The LG SL6Y is a mid-range offering with a 3.1Ch configuration. It has a wireless subwoofer and a higher-than-average 420W of output when compared to the competition. There are no satellite speakers in the package and you will have to buy them separately if you want to improve the overall output.
Most TVs today skip powerful speakers, which make it difficult to understand dialogues when watching your favourite movies. The LG SL6Y, with a dedicated center-channel is looking to change that and for good. Does it offer enough for the price and is it a worthy upgrade from your regular TV speakers?
We discuss them all in our LG SL6Y review.
List of specifications
Table Of Content
| Channel Configuration | 3.1 |
| Product Dimensions | Soundbar – 41.7 x 2.2 x 3.4 inches Subwoofer – 6.8 x 15.4 x 9.8 inches |
| Weight | Soundbar – 3.45kg Subwoofer – 5.3kg |
| Amplifier output | Soundbar – 200W Subwoofer – 220W |
| Wireless Audio Protocol | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Audio Decoding Codecs | Dolby Digital DTS Virtual:X |
| Subwoofer Type | Wireless |
| Connectivity | USB Port HDMI In/Out Optical TV Sound Sync |
Pros
- 3.1Ch configuration allows excellent performance while playing dialogue-based content
- Sturdy design
- Big LCD screen
Cons
- Lacks Wi-Fi
- Limited surround sound capabilities
What’s in the box?
- 1 x Soundbar
- 1 x Subwoofer
- Battery
- Remote Control
- Remote Control Battery
- Wall Mount Bracket
- Screws for Wall Mount
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
- 1 x Additional Foot
Design and build
As far as the design goes, the LG SL6Y follows a minimalistic look and is like its younger sibling, the SL5Y, but is longer in comparison. It is covered mostly in plastic, and a perforated metal grille covers the front. You will get an LCD screen on the front and there are rubberized buttons on the right side of the soundbar. The plastic is of outstanding quality and adds heft and sturdiness to the device.
The subwoofer is mostly made of wood on the outside, and there are ports on the back. Black fabric covers the front, and we have no qualms with the material used for building the package. As far as measurements go, the soundbar is 41.7 x 2.2 x 3.4 inches and weight 3.45kg. The subwoofer is 6.8 x 15.4 x 9.8 inches, weighing at 5.3kg.
The soundbar feels light due to the usage of plastic for the exterior, but it is robust. The subwoofer is compact and allows easy placement wherever the user so desires. You will find the ports on the back all close to each other, except for the power connector.
You also get wall mounting necessities in the box to allow you to place it just below the TV. Alternatively, you can place it on any furniture top, and it will work just as well. The back of the subwoofer looks clean with only a port in the middle for the power connector.
Another nifty addition is the screen which turns off automatically after 15 seconds of inactivity to prevent intrusion. Overall, the build of the package is excellent and thoughtful, but we are worried about the fabric and its longevity.
Controls
The right side of the bar houses two volume buttons, a power on/off and an F button which has multiple use case scenarios depending on the times you press it. These are kept under a membrane to keep them dust-free.
The SL5Y has a 5-character LCD screen placed on the center of the device. The LG SL6Y gets it too, but the placement has moved to the right between the two channels. It now lets the middle channel perform uninterrupted and thus improves the overall output.
The package comes with a universal remote which is similar to what you find on most LG soundbars. It contains all the buttons as on the side of the bar and lets you toggle your playlist and equalizer settings too. LG has also included an app, the LG Music Flow Bluetooth that can control the soundbar. It is available on both Android and iOS platforms and works seamlessly.
You also get support for HDMI CEC, so your TV remote will pair with the soundbar too.
Connectivity
You get a lot of connectivity options with the LG SL6Y to connect your devices with it. There is HDMI ARC support which lets you connect your Blu-ray players or gaming consoles to your TV. You also get support for full HDMI In/Out letting you connect devices to your TV and transfer high-quality audio. In addition to that, you get UB support for adding in your pen drives and play content via it.
There is an optical port on the soundbar which lets you play DTS Surround Sound and Dolby Digital files. Being a 3.1Ch configuration, it will downmix the final output to stereo. The device also has wireless capabilities to let you pair your PDAs, but it lacks Wi-Fi leading to a limited range.
