If you've ever tried setting up a home theater sound system, you know the headache it can be. Wireless connections have replaced the tangle of cables, but you still have to contend with finding the proper speaker placement to get that perfect surround-sound (or Dolby Atmos) effect.
Dolby's FlexConnect system is a promising way around that, letting you calibrate your speaker system to deliver a whole Dolby Atmos surround experience no matter where the speakers are placed. As more companies introduce FlexConnect products, you'll have more ability to mix and match home theater components from different manufacturers.
LG is debuting FlexConnect in the LG Sound Suite, a bundle that includes the H7 soundbar, the world's first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect soundbar. It pairs with LG's new FlexConnect M7 and M5 wireless surround speakers, as well as the W7 subwoofer. Together, these components can be configured 27 different ways, from two-speaker stereo to full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, and even a 13.1.7-channel setup if you have a huge home theater with multiple rows of seating. LG will debut the system at CES 2026 in early January.
How FlexConnect Works
Setup is simple. Once you place the wireless speakers in your room, they fire out test tones. The microphones in your TV (or the soundbar in case of the LG Sound Suite) pick up those tones to assess each speaker's location and the room's acoustics. The calibration takes just a few seconds. The system then uses Dolby's algorithms to adapt the audio to this configuration.
Room calibration is not new, but FlexConnect's ability to make it work across speaker brands and for all kinds of speaker placements is. If you place a speaker on a low bookshelf, but it's supposed to deliver an overhead helicopter effect, for instance, FlexConnect adapts the sound to create the illusion that it's coming from above.
LG has layered on its own tech, called Sound Follow, which uses ultra-wideband wireless technology to detect where you're sitting and adjusts the audio sweet spot to your location. So while you will be able to add other FlexConnect speakers to your FlexConnect setup in the future, only LG's speakers will support Sound Follow.
Why It's the Right Time for Atmos Now
The timing makes sense for a premium Dolby Atmos system, as this 3D surround sound technology has gone mainstream in recent years. Ninety-eight of the top 100 box office titles from the last five years have been made available with the technology. You can get Dolby Atmos-enabled audio on several big streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Tidal. If you want an audio setup that can actually take advantage of it, you can consider one of these FlexConnect systems.
With the LG Sound Suite, if you use the H7 soundbar as your lead device, FlexConnect can work with any TV via HDMI. LG is also bringing FlexConnect to its 2026 premium TVs and select 2025 models, including the OLED evo C5 series and OLED evo G5 series, through a future software update.
What We Don't Know Yet
LG hasn't announced pricing yet. However, TCL already sells FlexConnect-compatible speakers at $300 each, so if that's any guide, a complete Sound Suite system could easily run $2,500 or more. That's expensive compared to LG's S95AR, which delivers true 9.1.5-channel Atmos for $1,699, and Samsung's top-tier Q990F, which costs $1,999.99 and delivers 11.1.4 channels – both with less flexible speaker placement.
The Sound Suite's expected price premium promises the freedom to place speakers anywhere without sacrificing Atmos performance. We haven't heard LG's system yet, but TCL's Z100 FlexConnect demo with a 2-speaker plus subwoofer setup sounded spot-on for sound placement despite the odd speaker configuration. I would expect the same from LG's Sound Suite.
Read more: Samsung HW-Q990F Tested: Stunning Sound, Steep Price
We will hear a lot about FlexConnect at the big CES 2026 tech show in January. We will keep you updated as the announcements roll out.
[Image credit: LG]
