If you’re looking for a wireless speaker that delivers powerful, room-filling sound, the LG xboom Stage 501 is worth considering. When I first started using the LG xboom Stage 501, I was immediately impressed by how much bass and room-filling sound it was able to produce. After spending considerably more time with it, though, I think the more interesting question is just how powerful this speaker really is.
Before I get into the review, I’d like to thank LG for providing the LG xboom Stage 501 speaker for the initial impressions and long-term review. I’ve had a lot of fun using the speaker and gathering impressions from my wife and family. As I mentioned in my first review, this will be our go-to Bluetooth speaker from now on.
Powerful Sound from the LG xboom Stage 501 Wireless Speaker
I mentioned in my previous review how important music is to me, whether it’s creating awesome playlists for vacations or putting together the perfect setlist when family and friends come over to spend time with my wife and me. For everyday listening, we typically keep the Stage 501 between 20% and 40% volume. We’ve found that range gives us a great balance of sound regardless of what we’re listening to. With that in mind, I wanted to build on my first review and really put the Stage 501 to the test. This time, I wanted to find out just how powerful it could truly sound, while also paying close attention to something that can become a common challenge with powerful speakers: maintaining clear vocals at higher volume levels.
How the LG xboom Stage 501 Keeps Vocals Clear at Higher Volumes
There are two songs in particular that I want to highlight in this section. The first song is Children of Sanchez by Chuck Mangione at 60%. Chuck lends his beautiful vocals at various parts of the song like he’s narrating a story. The song is carried by a peaceful, serene, melodic, warm feel. Throughout the song, there are bursts of intensity that create a sense of urgency. Those are the moments where you want to crank the speaker so you can really feel the impact.
I was initially hesitant to choose this track because the volume constantly changes, but I didn’t have any issues with the vocals, the core jazz-rock rhythm section, brass, woodwinds, or orchestral strings. I highly recommend this song if you’re interested in testing out the range of the LG xboom Stage 501.
The second song I’d like to highlight in this section is Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. This is a dark, haunting song accompanied by vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers. Unlike the first song, this track features a rock band with several instruments playing at once, making it a great test for how well the speaker can separate everything in the mix. I played this song at 70% volume because I wanted to test vocal clarity at higher volumes. Roger Waters and David Gilmour constantly trade vocals throughout the song, and you can easily pick them apart while listening to this on the LG Stage 501.
This experience with the speaker reminded me of the time I saw Pink Floyd perform live several years ago. Hearing Roger Waters' voice evoked the same emotion I had at the concert, and I couldn’t believe how good the performance was. It was a surreal experience.
Karaoke Features as an Added Bonus
The LG xboom Stage 501 has the ability to fill the room, but it also does an excellent job at lower volumes. That makes it a versatile wireless speaker for everyday indoor listening, family gatherings, and small parties. After spending this much time with the Stage 501, I’ve been impressed by how well it handles everything from quieter listening to more demanding songs at higher volumes.
I previously touched on how the music sounds at different volume levels, but there’s another feature I wanted to put to the test during this extended review: karaoke.
Putting the Karaoke Features to the Test
Singing has always been important to me because I used to perform in school plays, and I used to sing with my church choir when I was younger. I would also always pick up the mic whenever my friends and I played Rock Band in high school, so I felt right at home using the built-in karaoke features.
On the LG xboom Stage 501 itself, you can adjust both microphone volume and reverb. The star of the show, though, is the AI Karaoke Master. The speaker has a dedicated Karaoke button that allows you to change the key of the song being played. You can also use that same button to activate Vocal Remover, which lets you control how much of the original singer remains in the track. You can set it to low, which makes the original singer sound more like a backup vocalist, or turn it up to high, which removes the vocals almost completely so you can sing along to the music.
You can adjust these settings through the app as well, which gives you another way to fine-tune the experience. What really impressed me was how much I could change the way a song sounded with just a couple of button presses. When you change the key of a song, it can almost sound like a vaporwave track you would hear on YouTube.
I finally got to test my new microphones with the LG Stage 501, and I have zero complaints. I was able to dial in the settings properly, and I had a great time with it. The speaker sounded miles better than any TV speaker that I used to listen to tracks from Rock Band on. I can’t wait to bring out this setup for the next party my wife and I throw.
For someone who enjoys singing, the karaoke experience is a genuinely fun addition to an already powerful speaker. It’s the kind of feature that I can actually see myself using rather than something that simply looks good on a feature list.
Battery Life for Extended Listening Sessions
One other thing that stood out to me during my extended time with the LG xboom Stage 501 was its battery life. I’ve been listening to it periodically throughout the week, and I’ve only had to charge it once. LG rates the Stage 501 for up to 25 hours of battery life, and while I wasn’t running it continuously for 25 hours to test that exact claim, my experience has been very positive. For the way I’ve been using it, I can go several listening sessions without having to think about charging it, which is exactly what I want from a portable Bluetooth speaker that can be moved easily between rooms or taken to a gathering.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I’m truly impressed with the sound quality, battery life, and AI Karaoke Master features. After spending considerably more time with the Stage 501, I think LG has created a speaker that delivers powerful, room-filling sound while still maintaining the clarity I want when listening to my favorite music. The karaoke features are a great bonus, and I look forward to using this speaker for years to come.