Unlike most budget offerings, the LG SL6Y offers 4K Passthrough. It has support for 10-bit and 4:4:4 too, but HDR10 is missing which should not be a big deal for most. The subwoofer also connects to the bar wirelessly, and you only require a power source for it.
Performance
The LG SL6Y hardware is capable of outputting 420W in total. The soundbar tops at 200W output with 82dB of sensitivity and impedance of 4 ohms. The subwoofer gets 220W of output with 85dB with 3 ohms. It supports Hi-Res Audio, and you can play your FLAC and WAV files limited to a sampling range of 24-bit/192kHz along with the usual MP3, WMA, and others.
The soundstage of the SL6Y is okayish. The bar doesn’t use any element to amplify the sound, thereby limiting the sound output. The focus is acceptable, but if you are coming from a flagship experience, you will feel the lack of accuracy sometimes. Lack of side-firing speakers limits the overall experience.
As far as the frequency response if concerned, the soundbar performs as expected. The presence of a subwoofer doesn’t elevate the bass much, and we found the mid-range to be muddy. The bass isn’t extended, which results in a bright output which can be piercing and uncomfortable at times.
Satellite speakers are missing in the package resulting in the sound being center-dedicated. Also, it has a 3.1 configuration making it appropriate for dialogue-based content. If you are someone who listens to a lot of radio and podcasts, it won’t disappoint you. Unfortunately, if you are a game buff or someone who is into action movies at high volumes, the lack of surround sound will make the experience less immersive.
It has support for Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X via the HDMI ARC or the Optical In. But the hardware limitations means that these files will be downmixed to stereo and you will only find the three-front facing speakers in use. The lack of height channels and Atmos mean that you will experience an incomplete audio experience with the sound coming from the front only.
Sound Enhancement
The LG SL6Y is packing a lot of sound enhancement features under its belly. You get dialogue enhancement, Night Mode for auto volume adjustment and several other tweaks to adjust the sound output. There is no room correction, but you get EQ presets which let you switch between several sound profiles. Plus, you also get the ability to tweak your bass and treble to improve the output situation-wise.
Competition
We get a lot of bang for the buck with the SL6Y. It can get fairly loud, has a lot of features, and the build is good for the price. But there are a lot of other mid-range options which are worth a look.
Samsung HW-R650
The Samsung HW-R650 is a 3.1 configuration soundbar similar to the LG SL6Y. Their size and wireless subwoofer make them look like siblings, but the former one beats the latter in the center-channel performance. The LG soundbar is ahead in terms of final output and a larger screen. You can check our Samsung HW-R650 review to understand more about the product.
Yamaha YAS-408
With Yamaha-YAS408, you get more options in terms of connectivity. It has support for Wi-Fi and AirPlay, which the LG soundbar doesn’t have, but the LG is ahead in terms of sound enhancement features. Also, you only get a 2.1Ch configuration with the Yamaha soundbar.
Samsung HW-Q60R
The Samsung HW-Q60R has a lot going for it. You get a 3.5mm analog audio jack, the dialogue-based output is superior and the build is better too. LG has more features, and the mobile app gives you the ability to control it better than the Samsung one.
Samsung HW-Q70R
The Samsung HW-Q70R is a far better soundbar than the LG Sl6Y but is pricier too. It has a 3.1.2 configuration resulting in better surround sound output and far more immersive experience. The center channel output is superior, and it has a better bass and treble response too. Since there are upward-firing speakers, it doesn’t cripple the performance by downmixing audio as is the case with LG here.
Should you get yourself one?
The LG SL6Y is a good product. The build is impeccable with the right mix of polycarbonate, wood and metal. The dialogue delivery is superb due to the 3.1 configuration. There are a lot of EQ presets to choose from, but there are some issues too. The first and major one is the lack of bass. The experience is lacking due to the lack of height channels, and we wish that the center channel was louder.
But it sells around the $300 mark which makes it a straightforward choice for people looking to upgrade their overall content experience and there isn’t much that LG is doing wrong in that context.
Check the features of the LG SL6Y on Bestbuy.com for more information.
