LG G7ThinQ Smartphone To Feature New DTS:X Audio Technology

LG Electronics has been on a sound-quality crusade of late, first by teaming up with British high-end audio specialist Meridian to create mass-market products (such as the SK10Y high-res sound bar and WK7 smart speaker) in which sound quality is more than an afterthought. These are spaces currently dominated by products that focus on features and affordability over performance, but LG is betting that the average consumer is craving better sound. In September of 2017, LG released its flagship V30 smartphone, which features a 32-bit ESS Technology ES9218p Sabre DAC with user-accessible digital filters, and the ability to perform full hardware decoding and rendering of MQA files.

Now LG has created another smartphone with hi-fi audio performance in mind, but with a twist. Like its predecessor, the new LG G7ThinQ will feature an ESS Sabre capable of playing high-resolution files. But the new phone, which is slated for a U.S. release in early June, will also feature a brand-new DTS:X implementation that promises more realistic and immersive cinematic sound. LG has joined forces with DTS (and its parent company Xperi Corporation) to develop a DTS:X technology for mobile devices that will be exclusive to LG phones, and which claims to deliver a premium entertainment experience both via headphones and through the device’s built-in speakers.

It remains to be seen just how LG and DTS have managed to pack DTS:X processing into a smartphone, and how the tech will translate to an improved audio experience for the user. Like its competitor Dolby Atmos, DTS:X is an audio processing technology that uses “object-based” location cues (rather than a given number of discrete audio channels) to place sounds above and around the listener in a multichannel surround sound environment. DTS claims that the new mobile version of DTS:X will deliver “an ultimate mobile audio experience for playback of movies, games, and music,” and that the new DTS tech has been optimized for the G7ThinQ’s audio hardware. Details remain scant as of now, but Xperi Corporation president Jea Yoo says that his company’s partnership with LG “will take the mobile entertainment experience to a whole new level.”

Meanwhile, LG’s South-Korean rival Samsung has teamed up with Dolby to offer Dolby Atmos processing and custom EQ modes for its Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones. While it’s safe to assume that AV enthusiasts will not be ditching their surround sound systems to watch movies on their phones, the trend toward better quality audio on mobile devices can only mean good things for entertainment on the go.