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90

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149

Soundbars

True Score Methodology v2.0

LG SP11RA Review

Nikshep Myle Avatar
Nikshep Myle
Nikshep Myle Avatar
Nikshep Myle
Nikshep Myle, a dedicated contributor to Gadget Review for over 2 years, is a prominent figure in the consumer tech space. Outside the digital realm, Nikshep is an enthusiast of optimizing health and well-being, engaging in activities such as research, experimentation, and meditation. He finds joy in gaming, exploring new music, and embarking on travel adventures. In Nikshep’s world, technology seamlessly intertwines with personal well-being and a vibrant array of interests.
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Updated Dec 20, 2023 11:29 AM

Published

True Score

True Score is an AI-powered algorithm of product tests and customer reviews.

76

Mixed Reviews

77
5

Experts

84
16

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Rankings

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(

5

)

The LG SP11RA is a premium soundbar with a balanced sound profile, wide soundstage, precise surround sound, and Dolby Atmos for immersive movie viewing. It delivers a seamless audio-listening experience, but the Atmos isn’t as good as ceiling speakers, and the remote isn’t universal.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The LG SP11RA is a 2022 model high-end 7.1.4 channel soundbar that boasts Dolby Atmos support to deliver a wide soundstage for living room use.

Akin to some of the highest-rated speakers available today, it delivers crystal clear vocals and dialogues through its center channel speaker, thanks to its exceptionally low-frequency response slope.

And just like the most popular soundbars on the market, it features a dedicated subwoofer to deliver extended low frequency with boomy bass. It also features an exceptionally low latency over HDMI, which is very useful, especially for gamers.

However, if you are not sensitive to audio delay and aren’t bothered by a slightly higher audio latency, check out our Monoprice SB-600 review.

In terms of wireless connectivity, this soundbar supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay for seamless streaming from both Android and iOS.

But if you just need Bluetooth support, do take a look at our LG SPD7Y review. Its connectivity selection consists of two full-speed HDMI ARC passthrough ports, an optical audio jack, and a USB port.

Rankings (recommended in)

Best For

  • Dolby Atmos

  • LG

  • Large Rooms

Consensus

our Verdict

The LG SP11RA is a high-end soundbar with reliable connectivity and terrific latency through its HDMI, ARC, and Optical inputs, so there are no audio syncing issues.

The sound profile is neutral with slight bass emphasis, the soundstage is wide, the dialogues are clear and accurate with the center channel, and the surround performance is immersive and precise.

Although there’s Atmos, it’s not as effective as ceiling speakers. The remote is simple, with standard functions, but not universal, so you can’t operate your TV with it.

The speaker system has a sturdy build quality that’s primarily plastic, with metal grilles safeguarding the drivers. The connection quality is seamless, and the system is responsive to commands. You can control the EQ, which has useful presets, through the remote or smartphone app.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Great sound quality

    • The LG SP11RA is excellent for TV shows and music because it shines at dialogue-heavy content and vocals with its neutral yet slightly bass-dominated sound profile. Moreover, it accurately places sounds in the stereo soundstage, which is as wide as the bar.

  • Fair surround performance

    • The surround performance is immersive and precise. Sounds are clear and feel like they’re emerging from all around you.

  • Good voice clarity

    • The soundbar has good voice clarity thanks to the balanced mids, and with the dedicated center channel, dialogues feel precisely placed along the soundstage. Although the slightly underemphasized treble range and strong bass can impact the overall clarity, you can adjust both of them.

  • Emphasized bass response

    • Bass response is strong on this soundbar, making it great for bass-heavy music and action films.

  • Smart features and great connectivity

    • The LG soundbar app lets you control all the soundbar functions and comes in handy should you ever lose the remote. It boasts numerous secure connections, including 2 x Full HDMI In and 1 x USB, with incredibly low latency performance to eliminate audio syncing issues. Its Full HDMI In operates at a low -14 ms, while eARC and Optical maintain a reliable -9 ms and 14 ms latency, which are among the lowest we’ve seen.

Reason to Avoid

  • Lackluster Atmos performance

    • Although there is Atmos, it doesn’t create as immersive an experience as ceiling speakers would during sophisticated action scenes.

  • No voice assistant support

    • Without built-in voice assistants, the soundbar doesn’t offer the convenience of hands-free control.

