LG SP8YA Soundbar Review #Detailed

The LG SP8YA soundbar comes with a separate subwoofer and 3.1.2 (3 prime speakers, 1 inbuilt subwoofer, 2 up/side-firing speakers) built-in channel system. This combination produces a total of 440W audio output.

This soundbar also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, Meridian tuning, an AI Sound Pro mode with clear high-resolution audio support.

Overall Performance

The LG SP8YA delivers an excellent performance with a wide front stage due to the size of the speakers. The clarity of the dialogue is enhanced by the dedicated center channel. Overhead effects are well handled by the upward firing speakers, and the subwoofer provides a nice foundation of deep bass. Overall this system has more than enough power to fill large spaces.

A lossless codec handles audio very well. It doesn’t matter how you send the audio signal from the source device (e.g., Blu-Ray Player) to the receiver (SP8). Audio quality remains high regardless of the method used.

There are several sound modes available, such as AI Sound Pro, Standard Mode, Music Mode, Cinema Mode, Sports Mode, Game Mode, Clear Voice Mode, and Bass Blast Mode. These modes work well with general TV viewing. Cinema mode gives TV dramas and movies a better sense of envelopment. Game mode sounds great when playing games.

Design

The LG SP8YA sports a minimalistic design. It has a mostly plastic body, but it also has a brushed metal top and a black finish. There are two speakers on the top that works as up firing, and there are three speakers located under the grilles.

The speaker grilles are round, and the connection ports are hidden underneath the unit. The display shows five characters.

Soundbars measure ‎41.7 x 4.7 x 2.2 inches. They weigh in at ‎26.9 pounds. There is a choice of stand or a wall mount. LG includes brackets and a wall mounting template within the order packet.

Subwoofer 

This product comes with a wireless subwoofer. It’s made of wood. It has a finish that matches its main unit. It has a 7-inch front-facing speaker with a rear port. It measures 221 x 390 x 312mm (WxH x D). And it weighs 7.8 kg.

Connectivity

LG SP8YA has all connectivity ports behind the soundbar, and there’s an HDMI input and an output that support eARC. The HDMI port can pass 4k, hdcp2.3, vrr, allm, and high dynamic range (hdr), and includes hdr10 and Dolby vision but does not include hdr10+.

The device has optical input, a USB port, and a headphone jack. There is also a built-in Wi-fi wireless connectivity. It supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The device doesn’t have an ethernet port. The wireless connectivity consists of built-in Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth v5.0 and also has streaming services support from Google Chromecast or Apple Airplay 2.

Controls

As for controlling, Touch-sensitive controls are located at the top of the soundbar and towards the center. You can control the soundbar by touching these buttons.

You can also control the soundbar with remote control and Alexa voice control.