In 2021 , Klipsch ’s incorporated parent , Premium Audio Company ( PAC),acquired Onkyo , a Japanese electronics Jehovah with a cult - alike following that ’s revered for its line ofAV receivers . When the muckle was annunciate , observers agree it likely would n’t be long before PAC leveraged the encephalon trust of both blade to produce a new mathematical product line .
Three years after , that prediction came true with thelaunch of the Klipsch Flexus Sound system — a serial publication of modular home plate theater Cartesian product make aroundDolby Atmos - capable soundbars .
The acoustics are pure Klipsch . But the electronics , digital sign processing , and gain are all Onkyo .
On paper , at least , it sounds like a match made in audiophile heaven . But does the Klipsch Flexus deliver on that potential in real liveliness ?
To find out , we drop several days with aFlexus Core 200($499 ) , one of two soundbar role model on which you could progress your Flexus organization ( the other is the $ 349Flexus Core 100 ) . We also receive two of the optional wireless expansion set : theFlexus Sub 100($299 ) subwoofer andFlexus Surr 100($249 ) skirt speaker system , to live how a full , $ 1,047 Flexus system sound .
The verdict : If you want a utter round-eyed , cud - and - playDolby Atmossound organization , the Flexus Core 200 is an excellent gain to your living elbow room . Here ’s what you need to do it .
Expansion optional
As the name evoke , the Flexus system is designed to be flexible and modular . Have a pocket-sized space ? Get the Core 100 soundbar . Have a medium or large blank ? Go with the larger , more - hefty Core 200 . Then , much like similar system fromSony , Sonos , andBose , you’re able to start impart additional wireless speakers and subwoofer as your budget , blank , and trust for more immersive sound increases .
While I ca n’t yet speak for the Core 100 , I ’ve been mightily impressed by the Core 200 ’s power to develop a full home theater experience on its own , including low - end bass — something that is almost impossible to achieve at this price without a consecrate subwoofer . I ’ll talk much more about the strait in a moment .
Looks can be deceiving
perhaps it ’s just me , but when I first saw Klipsch ’s merchandising exposure for the Flexus Core 200 ( and I saw its price ) , I expected it to be similar in sizing and embodiment to other $ 500 soundbars like theSonos Beam Gen 2or theBose Smart Soundbar 600 .
Nope . The Core 200 dwarfs those speakers . In its size and weight , it ’s far closer to the $ 899Sonos Arcor the $ 899Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar(formerly theBose Smart Soundbar 900 ) . It ’s long at 44 inches . But thanks to its comparatively short height ( 3 inches ) and Klipsch ’s selection of material , it does n’t experience as imposing as the Sonos Arc . It helps that Klipsch has used what might be the most convincing simulated woods grain vinyl group I ’ve ever seen on the top of the speaker . The Flexus Sub 100 is full wind in the same material , and I defy anyone to claim they can recite it ’s not existent wood without equal it .
Its top control are a spartan offering , with only power , volume , and source selection options . I would have also liked muting , play / interruption , and track skipping . But feed that these are well get at from the remote control , I ’ll give Klipsch a pas .
I was enjoyably surprised by the huge , eight - theatrical role scrolling LED display that hides behind the fabric speaker grille . It ’s big enough to be reckon from anywhere in the room and you’re able to control its level of brightness from both the remote and the Klipsch Connect Plus app ( more on that in a sec ) .
Everything included
In the box seat , which is almost solely made from easy recycled cloth , Klipsch include a backlit Bluetooth remote , a set of AAA batteries , anHDMI cable , a powerfulness cord , and two metal paries - mount brackets .
The bracket only have a undivided muddle for whichever wall fixing you prefer , so ensure you go for something sturdy . At 18.7 pounds , a simple drywall mainstay believably wo n’t sustain the Core 200 ’s system of weights .
You also get a ready - start templet that points you to the download for the Klipsch Connect Plus app for Io or Android . emphatically get that app — it has preferences that ca n’t be access through the included remote .
Just take note : This is not the Klipsch Connect app that you may already have if you own other Klipsch production like earbuds or powered speakers likeThe Sevens .
Digital-only ports
Around the back of the Core 200 , you ’ll find a singleHDMI ARC / eARCport , an opthalmic stimulus , and a USB - C input . Each can be connect to a unlike gadget , giving you greater flexibleness over sound sources . However , the deficiency of a separate HDMI input mean your TV must be able to passthrough Dolby Atmos content via HDMI ARC / eARC , otherwise the Core 200 will be determine to Dolby Digital 5.1 .
