LG has launched its 2020 soundbar line-up, spearheaded by the new flagship SN11RG. Five of the new soundbars have support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

LG 2020 soundbar line-up
The new line-up is spearheaded by the 7.1.4-channel SN11RG, which includes up-firing units and rear speakers for a more immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound experience.

This is a change from 2019 and 2018 where LG's top soundbar came without discreet rear speakers. In the past, LG has offered a 'rear speaker kit' and this kit will continue to be available for the other soundbars.



Five of the new soundbars advertise some form of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support but with today's technology you still need lots of speakers for the best possible effect.

- "Five new premium models (SN11RG, SN10YG, SN9YG, SN8YG & SN7Y) combine Meridian sound technology, Dolby Atmos, DTS-X and HiRes Audio (up to 24bit, 192KHz) for highly-realistic audio performance making any content-viewing or listening experience far more immersive. These sound bars all incorporate up-firing speakers to deliver a 360-degree sound experience. The flagship SN11RG even includes separate rear surround speakers with up-firing drivers to further enhance the experience," said LG.

LG's SN8YG, SN9YG, SN10YG and SN11RG also feature HDMI eARC (enhanced ARC) allowing you to transmit lossless audio such as Dolby TrueHD from a TV's HDMI eARC port to the soundbar. LG 2019 and 2020 TVs support eARC and the company has promised to fix the issue with Atmos via MAT 2.0 (PCM with metadata) through a future firmware update.



The company added that "AI Room Calibration uses spatial awareness technology to measure your room's unique acoustic characteristics".

Also read: Full list: 4K HDR & Dolby Atmos movies on iTunes

Dolby Atmos soundbars are gaining in popularity and many TV makers, including LG, Samsung and Sony, have in recent years launched compatible soundbars. Content is also becoming more readily available. Besides HD and UHD Blu-ray discs, streaming services such as Apple TV (iTunes) and Netflix offer Atmos content.

Most of LG's 2020 soundbars are available now from retailers such as amazon.com.

LG 2020 soundbars - pricing & availability
SN11RG
770 W, 7.1.4 ch. High Res Audio Sound Bar
with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Surround Speakers
$1,699
Available May
 

SN10YG
570W, 5.1.2 ch. Hi-Res Audio Sound Bar
with Meridian, DTS:X, Dolby Atmos
and Google Assistant
$1,299
Available May
 

SN9YG
520W, 5.1.2 ch. Hi-Res Audio Sound Bar
with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Google Assistant
$999
Available May
 

SN8YG
440W, 3.1.2 ch. Sound Bar
with Meridian, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
and Google Assistant 
$799
Available May
 

SN7Y
380W, 3.1.2 ch. Sound Bar
with Meridian, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
and Hi-Res Audio
$499
Available June
 

SN6Y
429W, 3.1ch. Hi-Res Audio Sound Bar
with DTS Virtual:X
$399
Available Now
 

SN5Y
400W, 2.1 ch. Hi-Res Audio Sound Bar
with DTS Virtual:X
$279
Available Now
 

SPK8-S
2 ch. Rear Speaker Kit
$179
Available Now 
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