Loewe Antares 55

Assembling a television in Germany, calibrating each panel one by one before shipping it, designing a chassis that feels more like a studio monitor than a consumer display: Loewe goes against the grain of high Asian production volumes. The Antares 55 is the 139 cm version of this range, with a 4K OLED panel, a 144 Hz gaming mode and the in-house VIDAA system. An object that justifies its price through manufacturing as much as technology.

Made and calibrated in Kronach

Loewe designs, assembles and tests this television at its Bavarian factory in Kronach. The brand produces its own OLED modules there, using LG Display panels, then individually calibrates each unit at the end of the production line: white point adjustment to the D65 reference and RGB colour alignment. Most manufacturers settle for average batch calibration; here, the work is done unit by unit, which explains much of the price difference compared with an entry-level OLED.

ISO 9001 certification for quality management and European assembly remain rare selling points in this market. For a buyer who keeps their television for eight to ten years, the promise of repairability and modular design carries as much weight as the specification sheet.

An OLED panel pushed to 1,500 nits

OLED delivers what LCD cannot: perfect blacks, pixel by pixel, with no halo around subtitles and no light leakage in dark scenes. Each pixel switches off completely, so contrast has no measurable limit.

Peak brightness reaches 1,500 cd/m² in this size, a high value for OLED and a real advantage in HDR, when an explosion or sun reflection needs to stand out without washing out. Note: in the Antares range, this 1,500-nit brightness applies to the 55- and 65-inch models; the 48- and 42-inch models peak at 800 nits. The 55 therefore sits in the upper tier.

On the HDR side, compatibility covers the four formats that matter today: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. Dolby Vision IQ adjusts the picture according to ambient room light via a sensor, useful in a living room that shifts from daylight to evening lighting. Resolution is 3840 × 2160 pixels, with upscaling for lower-resolution sources and AI-assisted image processing on the latest-generation SL8 chassis.

4K gaming at 144 Hz

This is one of this television’s strong points, provided you understand the details. The OLED panel delivers a response time of around 1 ms and supports a variable refresh rate of up to 144 Hz in 4K, making the most of a gaming PC or recent console without screen tearing or stutter.

A clarification is needed regarding connectivity, as the marketing sheet can be confusing. The television has four HDMI inputs, but they are not all identical: two ports support the full range of HDMI 2.1 gaming features (VRR up to 144 Hz, ALLM for automatic switching to game mode, QMS to avoid black screens when changing frame rates), and one input supports eARC for sending audio back to an amplifier or soundbar. In practical terms, a gamer connecting two latest-generation consoles does indeed have two fully compatible ports, to be shared with any audio return connection.

Discreet built-in sound, expandable later

Loewe has chosen an “invisible sound” approach: no visible speaker bar, with downward-facing transducers in a sealed bass-reflex enclosure. The result is clean and sufficient for everyday television, news and series. However, power remains modest for a television of this standing, at 2 × 10 W RMS (2 × 20 W music power), and demanding cinema scenes or music will quickly reveal the limitations of sound integrated into a 5.4 mm-thick panel.

Loewe embraces this and provides several outputs: the modular antares soundbar, mounted directly beneath the screen, which doubles the power, an HDMI eARC connection to a home cinema amplifier, Bluetooth, or the analogue headphone output. A centre speaker input also allows the television to be integrated into a multichannel setup by having it act as the centre channel. Decoded formats include Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD.

VIDAA os9, apps and reception

The operating system is VIDAA os9, responsive and comprehensive for streaming: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube and Spotify are included, along with the usual app updates. Wireless connectivity adds Apple AirPlay, Miracast and Matter, the latter opening the door to home automation. The Loewe remote vi works via Bluetooth and supports voice control.

The tuner section is more serious than average. The dual triple DVB-T2 / C / S2 tuner supports terrestrial, cable and satellite reception, and above all two-channel operation: watching one channel while another records to a USB drive, with Timeshift and multi-recording functions. The CI+ 1.4 slot accommodates a conditional-access module for encrypted channels.

Stands, mounts and installation

The tabletop stand swivels plus or minus 45 degrees and adjusts to three heights, with concealed cable routing, helping align the screen with a low cabinet or turn it towards the sofa. The aluminium trims are interchangeable, supplied with a fitted brushed finish and black as an additional option, while optional fabric covers personalise the rear.

For wall or floor-stand installation, Loewe offers an entire ecosystem: flat or tilting wall mounts, floor stands including a motorised version, and a floor-to-ceiling pole. VESA 300 × 200 mm compatibility remains possible via a dedicated adapter. Without its stand, the television measures 123.3 × 74.7 cm, is 5.4 cm thick and weighs 14.7 kg; with its stand, allow for 18.5 kg and 27.4 cm of floor depth. Connectivity completes the package with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, an optical output and a headphone output.

Technical specifications

Display and picture

• 55-inch (139 cm) 4K Ultra HD OLED panel, individually factory-calibrated in Kronach, Germany
• Resolution: 3840 × 2160 pixels
• Peak brightness: 1,500 nits
• Absolute blacks and infinite contrast
• Supported HDR formats: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Gaming

• HDMI 2.1 compatibility
• Variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 144 Hz in 4K
• ALLM, QMS and eARC technologies
• Low OLED panel response time

Operating system and Smart TV

• VIDAA OS 9 operating system
• Streaming platforms: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube, Spotify
• Wireless protocols: Apple AirPlay, Miracast, Matter
• Bluetooth remote control with voice control

TV reception and recording

• Dual channel with two triple DVB-T2 / C / S2 tuners
• CI+ 1.4 slot
• Watch one channel and simultaneously record another to USB storage
• Timeshift and multi-recording functions

Audio

• Power: 2 × 20 W RMS (40 W music power)
• Supported audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, DTS:X
• Compatible with the modular Loewe antares soundbar
• Home theater integration via HDMI eARC or center speaker input

Connectivity

• 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs (eARC, VRR, ALLM, QMS)
• 2 USB-A ports and 2 USB-C ports
• Dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth
• Optical audio output, headphone output, center speaker input

Design and manufacturing

• Designed and assembled in the Loewe workshops in Kronach, Germany
• Minimalist design inspired by high-end monitors
• Swivel stand adjustable to three heights
• Interchangeable aluminum inserts
• Multiple mounting solutions

Dimensions and installation

• Dimensions without stand (W × H × D): 123.3 × 74.7 × 5.4 cm
• Dimensions with stand (W × H × D): 123.3 × 76.4 × 27.4 cm
• Weight without stand: 14.7 kg
• Weight with stand: 18.5 kg
• VESA compatibility: 300 × 200 mm