LG’s new karaoke-ready party speaker uses AI to remove song vocals

LG is adding a karaoke-focused party speaker to its lineup of Xboom devices, which is built in collaboration with Will.i.am. Announced this week, LG says the Stage 501 speaker comes with an “AI Karaoke Master” that can remove or adjust vocals from “virtually any song,” similar to the Soundcore Rave 3S.

It can also adjust the pitch of the songs to make them more comfortable to sing, and it doesn’t require karaoke-specific audio files to do so, according to LG. Like its predecessor, the Stage 501 features a five-sided design but comes equipped with upgraded dual woofers and full-range drivers that LG claims will deliver richer audio. The swappable 99Wh battery offers up to 25 hours of playback and delivers 160W of power (or up to 220W when plugged in).

There’s the Xboom Blast, too, which is a little smaller than the Stage 501 and is built for outdoor use, featuring edge bumpers and two handles for easy carrying. This speaker also comes with a 99Wh battery for up to 35 hours of playback.

LG has added a couple of compact speakers to its lineup as well: the Xboom Mini and Xboom Rock. With the Mini, you can expect up to 10 hours of playback and IP67 water and dust resistance, while the Rock promises the same battery life with support for Bluetooth Auracast, a feature that allows you to broadcast audio across multiple speakers at once.

All four speakers have an AI-powered feature that analyzes audio and “adjusts EQ settings to bring out melody, rhythm or vocals,” according to LG. The company also says the speakers use AI to adjust built-in lighting based on the song, while the Stage 501 and Blast use a technology called “Space Calibration Pro” to adjust sound quality based on the surrounding environment.

LG hasn’t yet revealed the pricing for these new speakers, but the company says it will launch the new devices this year.