Got a new soundbar. Went cheap and took Edifier B3, but it was a calculated decision that for once has worked well, unlike Metz. Lol. I found the sound from the TV, while being loud enough especially with AI sound, was too thin and caused aural fatigue. Stressed syllables would often have a harsh edge, and AI sound and even acoustic tuning just made it worse by making the sound brighter. Now this soundbar has a fuller and smoother sound, and it's a lot more pleasant to hear. Dialogues are clearer and music doesn't overpower them. Bass extension is similar to the TV, but not pushed in the balanced mode. I'm sticking to that. Don't want extra bass. The TV's bass bump made Frank Underwood sound boomy in House of Cards. A lot more pleasant to listen to with this soundbar again. There's also a news mode which enhances the voices and reduces bass a bit for night viewing if needed. I'll hold off on it for now, as no neighbor has complained as of yet.
I was initially going for bookshelf speakers, Edifier S880DB, but then space restrictions held me back. Will make do with this soundbar for now. It doesn't have any virtual surround modes, which is fine by me as I didn't enjoy AI sound, and DTS virtualX in Yamaha 109, another shortlist I had, makes sounds a bit brighter too. Anyway, will review further in detail on Amazon after using for a weeks.
Coming back to the TV's connectivity itself, I connected the soundbar using 3.5mm audio out, hoping I'll be able to control the sound from TV's remote only, but LG has disabled that. Dammit! Will switch to optical out if I notice any quality issues. It doesn't have HDMI input with ARC, which I have read also allows controlling sound with remote. Polk Signa S2 has that, and it was on sale for 16900 Rs. till two days ago, but I didn't want a subwoofer. It seems like a good option, with good driver configuration and more processing modes.