A gaming headset is typically the best way to get high-quality sound for games, but headphones and even gaming laptop speakers can’t exactly fill a whole room with sound. If you want powerful audio for your PC, you need a separate speaker system. The $499.99 LG UltraGear GP9 is a soundbar is built specifically for gaming, with a design that can fit under your monitor. It supports Bluetooth playback, sports RGB lighting, and even has a headset port that enables it to function as a surround-capable sound card. Most importantly, it drives loud, clear audio. That said, it’s rather pricey, especially compared with options like the gaming-focused Razer Leviathan ($199.99) and the more general-purpose Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 ($299.95).
Designed for Gaming
The GP9 has a chunky, trapezoidal design with very gamer-targeted, industrial-themed elements, such as angled slats that sit over metal grilles, and RGB lighting that lights those grilles and the centered UltraGear logo. The speaker measures 2.9 by 14.8 by 3.9 inches (HWD) and weighs a hefty 3.3 pounds. It’s short enough to fit comfortably under your monitor, and heavy enough to stay in place on your desk.
The GP9 relies on two sets of 2-inch woofers and 0.8-inch tweeters, each paired with a passive bass radiator on the back; it has a maximum output power of 20 watts.
A large volume wheel sits on top of the speaker, in addition to a mic mute button in the middle. The volume control works separately from your connected PC or mobile device. Power, input, and headset buttons are to the left of the wheel, while FPS, RTS, and custom EQ sound mode buttons sit to the right, alongside pinholes for the speaker’s microphones. The back houses a power connector, a USB-C port, an optical audio input, a 3.5mm aux output, and a pinhole reset button behind a rubber door. Another 3.5mm port for connecting a gaming headset is to the right of the door. The headset jack conveniently lets you switch between the speaker and a wired headset with the push of a button.
The GP9 works best when you connect it to a PC via USB, or to a TV via the optical audio input. Both of the speaker’s wired connections enable higher-quality audio than via Bluetooth. It also supports 7.1-channel sound with DTS Headphone:X through its 3.5mm port, but it’s limited to two channels.
You can’t use the Bluetooth and wired connections simultaneously, but you can connect your phone to the speaker via Bluetooth and use the GP9 as a speakerphone. Otherwise, the Bluetooth connectivity feels like a secondary function because the GP9 isn’t ideal for use as a portable speaker; it has a very modest battery life (up to five hours between charges) and lacks an IP rating.
App Controls
LG doesn’t offer an app for either macOS or Windows systems. Instead, you need to install the Xboom app for Android or iOS and pair your mobile device over Bluetooth to change the speaker’s settings or update its firmware. The app lets you switch between EQ presets intended for FPS and strategy games, or use custom tuning with a 10-band equalizer. You can also adjust the color and brightness of the speaker’s lighting, which is useful if you keep the speaker in your bedroom.
The app also provides the option to use the UAC 2.0 audio interface for connecting the GP9 to a PlayStation 4 or 5, as well as a -6dB headphone gain switch in case your headset audio sounds distorted. These are all handy, but we’re puzzled as to why there’s no macOS or Windows app for accessing these settings.
Big Sound From a Small Speaker
The GP9 is small and lacks a dedicated subwoofer driver, thus limiting its ability to drive low frequencies. In our bass test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the speaker offeres modest lows and mids; the bass synth notes and kick drum hits lack serious force. Digital signal processing (DSP) seems to have a heavy presence in the mix, because the beats plateaus at fairly low volumes, presumably to prevent distortion.
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Those issues aside, the GP9 doesn’t sound thin with most music. The opening guitar plucks in Yes’ “Roundabout” get a good amount of resonance in the lows and low-mids, with plenty of string texture because of the speaker’s high-frequency finesse. When the track properly kicks in, the speaker balances the busy mix well. The bassline sounds punchy, while the hi-hat and vocals cut through to stay prominent. The track also sounds louder at higher volume levels than when playing “Silent Shout,” which indicates that the DSP is less aggressive here.
The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow” also sounds strong on the GP9. The driving backbeat gets an appreciable amount of low-frequency thump and comes across a bit ominous, as intended, even if it doesn’t reach into subwoofer ranges. The higher-frequency riffs and vocals come through with plenty of edge to stand out in the mix and provide balance.
We like the GP9’s gaming audio performance, too. Doom comes across powerfully through the speaker; the heavy assault rifle and super shotgun stand out with punchy, almost thunderous force. The game’s rumbly, atmospheric soundtrack sounds full, while the speaker presents the growls and snarls of demons clearly. Because it’s relatively small, the GP9 can’t produce the same sort of subtle imaging as high-quality simulated surround sound through a headset, but its right-to-left stereo panning is excellent, producing a sound field that feels wider than the speaker itself.
Voices sound clear through the GP9, which makes it useful for listening to conversations or podcasts, but its built-in microphone isn’t great. Test recordings sound distant and fuzzy, and are comparable with the sound you get from a laptop’s microphone. Using a wired headset with a boom microphone or a dedicated USB mic is far preferable.
The headset port on the GP9 works as advertised. It’s simply a 3.5mm pass-through that uses the speaker as a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) from your connected device. It can output more volume than your phone’s typical headphone jack, and possibly more than your laptop’s or game controller’s jack.
Potent, But Pricey
The LG UltraGear GP9 ($499.99) is a powerful soundbar that can sit below your monitor to deliver loud, detailed sound for gaming and any other audio you play through it. Still, it’s very expensive and not especially portable. The versatile headset jack and customizable lighting add some value, but you can definitely get comparably powerful audio for less money. For starters, the Panasonic SoundSlayer speaker ($299.95) and the (admittedly aging) Razer Leviathan are both up to the task and more affordable; the Leviathan even includes a separate subwoofer for strong bass response. You can also consider some non-gaming stereo PC speakers, such as the $499 Audioengine A5+ Wireless, an Editors’ Choice winner that offers audiophile-level sound quality, or the $299.95 Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4, which also come with a subwoofer.
