Dolby Atmos-enabled sound systems have been around for quite some time, but the price tag remains quite high when compared to budget non-Atmos bars. The LG SL10Y soundbar was priced at $ 900 at the time it went on sale. The size of the speaker system is commensurate with its cost.
The kit consists of the soundbar itself and a wireless subwoofer. Sound quality is up to par. When added to a home theater system, you get vibrant and punchy sound. But is the soundbar worth the money? Let’s try to understand the LG SL10Y review.
LG SL10Y review
If we consider soundbars on a limited budget of $ 300, then LG devices can compete. However, this is not enough to provide Dolby Atmos in your home.
Design
It is a very wide bar, its width is about 144 cm. The front side and sides are covered with a metal grill. The rest is made of hard plastic. At the top is a pair of round metal grilles that cover the upward-facing speakers. Hard plastic subwoofer enclosure.
The lining of the sub is made of fabric that covers the front and sides. Dust and sloppiness are the obvious disadvantages of this design. The power port is on the rear panel. The sub is about the size of an average desktop PC. It connects to the base via a wireless network. Therefore, its placement in space is not a problem. The only thing to think about is his nutrition.
The LG SL10Y is one of the widest soundbars around. It doesn’t fit between the legs of a 55 “TV. For installation under a TV, you must first think about this moment, or install it on the wall. If the placement in front of the TV suits you, then it will not interfere with the view of the screen, since the height of the soundbar is 6 cm.
The back of the soundbar is made of solid plastic. It has one compartment for all connections. The power cord is not removable. The build quality of the soundbar is excellent. Hard plastic and metal elements on the front and sides of the bar.
Sound
Soundbars LG SL10Y and LG SL10YG may differ by the presence of “G” in the model designation. The model with the “G” index supports Google Assistant, which we talked about in the LG SL8YG review . LG’s 10th model has good stereo performance, which is largely due to the expansion of the low and high frequency ranges.
This results in most of the sounds being played by the bar, including deep beats and thumping bass, which is great for watching movies. However, the sound is not optimal as there are quite a few errors in digital processing. Bass and treble are overpriced. Although for some category of users, this may be an advantage.
The actual sound range of the soundbar is from 30 Hz to 19.9 kHz. When listening to the acoustic panel SL10Y (SL10YG), the overall soundstage is fine, with some remarks. Even though the bar is very large, the stereo speakers are not located exactly on the sides of the cabinet. It turns out that the soundstage is narrower than the body itself.
In addition, the focus of the soundstage is slightly diffused. It is difficult to identify objects in the soundstage. The soundbar is powerful enough to fit in a large room. But if we consider the ratio of the bar size and the maximum volume level, then the user would have the right to expect more.
The THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) performance of the SL10Y at normal listening volume is within good limits. The bar reproduces clear sound. However, when you turn up to maximum volume, there is a big jump in THD, especially in the high frequency range. This may not be noticeable when watching normal content (movies).
The LG SL10Y soundbar has excellent center channel performance. Thanks to its 5.1.2 configuration, a dedicated center speaker is built into the bar. This results in clearer and more accurate reproduction of sound in dialogues. But the overall sound profile is a bit heavy for bass in relation to the center channel.
Surround sound below nominal. The bar has side speakers that are directed into the walls. This gives the impression of a wider surround sound. Unfortunately, this setting does not provide the most accurate and clear representation of the surround objects in the soundstage. When compared with a full-fledged home theater, this is noticeable.
LG SL10Y supports Atmos, but the quality is poor here. The bar has speakers that are directed upwards. Despite this, again the localization of objects turns out to be scattered and does not sound real. In addition, the sound changes dramatically with an Atmos source. It gets quite bright, but with less bass, and virtually no detail in the high frequency areas.
LG SL10Y lacks some sound enhancement features. For example, enhancing dialogues or correcting the sound stage in a room. Without these adjustments, the soundbar may sound different depending on your room. But in the bar there are many options for controlling and adjusting the sound in a manual way, which allows you to make the entire system sound at your discretion.
Additional features
The user interface consists of a small screen behind the front grille of the soundbar. It displays which input is being used, the volume level and the selected sound effect. The touch buttons at the top of the panel are pretty handy.
Here you can select the input signal (sound source), adjust the volume, turn the system on or off, and control the playback pause function. The “G” model (Google Assistant support) will have a button to activate the service and a button to mute the microphone.
The remote control is quite small and can easily fit in the palm of your hand. Most of the panel functions can be controlled with it. There is a button on the remote to switch between preset sound effects and modes.
Connections
LG SL10Y is the link between sound stage and TV. Unfortunately, the analog audio port is not provided for connecting to older devices that do not have modern connectivity features. On the positive side, however, is the ability to play music stored on the USB whistle.
Available ports: optical audio input, one HDMI ARC , a pair of Full HDMI interfaces. In addition, there is an HDMI output. ARC supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS standards. HDMI ports operate in Dolby Atmos, DTS: X, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA and 5.1 PCM modes.
This soundbar has a regular Bluetooth connection, making it easy to connect to mobile devices. You can use a Wi-Fi or Cast connection using the built-in ChromeCast. Mobile content is supported, but Apple AirPlay 2 is not supported. All of this applies to the LG SL10Y with the letter “G”.
Conclusion
Overall, LG SL10Y is a decent mixed-use model. The bar has an improved sound profile. The bass and high ranges are there, and they really work well. Decent reproduction of voices and dialogues in films. Unfortunately, the soundstage is quite narrow in some settings.
