LG SJ9 Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review

The LG SJ9 is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos immersive audio by delivering the five main channels and two overhead channels from a single unit. It is LG's first entry into this rapidly increasing segment of the soundbar market and finds the SJ9 up against the Yamaha YSP-5600, the Samsung HW-K950 and the Samsung HW-K850.
Read the full in-depth review - www.avforums.c...

[@Michael-1337]

I see a lot of audio snobs in the comments here but please consider that a lot of us don't have unlimited space in our homes to set up a true surround sound system. I live in an apartment and it would look very ugly for me to run wires all over the place and there is no good mounting spot on one side of my living room to put side or rear speakers. For those of us in this situation a decent soundbar like this is a good enough compromise and saves us a ton of space and greatly reduces wire clutter.

[@Ki77a_WhSpRz]

Michael Vinson You got that right.. I have this to go with my LG TV.. And I have to say, this whole setup is awesome and worth the buy

[@AwesomePossum510]

Purists of any kind usually live in a bubble, which I know perfectly well since I am prone to being on on multiple fronts. There are a lot of things I care a lot about while being shocked that others don’t. Truth is, not everyone wants the same stuff and that’s fine. Just ignore the “purists”, any sensible person knows that a soundbar isn’t going to be the best ever for audio, you buy it for the look and form factor as well. Saying it doesn’t have the absolute best audio quality is like pointing out that a Ferrari isn’t very fuel efficient, not the point.

[@ima245]

Finally someon who lives in the real world.

[@keiko6125]

Also it is very simple and minimalist sound bar!

[@jaycorbin6145]

My living room is very small, so I simply don’t have the space to hang a bunch of speakers around the room.

[@acerock013]

got this soundbar paired with a C7 for a medium sized living room. the soundbar was marked down to 700 and while it isn't the perfect surround sound solution, for my space and needs it was more than adequate and syncs up well with its LG C7 counterpart.

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

How do you pair the C7?

[@Ninjawithaphone]

You forgot to mention there is a USB port provided (above the Ethernet port) which allows for the firmware to be updated ;-)

[@kungula]

I use the the SJ9 with my LG C7. I am happy with the sound performance, nevertheless although I have the latest firmware there are still some minor bugs which disturb. By turning on the TV the sound bar has to be switched on seperately after several hours of non usage. Also it happens from time to time that there are drop outs which can be annoying. The Dolby Atmos sound effect is great though. All in all mixed feelings about the SJ 9.

[@DedricSilva]

I understand its output goes to LG's OLED hdmi arc but whats with the HDMI in and where does it go to?

[@Marlinandrejones]

I purchased this soundbar for my OLED c7p just last week, and I tell you, I am not all that impressed. There was certainly more bass and everything was punchier for sure. But beyond that, I found that it did not substantially exceed the internal TV speakers, which are also Atmos compatible. Regular TV and Atmos movies did sound somewhat better, mostly due to the bass, but again, not substantially better. I did a side by side comparison between the SJ9 and internal TV speakers on my XBox One S and the internals sounded better. Less punchier for sure but more refined. And the same was true with music. The internal speakers sounded better. The SJ9 sound was muddier and less crisp. Again, punchier though. I tell you, it feels for all the world like my TV has more speakers in play than the SJ9. Is that possible? This is a $900 5.1.2 channel sound bar we are talking about. My minimum expectation was that it would be a big step up from the TV speakers at least. I am somewhat of a fledgling audiophile, so maybe I haven't set it up properly. I currently have the treble set to 2, the bass at 3 and the woofer at 3. And again, I don't detect any truly noticeable change after tinkering with these settings. I've played music on the "music" setting, and movies on the "movie" setting. The SJ9 just doesnt stand out from the regular TV speakers in any big way (aside from bass). Am I doing something wrong? I read all these reviews about how awesome the sound is, but I am just not getting that. Someone give me some insight please.

[@sweetbrandigirl]

So when are we going to get a review of the Sony ST5000 ?

[@adriandelarosa6656]

I have the C7 and the SJ9. I do have one issue is with the ability to reach crisp sounds at high volume when watching movies. I have the two devices connected via HDMI Arc (AudioQuest Chocolate Cable) and when I hit 75 percent of the max volume, I start to hear static sounds from the voices coming from watching movies from my cable box to watching movies from Vudu (Dolby VIsion/Atmos). That can be quite annoying to deal with. Overall it is a good sound bar that can pack a punch.

[@nadeemmohammed4770]

Adrian De La Rosa can both the tv and soundbar play at the same time? Planning on buying the b7

[@chetansingh3593]

Will this pair with LG's rear speaker kit for true surround sound? www.lg.com/us/home-audio/lg-SPJ4-S-wireless-surround-kit

[@JorgeGomez-bt9lt]

Can anyone explain why LG says that you must have a Dloby Atmos Compatible TV to go with this soundbar like the OLED C7 they say it doesnt work with others like my OLED B7.. Im confused as to why you have to have a special Atmos TV..

[@themightymonarch777]

Great I spent two months saving up to get the LG C7 now I got to spend another thousand dollars on this.

[@Burgergio]

the mighty monarch bro I know the feels 😭. After I got my C7 I had to save up for 5 months to get this. The struggle man...

