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LG xboom Stage 301: two-minute review
If you’re looking to get the party moving, the LG xboom Stage 301 may very well be the right Bluetooth speaker for you. This ground monitor-inspired get together speaker goals to unleash highly effective bass, AI-optimized sound, and karaoke options – for informal customers and performers alike. However can it dwell as much as the hype? Nicely, sure – sure it could possibly.
Throughout my time testing the LG xboom Stage 301, I used to be hooked on its clear, impactful, but managed sound. Bass is meaty, positive, but it surely doesn’t overwhelm sounds elsewhere within the frequency vary. There’s additionally AI calibration and EQ modes as a way to uncover the right tuning in your area and the style of music you’re taking part in.
Even when blasting bass-heavy house tunes at top volumes, the LG xboom Stage 301 didn’t produce distorted or overly compressed audio – like the best Bluetooth speakers round, it’s a disciplined, proficient sonic companion. It might not be able to ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio, and its front-facing design signifies that you get fairly directional audio, however I used to be nonetheless very impressed with the speaker’s sonic capabilities.
This factor doesn’t solely sound good, although, it’s additionally rammed stuffed with options – most of that are accessible by way of the LG ThinQ companion app. Auracast, multi-speaker pairing, a sleep timer – you title it. There are even some enjoyable (however kinda gimmicky) DJ sliders and sound results, a karaoke mode (should you’ve acquired mics or a guitar to plug in), and Therapeutic Remedy sounds, for whenever you wish to wind down.
Design-wise, this mannequin is successful too. It has a high quality dual-bar LED mild system, which may be synced to your music or personalized from scratch in LG’s companion app. Elsewhere, a traditional black end, well-sized buttons, and an aesthetic speaker grille all mix for a stable general look.
You can even angle this speaker upwards, stand it upright, or mount it on a stand, making it a really versatile choice.
What’s extra, this mannequin is definitely priced fairly properly – one thing LG hasn’t all the time acquired proper with its different Bluetooth audio system. It is available in with a listing value of $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449, however you’ll already spot it going for much less in some territories.
Now, you most likely received’t get the utmost 12 hour battery life LG quotes – that’s except you could have lights off and play music at a low quantity, however you should utilize this speaker plugged in, which additionally allows the speaker to hit its most energy output. You can even substitute the battery, which is useful should you run out of juice and wish to slot a second in to maintain the get together going.
General, I’m feeling extremely constructive about this mannequin. The IPX4 waterproof ranking is common for a stage-style mannequin, however received’t compete with typical get together audio system just like the IP67-rated Earfun UBoom X, for example. There are a few small technical quirks within the app, too, however in any other case, it’s a very helpful companion.
And in the long run, the LG xboom Stage 301 stands tall as a flexible, fantastic-sounding, and feature-rich mannequin that’s up there with among the best party speakers I’ve examined. LG’s xboom vary – produced alongside will.i.am – has been a little bit of a blended bag to date. However the Stage 301 is, definitely, one of many highlights of this line, and I’m more than pleased to suggest it.
LG xboom Stage 301 review: price and release date
- $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449
- Launched in April 2025
The LG xboom Stage 301 was announced at CES 2025 as a part of a brand new Bluetooth speaker vary, alongside the LG xboom Bounce and LG xboom Grab. It’s the most important, and, as you’d count on, priciest speaker within the line-up, which was launched in collaboration with producer and artist will.i.am.
Though the Stage 301 has a listing value of $299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449, I’ve already seen it going for much less – it’s right down to beneath £250 within the UK through LG’s digital retailer, for example. It’s price noting that there’s no stand included for Live performance Mode, so that you’ll must buy one individually.
LG xboom Stage 301 review: specs
|
Weight |
14.7lbs / 6.7kg |
|
Dimensions |
12.3 x 12.2 x 11.1 inches / 312 x 311 x 282mm |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, USB (MP3 playback) |
|
Battery life |
12 hours |
|
Speaker drivers |
2x 2.5-inch midrange woofers, 1x 6.5-inch subwoofer |
|
Waterproofing |
IPX4 |
LG xboom Stage 301 review: features
- Incredibly feature-rich companion app
- Customizable lights and EQ, room calibration, DJ and karaoke modes
- 12-hour battery life, but can play while charging
As is usually the case, LG has packed a ton of neat smart features into this speaker. There’s classic stuff like multi-point connectivity and multi-speaker pairing (with xboom models), for example. But with the LG ThingQ companion app, you can access so much more.
