Premium vs Value Soundbars: Should You Splurge or Save?

Choosing the right soundbar feels overwhelming when you're staring at options that range from a few hundred dollars to well over two thousand. The difference isn't just in price—it's in philosophy. Do you want the absolute best sound quality money can buy, or do you prioritize getting genuine surround sound with all the bells and whistles at a reasonable price?

Today we're comparing two soundbars that represent these different approaches: the Devialet Dione, a premium single-unit system that launched in 2022, and the LG S70TR, a complete surround sound package that hit the market in 2024. At the time of writing, these products sit at opposite ends of the price spectrum—the Devialet Dione costs about five times more than the LG S70TR, but they're solving the same fundamental problem of making your TV sound dramatically better.

Understanding What Makes a Great Soundbar

Before diving into specifics, it's worth understanding what separates good soundbars from great ones. The most important factors are bass response (how deep and powerful low frequencies sound), dialogue clarity (whether you can understand what people are saying), surround sound effectiveness (how well it creates an immersive experience), and overall sound quality (how natural and detailed everything sounds).

Modern soundbars also need to handle advanced audio formats like Dolby Atmos, which adds height channels to create sound that seems to come from above you. This is where things get interesting—some soundbars achieve this through physical speakers pointing upward, while others use digital processing to create virtual height effects.

The Devialet Dione takes the virtual approach to an extreme, packing seventeen drivers into a single elegant bar and using sophisticated algorithms to create surround sound. The LG S70TR goes the traditional route with actual wireless rear speakers and a separate subwoofer. Both approaches work, but they feel completely different in practice.

The Premium Approach: Devialet Dione's Engineering Marvel

The Devialet Dione represents what happens when a high-end audio company decides to build a soundbar without compromise. Devialet made their reputation with the Phantom wireless speakers—those distinctive egg-shaped speakers that cost more than many people's cars—and they've brought that same engineering philosophy to the soundbar world.

What sets the Devialet Dione apart isn't just its premium price tag, but the technology packed inside. The seventeen drivers include nine full-range aluminum speakers and eight dedicated subwoofers arranged in what Devialet calls a "push-push" configuration. This means pairs of woofers face each other and move in opposite directions, which cancels out vibrations and allows for incredibly deep bass without the cabinet buzzing or distorting.

The result? Bass that extends down to 24Hz—that's genuinely deep bass that you feel as much as hear. Most soundbars, even expensive ones with separate subwoofers, struggle to reach below 40Hz effectively. The Devialet Dione achieves this level of bass performance while maintaining the clean aesthetic of a single bar.

The amplification system deserves special attention too. Devialet's ADH (Analog Digital Hybrid) technology combines the warmth and precision of Class A amplification—the gold standard for audio quality—with the efficiency of Class D amplification. Class A sounds incredible but generates lots of heat and wastes power, while Class D is efficient but can sound harsh. ADH gets the best of both worlds, delivering 950 watts of clean power with minimal distortion.

Then there's the rotating ORB center channel, which might look like a design gimmick but serves a real purpose. This spherical speaker physically rotates when you mount the soundbar on a wall versus placing it on a stand, ensuring the center channel (where dialogue comes from) always points directly at your ears. It's the kind of thoughtful engineering detail that justifies premium pricing.

The Value Champion: LG S70TR's Complete Package

The LG S70TR takes a completely different approach. Instead of cramming everything into one premium bar, LG gives you a complete 5.1.1 system with actual wireless rear speakers, a separate subwoofer, and modern features that the Devialet Dione simply doesn't offer.

Those wireless rear speakers make a huge difference in practice. Virtual surround sound has improved dramatically over the years, but physics still matters. Having actual speakers behind you creates genuine surround effects that no amount of digital processing can fully replicate. When a helicopter flies overhead in a movie, you'll hear it move convincingly around the room rather than just getting the suggestion of movement from reflected sound.

The LG S70TR also includes features that acknowledge how we actually use soundbars in 2024. Gaming has become a major use case, and this system supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)—technologies that ensure smooth, lag-free gaming with modern consoles. The Devialet Dione, being designed primarily as an audiophile product, doesn't include these gaming-focused features.

LG's WOW Orchestra technology represents another practical advantage if you own a compatible LG TV. This feature synchronizes the TV's built-in speakers with the soundbar, creating a unified sound field that's wider and more enveloping than either could achieve alone. It's the kind of ecosystem integration that makes everyday use more seamless.

The AI Sound Pro feature automatically adjusts the sound based on what you're watching. If it detects dialogue-heavy content, it'll reduce bass and enhance midrange clarity. For action scenes, it opens up the dynamics for maximum impact. This adaptive processing means you spend less time fiddling with settings and more time enjoying content.

Performance Deep Dive: Where Each System Excels

Bass Performance and Power

This is where the Devialet Dione shows its engineering prowess most clearly. Those eight internal subwoofers don't just provide quantity—they deliver quality bass that's precisely controlled and integrated with the rest of the frequency range. The 24Hz extension means you'll feel the rumble of earthquakes, explosions, and synthesizer drops in your chest.

The LG S70TR's 7-inch wireless subwoofer can't match that depth, reaching down to around 40Hz. However, it provides plenty of impact for most content, and having a separate subwoofer means you can position it optimally in your room for the best bass response. The wireless connection eliminates cable runs while maintaining reliable performance.

