LG S90QY vs Samsung B550

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Comparing LG S90QY and Samsung B550, all pros and cons of devices become clear. Advantages have shown that S90QY has advantages over B550 mainly in terms of audio performance. According to the results of our comparison, S90QY received 8 points out of 10 possible, and B550 was rated 4.6 points.

Advantages LG S90QY over Samsung B550

Advantages Samsung B550 over LG S90QY

Audio features

The S90QY is rated 8 of 10 against 6 for the B550 according to the audio features rating.

It worth understanding the difference between the two types of amplification: a passive soundbar does not have its own amplifier and receives amplification from the signal source, while an active soundbar has a built-in amplifier. The same active type of amplification is used in the S90QY and the B550.

There are stereo soundbars and multichannel ones. It is with the help of multichannel devices that you can get volumetric sound. It is worth noting one of the main differences, the S90QY has 5.1.3 channels, while the B550 has 2.1 channels. Also, the output power of the soundbars under consideration is different, LG S90QY has 440 (overall) W, and 410 (overall) W has the competitor.

Subwoofers

Soundbars can have a built-in or external subwoofer. The first type is inseparable from the soundbar body, but for the second, you can choose a good location for deep bass. Both reviewed devices are equipped with an external subwoofer. Competitors support wireless connection to a separate external subwoofer.

Multichannel surround

Unlike stereo, when reproducing multichannel sound, each specific direction of sound corresponds to its dedicated channel with a separate independent loudspeaker, which creates a three-dimensional sound stage. The S90QY received rating 10 out of 10 for multichannel audio processing, but the B550, in the same category, earned 6 out of 10 points.

The peculiarity of Dolby Atmos is that this format is object-oriented, that is, each object of the audio signal is sounded separately and linked to its spatial location. Dolby Atmos surround sound support is implemented only in LG S90QY.

DTS:X is an algorithm for processing sound scenes by the processor, linking directly to objects, rather than channels, and calculating the optimal distribution of sound output in a room. The manufacturer has implemented DTS:X technology only in S90QY.

Streaming services

The possibility to listen online to millions of songs from one device has become a reality thanks to streaming services.

The popular Spotify service is available on the S90QY.

Connectivity

The existence of a sufficient number of current connectors significantly expands the functionality of the device. For example, only through HDMI is it possible to implement the transfer of object-oriented formats, and the presence of a Bluetooth connection will allow remote control, etc. The devices received different ratings for connectivity: LG S90QY was rated 8 out of 10, and Samsung B550 was rated 7 out of 10.

The presence of Wi-Fi in the soundbar allows you to get rid of wires when connected to a sound source and get minimal audio latency when playing content from streaming services. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi is possible on the S90QY.

Bluetooth connection is now one of the main communication protocols for speaker systems, which provides excellent quality and minimal audio latency. The availability of Bluetooth protocol, we can see in both models. The competitors in this comparison has 1/1 HDMI inputs/outputs.

HDMI ARC is a very usefull technology that creates a two-way communication channel between a TV and another device. This is convenient since there is no need to use optical and other cables in the system. HDMI ARC is basic for both soundbars. Connecting external devices via USB can be done on both models.

Features

Voice control is designed to make operating the device more convenient. This allows you to control basic soundbar functions from anywhere in the room.

Proprietary applications allow you to control your soundbars remotely. This is possible both via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. In our case, the ability to control the soundbar using the app is not implemented in any of the competitors. None of these soundbars have a built-in microphone.

Some soundbars can be part of a multi-room system and it is an affordable solution for sounding the whole house. However, it is impossible to create a multiroom system based on each of these soundbars.

Dimensions