Forget Sonos, I tried LG's Bluetooth speaker and love its unique feature

It isn’t always easy to stand out in the best Bluetooth speakers market – there are now a massive heap of big brands and names making generally good-sounding speakers that fall into roughly similar budget ranges.

LG has taken a novel approach with some of its recent Xboom speakers, by integrating lights into them in an attempt to offer something unique (or, at least, more unique). The brand is also moving over to a new will.i.am collaboration range for 2025, so you may be able to locate the X02 for less cash now.

The Xboom speakers come in a range of sizes, but I’ve been using LG's 360 X02 to see how it fits into a busy listening schedule. With a design that you’ll probably love or leave, it makes an interesting case for itself...

How much does the LG Xboom 360 X02 cost?

The LG Xboom 360 X02 has been out for a little while now, after launching back in March 2024 – which means that you can find it from a decent range of retailers, including directly from LG itself.

The speaker launched at a price of £199.99, $199.99, or around AU$300, but it’s already seeing discounts – as you can see in the shopping widget embedded above. LG’s Black Friday sale knocked it down to £149.98 here in the UK, for example, making it a lot more affordable.

LG Xboom 360 X02 review:

How does the Xboom's light-up design work?

The Xboom 360 XO2 is an interesting sort of Bluetooth speaker, in that its portability is immediately somewhat limited when you unbox it. Don’t get me wrong – it’s hardly a massive speaker, standing a shade over 20cm tall and weighing about 850g, but that still makes it a decent whack larger than the likes of the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 or the B&O Beoplay A1 V2. Both of those other speakers feature at the top end of our list of the best Bluetooth speakers for a reason, and portability is certainly a factor.

Still, despite its slightly chunkier size, I actually think the Xboom 360 XO2’s design is really quite nice. It’s basically in a teardrop shape, with a wider lower half that narrows as it rises, before ending in an overhanging little light. That light can display a range of colours and effects, from muted warmth to flashing and strobing RGB effects, depending on what you’re looking for. This means it could be a great addition to the room before you have a hot bath, but also a great option if you’re hosting a small party and want a more active vibe. You can edit these effects in the companion app, which works well enough and lets you control things remotely.

The main part of the speaker is covered in a mesh fabric, as is so common now, and it looks pretty inoffensive even when the light is off. This mesh does have a habit of collecting lint and dust, but that’s not a criminally annoying feature. The top of that overhanging section features some touch-sensitive buttons to let you control Bluetooth pairing, volume adjustments and that lighting, while there’s a power button low on the side of the speaker (along with a flap to hide the USB-C charging slot).

To underline the fact that it’s not a particularly rugged-looking speaker, LG has equipped the Xboom 360 XO2 with IP55 water- and dust-resistance. That means total immersion in water is a no-no, but a bit of splashing from rain should be fine. So, this probably isn’t the best choice for potentially soggy camping trips, for instance. It has a battery life of around 15 hours on a charge, though, which is pretty credible (although being medium-sized, it’s about what you’d expect).

There’s a multipoint pairing system if you have other LG Xboom speakers, which I wasn’t able to test, but it promises stereo sound if you have enough options, and you can also tweak the equalisation (EQ) of your speaker in decent depth using the app.

It’s also worth underlining that there’s no 3.5mm port or anything here – the Xboom 360 XO2 is a strictly Bluetooth-only speaker, which might be fine if you want some simplicity. I do think that at around the price level, it’s nice to see Wi-Fi connectivity start to become an option, but that's clearly wishful thinking.

How does the LG Xboom sound?

Before I get to sound quality, which is obviously the real measure of any speaker, it’s worth underlining that I really do like the lighting feature that makes the LG Xboom 360 X02 what it is: the light. I didn’t always have it on, but in a heap of moments it provided exactly the warm and inviting mood lighting that LG is marketing it on, helping to light a corner or give an almost campfire-like feeling on a dark night.

The speaker’s presentation of music, meanwhile, is really solid, with a balance that makes it handle most genres well. I put it through its paces with Justice’s Hyperdrama, a staple over recent months, and it was able to cope very nicely with its pumping bass and looping vocals.

The low-end sound on offer here won’t blast your socks off, of course, but I’d be surprised if you expected it to, and there’s decent performance in mid-range too. As is so often the case at this price point, though, pushing things into the highs – both frequency and volume – reveals a few shortcomings, so anyone with a big repertoire of classical violin concertos might hear the odd bit of distortion.

I found the Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity available in the LG Xboom 360 X02 stable and reliable in my testing, with pairing being impressively quick and straightforward. It’s super simple to operate, too, making it an easy one for those who have a little less experience navigating technical setups.

LG Xboom 360 X02 review: Verdict

Those looking for a Bluetooth speaker with something a little different to say might find a lot to like in the LG Xboom 360 X02. Certainly, they’ll be able to enjoy great sound and some really neat lighting features that help it to stand at least a little apart from the competition.

I’d have loved to see more connection options or improved weatherproofing, and the sound isn’t revolutionary, but these nitpicks don’t change a very positive overall impression. If what you want is a speaker you can move around easily, rely on for hours between charges, and get some nice ambient lighting from, this LG is a great option.

Also consider

For a more affordable Bluetooth speaker that can fit in even small bags and is extremely rugged, the UE Wonderboom 4 is a shoo-in, with funky designs and some great features. It’s ideal for those who expect to put their speaker through a little more punishment.

If sound quality is your top concern and a small design is just a bonus, look no further than our top pick of the best Bluetooth speakers – the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen, which isn’t the newest but still impresses hugely with its delicate sound.