In practical terms, the Devialet Dione wins for bass extension and precision, while the LG S70TR offers more flexibility in placement and adequate performance for the vast majority of content.

Dialogue Clarity and Center Channel

Both systems take dialogue seriously but use different approaches. The Devialet Dione's rotating ORB ensures the center channel maintains proper directivity whether the soundbar is mounted or placed flat. The precision of its drivers and amplification means voices sound natural and detailed.

The LG S70TR features a dedicated up-firing center channel specifically optimized for dialogue clarity. Combined with its Clear Voice Plus processing, this creates excellent speech intelligibility. The AI Sound Pro feature automatically adjusts for dialogue-heavy content, reducing bass and enhancing midrange frequencies where voices live.

Both perform well here, but the LG S70TR's content-adaptive processing gives it a practical edge for everyday TV watching.

Surround Sound Experience

This is where the fundamental philosophical difference becomes most apparent. The Devialet Dione uses SPACE and ADE (Advanced Dimensional Experience) processing to create virtual surround sound from its single bar. This technology has become impressively sophisticated, using psychoacoustic principles and room reflections to create the illusion of sounds coming from behind and above you.

The LG S70TR takes the direct approach with actual rear speakers. These create genuine surround effects that are more convincing across multiple seating positions. Virtual surround works best when you're sitting in the sweet spot directly in front of the soundbar—move to the sides or have multiple people watching, and the illusion becomes less effective.

For single-person listening in an optimal position, the Devialet Dione's virtual processing can be surprisingly immersive. For families or anyone who doesn't always sit directly centered, the LG S70TR's physical rear channels provide more consistent surround performance.

Music Performance

The Devialet Dione brings serious audiophile credentials to music reproduction. Its precise drivers, clean amplification, and sophisticated DSP processing deliver music with excellent detail, dynamics, and tonal balance. The deep bass extension enhances genres like electronic music and hip-hop without overwhelming more acoustic content.

The LG S70TR handles music well too, particularly with its dedicated Music mode that disables spatial processing for more traditional stereo reproduction. However, it's clearly optimized for movie content rather than critical music listening.

If music quality is important to you, the Devialet Dione is the clear winner. It's genuinely impressive as a music system that happens to do movies well, rather than the other way around.

Value Equation: Performance Per Dollar

At the time of writing, the price difference between these systems is substantial—the Devialet Dione costs approximately five times more than the LG S70TR. This raises important questions about value and diminishing returns.

The LG S70TR delivers remarkable value by including actual rear speakers and a subwoofer at its price point. Many soundbars cost significantly more while offering only virtual surround processing. You're getting a complete 5.1.1 system with modern gaming features and TV integration.

The Devialet Dione justifies its premium pricing through exceptional build quality, audiophile-grade components, and engineering innovations that genuinely improve sound quality. However, this puts it in luxury product territory where you're paying significantly more for incremental improvements in performance.

Real-World Usage and Lifestyle Considerations

Your living situation significantly impacts which approach makes more sense. The Devialet Dione excels in apartments or spaces where you can't or don't want multiple speakers. Its single-bar design eliminates cable runs and speaker placement challenges while delivering impressive performance from a compact footprint.

The LG S70TR works better in dedicated home theater spaces where you can properly position the rear speakers. The wireless rear channels still need to be plugged into power, and one connects to the other via cable, so you'll need accessible outlets and some wire management.

For movie enthusiasts who prioritize the most convincing surround sound experience, the LG S70TR's physical speakers provide more authentic directional effects. For music lovers who also watch movies, the Devialet Dione offers superior musical reproduction with good movie performance.

Gaming and Modern Features

The 2024 release of the LG S70TR shows in its feature set. Gaming has become a major consideration for soundbars, and this system includes Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode support that wasn't standard when the Devialet Dione launched in 2022. These features ensure smooth, responsive gaming with PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and modern gaming PCs.

The Devialet Dione focuses purely on audio reproduction without gaming-specific optimizations. If gaming is important to your entertainment setup, the LG S70TR provides better compatibility with modern consoles.

Who Should Buy What?

The Devialet Dione makes sense for audiophiles who prioritize sound quality above all else and prefer elegant simplicity. If you're upgrading from a high-end stereo system and want similar audio quality with movie capabilities, or if you live in a space where multiple speakers aren't practical, this system delivers exceptional performance from a single premium unit.

The LG S70TR is ideal for home theater enthusiasts who want authentic surround sound without breaking the bank. If you own an LG TV, game regularly, or have a family room where multiple people watch together, this system provides better overall value and more convincing surround effects.

The Bottom Line

Both systems excel at their intended purposes, but they're designed for different priorities and budgets. The Devialet Dione represents the pinnacle of single-bar soundbar engineering, delivering audiophile-quality sound with impressive bass performance and elegant aesthetics. The LG S70TR offers exceptional value with genuine surround sound, modern gaming features, and practical everyday usability.

At the time of writing, the LG S70TR provides better overall value for most people. Getting actual rear speakers and modern features at its price point is remarkable, and the performance is genuinely impressive across all content types. The Devialet Dione justifies its premium pricing through superior sound quality and engineering, but represents a luxury purchase for serious audio enthusiasts.

Your choice ultimately depends on whether you value absolute sound quality over comprehensive features and surround authenticity. Both will dramatically improve your TV's audio—it's just a matter of how much you're willing to invest and what aspects of the experience matter most to you.

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