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LG Eclair QP5 Soundbar Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Jan 13, 2022 at 10:16 am
Latest change: Test bench update May 05, 2023 at 10:02 am
LG Eclair QP5 Picture
6.6
Mixed Usage
6.8
Dialogue/TV Shows
6.6
Music
6.5
Movies

The LG Eclair QP5 is a 3.1.2 setup with a unique design. It's one of the smallest Dolby Atmos soundbars that we've tested, ideal for listeners in smaller apartments and condos who can't fit in a full setup. However, despite its stylish design, its sound performance isn't as impressive, and it's noticeably lacking low-bass. Vocals can seem clear and accurate at times but also quite dark and veiled due to the recessed treble. Its Atmos performance is pretty disappointing, with muffled audio and a lack of boom and punch with action-packed scenes.

Our Verdict

6.6 Mixed Usage

The LG QP5 is adequate for mixed usage. Vocals and lead instruments can be reproduced pretty clearly, though they can also seem veiled at times due to the soundbar's recessed treble range. There's not a lot of low-bass, either, so there's no rumble in action-heavy movie scenes. Its surround performance isn't very immersive-sounding, and it doesn't perform very well with Atmos content, either.

Pros
  • Bass and treble adjustments.
  • EQ presets.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Disappointing Atmos performance.
6.8 Dialogue/TV Shows

The LG QP5 is fair for dialogue-centric content like TV shows and podcasts. Its discrete center channel can accurately anchor voices to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. Voices are reproduced pretty clearly at times, but they can also seem dark and veiled. While there's a dialogue enhancement feature available, you can only use it with DTS content.

Pros
  • Auto-volume mode.
Cons
  • Doesn't get very loud.
6.6 Music

The LG QP5 is okay for music. Its sound profile is slightly dark due to the recessed treble. While vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly, they can also sound a bit veiled at times. Its subwoofer also struggles to reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the low-bass, so it's not ideal for listening to bass-heavy genres like EDM. Also, it doesn't get very loud.

Pros
  • Bass and treble adjustments.
  • EQ presets.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Doesn't get very loud.
6.5 Movies

The LG QP5 is alright for movies. Its Sound Field Expander technology creates a wide soundstage that extends well past the bar's small size. However, its surround performance isn't very impressive since it has to downmix content into stereo to play it. Similarly, it noticeably lacks bass with Atmos content, and voices can seem muffled and veiled.

Pros
  • Bass and treble adjustments.
  • Wide soundstage.
Cons
  • Lacks low-bass.
  • Disappointing Atmos performance.
  • 6.6 Mixed Usage
  • 6.8 Dialogue/TV Shows
  • 6.6 Music
  • 6.5 Movies
  1. Updated May 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.2. Updated the results for audio format support via ARC/eARC, HDMI In, and Optical. Added Video Passthrough to TV results as well.
  2. Updated Apr 06, 2023: Added cable lengths to In The Box.
  3. Updated Apr 05, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.1. With this update, we've added a Mounting test and added information aboutSubwoofer Output, Spotify Connect, and Microphone Mute.
  4. Updated Jan 13, 2022: Review published.
  5. Updated Jan 10, 2022: Early access published.
  6. Updated Dec 03, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Dec 03, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  8. Updated Nov 27, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
  9. Updated Nov 22, 2021: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The LG QP5 is available in both 'Black' and 'White' color variants. We tested the 'Black' version, and you can see the label for the model we tested here. However, we expect the white version, called the LG QP5W, to perform similarly.

If you come across another version of this soundbar, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Soundbars

The LG QP5 is a unique model designed to offer an immersive listening experience without taking up a lot of space in your setup. While it has a small and stylish design, its sound performance isn't as impressive as other small soundbars on the market, like the Sonos Beam and the Samsung HW-S60A.

See also our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best soundbars for music.

Sonos Arc

The Sonos Arc is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Sonos is a 5.0.2 standalone soundbar with a premium design. It offers better soundstage, center, surround, and Atmos performances than the LG. Even though the LG has a dedicated sub, it can't reproduce a more extended low-bass than the Sonos. That said, the LG's small design may be more ideal for some users.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Sonos is a better-built 5.0 setup with built-in voice assistant support. It has better center, surround, and Atmos performances. Its soundstage is better, too. Also, there's no Full HDMI In port like the LG.

