A difficult column: review of LG XBOOM AI ThinQ with “Alice” from Yandex

Appearance

The speaker from LG looks reliable and expensive. This is a minimalistically designed cylindrical device made from quality materials. The outside of the speaker is covered with a metal mesh, and the rest of the surface is made of matte plastic. Black color.

At the bottom of the case is the LG logo, at the top is Meridian Audio. There is also a light indicator at the top of the speaker, which is activated along with “Alice” or when the volume is changed.

The diameter of the column is 13.5 cm, the height is about 21 cm. The device weighs 1.9 kg.

To operate, LG XBOOM requires a connection to a power outlet and a Wi-Fi network, which automatically makes it a home or office speaker designed to stand in one place.

Controls and Interfaces

The instructions included in the kit and tips from “Alice” when connecting to the network will help with the first synchronization. In short, you need to plug the speaker adapter into a power outlet, and then download the Yandex application. There you need to find the device and connect it to Wi-Fi. That's it, you can use the column.

The control panel on top includes several buttons. These are pause, volume up and down, and the F key, which is responsible for switching between Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth connections (this can also be done using a voice command). The buttons are touch sensitive. Because of this, they are difficult to feel in the dark: they have no relief and no feedback when pressed.

There is a microphone mute button on the back of the case - for those who are wary of surveillance and do not want to share private data with Yandex.

At the bottom of the device there is a reset button and a socket for the power cable. It is retracted into a special recess.

Sound

From speakers of this form factor, you don’t have to expect any special volume and elaboration of space: all emitters are concentrated on a small area. A 20mm tweeter and an 89mm midrange driver are responsible for the sound. Together they produce 30 W of power. The set of speakers suggests that the sound here doesn’t even pretend to be multi-channel.

The LG XBOOM has enough power for a large room or small office. The same Meridian Audio, whose logo we saw under the control panel, is responsible for the production of the speakers in the speaker. This company has earned a reputation as a manufacturer of Hi-Fi audio systems for home theaters and premium cars McLaren, Land Rover and Jaguar. LG also talks about Clear Vocal and Enhanced Bass technologies, which are responsible for the intelligibility of voice frequencies and enhanced bass. All this makes the LG XBOOM sound very deep and rich.

There are some problems with a slight preponderance of bass and readability in the lower mids, but these nuances are clearly not critical for those who listen to music in mono from a speaker costing 10 thousand rubles.

By the way, it is better to turn the gadget with the LG logo towards you. Despite the cylindrical design, the sound here is directed strictly in one direction.

Specifications

• Device type: portable audio system
• Total output power: 15W
• Surround sound: yes
• Built-in subwoofer: yes
• Passive radiator: yes
• Number of channels 1.1
• Audio Modes: EQ Standard (default) and Bass Boost
• Connections: AUX input 3.5 mm, MicroUSB 5 pin, AC adapter connector, BUS Power Supply (USB): 5 V / 0.5 A
• Wireless connection: Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP profile)
• Memory card slot: no
• FM radio: no
• Built-in microphone: yes
• Battery: 3.7V/1500mAh Li-ion
• Full charge time: 3 hours (wired and wireless)
• Battery life: 10 hours
• Power consumption: power requirements, SMPS/Adapter - 5 V > 1.2 A, charging consumption - 32 W, standby consumption - < 0.5 W
• Additional features: sound synchronization with LG TV (Bluetooth), simultaneous registration of up to 2 Bluetooth devices, Dual Play, connection of MP3 and CD players
• Main module dimensions (W x H x D): 83.5 x 102.3 x 83.5 mm
• Subwoofer dimensions: 211 x 109.5 x 211 mm
• Weight: main module - 480 g; subwoofer - 2.4 kg; weight with packaging - 3.68 kg
• Moisture protection: the speaker has IPX7 (30 minutes at a depth of up to 1 m), the docking station is not protected
• Operating humidity: 5% to 60%
• Operating temperature: 5° to 35° C
• Case material: plastic
• Case color: white
• Backlight: yes
• Contents: speaker, subwoofer, power supply, user manual, quick installation instructions, warranty card

Voice assistant "Alice"

Alice has hundreds of functions and several serious shortcomings. The latter include total dependence on Yandex services, the inability to download music from other streaming services, and the fact that the voice assistant periodically simply does not understand you. The calibration and power of the LG XBOOM microphones is satisfactory: when music is playing, “Alice” does not always confidently recognize the user’s phrases.

