I love my LG OLED TV — but there's one infuriating problem

I love my LG OLED TV — but there'due south 1 infuriating trouble

(Paradigm credit: LG)

Once you go OLED, you won't go dorsum. We certainly could not, awarding LG OLED's our all-time Television set to buy recommendation, twelvemonth afterward year, until Samsung finally caught up with its QN 90A Neo QLED in 2022.

As someone who owns an LG OLED C9 from 2022, I'thousand continually left in awe of the vibrant colors and deep inky blacks. Going from an LCD idiot box, in that location really is no comparison. Well, apart from some recent mini-LED TVs. Unfortunately, there's been i major sticking bespeak regarding my LG OLED C9, and that's Dolby Atmos audio.

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For whatever reason, when using Dolby Atmos with some devices, in my case an Xbox Series X panel, at that place's meaning audio delay. In games, lip sync feels off by a good 1-2 seconds, something that becomes grating. Unfortunately, at that place'south no style to decrease sound delay in the settings, whether information technology be on the Tv set, audio bar or Xbox itself.

A Google search shows multiple Reddit and forum threads with users complaining virtually this verbal issue. It largely does seem to be limited to LG OLED televisions, regardless of the model twelvemonth, including the most contempo LG C1 OLED. The problem also seems to be almost noticeable on Xbox Series X, although delay does exist on PS5, 4K Blu Ray players and streaming apps. It'south just not as significant.

"I love the TV otherwise but it's a common effect with LG OLEDs and it's crazy to run across that with a $1500+ TV," said user fracas on an Resetera forum thread.

It's a sentiment I share, as do many others that saved upwards for an LG OLED. Solutions to minimize audio lag include changing the digital sound out from Auto to Passthrough or switching off Atmos completely for v.one uncompressed. Of course, the trouble here is that this solution eliminates some of the oomph that Dolby Atmos brings, especially in regard to its 3D audio feel, as broken down in our Dolby Atmos Explained commodity. Switching from eARC to counterpart out via an optical cable is as well an option, just one with pregnant drawbacks in audio quality.

The but solution I've found that kind of works is from a two-year-onetime Reddit thread. It requires a lot of specific lilliputian between internal Television set speaker settings and Dolby Atmos settings. Even then, the delay is even so present, just less noticeable.

For Xbox Series 10, 1 user on AV Forums points out that by switching the audio format in the Xbox settings from Dolby Atmos to DTS can fix this abrasive filibuster consequence. The trouble is that users lose 120Hz and variable refresh rate, which was the point of buying an LG OLED to begin with.

Reddit user CoopaClown suggested ownership a Thenaudio eARC Audio Processor, a $228 device that seemingly does reduce latency significantly. But that's a large ask for customers that take likely dropped well over $ii,000 on a television and audio setup.

And that'southward the problem. With little advice from LG itself, users are left to fend for themselves with half-baked solutions that only go and so far. Different other brands, LG lacks a properly moderated customs forum where customers can ask questions with LG technicians bachelor with solutions. That'southward opposed to Samsung, which has a large community forum with over 12 one thousand thousand members and 24 thousand threads.

Tom's Guide has reached out to LG regarding this effect but has yet to receive a reply. Upon reply, we'll update this article.

Until we do get a reply, users will have to continue messing around with settings or have more than drastic steps. On another AV Forums thread, user BennyNL finally reached a breaking point:

"I gave up and returned the 65CX. Tried everything imaginable, searched the internet for hours. Nothing helps."

Imad Khan is news editor at Tom's Guide, helping straight the day's breaking coverage. Prior to working at the site, Imad was a full-fourth dimension freelancer, with bylines at the New York Times, the Washington Mail and ESPN. Outside of work, yous can find him sitting blankly in forepart of a Discussion document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.