Good sound needn't hurt the eye

LG's innovative under-the-TV SoundPlate offers a ready solution to underperforming television speakers

The notoriously mediocre sound quality of slim televisions often leaves you with the urge to  bring home good speakers. So much so that my father readily agreed to buy a home theatre system after we installed one of those big screens in our drawing room. But then for many living in cramped apartments, configuring the space for boxes is a difficult task. Add to that the mess of cables, and you have to give up dreams of a 5.1 yoking the TV to a home theatre system.

Perhaps that is why there is a demand for compact wares. Not only are they more affordable, they are also more easily handled. Which brings us to LG’s compact sound systems for cramped spaces. Described as a SoundPlate, the LAP340 sits discreetly below the television set and delivers 4.1-channel sound without adding any clutter to the room. It works exactly like a soundbar, but takes up even less space because it shares the same footprint as the TV.

Speakers of this type aren’t really designed to catch the eye, but the LAP340 is one of best-looking examples I have come across. At 35mm, it’s remarkably slim, and all the way round it sports a winning combination of black and grey, with elegantly rounded corners. There’s virtually nothing to see on the front panel, save for a tiny LED that flashes red, orange, green or white to indicate different modes and inputs.

The dappled top panel has a surface area of 700 x 320 mm, large enough to support most TVs with screens up to 55 inches or weighing 38 kg. For that reason, the build quality is great — the bodywork has a heavy, rigid feel that gives you the confidence to plonk a TV on top of it. Down the sides you’ll find airflow ports for the built-in subwoofers.

The connections are on the back — in fact, there’s just one optical digital input to hook it to the TV. You will find a switch at the back of the device to turn the Auto Power mode on and off and a cluster of buttons to control volume, input and power.

With built-in Bluetooth connectivity, LG makes it easier to listen to songs stored on phones and laptops. But it’s not just music fans who benefit from wireless streaming — you can also beam audio from LG TVs equipped with Sound Sync (which could come in handy if your TV is mounted on the wall) and adjust the LAP340’s volume using the TV’s remote.

In terms of audio tech, the LAP340 is a 4.1-channel system, boasting two  subwoofers and four speakers with dual neodymium magnets, which according to LG has eight times the power of ordinary magnets. Moreover, you will find a cinema sound mode that is  designed to boost bass and expand width when watching movies.

The LG SoundPlate appears to be a legitimate solution for your compact home theatre audio problems, though with some real reservations. For music, the device displayed some balance issues between the bass and the upper frequencies. However, for movies, there is not much to complain about. If you are looking for a way to spice up your Blu-ray collection, LG’s SoundPlate is a clean, simple solution and worth a look. But at Rs 31,000, it might be a bit pricey. Also, if you don’t have an LG TV and your existing TV does not have an optical out, this would be no better than a fancy Bluetooth speaker.