Skip to main content

LG gets curvey with new Music Flow wireless sound bar

lg unveils new curved music flow sound bar las855m
LG Electronics has let loose another piece in the company’s ever growing collection of wireless audio gear this evening, taking the tarp off the latest Music Flow sound bar, the LAS855M.

Styled with a curve to match LG’s collection of similarly curved OLED TVs, LG touts the LAS855M’s “graceful” style, while highlighting the bar’s significant power plant of a claimed 360 watts of muscle. That pushes four on-board drivers, as well as the system’s accompanying wireless subwoofer.

The bar can be wall mounted, though users will likely only want to follow that route if they’ve already mounted their curved TV — a sort of sculptor’s style entertainment system, if you will, popping off the wall from a side profile.

As part of LG’s Music Flow system, the bar works in conjunction with other Music Flow components as a multi-room home sound solution, similar to systems from Sonos, and others. This allows users to not only connect traditional hard-wired sources like a TV, but also utilize Wi-Fi to stream music from iOS or Android devices, PCs, Macs, or Chromebooks over Google Cast. Those with multiple Music Flow components could potentially create a wireless surround system, stream a single song to multiple speakers throughout the home, or stream different songs to each Music Flow piece, all from a central app.

While nearly everything about LG’s new curved bar screams state-of-the-art, the system is a little behind when it comes to supporting streaming services, boasting support for Google Play Music, Pandora, and Rdio, among others, but leaving Spotify and Apple Music off the list. We expect those services to come on board, though the Music Flow system as a whole has been around for about a year or more at this point.

Other features for the LAS855M include HDMI passthrough for easy connection of components like game consoles or Blu-ray players through the bar, Bluetooth wireless connection, compatibility with TV remotes from eight manufacturers, and LG’s i-Sound mode, which auto-adjusts DSP in accordance with the sound source.

LG’s LAS855M will be available in October, at a suggested retail price of $699.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Read more
Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?

Read more