LG is one of the biggest companies on this earth. They’re the type of company that embraces technology and wants to be at the forefront of creating new experiences. But despite that forward-thinking approach, not everything they do turns to gold.
Namely, their wireless speakers.
Trusted Reviews has tested a number LG Xboom speakers over the years but we’ve havent’ reviewed one that’s been spectactular. Scrolling through the review records and I can’t find anything that scores over a four.
That’s not to say that LG’s speakers aren’t fun, for a company of their size, you’d expect… more.
Something is missing…
All the technical know-how and sound expertise that LG has in its locker hasn’t resulted in a speaker that’s broken the mould or put LG on the map in the same way as JBL or Marshall.
With the LG outdoor speakers I’ve tested – the XG2BT and XG8T – have thrown everything including the kitchen sink in terms of specs. Military grade design, solid battery life, clever design features – they cover the bases.
But the sound for both speakers was their weakest point, and the problem for both was the same – they lacked balance.
The Standard audio mode would sound clear and detailed with some tracks but lack bass. While the Sound Boost would add energy and low frequency heft but miss the clarity and detail of the Standard mode. It lef me frequently chopping and changing between the two to find the right solution.
That’s not what you’d want from a speaker. You want a sound that works across all genres, an approach that’s strong across the frequency range, but with LG’s speakers the highs seem to suffer and the lows take on too much presence.
If that’s the sound you like, great, but LG’s problem is there are portable speakers that manage to strike a good balance in their approach, so why would you bother with LG’s slightly janky sound compared to a Sony, or a Bose, Marshall or JBL? The answer is, you wouldn’t.
The competition is ferocious
The mention of Sony, Bose, Marshall and JBL is a glimpse of how tough and crowded the market is. JBL is effectively the dominant force in the outdoor speaker area, and deservedly so.
JBL consistently makes great-sounding speakers and the XG2BT and XG8T have clearly aped JBL’s speakers in terms of specs. But sound is the most important thing and LG hasn’t mastered that area to be among the best otudoor speakers.
It could be that its collaboration with musician will.i.am gives them a boost, but celebrity partnerships don’t always work – will.i.am should considering how many he’s fronted.
But he’s also been involved in the tuning of the Xboom Buds and the latest outdoor speakers, and I rather enjoy the tuning of the Xboom Buds. I’m optimistic, and if it works then perhaps LG can make a speaker that’s a worthy challenger to the likes of JBL.