LG's Music Flow offers multi-room speakers controlled by a messaging app

   

LG has just announced a new range of wireless speakers, sound bar and network bridge called Music Flow, and by the looks of it, the company wants a piece of whatever actionSonos is getting. The system even comes with the Music Flow Player app that's a lot likeSonos' controller app, which can access your entire music library, even songs saved on other devices connected to your home WiFi network. Also, the app serves as the command center for all the pieces in your Music Flow network, streams internet radio stations and turns into an ordinary phone player when you step out of the house. Obviously, you can use the app to select among the system's modes, including a multi-room one that plays a single song on all the Music Flow speakers in your house, say, when there's a party.

What's interesting, though, is that its HomeChat function uses the Line app to communicate with your other Music Flow devices. For instance, you can use the feature to chat with your network if you want song recommendations while you're out. Finally, LG claims this is the first Hi-Fi audio system that you can set up with a single tap through NFC. LG will release two Music Flow speakers (models 40W and 70) and the network bridge in the UK this month and in other European countries by September. The 30W speaker and the Sound Bar will be available globally after that. You can, however, see the whole system on display in September at IFA 2014 in Berlin, along with the company's new curved TVs.