is Dolby Atmos compatible, otherwise you'll find the 'AI Upmix' (active by default, but which can be switched off) will see all speakers simply output the main channel mix. I suffered this once, as I hadn't changed a PlayStation 5 setting, which made it seem like core dialogue that should've been front-and-centre on screen was being shouted over my shoulders from behind.
Sound & Dolby Atmos FlexConnect
LG has gone big with artificial intelligence (AI) of late, with the AI Sound Pro+ available in the Sound Effects section of the ThinQ app able to "automatically optimise sound in real-time based on the content you are watching". Personally, I found it would often over-exert the top-end with this selected, so I found Standard the default and much better option.
There are further options: Clear Voice Pro+ adjusts for clearer voice output; Bass Boost ups the low-end; while Custom EQ has an eight-band graphic equaliser that you can manipulate on a +/-10 slider per frequency from 64Hz to 10kHz. A more global Tone Settings will be preferable for most, though, offering Treble, Mid and Bass sliders to adjust by +/-6dB for each.
Even more minute controls exist in Sound Settings, where you can control the subwoofer, centre and side-speaker levels, even the overhead speaker volume. There's a lot here to tinker with the sound just as you like – and which best suits the space in which your Sound Suite is set up.
I found that relatively minimal tinkering was required to get a really solid result from the full Sound Suite system. Having just added Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia to my 4K Cinema Club catalogue, the movie's discordant orchestrated soundtrack was like a delightful slap around the face – rich, full, even getting the giant W7 subwoofer to rumble.
To nitpick, I do find that the H7 soundbar can sound a little 'detached' in terms of audio output and what's happening on screen. It doesn't have the best positioning in dialogue terms, while some of the bar's upfiring output can further reinforce that observation.
But it's the full Sound Suite's surround sound immersion that's quite something, though. Even in Bugonia's early scenes of bees pollinating plants, the Dolby Atmos fix swoops around from left to right, side, behind and even overhead – creating quite a pleasurable veil of sound, however subtle, and really enriching the viewing experience.
Having the option of separate front (or angle side) speakers is quite a treat, too, delivering a truly wide soundstage that doesn't depend on sound reflection from the soundbar itself. This creates a more grounded frontal stage, from which the other channels further complement. Few systems offer this sort of solution, which home-cinema fans will surely love.
LG Sound Suite review: Verdict
While it'll cost you a small fortune for the full Sound Suite system, I've no doubt that immersion of this degree is something few other systems can deliver (without going down a full separates install route anyway).
Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is no gimmick, offering a solution for imperfect speaker placement – half forced by the M7 speakers' paltry cable lengths! – for an auto-adjusted and smooth audio experience that home-cinema fans will love.
The H7 soundbar's lack of any HDMI passthrough is baffling at this price level, mind, while a sometime 'detachment' of on-screen action in relation to the soundstage, plus a slightly cool, almost metallic tone, are nitpicks against this system.
But when everything is running in concert, the degree of immersion is mighty, the level of control over sound in the ThinQ app ensures you'll be able to achieve your precise preference, and following LG's updates the system is now robust in operation.
All that said, not everyone will need FlexConnect, the brand ecosystem tie-in will be limiting for some not wanting the H7 soundbar, and with the W7 subwoofer's scale and full system's sheer price total, the Sound Suite might be the best TV sound system you'll never hear.
Also Consider
If you're looking for a similar setup with a far smaller subwoofer, minus the front/side speaker pair option, then Samsung's HW-Q990H is an obvious and cheaper solution. Not that it's cheap, mind, it just seems that way when compared to the LG!
Scarce as four-speaker setups are in surround systems, Sony's Bravia Theatre Quad is one of few comparable products to consider. It's not FlexConnect enabled, of course, but is a cheaper avenue to Dolby Atmos for those who want to bypass the traditional soundbar solution. It's cheaper even if you're adding a separate sub, too, which adds to its appeal.