That ’s a fairly normal frame-up for soundbars at this toll . But what ’s strange is the Core 200 ’s consecrated subwoofer output . Most of the grown brand observe in this brushup take a walled - garden approach shot to subwoofers . If you want one , you ’ll want to bribe it from the same caller . If you ’re favorable , you ’ll get to opt from two models .
Klipsch also sell a wireless Flexus subwoofer , the $ 299 Flexus Sub 100 . But thanks to that wired output , you do n’t have to purchase it . Any subwoofer with a wired input ( and ideally an adjustable crossover voter ) will work .
That bring us to the other strange port on the Core 200 — the deep break up USB porthole label Klipsch Flexus Transport 100 . If you want to employ the soundbar with the optional wireless Flexus add-on speaker , this is where you ’ll stick in the Transport 100 dongle that comes with those accessories .
One agile eminence about that USB - 100 remark : It can access music hive away on an external drive as long as all tracks are saved to the root leaflet ( there ’s no way to voyage subfolders ) . However , you wo n’t be able to switch to the USB - ascorbic acid input using the remote or the bar ’s top control — only the Klipsch Connect Plus app lets you do that .
Easy setup
countersink up the Flexus Core 200 is a ginger snap . Use the let in HDMI transmission line ( or your own optical cable ) to connect it to your television , punch the soundbar into a paries issue , and you ’re good to go .
As soon as you power on the TV , the Core 200 also power on and switches to its television ( HDMI ) or optical stimulant ( count on your setup ) .
At this point , you’re able to grab the remote and start making fitting . If you own auniversal remotelike a Logitech Harmony , you may be able to access introductory feature like loudness , muting , and comment survival of the fittest thanks to the Core 200 ’s build - in IR receiver .
Decent app
Still , as I mentioned originally , you ’ll desire to download the Klipsch Connect Plus app . It will get you connected to the Core 200 over Bluetooth LE ( low-spirited energy ) , which is n’t the same as the Bluetooth connection you call for to rain cats and dogs audio . That ’s a good affair . It mean that even when you ’re keep an eye on television or using that USB interface , the app can still control the soundbar ’s preferences .
Bluetooth app connections are n’t as reliable as Wi - Fi connection , however , and you ’ll find that if you take the air away from the Core 200 ’s Bluetooth connection range , you ’ll ask to reconnect to the soundbar in the app before you’re able to use the configurations . You may also find that the app is a bit laggy as it checks on the position of the Core 200 before reverberate changes you ’ve made .
I do n’t love using Bluetooth this path , but at least the app never doss down on me or stopped answer , which is more than I can say for some similar Bluetooth apps I ’ve used on compete products .
No Wi-Fi
This seems like a dear time to point out that one of the reasons the Flexus Core 200 is so bountiful , yet cost the same as the littler Sonos and Bose soundbars , is that Klipsch has n’t include Wi - Fi connectivity . The price savings get it work up a expectant , more powerful speaker system , but it also come with some limitation .
No Wi - Fi means noApple AirPlay , noChromecast , no direct music app access like Spotify Connect or Tidal Connect , no smart place or voice adjunct desegregation , and no multiroom compatibility .
In short , it means that any euphony listening you do will be via your TV , or that USB port wine , or Bluetooth from your earphone .
Does that weigh ? Only you may make up one’s mind .
If the lack of Wi - Fi waste one’s time you out , there ’s an effective solution that wo n’t break the bank : get a $ 109Wiim Miniand connect it to the Core 200 ’s ocular port . The tiny streamer gives the Core 200 almost every one of those functions I name above .
Crazy-big sound
Plenty of soundbars feature article make - in subwoofers and promise enceinte bass , but when it comes to the Klipsch Flexus Core 200 , it ’s not just talk . To get anywhere tight to this stage of low - end from a soundbar on its own , you ’re look at Sony ’s $ 1,300HT - A7000or the $ 1,500Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus .
It ’s still ( obviously ) not as thundery as you ’d get with a dedicated sub , but my hypothesis is that if this is your first soundbar or you ’re upgrading from a less expensive social unit , you ’ll be blown aside .
There ’s a well - know scene from the 2014 movieUnbrokenwhere U.S. bombers commence a bombardment run over Japan during World War II . It ’s an excellent test of any intelligent system thanks to its intense mixture of locomotive whimper , idle words disturbance , machine - gun fire , shouted duologue , and midair flak explosions .
With the Core 200 ’s basso setting at maximum , you could find the full impact of this scene even without a consecrated sub , something that smaller soundbars only ca n’t do .
Then there ’s the volume . On paper , the Core 200 is snitch at 185 Watt . But that telephone number lose all meaning when you pop ramp up the power . The Core 200 ’s volume scale goes from 1 to 50 . It develop more speech sound at 18 than you ’d ever require for casual viewing . At 21 , you ’ll feel like you ’re in a commercial-grade - tier picture palace .
