LG S90TR 7.1.3-Channel Soundbar Review: Theater-Grade Dolby Atmos for Your Living Room

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LG S90TR 7.1.3-Channel Soundbar Review: Theater-Grade Dolby Atmos for Your Living Room

 

Building a serious home theater used to mean running miles of copper speaker wire beneath your baseboards and dedicating half your living room to a massive, complicated receiver. Soundbars changed that landscape, but for a very long time, they still required you to compromise on true, enveloping surround sound. The LG S90TR 7.1.3-Channel Soundbar bridges that historical gap beautifully. It brings the bone-rattling bass and pristine spatial audio of a traditional cinematic setup into a sleek, wire-free package that actually fits into a modern home.

What caught my attention right out of the gate is the sheer scale of this audio system. We are not just talking about a single, lonely speaker bar sitting under your television. This is a comprehensive 7.1.3-channel rig, complete with a dedicated heavy-duty wireless subwoofer and two true wireless rear surround speakers. It is specifically engineered to bounce sound off your ceiling and walls, creating a three-dimensional bubble of audio that physically pulls you right into the middle of the action.

Whether you are upgrading your weekly family movie nights, looking for a competitive edge in your late-night gaming sessions, or just wanting to hear the on-screen dialogue clearly without constantly blasting the master volume, this LG audio system promises a whole lot of capability. Let’s dive into what it is actually like to live with this massive setup, from the initial unboxing process to the way it handles an intense, room-shaking Dolby Atmos audio mix.

Key Features & Specifications

  • Audio Channels: 7.1.3 configuration featuring 11 distinct speakers, including three up-firing drivers.
  • Power Output: A massive 670 Watts of total room-filling audio power.
  • Surround Formats: Full native support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial audio.
  • Rear Speakers: True wireless rear surrounds that only require a standard power outlet.
  • Dialogue Enhancement: Unique up-firing center channel designed specifically for crystal-clear voices.
  • Gaming Features: 4K/120Hz passthrough with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
  • Smart Integration: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, and Chromecast all built-in.
  • LG Ecosystem: WOW Orchestra compatibility for seamless integration with modern LG televisions.

Performance and Real-Life Use

Watching a heavily mixed action film on this system is a genuinely physical experience. Thanks to the robust Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, you don’t just hear helicopters flying across the screen; you hear the rotor blades passing directly overhead. The spatial separation is incredibly precise, allowing you to track moving sound effects across the room. Meanwhile, the dedicated subwoofer pushes out tight, punchy bass that you can literally feel in your chest during explosions, yet it remains restrained enough not to muddy the delicate musical score.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of this soundbar is how it handles human speech. A massive problem with modern movie mixing is that quiet whispers often get completely lost behind blaring background noise and heavy soundtracks. LG tackles this frustrating issue with an exclusive up-firing center channel that pushes voices upward and out. It anchors the dialogue straight to the actors on the screen, meaning you will not have to keep a finger hovering anxiously over the volume button during quiet conversational scenes.

For gamers, noticeable audio lag and a lack of immersion are total dealbreakers. Fortunately, the S90TR includes an HDMI passthrough that handles 4K resolution at a buttery smooth 120Hz. Hooking up a modern console feels incredibly responsive. The rear speakers give you precise directional audio cues, letting you hear footsteps approaching from behind before you even see the threat appear on your screen.

Design & Build Quality

At over 49 inches wide, the main soundbar is substantial. It is designed to look proportionately balanced under massive 55-inch to 77-inch televisions. Despite its considerable length, the low-profile chassis sits neatly on a standard entertainment console without blocking the bottom edge of your screen or getting in the way of your TV’s remote sensor. The sleek, dark aesthetic easily blends into most modern living rooms without drawing unnecessary attention to itself.

The rear speakers and the subwoofer share this clean, premium design language. Because the rear channels and the subwoofer connect to the main bar wirelessly, you have an enormous amount of freedom when it comes to spatial placement. You only need an available wall outlet for each unit to give them power. There is no need to snake ugly audio cables under your living room rug or staple wires along the ceiling, which keeps your space looking tidy and hazard-free.

