LG S95AR Soundbar Review: A Complete Home Theatre Experience Without the Clutter

There is an increasingly familiar contradiction in modern living rooms. Television screens are getting larger, brighter and more technologically advanced, yet the built-in speakers often struggle to deliver sound that matches the quality of the picture.

That is where a soundbar comes in. But not all soundbars are designed simply to make a television louder.

The LG S95AR takes a more ambitious approach, combining a soundbar, wireless rear speakers and a dedicated subwoofer into a system designed to deliver a more immersive home theatre experience without requiring the complicated installation associated with traditional surround-sound systems.

More than just louder television sound

The biggest distinction with the S95AR is that its purpose goes beyond increasing volume.

A conventional television speaker setup generally projects sound from a narrow area directly beneath or behind the screen. The S95AR expands that presentation through its combination of front, rear and low-frequency speakers.

The main soundbar sits beneath the television, while the wireless rear speakers can be positioned behind the listening area. The dedicated subwoofer handles the deeper frequencies, creating a fuller soundstage.

For homeowners who want surround sound without running speaker cables across the living room, that combination is particularly appealing.

LG's Room Calibration Pro is another useful part of the package. Rather than assuming every living room has the same dimensions and speaker placement, the system is designed to adjust the audio according to the room and where the speakers are positioned.

That matters in real homes, where the sofa might be against a wall, one rear speaker could be positioned on a side table, or the television may form part of an open-plan living area.

Dolby Atmos brings sound into the room

The S95AR is particularly interesting when watching movies and other content designed for immersive audio.

Its support for Dolby Atmos, together with up-firing speakers, is intended to create a sense of height as well as width. Instead of audio appearing to come exclusively from the television area, the system attempts to create a three-dimensional sound field around the listener.

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That can make a noticeable difference during films with atmospheric sound design. Rain, aircraft, crowd noise, music and action sequences can occupy different areas of the soundstage, giving the presentation greater separation and scale.

The S95AR also incorporates a centre up-firing channel designed to help position dialogue in relation to the screen.

That is an important consideration. Immersive sound is of limited value if dialogue becomes difficult to understand and the remote has to be reached repeatedly to adjust the volume.

The subwoofer adds the missing depth

The soundbar creates much of the width and spatial character, but the subwoofer provides another dimension.

LG says the S95AR's redesigned subwoofer extends down to 27.1Hz, helping reproduce the deeper frequencies that television speakers cannot convincingly deliver.

The difference is particularly noticeable with explosions, cinematic effects and music with substantial bass content.

There is, however, a distinction between powerful bass and good bass. Simply increasing the subwoofer level can make a room sound boomy. The more convincing approach is for the low frequencies to complement the rest of the system rather than dominate it.

This is another area where room calibration can be useful.

A system for more than movie night

One of the potential drawbacks of a dedicated home theatre system is that it can become equipment that gets used only when a movie is playing.

The S95AR is intended for broader everyday use.

LG's AI Sound Pro and Cinema modes are designed to process audio differently depending on the content, while multi-channel processing can help create a fuller presentation.

For Kenyan households, that versatility is significant.

A football match can benefit from a stronger sense of crowd atmosphere. Music can take advantage of the wider soundstage. Gaming can become more involving when audio extends beyond the television itself.

And for owners of compatible LG televisions, features such as WOW Orchestra can combine the TV's speakers with the soundbar, while WOW Interface provides certain soundbar controls through the television.

What about everyday usability?

The appeal of the S95AR ultimately comes down to convenience as much as performance.

A traditional multi-speaker home theatre can deliver excellent results, but it also requires planning. Speakers have to be positioned correctly, cables need to be managed and the room has to accommodate the system.

The S95AR takes a more straightforward route.

You still have multiple speakers, but the wireless rear speakers and dedicated subwoofer reduce much of the installation complexity. The result is a system that can deliver a more expansive presentation without requiring the living room to be redesigned around a home theatre.

That makes it particularly suited to people who want an upgrade from standard TV audio but are not interested in building a full custom surround-sound installation.

The verdict

The LG S95AR is positioned as more than a conventional soundbar. With its dedicated subwoofer, wireless rear speakers, Dolby Atmos support, room calibration and LG ecosystem features, it is designed to bridge the gap between a simple TV audio upgrade and a traditional home theatre system.

Its strongest proposition is convenience without completely sacrificing immersion.

For movies, the combination of height, surround effects and deep bass can make the living room feel considerably more cinematic. For sports, music and gaming, the additional speakers give the system usefulness beyond occasional movie nights.

It is also worth remembering that the quality of any surround system depends on room layout, speaker placement and the content being played. Dolby Atmos effects, for example, will be most apparent with appropriately mixed content.

For anyone looking to turn a living room into a more engaging entertainment space without filling it with a complex network of wired speakers, the LG S95AR presents a compelling all-in-one approach.