You can customize the speaker’s LED lights, with a variety of presets with differing colors and motion patterns. You can also enable AI Lighting, which analyzes playback and produces optimal lighting for your audio content. I made use of the AI mode and it worked great – it really made my music come alive.
The lights aren’t the only thing you can customize though. You can also adapt the speaker’s sound to fit your needs with EQ settings. There are a handful of presets here, such as Bass Boost and Voice Enhance, but the AI sound option was the one that piqued my interest the most. This performs a real-time “genre analysis” of the media being played, in order to output the best possible audio, and again, I could really hear the difference in the best way here.
One issue I had, though, is that while listening to music, changing to a different EQ causes playback to cut out for a split second. That was a bit jarring when I simply wanted to activate Bass Boost in a pinch, say. In addition, the custom equalizer option only uses three bands, which is a bit basic compared to a Bluetooth speaker like the Sony ULT Field 3, which has a seven-band various.
Anyway, let’s return to the good things. One thing I personally appreciated was an AI calibration instrument, which tailors the speaker’s sound to your listening area. After you carry out this, the app supplies a earlier than and after, making the distinction extra tangible to listeners. This can be a actually sensible inclusion from LG, and it genuinely improved the readability of my tunes.
And actually, I might go on all day concerning the app’s copious choices. I’ve not even talked about the Therapeutic Remedy sounds, that are nice if you’d like a little bit of atmosphere or simply wish to wind down at evening. On high of that, there’s a sleep timer, Auracast, customizable shortcut button (known as MY Button), and a tab that integrates regionally saved music recordsdata. Whew. I did say there was so much.
However maybe among the extra distinctive choices are the DJ and karaoke associated modes. DJ mode lets you alter playback with delay, wah, phaser, and flanger results, play drum and ‘membership’ sound results, and even layer vocal samples that you may file within the companion app. These sounds aren’t completely responsive, but it surely’s a enjoyable little mode to mess around with.
In the meantime, karaoke mode may be accessed should you hook a microphone or guitar as much as the Stage 301. It consists of vocal results like helium, robotic, and soprano should you fancy switching issues up a bit, and you’ll alter quantity or reverb utilizing management knobs on the reverse aspect of the speaker.
So, there’s a variety of choices at your fingertips with the LG xboom Stage 301, however does it have the battery life to maintain the get together shifting? Nicely, despite the fact that LG quotes battery life at twelve hours, your mileage will nearly definitely fluctuate. See, should you’re utilizing AI sound mode with quantity excessive and each lights on, you received’t get near that. With this setup, I misplaced 20% capability in about 40 minutes. In case you’ve acquired the lights off and also you’re maintaining quantity low-high in Clear Voice mode, although, you possibly can count on a ton extra playtime.
That max 12 hours is commonplace for the sort of speaker, although most customers will most likely battle to get that a lot. As an alternative, I discovered it finest to maintain the Stage 301 taking part in whereas plugged into the ability socket. You get louder max quantity and don’t have to fret concerning the speaker dying on you. It’s price noting, too, that the battery is replaceable. So, should you’re not close to a socket, you would insert a second battery to maintain the tunes blasting properly into the early hours.
LG xboom Stage 301 review: sound quality
- Clean, rhythmic bass
- Limited distortion and compression
- By design, sound is pretty directional
When we tried the LG xboom Stage 301 at CES 2025, our Managing Editor of Entertainment, Matt Bolton, mentioned that it provided “bass that felt suitably deep however not overwhelming in any respect”, whereas additionally offering “tons of area for the remainder of the music to leap out at you”. So, after placing the speaker by way of its paces in our music testing area, does this nonetheless ring true?