Ease of Use, Setup, and Controls

Setting up a multi-speaker system can sometimes feel intimidating, but LG has streamlined the process remarkably well here. Once you plug the main bar, the subwoofer, and the rear satellites into the wall, they pair with each other almost instantly right out of the box. Connecting the main bar to your television via the included HDMI eARC port guarantees you are getting the highest possible uncompressed audio bandwidth directly from your favorite streaming apps.

Controlling the system day-to-day is incredibly straightforward. You can use the included remote, but if you connect it via HDMI eARC, your existing TV remote will seamlessly take over the soundbar’s master volume. For deeper customization, the companion LG smartphone app is where the real magic happens. It lets you tweak individual channel levels, download wireless firmware updates, and seamlessly switch between specific audio modes like Cinema, Sports, or Music depending on what you are watching.

Special Features: The WOW Orchestra Advantage

If you already own a newer LG OLED or QNED television, this soundbar unlocks a proprietary feature called WOW Orchestra. Traditionally, plugging in a soundbar mutes your television’s internal speakers entirely, making them useless. WOW Orchestra actively synchronizes the TV’s internal audio with the soundbar’s output, creating an incredibly massive, unified soundstage. It makes the audio feel like it is emanating directly from the glass panel rather than just the speaker sitting beneath it.

Another standout technological innovation is the AI Room Calibration. Every living room is acoustically different—hardwood floors vigorously bounce sound around, while heavy velvet curtains absorb it. Using the built-in microphones, the soundbar emits test tones to measure your room’s exact acoustic footprint. The internal AI then automatically adjusts the frequency response to ensure you get perfectly balanced, distortion-free surround sound tailored specifically to your exact space.

Smart Streaming and Audio Hub

Beyond massive movies and frantic video games, this system serves as a phenomenal dedicated music hub for your home. With built-in Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, and Chromecast, casting high-resolution tracks directly from your phone or tablet is an absolute breeze. The audio quality remains pristine, avoiding the heavy compression and distance drop-offs you sometimes get with standard Bluetooth connections. Streaming a complex jazz track or a heavy acoustic session through Spotify Connect reveals a surprisingly warm, highly musical tone that fills the whole house.

Pros & Cons

The Good:

  • Incredibly immersive 3D spatial audio with dedicated up-firing height speakers.
  • The unique up-firing center channel makes movie dialogue incredibly clear and easy to understand.
  • True wireless rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer completely eliminate living room cord clutter.
  • Excellent 4K/120Hz passthrough capabilities make it a perfect companion for modern gaming consoles.
  • WOW Orchestra integration provides a massive audio boost for current LG TV owners.

The Could-Be-Better:

  • The main soundbar is exceptionally long, making it a potentially tight fit for smaller, compact TV stands.
  • While it works great with any brand, getting the absolute most out of its features requires pairing it with a compatible LG-branded television.

Who Should Buy This Product?

This comprehensive audio system is tailor-made for dedicated movie buffs and serious gamers who want true cinematic surround sound without the enormous hassle of a complex AV receiver setup. If you already have a premium LG OLED television hanging proudly on your wall, adding this exact soundbar model is practically a no-brainer to unlock those synchronized audio features. It is also an absolutely perfect choice for anyone who struggles to hear quiet dialogue clearly in modern, loud films, thanks entirely to that brilliant dedicated up-firing center speaker pushing voices to the forefront.

Final Verdict

Stepping up to a dedicated 7.1.3 audio system completely changes the way you experience entertainment at home. The LG S90TR Soundbar delivers effortlessly on its promise of filling a room with rich, directional audio that pulls you right into the story. It expertly handles the booming, chaotic action sequences while treating delicate, quiet dialogue with the exact same level of care and precision. From the wonderfully hassle-free wireless setup to the impressive, high-speed gaming capabilities, it serves as an incredibly capable centerpiece for any modern home theater. If you are ready to stop settling for flat, uninspiring TV audio, this expansive setup is a phenomenal upgrade that your ears will thank you for.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.