LG SP8YA

The LG SP8YA is a better 3.1.2 soundbar than the LG Eclair QP5. The SP8YA has better center and surround performances. It's also a better pick for Atmos content. It gets louder with a little less compression at max volume. Unlike the Eclair, it has room correction and supports more wireless playback options. Some users may also prefer its more neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box. That said, the Eclair has a more compact design, so it's not too surprising that it struggles to get loud.

Sonos Beam

The Sonos Beam is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Sonos is a better-built 3.0 setup with built-in voice assistant support. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances. Some users may also prefer its more neutral, balanced sound out of the box. However, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content like the LG.

JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam

The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is more versatile than the LG Eclair QP5. The JBL is a 5.0 setup with better center and surround performances. It's a standalone bar, unlike the LG, which comes with a dedicated subwoofer. The LG is pretty unique, as it's one of the smallest bars with Dolby Atmos support we've tested. However, its dedicated sub doesn't mean that it can reproduce much more low-bass than the JBL.

Samsung HW-Q800A

The LG Eclair QP5 and the Samsung HW-Q800A are both 3.1.2 setups with Dolby Atmos support. However, the Samsung is better overall. It reproduces a more present, thumpy low-bass for action-packed movies and bass-heavy music. It has better soundstage, center, and surround performances, too. That said, the LG is much smaller, so it's ideal if you don't have a lot of space in your setup.

Samsung HW-Q700A

The Samsung HW-Q700A is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Samsung is a better-built 3.1.2 setup with more wireless playback options. It has better center and surround performances. Its soundstage is more immersive-sounding, and it's better for Atmos content, too. Also, some users may prefer its more neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box. That said, it's bigger than the LG.

Samsung HW-Q600A

The Samsung HW-Q600A is better than the LG Eclair QP5. The Samsung is a better-built bar with better center and surround performances. Also, some listeners may prefer its more neutral, balanced sound profile out-of-the-box. That said, the LG has a much smaller, more compact design that's ideal for users without a lot of space in their setup.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style - Bar

The LG Eclair QP5 is a small and compact soundbar with a similar shape to the pastry that shares its name. There's a metal grille on the top, and the rounded edges of the bar are covered in a tight fabric. The bottom of the bar is made of plastic. You can also find a white color variant called the LG Eclair QP5W.

Design
Style - Subwoofer
Sub Wireless
Yes
Enclosure
Unspecified

The subwoofer is mostly made of hard plastic. The rounded sides of the sub are covered in a tight fabric. Its reversible design gives you a lot of flexibility when placing it in your room since you can use it in any direction.

Design
Style - Satellites
Satellite Wireless
No
Design
Dimensions - Bar
Width 11.6" (29.5 cm)
Height 2.3" (5.9 cm)
Depth 4.9" (12.5 cm)

The LG Eclair QP5 is very small. It can easily fit between the legs of a 55" TV stand, and it's not very tall, so it shouldn't block your TV screen. It's ideal for listeners in condos and apartments who don't have enough space for a full setup.

Design
Dimensions - Subwoofer
Width 15.4" (39.0 cm)
Height 11.2" (28.4 cm)
Depth 7.3" (18.5 cm)

The sub is roughly the size of an average desktop computer. Since it connects to the bar wirelessly, you can place it wherever you want in your room.

Design
Dimensions - Satellites
Width N/A
Height N/A
Depth N/A
Design
Mounting
Mountable Bar
No
Bar Brackets Included
No
Mountable Satellites
No
Satellite Brackets Included
No
7.5
Design
Build Quality

The LG QP5 has a good build quality. The bar has a metal grille on top to protect its up-firing drivers inside, and there's fabric around its sides. While the fabric is tight and doesn't seem like it could be pinched easily, it can collect dust and debris like pet hair. The subwoofer has a similar design, and while its plastic build feels pretty solid and durable, its fabric sides also seem like they could get dirty easily.

Design
In The Box

  • Manual
  • Remote with 2x AA batteries
  • AC adapter (3.7 ft / 1.1m)
  • 2x power cables (4.9 ft / 1.5m)
  • HDMI cable (4.9 ft / 1.5m)

Sound
6.3
Sound
Stereo Frequency Response
Tested Preset
Music
Slope
-0.73
Std. Err.
5.92 dB
Channels
3.1.2
Low-Frequency Extension
53.4 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
12.7 kHz

The LG Eclair QP5 has a mediocre stereo frequency response. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly dark and veiled sound due to the recessed treble range. Also, it struggles to reproduce the deep thump found in the low-bass, so you don't feel the rumble in bass-heavy music or action-packed movies. While voices are sometimes pretty clear in the mix thanks to the balanced mid-range, they can also sound a bit muffled at times due to the dip in the low-mid range.