Nicely, earlier than I give a definitive reply, let’s speak bass, which is crucial facet of the Stage 301’s sonic talents. I’ll begin by saying that our first impression was very a lot correct. This speaker didn’t spit out the heftiest bass I’ve ever heard, however that’s not inherently a nasty factor. Low-end output stays meaty, but it surely doesn’t smother sounds elsewhere within the frequency vary.
As well as, bass output is each clear and responsive. When blasting Fascinator by Max Dean, the hard-hitting kick drum sounded pleasingly deep and fast, by no means sounding torpid or unrhythmic. Sub-bass coming into the fray across the minute-mark was additionally dealt with rather well – each word was clear and impactful, leading to an immersive, nearly hypnotic listening expertise.
In case you really feel such as you do desire a bit extra low frequency weight, you possibly can all the time allow Bass Enhance within the speaker’s companion app or set your personal customized EQ.
When bumping numerous bass-heavy bangers, vocal chops within the mid-range – in addition to high-pitched percussion – have been each well-defined within the combine, so that you’ll get a disciplined, but thrilling pay attention out of the Stage 301. Even with a ballad like Solji’s Rains once more, rain sound results have been true-to-life fairly than staticky, whereas the fragile vocal efficiency was replicated adeptly, indicating that this mannequin has the expertise to deal with a variety of genres.
I examined the Stage 301 at a variety of volumes, even cranking it as much as the max for a bit. One thing I noticed was that peak loudness is barely accessible should you’re utilizing the speaker whereas its AC adapter is plugged in – it’s a good bit quieter whereas battery powered. However when listening at high volumes, I used to be impressed with the shortage of distortion and noticeable sign compression.
One shortcoming right here, which can appear apparent, is that the Stage 301’s front-facing design limits the soundstage to a level. For instance, I attempted listening to music from behind the speaker, and each mid-range and treble sounds have been a bit muffled and much much less distinguished. This speaker is designed to fireplace audio in the direction of listeners, fairly than be a real 360-degree stereophonic hub, just like the Marshall Kilburn III, say, so simply make sure you work round its construct and most will love what they hear.
And as one last word, there aren’t any ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth codecs right here. The perfect this speaker can handle is AAC – there’s no LDAC or Snapdragon sound to uncover, one thing LG has experimented with on different merchandise just like the LG Tone Free T90S earbuds, that are implausible by the way in which.
However nonetheless, you possibly can count on a decently detailed, full-sound from the Stage 301. For therefore many audio system, ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio actually isn’t the bottleneck. It’s properly engineered drivers and enclosures, high quality supplies, and clever tuning that make a world of distinction.
- Sound high quality rating: 4.5/5
LG xboom Stage 301 review: design
- Classy, customizable LED lighting
- Three different ways to stand the speaker
- IPX4 waterproof rating
When I reviewed the LG xboom Buds, I was very critical of their looks. How could a pair of buds designed alongside the fashion-savvy will.i.am look so plain and uninspired? Well, LG can consider itself redeemed, because I love the look of the Stage 301!
First of all, I’m a huge fan of the dual bar LED lights, which can sync up to your music for a highly immersive listening experience. Unlike a party speaker like the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, this mannequin takes a a lot classier strategy to LEDs. They’re housed behind a speaker grille and don’t seem low-cost – there’s additionally 1,000,000 methods to customise them through LG’s companion app.
The speaker itself additionally has a well-finished black exterior alongside red-detailed ‘xboom’ logos on both aspect. Having the ability to see the drivers behind the grille is a pleasant contact too. The deal with is conveniently positioned as properly, and 14.7lbs / 6.7kg is pretty light-weight for a mannequin of this measurement and form, making it pretty simple to move.
As well as, buttons on high of the speaker are well-sized and backlit, whereas the amount management may be twisted clockwise or anti-clockwise to crank issues up (or tone them down).
One thing I actually cherished about this speaker, although, was its potential to be stood in numerous positions, enabling you to search out the optimum sound and show sort. It may be positioned flat like an everyday Bluetooth speaker, however I personally loved utilizing it in Avenue Mode, an upward-angled configuration that made me really feel like I used to be at a rave. There’s additionally Live performance Mode, however this requires a stand, which is bought individually.
