What’s the story?
The PL7 is part of LG’s Xboom
Go range of portable Bluetooth
speakers. It’s the largest of the
three PL models, meaning it’s
the most impressive when it
comes to power, battery life and
proper low-end welly.
It comes with the added clout
of having hi-fi wizards Meridian
providing proprietary tech for
the range, as well as some added
pizzazz thanks to party lighting
at either end. Download the app
and you can customise this or
turn it off to save battery, as
well as accessing party-linking
for doubling up with other
speakers. It’ll also work with
Google Assistant and Siri via
a connected phone.
And the repertoire of added
features doesn’t end there,because you can also use two
of these speakers as surround
channels with any LG TV from
2020 or ’21, which seems like
a genuinely smart application.Is it any good?
Considering its name, you may
be expecting the Xboom PL7
to put bass above everything
else; but while there’s plenty of
low-end warmth, the power it’s
capable of in the lower registers
doesn’t define its character by
any stretch.
In fact, if anything, the sound
of the PL7 leans towards the
bright side, with crisp, controlled
treble and expressive mids
sitting on top of its solid bass
performance. There might not
be the soundstage to trouble
B&O or Bose, but this speakerstill sounds considerably larger
than it is. It’s an exciting listen
too, with a strong handle on
timing and an energetic nature
that’s suited to most genres.
We’d take a touch more clarity
through the midrange, but it’s
not muddy by any stretch.
The Sound Boost button does
just what it promises, pushing
everything louder and more
forward. While this might work
in outdoor/party situations, for
critical listening things get a bit
pushed – so best keep it off
unless the situation calls for it.Price £170 / stuff.tv/PL7Key specs O 30W, 2x 2.3in
drivers O Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C,
3.5mm O Up to 24hrs O IPX5
O 245x98x98, 1.46kgFjallraven
Kanken Art
Launched on World
Oceans Day, the classic
Kanken pack has been
given a pair of fresh looks
by Swedish illustrator
Linn Fritz. Not a study in
abstract camouflage, the
two designs represent
the appearance of ocean
plastic from above. Each is
made with recycled
polyester and organic
cotton, while 1% from
every purchase will go to
sea-saving organisations.
£90 / fjallraven.comLG Xboom PL7
NOW POP IT IN THISSTUFF SAYS Not quite the finished article, but fun and feature-packed ++++,
Getting array with it
In what would be an
absolutely insane
experiment, you can
daisychain up to 100 of
these speakers. It’d
set you back £17,000,
but still...Disco tech
If the Xboom’s mood
lighting isn’t hypnotic
enough for you, the
ring-shaped lights
make multicoloured
movements when the
woofers vibrate.BEST FOR
WILD
PARTIES