Ludicrously overpriced at launch, a current 50% worth discount makes the LG UltraGear GP9 gaming speaker a worthy consideration for these on the hunt for a easy, minimalistic one-stop answer for headphone-less gaming.
Professionals
- Broad soundscape for extra immersive gaming
- Gamer aesthetic
- Constructed-in microphone
- Compact construct
Cons
- Poor music playback
- Considerably overpriced RRP
Availability
- UKRRP: £499
Key Options
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Customisable RGB lightingAllows you to change the colors of the RGB lighting on the speaker
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Constructed-in mic with noise cancellationCan use the speaker to speak to your folks on-line, whereas blocking out background noise
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As much as 5-hour battery lifeCan be positioned out of attain of a plug socket due to inside battery
Introduction
Greater than a decade of testing and reviewing tech has, I admit, turned me into a much more cynical critic than the optimistically keen, youthful model of me that gazed upon each new gadget with adoring eyes.
Had my younger self come throughout the LG UltraGear GP9, he’d have been sucked in by its “XTREME GAMER” advertising and aggressive, angular seems to be. And, in fact, the RGB lighting. There was no such factor as an excessive amount of flashy LED motion again then (and, relying in your perspective, there nonetheless isn’t).
Now, years on, my instant impression of a product such because the GP9 is that of cautious cynicism. The development of releasing tech injected with stealth-bomber design DNA and slapping a “Made for Players” tag on it has develop into all too prevalent, and too usually higher efficiency will be elsewhere, albeit in additional “boring”-looking packages.
Having stated that, the UltraGear GP9 gaming speaker has loads going for it. It guarantees to raise your gaming expertise with a crisp, huge soundscape, with a plethora of connectivity choices, and even a built-in mic for comms as well. All of that is wrapped in a compact package deal that neatly sits beneath your display screen – and it’s even battery-powered, for those who wished it to double up as a Bluetooth speaker.
Nevertheless, with an eye-watering RRP of £499 it’s priced as excessive, if not larger, than some top-notch desktop audio system that outclass its audio capabilities in each conceivable method. Whereas the likes of Currys has lately slashed that worth in half (strongly supporting our way-overpriced principle), it’s nonetheless a good chunk of change to half with – which is the rationale I spent a couple of weeks with it as our predominant speaker to provide the full lowdown.
Design
- Gamer aesthetic
- Constructed like a tank
- Delightfully compact
Whereas some individuals would possibly desire a plain black field sitting on their desk (which is greater than honest sufficient), seems to be are utterly subjective, and I applaud what LG’s design group has accomplished right here.
The aggressive, angular look of the LG UltraGear GP9 is hanging, and its trapezium-esque form and slanted entrance grilles, full with RGB lighting, completely nails the coveted gamer aesthetic. It gained’t be everybody, but when that is the form of look you’re after to enhance your RGB setup and have an in-your-face gaming monitor, the GP9 will really feel proper at dwelling.
Regardless of being constituted of plastic, the GP9 feels as sturdy as a rock– and weighty sufficient that you just wouldn’t wish to lug it round for an prolonged time period, nor by accident drop it in your toes. Bar the headphone jack, all the rear ports are hidden behind a big rectangular rubber flap, whereas two bass ports on both aspect are cleverly hidden from the entrance by the angled corners.
As for the RGB lighting, it’s most outstanding within the gamified LG emblem on the entrance of the speaker, in addition to on the high of the slanted grilles. No matter which color you select (set through LG’s Xboom app), the impact in the dead of night is kind of hanging, with mild bleeding out of the grilles and spilling throughout your desk. When you’ve got a selected color theme in your battle-station setup, the GP9 will comfortably mix in.
Options
- A number of connectivity choices (though no AUX in)
- Adjustable EQ within the LG Xboom app
- Constructed-in microphone
The LG UltraGear GP9 packs in a number of connectivity choices, providing some welcome flexibility within the type of USB-C audio, optical and Bluetooth. In the event you’re rocking a gaming PC then USB audio makes essentially the most sense, particularly since there’s a USB-C cable included within the field.
Bluetooth will primarily be used with a smartphone for music, particularly for the reason that built-in 2,600mAh battery lets it double up as a conveyable Bluetooth speaker. Given its weight, lengthy form and questionable music efficiency (extra on that within the subsequent part), nevertheless, you’d be higher off with an precise devoted Bluetooth speaker for on-the-go listening.