6.3
Sound
Stereo Frequency Response With Preliminary Calibration
Suggested Preset
Music
Suggested Bass Setting
0
Suggested Treble Setting
0
Slope
-0.73
Std. Err.
5.92 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
53.4 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
12.7 kHz

The LG Eclair QP5 comes with some bass and treble adjustments to help you customize its sound profile to your liking. However, if you prefer a more neutral sound profile, we recommend using its default bass and treble settings. We tested the bar in several different configurations, but we couldn't get a more neutral response.

7.0
Sound
Stereo Soundstage
Crosstalk Error
3.26 dB

The LG Eclair QP5 has a decent stereo soundstage. Despite its small size, its soundstage is perceived to be pretty wide. Its Sound Field Expander technology extends audio well past the edges of the bar itself. Unfortunately, its focus isn't as accurate, and you can hear some holes in the soundstage. As a result, sound objects like voices don't seem to come from an accurate, pinpoint location. Instead, it seems like they come from a more general area.

7.3
Sound
Stereo Dynamics
SPL @ Max Volume
88.4 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
1.35 dB

The LG QP5 has a satisfactory stereo dynamics performance. Like many small soundbars we've tested, it struggles to get loud enough to fill up a large room or a crowded party. That said, there isn't a lot of compression when you push it to max volume, so audio reproduction remains clear at louder volumes.

6.6
Sound
Stereo Total Harmonic Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80dB
0.84
Weighted THD @ Max Volume
4.07

The LG Eclair QP5 has an okay stereo THD performance. At a normal listening volume, distortion remains within good limits, so audio reproduction is clean and pure. However, there's a large jump in distortion across the entire range when you push the bar to max volume. Listeners who care a lot about sound fidelity may notice some distortion, but more casual listeners may not hear it.

6.8
Sound
Center
Localization
Discrete
Slope
-1.32
Std. Err.
6.63 dB
SPL @ Max Volume
86.8 dB SPL
Weighted THD @ 80dB
0.80
Weighted THD @ Max Volume
2.96

The LG Eclair QP5 has an adequate center channel performance. This 3.1.2 setup has a discrete center channel, so voices are anchored to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. Its frequency response is a bit dark, and while voices are reproduced pretty clearly, you may also notice that they sound a bit veiled. There isn't a lot of bass reproduced on the center channel in most cases, so you shouldn't notice the lack of low-bass.

2.3
Sound
Surround 5.1
Localization
Stereo (Downmix)
Slope
0.80
Std. Err.
8.55 dB
SPL @ Max Volume
93.1 dB SPL
Weighted THD @ 80dB
0.42
Weighted THD @ Max Volume
2.22
7.1 Rears
No

The LG Eclair QP5 has a poor surrounds performance. This 3.1.2 setup has to downmix surround content into stereo in order to play it. Unfortunately, as a result, sound objects like voices don't sound as clear or as real in the soundstage. Audio doesn't seem like it's coming from speakers placed all around you. Instead, it just seems like it's coming from in front of you.

5.2
Sound
Height (Atmos)
Localization
Phantom (Up Firing, Bar)
Slope
-0.04
Std. Err.
5.91 dB
SPL @ Max Volume
79.4 dB SPL
Weighted THD @ 80dB
2.09
Weighted THD @ Max Volume
0.61

The LG Eclair QP5 has a disappointing Atmos performance. It uses two up-firing drivers built into the bar to ricochet sound off the ceiling, creating the illusion of height. However, its frequency response is quite uneven, and audio seems muffled and veiled at times due to the dips and peaks in the mid and treble ranges. It also struggles to reproduce low-bass, so action-packed scenes are noticeably lacking in boom and rumble.

7.1
Sound
Sound Enhancement Features
Room Correction
No
Dialogue Enhancement
Yes
Auto-Volume/Night Mode
Yes
Subwoofer Level Adjustment
Yes
Bass Adjustment
Yes
Treble Adjustment
Yes
EQ
Presets
Surround Level Adjustment
No
Rear Level Adjustment
No
Height Level Adjustment
Yes
Virtual Surround
Yes

The LG QP5 has a decent selection of sound enhancement features. There are some EQ presets available, including 'AI Sound Pro', 'Cinema', 'Game', and 'Music', as well as bass and treble adjustments so you can customize its sound to your liking. The 'Cinema' preset doubles as a virtual surround mode, though in our subjective listening tests, we found that it sounded a bit fake. There's also a Dialogue Control feature in the Sound Settings tab of the app. However, it's only available with DTS content.

