LHB 953 is LG's entry level home theater in a box. The set supports basic Blu-ray functionality with Pure HD audio performance. However, it adds some features which lack in some competing products, such as iPod dock and Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and CinemaNow streaming media access. The DVD upscaling feature is almost a standard in the Blu-ray players, which we also see in LG's LHB 953.
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The system has an active cooling system at the back (a fan) in addition to the vents which we see in all products. This may be a downside, though, because a fan means a dust-collector. The volume is crisp and the quality is adequate. The native Ethernet connection allows you to update the firmware and access to the online content. The system does not have a graphic equalizer, but has twelve preset modes. The preset modes really work well; if you switch to the news profile, the spoken words are heard very clearly and well separated from the background music and effects. The cables to the front left and right speakers seem short at a first glance, but they are measured carefully to allow a good 5.1 placement.
LHB 953 lacks many features: no video inputs, no automatic speaker calibration and design is very questionable. If you are very tight on a budget, I can safely say that the system has a below-average price to performance ratio (listed at USD 400 at Amazon.com) but if you can extend your budget more, I suggest you to take a look at LHB 977 and other competing products.