[@timkline162]

I was looking at this sound bar, but I noticed the back only has 1 HDMI in, which seems really limited to me. I have a cable box and an xbox one, so would need 2 inputs, however I can have the cable box pass through my xbox one. Still though, this seems limited. Or are you supposed to set it up where you plug things into your TV, and you switch your components on the TV? I’m used to connecting everything to a home theater receiver instead. What’s the best way to set this up?

[@strawberryyogurt0]

@tim kline ... wouldn’t you simply connect the sh9 soundbar to the hdmi arc on your tv, and your xbox, cable box to your other hdmi ports on your tv.

[@miguelledezma1394]

strawberryyogurt0 this dude is dumb😑

[@wahidhadi764]

The Last Guy it doesn’t do Atmos over ARC.

[@wahidhadi764]

Or at least it doesn’t do a good job through ARC.

[@gmarshall101]

I have AV sync issues when using ARC...

[@richardgreen4424]

onkyo s7000 I think is the one for me others just seem to have problems

[@adrianwpb5112]

anyone having problems since the recent software update?

[@starwatcher73]

does this makes sense when I own a E7 with internal speakers?

[@nadeemmohammed4770]

starwatcher73 I believe there is an option to play together

[@totalplonker824]

Being a owner of the E series, I'm sure it would interest you to click on the red dragon and then you can see how I've made the e-series have the FLOATING EFFECT

[@marinoint]

That's too expensive for a soundbar.

[@thisislucaaas]

What is better the LG Sk9 ou LG sj9?

[@sundayomeje6866]

They are literally the same sound bars with different names

[@bluex610]

@@sundayomeje6866 yeah but sk9y supports wireless rear speakers(spk8). So that ones better since its upgradeable. Also keep an eye out for them on buydig. They're constantly around $300 no tax on their site.

[@lawrence09151]

Billiards with sound waves.

[@SuperBoris1976]

Why would spend a grand on a sound bar? You can get a nice 9.1 or 7.2 for that and it'll be a lot better

[@lelito33]

SuperBoris1976 a soundbar save space, and is not so easy ex when you have children to have a lot of cables everywhere, if you only need good sound effects and don't need to play loud a soundbar is the best solution 😉

[@haroldjason3060]

lelito33 - true but buying this expensive soundbar does not justify the application and needs, better buy a cheaper one instead, you can still enjoy 2.1 sound setup...the so called Atmos/5.1/7.1 soundbar is not TRUE Dolby Surround...

[@THE-CROWZ06]

if you really want to have a real dolby atmos sound. do not waste your money on a sound bar that when you turn up the volume distorts the voices. buy a Pioneer or Onkyo receiver with dolby atmos 4K HRD. and dolby atmos speakers and you save about $300.00. For real.

[@ELEVOPR]

Why give a really nice soundbar a cheesy remote? Makes no sense 😠

[@sanjaynandi4268]

nice

[@SDGRTX1455]

This Dolby Atmos soundbar or the Sony Dolby Atmos of €-1400. I can't decide, maybe you guys can help me

[@mosesking2923]

Neither. If you're paying that much much money, just go for an actual surround sound system.

[@marcusturner469]

+Moses King does this support 4k

[@AwesomePossum510]

Samsung HW-K950 would be the best choice. There is only so much you can do with just a soundbar, and that one adds 2 rear speakers with up-firing drivers.

[@busywl69]

The movies I have seen in atmos (3 of them) have led me to believe regular dolby digtal is good enough for me. the cost is too much and everything was just LOUDER. Detail was lost once the movies started. Kingsman 2 was awful to sit through audio wise. Picture looked great. .

[@magooccna]

If you're serious about your sound get a receiver and decent surround speakers. You'll get better sound and you'll have some change for popcorn.

[@coloniellizardt4191]

Some people buy soundbars because it saves space and less wire clutter.

[@THE-CROWZ06]

Yeah. I just got my pioneer 4k HDR DOLBY VISION. DOLBY atmos with sp-bs22a-lr and sp-c22 speakers and sounds awesome. & yes got change for Doritos nachos.

[@ELEVOPR]

I Think these soundbars are seriously over priced, Black Friday sale had it for $699.99 Even that is a bit over priced. IMHO.

[@officialpartychannel]

€ 749,- is a bit much

[@jaystarr6571]

Hey...

[@mlk4life]

i dont get how these atmos sound bars are even a thing. its a joke to me.

[@coloniellizardt4191]

Frowntown Ideal for those who want less wires, more enjoyment. I know a 7.1 or even a 5.1 receiver maybe better but I don't want that many wires not speakers in my bedroom.

[@AwesomePossum510]

The concept of upward firing speakers is actually great. With the SJ9, you can actually hear sounds coming from above, and it’s a lot more practical than putting speakers in your ceiling. That being said, there is no actual surround sound with this one and the height effect still takes place in front of you, I think something like the Samsung HW-K950 would be a better choice.

[@Irishgamer01]

So it's crap. Why not just say it.

[@raymondleggs5508]

Dont buy this. Get a stereo receiver or integrated amp with digital inputs and a pair of slim tower speakers and a sub-woofer. Will cost you less than this and sound better!

[@AwesomePossum510]

Raymond Leggs Stereo receiver? You know the appeal of this soundbar is not really music listening right?

[@francescofoti236]

People buying these soundbars and thinking they're listening Atmos or multichannel....PLS

[@jaystarr6571]

It's sad really.

[@kodakeller6353]

Lol it literally makes no sense at all.

[@TheIrfan38]

We know it is emulated sound. People are not that dumb.