LG USC9S

Astrong feature set? Tick. Wide compatibility? Tick. Good-quality sound? Hmm...

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In the current era of consumer tech, the name ‘LG’ is synonymous with OLED TVs. The company is the progenitor of the current OLED TV craze and its models are the most popular by quite a margin. LG would very much like to take advantage of that popularity by encouraging more buyers of its TVs also to purchase one of its soundbars; and to that end it has produced this USC9S model, which is designed to partner the C2 and C3 OLEDs aesthetically, sonically and operationally.

That isn’t to say that owners of other TVs should stop reading: there is also synergy between the USC9S and LG TVs that aren’t C-series models and it’s just as compatible as any other soundbar with the TVs of other brands.

Your £999 buys you the bar itself, a bracket/stand for attachment to the C2 or C3 TV, and a wireless subwoofer. If you would like to add true surround sound, it is compatible with the SPQ8-S (£80).

The obvious rival is the Sonos Arc, which is nominally priced at £899 but can regularly be picked up for less. The Arc is a bar-only package, but two Sonos subwoofers are available, as are a number of speakers that can be used as wireless surrounds.

We are looking here at the base package, comprising the soundbar and subwoofer, plus the elements required to mount the ’bar to a C-series TV. It is worth noting that only C2 and C3 models between 55 and 77 inches are compatible in this way, but if you have one of those TVs this is certainly a really neat solution and an aesthetic bonus.