A little about the functions. Here's what you can do with the voice assistant on LG XBOOM:

• find out the travel time from point A to point B;
• set an alarm or reminder;
• find out a recipe for preparing a dish (upon the request “Alice” launches a search in “Yandex” and reads the results from culinary sites);
• translate a phrase into another language;
• turn on or off a smart home gadget (“Alice” can work with devices from Yandex, Xiaomi and Redmond);
• play a game (for example, “Cities” or “Guess the Animal”);
• find out the exchange rate;
• include sounds of nature (for example, forest, ocean or fire);
• turn on the music and set a timer to turn it off;
• find out how much the product costs (“Alice” will display the price from Yandex.Market).

This is only part of the functions. The full list is available on the Yandex website.

Differences from Yandex.Station

Here are the main ones.

• Sound. The LG speaker sounds deeper, more detailed and brighter.
• Appearance and dimensions. Our test subject is slightly smaller than Yandex.Station and has the shape of a cylinder rather than a rectangular parallelepiped. It also looks more reliable because of the metal grille.
• HDMI port. LG XBOOM doesn't have it. If you are looking for a music box with a voice assistant, and not a multimedia system, this nuance is not important.
• Bonus subscriptions. LG XBOOM has fewer of them: there is no Amediateka and a subscription to Yandex.Plus is limited to three months, not a year. Nine months of difference is equivalent to 1,521 rubles.
• Price. LG XBOOM costs 9,990 rubles - a thousand less than the “Station”.

Review of LG Music Flow P5 Bluetooth speaker

LG has started sales of the new Bluetooth speaker Music Flow P5 in Russia. All the possibilities of a compact, beautiful and good-sounding device for its price were studied by Vesti.Hi-tech.

Bluetooth speakers are produced today by many manufacturers - from giants who make any electronics at all, to daring startups from China that have released three and a half smartphones in the short history of their existence. At the same time, the variety is off the charts - the simplest speakers (or rather, hissers or rattlers) can be purchased from AliExpress for less than 1,000 rubles, while devices with a complex design and audiophile sound can cost half a thousand, or even a thousand dollars.

Most owners of mobile electronics - smartphones, tablets, laptops - of course, would like to be able to fill the room with music, and not just their own ears, but they are not ready to pay thousands for this pleasure. I would also like trouble-free setup and operation of the Bluetooth connection, a presentable appearance and volume reserve - otherwise you can play music from a tablet.

Music Flow P5 is positioned as an entry-level solution. At a price of around 50 euros, you shouldn't expect miracles in terms of sound, but the device shouldn't disappoint in other respects. It doesn't disappoint. The design using dense matte polycarbonate and metal is modern and beautiful, the buttons are pressed clearly, with sufficient, but not excessive force, and connecting the speaker to any sound sources via Bluetooth occurs without problems. At a reasonable distance - up to 5-7 meters - between the speaker and the smartphone broadcasting music to it, the sound is not interrupted.

The speaker is equipped with a microUSB connector for recharging (the stated battery life is about 15 hours, but less when playing at high volumes), as well as a 3.5 mm line-in input for a wired connection. The control is organized using a four-position “ring” with a power button in the middle.

The capabilities of Music Flow P5 are not limited to playing music via Bluetooth from mobile devices. Firstly, the speaker is compatible with LG TVs that support the Sound Sync function. We select in the TV settings to output sound to the Sound Sync device, simultaneously press the “Bluetooth” and “Play/Pause” buttons on the speaker - and the sound from the TV begins to be broadcast to the speaker. True, from my point of view, this only makes sense if you have some kind of very budget TV with weak speakers. Perhaps not even LG and without Sound Sync - you can connect speakers using an audio cable with 3.5 mm minijacks.

Things get even more interesting when you have not one, but two Music Flow P5 speakers at your disposal. The fact is that they can work in pairs, creating a more realistic stereo effect than is possible within a compact body. To do this, however, you will have to make some unobvious manipulations. First you need to connect one of the speakers to your audio source as usual. After that, you need to hold down the “Bluetooth” and “Volume Up” keys on it, and “Bluetooth” and “Volume Down” on the second column. After a short beep, both Bluetooth icons will turn white - the improvised stereo system is ready. Fortunately, you don't have to go through the double pairing procedure every time. If you use speakers with a single audio source, they will “remember” that the connection was created in DualPlay mode, even after turning off the power.

When testing audio devices, I usually play a couple of playlists from Apple Music - one with pop jazz and one with unashamedly modern-sounding pop music. The first gives an idea of ​​how well the speaker or headphones handle classical sounds that feature a lot of acoustic instruments and vocals in the foreground. The second shows how suitable the sound is for a party or training with simple rhythmic music.