LG SP11RA Specs

Bluetooth EnabledBluetooth EnabledYes
DepthDepth5.7"
Dialogue Enhancement FeatureDialogue Enhancement FeatureYes
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
Equalizer SettingsBasic
HDMI ARCHDMI ARCYes
HeightHeight2.5"
Number of Audio ChannelsNumber of Audio Channels7.1.4
SubwooferSubwooferIncluded
Surround Sound SupportedSurround Sound SupportedDolby Atmos
Voice AssistantVoice AssistantNo
WeightWeight44.8 lbs
WidthWidth56.8"
Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Wireless Subwoofer ConnectivityWireless Subwoofer ConnectivityYes
Works WithWorks WithBluetooth, Smartphone app

All Specs

Test Results

These are the most important criteria to test for Soundbars based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.

Low End Roll Off (Hz)35.125
High End Roll Off (Hz)14,905.889
Max Volume Test (db)92.5
Latency (ms)-9
THD @ 80dB0.6

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    Product Comparison

    LG SP11RA Review

    Samsung Q990B Review

    Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Speakers + Bass Module Review

    True Score

    76
    85
    80

    Ranking

    #

    90

    /

    149

    #

    3

    /

    149

    #

    36

    /

    149

    Market Context

    		 The LG SP11RA is a 2022 model high-end 7.1.4 channel soundbar that boasts Dolby Atmos support to deliver a wide soundstage for living room use. Akin…

    The LG SP11RA is a 2022 model high-end 7.1.4 channel soundbar that boasts Dolby Atmos support to deliver a wide soundstage for living room use.

    Akin to some of the highest-rated speakers available today, it delivers crystal clear vocals and dialogues through its center channel speaker, thanks to its exceptionally low-frequency response slope.

    And just like the most popular soundbars on the market, it features a dedicated subwoofer to deliver extended low frequency with boomy bass. It also features an exceptionally low latency over HDMI, which is very useful, especially for gamers.

    However, if you are not sensitive to audio delay and aren’t bothered by a slightly higher audio latency, check out our Monoprice SB-600 review.

    In terms of wireless connectivity, this soundbar supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Chromecast, and Apple AirPlay for seamless streaming from both Android and iOS.

    But if you just need Bluetooth support, do take a look at our LG SPD7Y review. Its connectivity selection consists of two full-speed HDMI ARC passthrough ports, an optical audio jack, and a USB port.

    		 The Samsung HW-Q990B soundbar boasts a much wider 11.1.4-channel speaker setup that offers a far more expansive soundstage than the 7.1.4-channel LG SP11RA. The Samsung…

    The Samsung HW-Q990B soundbar boasts a much wider 11.1.4-channel speaker setup that offers a far more expansive soundstage than the 7.1.4-channel LG SP11RA. The Samsung soundbar also has an intuitive GUI (Graphic User Interface) with EQ customization, which the SP11RA lacks.

    		 Thanks to its 7.1.4 channel speaker setup, the LG SP11RA performs much better than the 5.0.2 channel Bose Smart Soundbar 900 when it comes to…

    Thanks to its 7.1.4 channel speaker setup, the LG SP11RA performs much better than the 5.0.2 channel Bose Smart Soundbar 900 when it comes to soundstage and Dolby Atmos performance. Unlike the Bose soundbar, the SP11RA also comes with a dedicated subwoofer for thumping bass and features a full-speed HDMI passthrough port. However, the Bose soundbar does have a much better build quality than the SP11RA.

    Bluetooth Enabled

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Depth

    5.7"

    5.4"

    4.21"

    Dialogue Enhancement Feature

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Energy Star Certified

    No

    Yes

    No

    Equalizer Settings

    Basic

    Advanced

    –

    HDMI ARC

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Height

    2.5"

    2.7"

    2.29"

    Number of Audio Channels

    7.1.4

    11.1.4

    5.1.2

    Dig Deeper

    Samsung Q990B Review →

    Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Speakers + Bass Module Review →

    Score Card

    E

    Expert Score

    77

    *.75

    We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

    C

    Customer Score

    84

    *.25

    We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

    True Score

    76

    Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

    Expert Scores

    Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.

    • Rtings
      101.4

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The LG SP11RA soundbar is great for mixed usage. With its room correction feature turned… Read More

      By:

      John Panoryios
    • Trusted Reviews
      57.5

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The SP11RA looks lovely and sounds excellent with both films and music, as well as… Read More

      By:

      John Archer
    • Techradar
      39

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      LG’s SP11RA cares about the little things in home cinema life. Its knack for bringing… Read More

      By:

      John Archer
    • Pocket Lint
      49.1

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The LG SP11RA is a solid offering that builds on its predecessor, resulting in a… Read More

      By:

      Steve Withers
    • What Hifi
      36.05

      Category Trust Rating

      80
      The SP11RA is a big improvement from last year’s SN11RG. It’s easy to listen to,… Read More

      By:

      What Hi-Fi?

    Customer Scores