ET Reviews: LG SoundPlate LAP340

NEW DELHI: TV manufacturers are revamping flat panel designs: making them slimmer and lighter. For instance, LG’s own curved OLED TV is just 4mm thin at the edges. What suffers with this design choice is the speaker output.

You can always attach external speakers, but that means you have to place ugly speakers around the TV and attach multiple cables, ruining the overall look of the TV. With the SoundPlate, LG has delivered a solution to this issue.

The SoundPlate is a slim (just 35mm high) and flat sound system that conveniently sits under your TV. The design with speaker grills are upfront and rounded corners instantly gels with your TV. The only limitation is that it works with TVs up to 55-inches in size. It has only a single LED in front that changes colour to indicate different modes.

All connections and control buttons are on the back. For wired connectivity it only has one optical port. Optical does deliver the best possible digital output from the audio source. It also has in Bluetooth to connect with your smartphone, tablet or laptop to stream music.

LG has also incorporated their proprietary Sound Sync technology into the SoundPlate — this means that it can wirelessly connect with some compatible LG TVs. Inside the SoundPlate are dual speakers and dual subwoofers, delivering clear vocals and punchy bass. It even has a cinema mode, which boosts bass and vocals for an enhanced experience.

While we were impressed with the sound quality, the overall volume levels are good enough only for a small to medium sized room. Note that if you don't have an LG TV and your existing TV does not have optical out, this will be nothing more than an expensive Bluetooth speaker.

At the same price, you can also consider Bose's Solo TV, which also sits under your flat panel. While the Bose lacks Bluetooth connectivity, it offers better volume with both optical and analog connectivity.

Price: Rs 30,990

Specifications: 4.1-channel speaker, dual subwoofers, 120W RMS, Dolby Digital, 3D sound processor, Bluetooth connectivity, optical audio port, Sound Sync, can support weight of up to a 55-inch TV.

Pros: Slim and stylish, good sound clarity, cinema mode, Bluetooth connectivity for phones/tablets.

Cons: Only has optical audio input, volume could have been higher, all buttons are around the back of the device.

Also See: Bose Solo TV Sound System

Price: Rs 31,388

Specifications: Bose speaker array, optical port, co-axial port, RCA audio port, 3.5mm output, supports up to 42-inch TVs, 4.6kg.