Thanks to its 2021 LG AI TV Processor, the manufacturer says you can also pair the bar with a compatible LG TV to use TV Sound Mode Share. This feature lets you use the TV's speakers with your soundbar to create a more immersive listening experience.

Connectivity
Connectivity
Inputs/Outputs - Bar
Optical Audio In
1
HDMI Out
eARC
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
Full HDMI In
1
Analog Audio In 3.5mm (Aux)
No
RCA In
No
USB for Files
1
Ethernet
No
Subwoofer Output
No

The LG Eclair QP5 comes with some physical inputs. You can connect it to your TV via Optical as well as HDMI ARC, and there's a Full HDMI In port that lets you use it as a hub between different devices.

10
Connectivity
Audio Format Support: ARC/eARC
Dolby Atmos
Supported
Dolby Digital
Supported
Dolby Digital Plus
Supported
Dolby TrueHD
Supported
DTS
Supported
DTS:X
Supported
DTS-HD MA
Supported
PCM Channels
Up To 7.1

The LG Eclair QP5 has fantastic audio format support via ARC. It supports the most common surround sound format, Dolby Digital. Also, there's support for lossless and object-based formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

10
Connectivity
Audio Format Support: HDMI In
Dolby Atmos
Supported
Dolby Digital
Supported
Dolby Digital Plus
Supported
Dolby TrueHD
Supported
DTS
Supported
DTS:X
Supported
DTS-HD MA
Supported
PCM Channels
Up To 7.1

The LG Eclair QP5 has incredible audio format support via Full HDMI In. You can commonly find Dolby Digital content on Blu-rays and streaming platforms, and there's also DTS support. You can even stream lossless and object-based formats like Dolby Atmos.

10
Connectivity
Audio Format Support: Optical
Dolby Digital
Supported
DTS
Supported
PCM Channels
2.0

There's also Dolby Digital and DTS support via Optical, and you can often find these audio formats on streaming platforms and Blu-ray discs.

6.8
Connectivity
Latency
ARC
150 ms
Optical
109 ms
Full HDMI In
9 ms

The LG Eclair QP5 has a fair latency performance. It has low latency via Full HDMI In. However, it doesn't perform as well when connected via ARC and Optical, so you may notice a delay between the audio you hear and the video you see. That said, some apps and TVs can compensate for latency differently, so your experience can vary.

6.3
Connectivity
Video Passthrough To TV
1080p Max Refresh Rate
60Hz
1080p @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate
60Hz
4k Max Refresh Rate
60Hz
4k @ 120Hz @ 10-Bit
Not Supported
4k @ 4:4:4 Max Refresh Rate
60Hz
8k Max Refresh Rate
Not Supported
HDR10 Passthrough
Yes
HDR10+ Passthrough
No
Dolby Vision Passthrough
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR Passthrough
No
FreeSync Passthrough
No
G-SYNC Passthrough
No
ALLM Passthrough
No

The LG Eclair QP5 can passthrough high-quality bandwidth signals. There's also support for Dolby Vision Passthrough.

6.0
Connectivity
Wireless Playback
Bluetooth
Yes
Wi-Fi Playback
No
Chromecast built-in
No
Apple AirPlay
No
Spotify Connect
No

Unlike the LG SP8YA, the LG Eclair QP5 only supports Bluetooth connectivity. You can wirelessly stream audio from your mobile devices to the bar over this connection.

Additional Features
Additional Features
Interface
Display
No

There are three lights on the right side of the bar that flash different colors based on the settings you adjust. For example, they turn orange when you change the volume, and the middle light flashes red when you change the EQ preset. Also, the lights are white when connected via HDMI In, HDMI ARC, and Optical, and they turn blue when you connect via Bluetooth. There are also some audio cues when you change the inputs, which is handy.

Additional Features
Bar Controls

Some controls let you power the bar on/off, change the input, adjust the volume, and activate Bluetooth. Unfortunately, they're located on the back of the bar, which can be inconvenient. You have to move the bar to access them, and it's easy to accidentally trigger one of the controls while you move the bar.

Additional Features
Remote

The remote has the same design as that of the LG SP8YA. It lets you control the bar's basic functions, which can be more convenient than trying to use the controls on the back of the bar. You can also adjust the bar using the LG Sound Bar app on your smartphone.

Additional Features
Voice Assistants Support
Amazon Alexa
No
Google Assistant
No
Apple Siri
No
Microphone Mute
No