In the case of the LG Music Flow P5, there are practically no complaints about the sound of the second playlist, but jazz standards are clearly missing something. The speaker most adequately reproduces the middle range and the upper part of the bass - beyond these frequencies many nuances are lost. But for pop music or hip-hop (the vocals of performers who are not up to Ella or Lewis sound quite good), the speaker is quite suitable. In addition, the volume reserve is huge; at maximum the neighbors will not find it too much.

The device is sold in the capital's online stores at a price of 4,360 rubles . Unfortunately, the speaker was brought to Russia in only two design versions - black-silver and white-silver. In the promotional materials for the announcement of the device at the IFA exhibition in September last year, there were much more design options (see photo above). Particularly good, IMHO, are the options with a wood-effect body and black with red grilles and controls. But LG, unfortunately, someone again convinced that in Russia buyers are conservative and are suspicious of multi-colored gadgets.

conclusions

LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7Y outperforms the more popular Yandex.Station in a number of parameters, and costs less, except for the difference in subscriptions. If you can do without connecting a speaker to your TV, it is better to choose the option from LG.

The LG smart speaker will perfectly serve as a home music box and a universal assistant that will tell you how long to boil eggs, or simply entertain you with a simple game. Someday there will be more competitors in this field, but while devices with Siri and Alexa speak to us only in English, and the Russian-language “Google Assistant” mode in Google Home is activated through crutches, LG XBOOM with “Alice” is one of the best options .

Buy

The author expresses gratitude to the company for providing the device for testing.

New portable speakers LG XBOOM Go PL series

New portable speakers LG
XBOOM Go PL series - clear sound and capacious batteries that last up to 24 hours!
MOSCOW,
July 06, 2020
— LG Electronics is releasing new portable Bluetooth speakers LGXBOOM Go PL series. The PL Series speakers are perfect for hosting outdoor parties wherever you are. Improved sound quality thanks to Meridian technologies, an incredibly capacious battery that holds a charge for up to 24 hours, lightweight speakers, multi-color rhythmic LED backlighting and the ability to connect several speakers simultaneously will make the party bright and unforgettable.

The new LG XBOOM Go models are equipped with technologies from the British company Meridian to provide premium sound quality: deep bass, rich sound and clear vocals when listening to music. Meridian is a pioneer in high-resolution audio, creating innovative, elegant, high-performance audio solutions since 1977, and continues to lead the way in digital signal processing technology today.

The PL7 and PL5 feature Dual Action Bass passive radiators that produce deep, powerful and well-balanced bass, delivering an energetic beat that's easy to rock the party wherever you are. Passive radiators work in time with the lighting to create a party atmosphere and add a pop of color to your space. Featuring an elegant, rounded design with a rubberized finish, the speakers are easy and comfortable to hold.

Sound Boost enhances sound power and widens the sound field - just press a button to ignite the party atmosphere.

Multi-color LED lighting changes with the rhythm of the music. The lighting can be customized using the My Style feature in the XBOOM smartphone app. Just choose the backlight color that suits your mood. The application has 4 backlight modes: “Party” (multi-colored lights), “Water” (blue lights), “Forest” (yellow lights), “My Style” (the mode is only available for Android. To activate this option, you must use "Music Flow Bluetooth" settings in the smartphone application).

Your party is protected from the vagaries of the weather: rain or splashes of water will not prevent you from continuing to dance, because the new LG XBOOM Go speakers are certified to the IPX5 waterproof standard and are distinguished by the presence of a very capacious battery. The PL7's battery lasts 24 hours on a single charge, giving you more freedom to enjoy your music. In terms of operating time, the new speakers are one of the leaders on the market and leave many competitors behind. To avoid having to carry a charger, use the USB port to charge your speaker, even while listening.

The wireless Party Link feature allows you to connect up to one hundred LG XBOOM PL7 speakers or up to one hundred PL5 speakers simultaneously to each other, increasing the overall sound output. With the Dual Play function, you can easily connect two PL2 portable speakers.

The LG TV Bluetooth Surround feature will make your TV sound more spacious. To do this, you need to connect two LG XBOOM Go PL7 or PL5 speakers to your TV. This simple step gives you vibrant surround sound that accompanies whatever content you're watching. This way, Bluetooth speakers can become part of a home theater. You can connect one PL7 or PL5 to your TV and use it as a front or rear speaker. You can also connect two speakers to the TV at the same time, using them as right and left channels, working simultaneously with the sound from the TV. For the function to work correctly, both columns must be the same model. The function is available on LG OLED 2020, NanoCell and UHD TV series equipped with Bluetooth function.

The new LG XBOOM Go can be controlled using a smartphone app on Android and iOS. From your smartphone you can manage your playlist and share it through any of the connected speakers. You can also answer calls using the speakers as a loudspeaker. LG XBOOM Go automatically switches to an incoming call while playing music.

Main characteristics: