LG Announces New Collection of Bluetooth Speakers Coming This Fall

[MacRumors]

LG recently unveiled a trio of new Bluetooth speaker collections ahead of the IFA 2016 tech conference taking place in Berlin September 2-7. The new speakers are called the PH2, PH3, and PH4 and "run the range from casual to audiophile grade" in order to suit the listening style of each LG customer.

The cheapest speaker starts with the small PH2, measuring 3.8 inches in diameter and just 1.5 in thickness, along with 2.5W of power inside. It also comes with a strap that can attach the speaker to "a variety of surfaces," making it ideal for listening to music on the go. The PH3 offers an iterative improvement with 3W of power and a more robust frame measuring in at 3.5 by 4.9 inches. This middle tier also includes a candle-like top half that includes "five different multicolored light modes."

"LG's new line of Bluetooth speakers combine powerful sound performance with compact, portable design," said Tim Alessi, senior director, product marketing for home entertainment at LG ElectronicsUSA. "Understanding the busy lifestyles of many of today's consumers, we sought to create a diverse lineup of audio products that deliver a seamless listening experience in any situation or setting."

Finally, the taller and cylindrical PH4 introduces the most features of LG's new bluetooth speaker lineup: water resistance, 360-degree sound, and a longer battery life with 16W of power. Concerning battery, both the PH3 and PH4 will last up to ten hours, while the PH2 is said to get up to six hours of consistent music playback.

Each speaker uses LG's 360-degree omni-directional output to deliver consistent audio to any room or outdoor space, with the single and dual passive radiators in the PH3 and PH4 "giving them audio abilities that far exceed most speakers their size." All of the new speakers also come with the standard auxiliary input ports and include an "advanced multipoint connectivity" feature that lets them connect two different Bluetooth-enabled devices at once, so two users can control audio output to one speaker simultaneously.

Because the company revealed the speakers ahead of their official debut at IFA 2016, the price and release date for the new line wasn't disclosed. LG did say that customers in the United States can expect a launch sometime this fall, however.

Article Link: LG Announces New Collection of Bluetooth Speakers Coming This Fall

 

[Mjmar]

They should call them LG Roll and LG Boom

 

[rdlink]

LG's customer service is the absolute worst. I would never buy another thing from them. Their OLED televisions are so tempting, but the company sucks.

 

[mac.cali]

LG's customer service is the absolute worst. I would never buy another thing from them. Their OLED televisions are so tempting, but the company sucks.

I'm waiting till Samsung jumps into the OLED game. Then prices will drop. Not sure I'd want a LG tv.

 

[macduke]

They should call them LG Roll and LG Boom

Well, at least their version of the Roll looks better to my eyes. But does it sound better? Unlikely.

--

I'm still waiting for that Bluetooth mesh network that we kept hearing about at CES a couple years ago. I want all my BT stuff to talk to each other across the house and therefore increase their range. Right now a lot of BT stuff is kind of a PITA if you want decent range. I was really glad that my Schlage Sense deadbolt could reach my Apple TV as a bridge so I could use it all over the house.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

i can picture the candle like speaker being nice while sitting outside on the deck in the early evening or while at a park.

 

[ericwn]

LG's customer service is the absolute worst. I would never buy another thing from them. Their OLED televisions are so tempting, but the company sucks.

I think when you start dealing with customer service departments of TV manufacturers, the majority will suck. For what it's worth, our LG TV has been running for a couple of years with no flaws, it was a good purchase.

 

[44267547]

LG's customer service is the absolute worst. I would never buy another thing from them. Their OLED televisions are so tempting, but the company sucks.

It's true. They have beautiful TVs, which have improved over the years. Their customer service is atrocious. I refuse to spend thousands of dollars on a TV that has poor customer service. I will take my business elsewhere.

 

[nuckinfutz]

The term "Audiophile" and Bluetooth should "never" be used in the same sentence. That is all.

 

[smizzle]

So is AirPlay dead as far as third party speakers go? It seems like nobody includes it any more, unless it's a super expensive speaker. It's a shame because connecting to an AirPlay device is so much easier than bluetooth in iOS.

 

[Carmenia83]

So is AirPlay dead as far as third party speakers go? It seems like nobody includes it any more, unless it's a super expensive speaker. It's a shame because connecting to an AirPlay device is so much easier than bluetooth in iOS.

I agree. I just got an iHome iW3 on eBay for about $20 (new old stock in box) and its great. They were discontinued a while back though. I use my Mac to airplay to multiple speakers/tvs in my house simultaneously and I needed a battery powered one that I could bring outside. It's really a shame to see so few airplay options after its been out for so long. It's one of those things that has great potential but just never seemed to be realized. You would think that after the Beats acquisition there would be some Apple or Beats branded speakers like this.

 

[Jimrod]

The term "Audiophile" and Bluetooth should "never" be used in the same sentence. That is all.

Bluetooth's come a long way, from 4.0 onwards I think it's perfectly acceptable as a main Hi-Fi source.

 

[69Mustang]

It's true. They have beautiful TVs, which have improved over the years. Their customer service is atrocious. I refuse to spend thousands of dollars on a TV that has poor customer service. I will take my business elsewhere.

Honest question. What type of customer service are you looking for with a TV? *Anecdote alert* I have never had to use a manufacturer's customer service for a TV. I've only ever had one TV fail and that was due to a lightning strike. Moreover it was my fault for using an old surge protector that no longer provided protection. MS gave me new XB1 and Best Buy gave me a new Samsung TV.

PSA: Check your surges and UPSes people. The ability to power devices will last far, far longer than the ability to protect.
[doublepost=1471973910][/doublepost]

So is AirPlay dead as far as third party speakers go? It seems like nobody includes it any more, unless it's a super expensive speaker. It's a shame because connecting to an AirPlay device is so much easier than bluetooth in iOS.

Airplay is proprietary. Companies probably view it as niche at best. They can reach a larger audience with devices that are ecosystem agnostic. Why build something specifically for Apple when you can build something for everyone, including Apple.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Bluetooth's come a long way, from 4.0 onwards I think it's perfectly acceptable as a main Hi-Fi source.

But that's just it. Audiophiles expect more than "acceptable" they expect excellence.

 

[Jimmy James]

I'm waiting till Samsung jumps into the OLED game. Then prices will drop. Not sure I'd want a LG tv.

I've come across a similar sentiment on reviews of their appliances.

 

[S.B.G]

I'm waiting till Samsung jumps into the OLED game. Then prices will drop. Not sure I'd want a LG tv.

I have both an LG and a Samsung TV. The Samsung I've had since 2009 and the LG since 2011 and both are doing very well. The Samsung is a 32" 720p and the LG a 42" 1080p and I thinkt he display of the Samsung looks much better than the LG of a higher dpi. But that's not to say I don't like the LG, I do and its been a good TV for me thus far.

 

[rdlink]

I think when you start dealing with customer service departments of TV manufacturers, the majority will suck. For what it's worth, our LG TV has been running for a couple of years with no flaws, it was a good purchase.

I've never owned an LG TV. I had an internet connected Blu-ray player about 6 years ago that I received as a gift. About a month after I received it the WLAN card jammed up and wouldn't connect to my WiFi network. I called support, and the only solution they had was for me to reset to factory settings to fix the issue. Annoying, but effective. About a month later the same thing happened. Resetting didn't fix it, and I called them again. They told me they would repair, not replace it if I sent it to them (and paid the shipping myself) and waited about two months to get it back. I told them no, and that I'd never buy their products again if they didn't do right by me. They told me to pound sand.

That's why I will never do business with them again.

 

[Jimrod]

But that's just it. Audiophiles expect more than "acceptable" they expect excellence.

Most of which is made up in their minds. Expensive cables, power leads etc... Scientifically offering no benefit. Psycho-acoustics leads to them thinking things are better when they really aren't but they'll hear the difference because they think it's there. The Hi-Fi world is moving on while Audiophiles still embrace vinyl which itself is flawed in many ways.

 

[smizzle]

Airplay is proprietary. Companies probably view it as niche at best. They can reach a larger audience with devices that are ecosystem agnostic. Why build something specifically for Apple when you can build something for everyone, including Apple.

I agree, I just wish more manufactures stuck with it since it's so simple to connect to. Of course, if Apple would just let us 3D touch the bluetooth icon in NC to see a list of bluetooth devices, that would be even better.

 

[earthTOmitchel]

i can picture the candle like speaker being nice while sitting outside on the deck in the early evening or while at a park.

JBL Pulse 2 is good for this as well, bought one over the summer and have used it many nights outside.

 

[RedGT]

I don't think they have a play button just off button and volume + -, what's the point of that?

 

[iManic]

LG's customer service is the absolute worst. I would never buy another thing from them. Their OLED televisions are so tempting, but the company sucks.

You are missing out on the best display on the market. OLED is just on another level especially when watching in a dark room the contrast ratio and true blacks will blow your mind. My Samsung TV now feels like an outdated spotlight even though it is also 4K and has local LED dimming you have to experience an OLED tv in your home in a dark room to understand.

 

[poppy10]

None of them are stereo? Wonder why we went backwards in technology once DAB radios and bluetooth speakers came out. Now we are back to 1950s-style mono with everything for some reason.
[doublepost=1472003051][/doublepost]

So is AirPlay dead as far as third party speakers go? It seems like nobody includes it any more, unless it's a super expensive speaker. It's a shame because connecting to an AirPlay device is so much easier than bluetooth in iOS.

This article is five years old, but if the information is still true then the prohibitive licensing fees to use AirPlay are driving manufacturers away. LG's MusicFlow speakers support Google Cast (similar to AirPlay) but not AirPlay itself.