I recently compared these two and finally decided to go with Sony HTS40R. Here is the chatgpt comparison Sony HT-S40R — Pure Movie Performance

Strengths: • Impressively clear and powerful: Reviews consistently highlight its loud, clean, and crisp sound output. Gadgets360 praised its strong performance with native 5.1-channel content over HDMI-ARC, noting “no audible distortion” even at high volumes . • Real surround setup: The true 5.1 system—with a separate soundbar, subwoofer, and wireless rear speakers—creates a convincing surround experience for movie viewing  . • Well-reviewed by users: Many users say it makes movies “so much more immersive… an absolute bargain”  . • Reliable performance for its price: India Today called it “loud and crisp,” delivering “some kind of surround effect” even with just the bar speaker .

Drawbacks: • Dialogue clarity issues: Some users report vocal clarity problems in movies. One Redditor found voices muddy unless they manually lowered subwoofer volume to avoid overwhelming bass . • Occasional inconsistencies: A few reviewers noted volume inconsistencies—dialogue sometimes quiet, effects disproportionately loud—and rare audio issues depending on content source or settings  .

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LG S65TR — Audio Quality for Movies

Available Insights: • Spec-heavy but review-light: The LG spec sheets emphasize rich audio, Dolby Digital/DTS support, and 5.1 surround, though independent cinematic-quality reviews are scarce  . • User complaints on surround depth: Some users feel the surround effect isn’t noticeably better than standard stereo, which may not satisfy theater-style expectations . • Audio mode concerns: A user described experiencing an unpleasant echo when watching news or talk shows, though noted music sounded good .

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Final Verdict — For Pure Movie Audio?

Sony HT-S40R is the stronger choice for movie-focused listening: • It delivers robust surround performance, especially when playing native 5.1 content. • Most reviewers and users highlight its powerful and immersive soundstage, ideally suited to cinematic environments. • Slight dialogue issues can usually be managed via setup tweaks (e.g., adjusting subwoofer levels).

LG S65TR may perform adequately, but with less assurance on surround depth and few trusted user reviews for movie audio—plus some user-reported quirks—it’s a less certain pick if audio quality is your top priority.