It’s price noting that when you’ve got a PS5 or Xbox Collection X, you then would possibly run into issues relying in your setup. Since each next-gen consoles have dropped optical output, you’ll have to attach the GP9 to your TV/monitor through an optical cable as a substitute. This isn’t an issue, until your console is attached to a monitor. If that’s the case, you’re primarily out of luck, since displays don’t have optical or USB-C outputs. They do are likely to have AUX outputs, although, which might work, besides the GP9 slightly shockingly lacks an AUX-in port.
Lengthy story brief, when you’ve got both of the brand new consoles hooked as much as a monitor versus a TV, the GP9 will probably be about as ineffective as a brick (albeit a vibrant and flashy one). A part of the blame lies with Microsoft and Sony for not permitting their consoles to output audio over Bluetooth (which stays ridiculous); however nonetheless, an AUX enter on a speaker at such a worth is hardly an enormous ask – particularly since it’s, you already know, made for players.
There’s some excellent news in the case of the Xboom app, although – it really works properly, letting you simply customise your RGB lighting and create a tailor-made EQ preset. The latter will be activated by an EQ button on the highest of the speaker, the place it’s joined by FPS and RTS buttons too. These buttons toggle your chosen mode, relying on what you’re enjoying.
Lastly, there’s a built-in headphone jack on the speaker’s rear for those who fancy carrying headphones for a extra immersive, non-public gaming session. Right here, you’ll discover a fantastically tactile and chunky quantity dial, too, which additionally homes the mute button for the useful built-in microphone. These options imply the GP9 is a good choice for video calls along with gaming, making it a great tool whether or not you’re blowing up aliens or going by a mind-numbing deck on a piece Zoom name.
Audio high quality
- Immersive sound for gaming
- Poor music efficiency
- First rate mic
Hearth up a sport with the LG UltraGear GP9 for the primary time and also you’ll be very happy with the outcomes. Utilizing the FPS preset on Halo Infinite leads to a fantastically clear and broad soundscape. Gunshots echo threateningly, explosions are crisp, and all the pieces simply feels extra immersive.
There’s a noticeable distinction between the common mode and FPS mode, with the latter making it simpler to listen to enemy footsteps, together with the path from which they’re coming. No speaker will beat a pair of headphones for immersion, in fact, however the GP9 does an outstanding job of bringing video games to life. The RTS mode flattens issues out a bit extra, and even with no particular modes on, gaming audio impresses throughout the board.
Plug in a pair of headphones and also you’ll be handled to a digital 7.1 DTS headphone expertise, too, which delivers top-notch positional monitoring and even higher immersion. The difficulty is, this can be a gaming speaker with a £500 RRP, so whereas a pleasant to have, this function appears a bit moot given the truth that you can spend much less cash on headphones for a similar digital expertise.
The factor that basically lets all the pieces down, although, is the GP9’s non-gaming efficiency. It’s all very properly having a speaker that permits you to know when an enemy spartan is operating up from behind seeking to skewer you with an vitality sword, however the identical soundscape utilized to music sounds… properly, it’s fairly terrible.
Throughout completely different genres, the music expertise on the GP9 isn’t precisely a pleasing one. With frequencies muddying collectively, imbalanced bass that always overpowers, and a normal feeling of underlying tinniness and occasional clipping at larger volumes, it isn’t excellent news. You’ll be able to assist issues out a bit by enjoying round with the equalizer settings within the app, however for a £500 speaker (or perhaps a £350 speaker given the present worth slash), you’d anticipate a lot, way more.
Ending on a extra optimistic notice, the built-in microphone works surprisingly properly, though I principally used it for work calls, as I’d a lot slightly be utilizing headphones for gaming with voice chat on.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
You need a mini-soundbar with a gaming aesthetic:
LG has nailed the feel and appear of the GP9, with its aggressive styling and customisable RGB smarts.
You need worth for cash:
Seems and gaming efficiency apart, it makes much more sense to spend much less cash on related/better-sounding merchandise.
Remaining Ideas
There’s no two methods about it – at £500, the UltraGear GP9 is among the most insanely overpriced merchandise to ever grace my desk. There’s merely no method in any conceivable actuality the place that’s a good worth given its music efficiency.
With its current worth reduce at some retailers bumping the value right down to £250, although, the GP9 is clearly a bit extra interesting. In spite of everything, it provides nice gaming efficiency and aesthetics, and the built-in mic is a genuinely helpful addition. In the event you’re a hardcore gamer in search of a compact desktop speaker just for gaming that oozes RGB-style, there’s nothing else on the market fairly just like the GP9.
Trusted Rating
How we take a look at
We take a look at each soundbar we assessment totally over an prolonged time period. We use business normal exams to match options correctly. We’ll all the time inform you what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
Discover out extra about how we take a look at in our ethics coverage.
Examined over a number of weeks
Examined with each video games and music
