Lg Sh7b 41 41 Channel Soundbar With Wireless Subwoofer Review
Our Verdict
The LG SH7B is a soundbar system that can exercise it all. Its feature set and solid audio quality go far a good pick for those with express space. While music playback and surround sound aren't mind-bravado, they're good enough for the sticker price.
For
- Flexible and painless setup
- Practiced sound for the price
- Syncs with other LG speakers
Against
- Buggy Android app
- Music playback is lacking
- Narrow imaging
TechRadar Verdict
The LG SH7B is a soundbar system that can do it all. Its feature set and solid sound quality make it a good choice for those with limited infinite. While music playback and surround sound aren't mind-blowing, they're good enough for the sticker price.
Pros
- +
Flexible and painless setup
- +
Adept sound for the cost
- +
Syncs with other LG speakers
Cons
- -
Buggy Android app
- -
Music playback is lacking
- -
Narrow imaging
Soundbars are all the rage these days and it's like shooting fish in a barrel to see why – they take upward very petty space, sound fashion better than your TV'southward speakers and are dead-simple to gear up. And while some feel that soundbars might not sound as practiced equally a true surround sound arrangement or even a good stereo setup, I've found that they do a good enough job that most people won't mind skimping on some audio quality for an easier setup and smaller price tag.
That said, the LG SH7B soundbar organisation sounds great for the toll, offering a ton more features than other soundbars. It's also every bit easy as information technology comes to get set up as it doesn't require routing wires or the demand for an preamp and amp of a traditional environs audio system.
Said only, the LG SH7B offers an bonny package for picture and music enthusiasts who don't want to break the bank. The soundbar and subwoofer bundle retails for $500 (about £380, AU$666) but, give it some time, and you'll be able to find it for even lower on the web.
Design and connections
The 360-watt LG SH7B comes with a soundbar and subwoofer in the box. The soundbar measures a slim 41.73 x two.09 x 3.35 inches (Fifty x W x H) and the sub is a compact 6.73 x 12.half dozen 10 9.92 inches (L x W ten H).
The subwoofer is wireless, so all you lot need to exercise is plug in its ability cable and information technology'll sync automatically with the soundbar. There's a single status light located on the subwoofer that tells you if it'south connected, which comes in handy if you always need to troubleshoot it.
The LG SH7B offers a ton of flexibility for mounting. Wall mount adapters are included in the package and the soundbar is calorie-free enough that it'll fit just about anywhere.
Alternatively, if breaking out a drill wasn't on your agenda for today, you can simply identify the soundbar flat on your habitation entertainment center without needing to drill. Plus, since the sub is wireless, yous can identify it anywhere within the room – simply I propose putting it in a corner to maximize bass impact.
Behind the soundbar you lot'll detect connections for HDMI in and out, optical, auxiliary and ethernet. What you don't see physically are connection options for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi that make the LG SH7B quite a versatile speaker setup for all your music or movie streaming needs.
To get started, you'll need to download LG'south MusicFlow Player app, as it allows you to seamless transition from listening to music on your phone to all of your LG speakers at home. LG'south MusicFlow line of speakers all work in tandem with the SH7B to create a multi-room listening experience that in some ways rivals Sonos systems. (However, for the record, I've previously reviewed the LG MusicFlow P7 portable speaker, which I found to be less than impressive.)
While the SH7B's setup was mostly a cakewalk, I establish LG'south Music Flow Player app for Android a buggy mess. I tried multiple times to connect the SH7B to my wireless network only it ever failed. I switched to my iPad and downloaded the iPhone version of the app and it continued the first fourth dimension. And then much for existence platform agnostic.
With the SH7B hooked up to your home network, you tin utilize Google Cast to stream your music over Wi-Fi, offering an audible performance bump over the Bluetooth connection.
Sound quality
For its low-cal weight and reasonable price tag, the SH7B surprised me with an above average sound. Information technology all the same sounds like a soundbar – with its narrow imaging and simulated surround sound – but this is the tradeoff yous make for going with a simplified audio solution.
Movies, overall, sound good, with powerful bass impact and distortion-free playback, fifty-fifty at higher volumes. Out of the box, the bass is a little overbearing, simply that can exist adjusted with the included remote. For the most office, mids and highs sound good with dialogue sounding clear.
Watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the sound of blasters and lightsaber wooshes filled my apartment. Lasers hit abode with impactful blasts of sound, with the subwoofer generating an impressive amount of bass for its size. Nonetheless, at that place was very niggling surround sound consequence, which pulled me out of the experience and fabricated everything sound a bit two dimensional.
The SH7B'southward express imaging means yous won't get true surround sound, but it'due south not a problem exclusive to LG's latest 'bar – nigh other soundbars under $i,000 typically face that problem every bit well. To its credit, though, its sound is full-bodied around the centre channel just there'due south withal proficient stereo separation to assistance create a more immersive listening experience.
If you desire a comparison to some other manufacturer, the Samsung HW-J650 goes for effectually the aforementioned toll of the LG, but features an abrasive echo consequence making the LG a better purchase.
Music sounds mediocre on the SH7B with the speakers missing top-end resolution and offering sometimes dingy bass. All the same, turning downwardly the subwoofer level helped to tame the bass and balance the sound. If you lot're more of a casual music listener, the SH7B is more adequate but you lot might be amend off with a stereo bookshelf speaker, which volition sound meliorate for music and toll a little less.
I thing I really enjoyed about the LG SH7B is its power to be used without turning on the Tv set. I streamed music via Google Play Music and Soundcloud to the soundbar. I love that Google Cast is built in, making it easy to get-go streaming music from whatever Android or iOS device.
Nosotros liked
Although the SH7B doesn't offering the finest audio quality, LG managed to pack its entry-level soundbar full of useful features that nonetheless manages to sound good. Having Google Bandage built in makes the SH7B a versatile home theater product for all of your music or movie needs.
Plus, information technology's easy to set up and having a wireless subwoofer makes setup easy. Y'all can also add rear Musicflow speakers to upgrade the SH7B into a true surround sound setup.
We disliked
Out of the box, the SH7B has overwhelming bass. It'southward easy enough to turn downwardly via its remote control, but bass sounds a bit uncontrolled for some movies. While setup is painless for the most part, LG's MusicFlow Android app is extremely buggy compared to the one it released on iOS. The SH7B still sounds like a soundbar with its limited three-dimensional imaging so those looking for true surroundings audio should look elsewhere.
Final verdict
It'southward difficult to error the LG SH7B too much – it does a lot with a minuscule physical footprint and a reasonable price tag to match. I actually enjoyed my time using it for playing back music and watching movies, even if the lack of true surroundings sound made the films less immersive than I was used to.
That said, it's a breeze to fix since its subwoofer is wireless simply Android users may be frustrated past LG's buggy app. Sound quality is slap-up for the price, but in the end loses out to traditional bookshelf speakers in terms of clarity on the high-stop. If you want a soundbar that can take on every type of media you tin can throw at it, though, the LG SH7B is a slap-up option.
Source: https://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/home-cinema-systems/lg-sh7b-soundbar-1325717/review