Good sound in the home theater no longer requires terrible investments. This is not only proven by the surround system from Logitech for less than 300 euros on Amazon. Now there is also a really good soundbar with three Dolby Atmos channels for a nice price.
Amazon offers you a 44 percent discount on the suggested retail price of 899 euros and has the LG DS80QY for only 499 euros offered. In the competition of MediaMarkt and Saturn, the soundbar costs 100 euros more.
LG DS80QY: Three Dolby Atmos channels provide great sound
The LG soundbar is one of the best devices of its kind – at least that’s what some test reports say. The AV magazine for example maps the DS80QY in the highest class gives the overall grade “very good – excellent” and also rates the price-performance ratio as very good. Remarkable, because at the time of testing the soundbar still cost 899 euros.
The special thing about the LG soundbar is the mid-high channel, which throws the sound towards the ceiling along with two other upward-firing speakers built into the bar. The setup makes the DS80QY a 3.1.3 soundbar – ie with three front channels, a subwoofer and three height channels.
The soundbar is Dolby Atmos compatible, making it a real asset to your home cinema, if you have not used any or only a small soundbar. The sound is thrown from the one meter long beam on the ceiling and bounced back from there. The result is a three-dimensional sound experience where, for example, the sound of a helicopter or rain raining down on you from the ceiling.
The LG soundbar supports Dolby Vision and is expandable
In combination with the soundbar, the wireless subwoofer provides decent bass in the home cinema. You stream music via the built-in Spotify, Bluetooth, Chromecast or AirPlay 2. The connections also leave nothing to be desired. The HDMI input and HDMI output support 4K at up to 60 Hz, Dolby Vision HDR format, and ALLM and VRR video game technologies.
However, the soundbar does not support HDR10+ and 120 Hz via HDMI 2.1. You always connect a NextGen console such as the Playstation 5 or the Xbox Series X directly to your 4K TV and the TV with an HDMI cable on the soundbar. Only then will you get fast response times and great sound while gaming.
Incidentally, the LG DS80QY can be expanded to a 5.1.3 system with a rear speaker kit. The two extra boxes then provide perfect surround sound. The expansion set is currently available from Amazon at a 13 percent discount for it 173.99 euros.
A deal with (the) devil: The best LG soundbar alternatives
If you can miss 3.1.3 sound in your home theater and want to improve your TV sound on the cheap, this is the Sharp HSTB147 2.0 sound bar a good option. Including a 30 percent discount, the soundbar is currently available for the lowest price of only 57.99 euros at Amazon*.
You still have to activate the discount on the product page by placing a check mark next to “Coupon”. The final price will then be displayed at checkout. For less than 60 euros you get a decent soundbar with many connection options.
It is 300 euros more expensive than the LG soundbar, but visually much more spectacular Ultima 40 Surround 5.1 Set by Teufel, currently with a 200 euro discount for only 799.99 euros at Teufel* gives. Teufel only gives you free shipping up to and including Sunday.
With the Ultima 40, the name says it all, because the Teufel system offers the ultimate price-performance ratio. However, you still need a suitable AV receiver. The set includes two large floorstanding speakers, a center speaker, two rear speakers and a huge subwoofer.