Professionals
- Nice, nice sound from a single bar
- Surprisingly loud and dynamic
- No actual competitors to talk of
Cons
- Peripherals are buggy
- No Atmos results
- Minimal options
- May block TV’s IR port
In 2020, Klipsch made a fairly drastic change to its soundbar vary. It dumped its vary of plastic soundbars in favor of an old-school design constructed from wooden. The outcomes had been evening and day: The Klipsch Cinema vary shortly established the corporate as a producer of nice soundbars on a funds. And now, the brand new Flexus Core 100? The most effective but. And it additionally consists of Dolby Atmos. Kinda.
Watch this: Klipsch Flexus Soundbars: Which One is Proper for You?
At $350, the Flexus Core 100 has settled right into a intelligent area of interest between the Sonos Ray and Beam. It is a superb single-bar system with loads of bass and extraordinary dynamics. If you would like muscular sound in a single bar for beneath $400, the Core 100 is the place to get it.
That mentioned, in order for you a good higher worth, the Klipsch Cinema 400 is promoting via inventory as I write this. At $100 lower than the Flexus 100, it’s an absolute steal. You will have to cover the sub away, although.
What’s within the field
The $349 Flexus Core 100 and $499 Flexus Core 200 are collaborations with Klipsch’s sister model, Onkyo, and mix that firm’s AV know-how with Klipsch’s speaker chops. The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a 2.1-channel soundbar that provides compatibility with Dolby Atmos (decoding, although not playback) and Bluetooth streaming. It features a one-cable connection to your TV (both optical or HDMI) and the choice to increase later with rears or a subwoofer.
The 100’s cupboard is finely constructed with a picket MDF enclosure completed with a wooden grain wrap, a woolen grill and metallic accents. The cupboard measures 44 inches extensive by 5 inches deep by 3 inches tall. Its peak might imply you need to maintain your TV distant excessive to get the TV to reply because the speaker would possibly obscure your TV’s IR receiver for the distant.
The Klipsch ‘sticker’ is made from metallic
The Klipsch tab on the entrance might appear like a sticker, however it’s really metallic. It is debatable that one thing extra akin to a badge would have regarded classier than a sticker, even a metallic one. Underneath that grill, which is linked to the metallic tab, are twin 2.3-inch aluminum drivers in a stereo configuration, in addition to two 4-inch “subwoofers” mounted on the highest of the unit.
The speaker comes with a show that is without doubt one of the finest I’ve seen on any soundbar. The characters are an inch excessive and really straightforward to learn, even from throughout the room. Samsung ought to take word and rethink its incomprehensible readouts.
Inputs embrace HDMI ARC and optical digital.
The Core 100’s connections embrace HDMI eARC, Bluetooth, USB-C and a digital optical plus an RCA subwoofer out. The shortage of superior Wi-Fi connectivity might damage the Flexus Core 200 in comparison with the identically priced Sonos Beam and Bose Sensible Soundbar 600, however it’s not an issue for this cheaper 100. The soundbar has a number of completely different modes, together with Evening, Voice, Films and Music, and it additionally has an adjustable EQ.
Although unboxings are a tried-and-true YouTube style, I do not often touch upon the method of unpacking gear at CNET. Nevertheless, the Flexus Core 100 is worthy of point out. I had an ideal expertise opening the field: As quickly as I lifted the primary flap, I used to be introduced with a considerate QR code pointing me towards the corporate’s setup app. The workplace vacuum cleaner additionally appreciated the usage of cardboard packing as a substitute of flimsy, crumbly polystyrene.
The app has numerous details about the soundbar, however it is not required even when it might make setting the EQ simpler. In the meantime, the cute-as-a-button distant replicates the controls on the app, and I discovered it to be fairly snug to carry. The clicker even has a delicate backlight, which is barely seen in the dead of night.
Efficiency
I in contrast the Flexus Core 100 to the Sonos Ray, the Sonos Beam and the step-up Flexus Core 200. Sonically, the Flexus Core 100 suits between the $249 Ray and the $499 Beam, which is precisely what you need for the cash. The Flexus Core 100 provided loads of bass slam and was loud sufficient for small to medium-size rooms.
Word that the Core 100 can solely decode Dolby Atmos and never replay it. Every thing I heard via the 100 gave the impression of a stereo ‘bar — with no discernible encompass or peak results — albeit it’s a very, superb stereo soundbar.
My testing began with the Omaha Seaside scene from Saving Personal Ryan, which, alongside the confronting violence, consists of many tough sonics: zooming bullets, explosions, mumbling dialogue. It is a tried-and-true check, and the Core 100 was capable of play these explosions with all of its mettle, with no subwoofer wanted. Bullets did not zip across the soundstage, however the bar was cohesive sufficient and loud sufficient to render this scene “cinemalike.” It additionally sounded a lot larger than the Sonos Ray, a soundbar that I actually like, however it’s not an ideal dwelling cinema alternative in the best way the Core 100 is. Nevertheless, the Sonos Beam gives the “across the room” ambiance the opposite two lack for this scene. A ricochet got here from the wall, and explosions had been additionally extra explode-y.
Flexus Core 100 with non-compulsory sub and satellites.
As anticipated, the Sonos Beam was additionally higher with Mad Max: Fury Highway, although it traded blows with the step-up Flex Core 200 for this check. The 200 was capable of fill the house in a convincing approach and may very well be value the additional $150 over the Core 100 for true cinephiles.
But what actually offered me on this not-so-little Core 100 was its music playback. As an illustration, Kamasi Washington’s Fists of Fury had loads of bass and an expressive midrange. The 100 additionally had the impression of rendering tracks like Lifeless Can Dance’s Yulunga (Spirit Dance) with the suitable quantity of drama. Take into accout, in the event you go for the add-on Flex satellites with this method, they are going to all play music (all-speaker stereo, in a approach) even when set to its music mode, which will not please stereo purists.
Lastly, the system has solely been obtainable for just a few weeks as of this evaluation, and there are nonetheless some glitchy points with the peripherals. As an illustration, although the subwoofer linked effective, I wasn’t capable of flip the subwoofer down sufficient to combine it effectively; it was nonetheless too loud. As well as, one of many rear surrounds saved disconnecting throughout playback.
Must you purchase it?
The Core 100 and 200 are actually pleasant audio system — a lot in order that they reenergized me about dwelling cinema on a funds. You may neglect the peripherals for now and purchase both of these whereas by no means having to fret about them once more — simply set it and neglect it. The final system I recall like this was the venerable Pioneer SB-SP23W. The Flexus vary is absolutely in esteemed firm.
The Flexus Core 100 is the higher purchase, because it has no identified opponents, not like the Core 200, and gives nice efficiency for the cash. It would not actually have any options to talk of, however in order for you dwelling cinema slam with a minimal of containers, it is the perfect factor obtainable beneath $400.