Lastly, this speaker is IPX4-rated, primarily which means it is splash resistant. Though that’s disappointing towards IP67-rated get together audio system just like the JBL Xtreme 4, say, IPX4 is pretty commonplace for a stage speaker like this. It might not be the most effective for outside environments, although, so should you’re not completely bought on the wedge design, perhaps look to a typical get together speaker, akin to these within the ‘Additionally think about’ part.
LG xboom Stage 301 review: value
- Competitively priced against rivals
- Already on sale in some markets
- Very good all-round quality
LG doesn’t always get it right when it comes to pricing. I can recall testing out the LG XBoom Go XG8T and being completely bamboozled by its sky-high $379.99 / £400 (about AU$600) listing value. We weren’t fairly greatly surprised by the $179.99 / £139 / AU$299 value of the LG xboom Bounce, both, which couldn’t stack as much as rivals in its price-class.
However in terms of the LG xboom Stage 301, it’s a special story. This speaker is priced competitively should you stack it towards rivals just like the JBL Partybox vary or the Bose S1 Professional+ PA system. It is even on par when it comes to value towards Bluetooth speaker/karaoke machine hybrids just like the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, which has a listing value of virtually $300 / £260.
For brand new DJs in search of a stage speaker, it’s pretty reasonably priced too, with a variety of the extra industry-specific fashions costing properly upwards of $300 / £300 for equally designed options. Contemplating the flexibility of the Stage 301 for informal listening, karaoke, and even DJing, it’s a robust worth decide.
It’s already on sale in some territories too. Within the UK, for example, you possibly can scoop the speaker up for lower than £250, which is properly price it. Certain, this isn’t a price range product, and if you’d like mics and a stand you’ll must buy them individually. However with a mixture of nice sound, options galore, and neat appears to be like, you definitely get what you pay for.
Should I buy the LG xboom Stage 301?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Standard battery life, but AI features rock and it has customizable sound and lights. |
4.5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Clean, impactful, but disciplined bass, controlled audio at higher volumes. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Attractive lights, neat positioning options, IPX4 waterproofing is average. |
4.5/5 |
|
Value |
Well-priced against rivals, strong quality all round, overall well-worth it. |
4.5/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
LG xboom Stage 301 review: also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
LG xboom Stage 301 |
Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 |
Sony ULT Field 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449 |
$299.99 / £257 (about AU$490) |
$499 / £399 (about AU$770) |
|
Weight |
14.7lbs / 6.7kg |
19.2lbs / 8.7kg |
14 lbs / 6.3kg |
|
Dimensions |
12.3 x 12.2 x 11.1 inches / 312 x 311 x 282mm |
18.8 x 10.2 x 7.6 inches / 477.5 x 259.1 x 193mm |
20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222mm |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, 6.3mm (mic/guitar) USB (MP3 playback) |
Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, mic ports |
Bluetooth 5.2, 3.5mm, 6.3mm (mic/guitar), USB |
|
Battery life |
12 hours |
30 hours |
30 hours |
|
Speaker drivers |
2x 2.5-inch midrange drivers; 1x 6.5-inch woofer |
2x 45W mid-range drivers; 2x 15W tweeters |
2x 46mm tweeters; 2 x 114mm woofers |
|
Waterproofing |
IPX4 |
IP67 |
IP67 |
How I tested the LG xboom Stage 301
- Tested across the course of one week
- Mainly used in the music testing space at Future Labs
- Predominantly tested using Tidal
I tested the LG xboom Stage 301 Bluetooth speaker across the course of one week, spending most of my time with the unit in our music testing space at Future Labs.
During the testing period, I spent hours on end blasting tunes from a variety of genres, though I did put more of an emphasis on bass-heavy tracks to get the best out of the model. On top of that, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which is commonplace apply for me when trialing audio gear.
When listening to music, I sometimes used Tidal, however I additionally tried bumping some tunes from my library on Spotify. I listened at a wide range of angles and volumes, exhausted the entire options within the LG companion app, messed round with numerous lighting calibrations, and used the speaker in its numerous standing positions.
- First reviewed: September 2025
- Learn extra about how we test