And if you start pushing into the mid - to - high XX , I trust you have a really large way , no neighbors for one C of feet in all directions , and perhaps some hearing protection .
If this is the result of combine Onkyo ’s gain know - how and with Klipsch ’s acoustics , I only have one question : What took you guys so long ?
dialog clarity — a vital component of any soundbar — is very good out of the box . If you do n’t get hold it enough , you ’ll really appreciate the variable dialogue enhancement modal value . Using the remote ’s Dialogue button , you may choose between gloomy , medium , and gamey options ( or shut it off entirely ) .
Some strange settings
Speaking of setting , Klipsch has opted for a bizarre mixture of remote - accessible options and those that can only be controlled from the Klipsch Connect Plus app . For instance : bass voice floor is available from the remote , using the consecrated Bass button . But if you want to adjust the mids or highs — or apply any of the available EQ presets — you ’ll need the app .
Conversely , if you connect a sub and environment , their distinct levels can be controlled from the app , but only the surround level can also be get at from the remote control . And the discrete dress for the front height TV channel ? They can only be accessed from the remote .
Apart from the app - only EQ presets , there are two sound modes — Movie and Music . As their name imply , each is arguably better for its intended aim . film modality supply a more grand intelligent field , along with encourage senior high school and lows , while Music mode seems to keep more detail and provides a focussed , onward - face presentation .
It ’s worth experimenting with them , especially if you like a traditional stereo mix raise with a slight spatial vibration . However , there ’s no way to do pure two - channel strait on the Core 200 — it will always upmix stereoscopic picture to either 3.1.2 or 5.1.2 look on your verbaliser frame-up .
These are weird pick , but you get used to them . What ’s a picayune more thwarting is that there ’s no way to assign unlike options to different source . It ’s not unusal for someone to desire bass voice and dialogue boosted while watching a movie . It ’s also jolly common for that same soul to prefer flatter sound when listening to medicine . But every time you change from telecasting to optical to Bluetooth , you ’ll have to adjust each parameter . devote Onkyo ’s deep involvement in the ontogeny of the Flexus system , this feel like an especially enceinte oversight .
Mild Dolby Atmos
In terms of Dolby Atmos effects delivered via the superlative line , your result may change . Klipsch ’s forte is clearly in the kingdom of pushing clear , powerful audio through dedicated driver , without relying on a lot of advanced signaling processing . In practice , this have in mind that if the up - sack , roof - meditate driver in the soundbar ca n’t jounce sounds back to your hearing posture accurately ( maybe your ceiling is unco tall or short , or even weight ) , that overhead sound force will be diminished .
It ’s still there — and using the remote to agitate the front height levels to their maximum aid — but it ’s not quite as convincing as the carrying out you ’ll get from signaling processing drawing card like Sony , Bose , or Sennheiser .
Part of me marvel if Klipsch ’s altitude effects would be improved if it offer elbow room - chastening tuning like Sonos ’ TruePlay or Sony ’s Sound Field Optimization , but this feature article is n’t include on the Core 200 .
While its height effects might not blow out you aside , the Core 200 delivers an imposingly encompassing soundstage , with accurate position of sounds . I do n’t want to belittle the importance of overhead sounds , but in my experience , the moment in any give moving picture where they ’re the main factor are few . On the other hired man , left / rightfield and surround sounds can be nearly constant , especially during natural process episode — and the Flexus Core 200 gets these right .
Subs and surrounds
This chair me to my first piece of buy advice . It ’s rarified that I would tell a soundbar owner to prioritize a set of surround talker over a consecrate subwoofer . But in the type of the Core 200 , that ’s what I think you should do . Adding the Flexus Surr 100 surround speakers expand the Core 200 from 3.1.2 - channels to 5.1.2 , which pass water a big difference when take in scene that call for lots of sounds actuate from front to back or vice versa .
A capital example is the Aston Martin chase and shootout prospect fromNo Time To exit . Without the surroundings , the activity take billet in front of you , near the silver screen . With the surrounds , you ’re in the middle , with bullets whizzing and ricocheting around you as though you were sitting justly beside everyone ’s preferred British superspy .
Not that I ’m saying you should disregard the available Flexus Sub 100 — adding one can take the Core 200 ’s impressive bass and turn it into genuine low - frequency oomph — the kind you could experience . It ’s just that the grinder ’s added impact is n’t as much of an climb as that of the surrounds .
Ordinarily , I might dong Klipsch for the Sub 100 ’s performance , which is good , but not heavy . But this is n’t a review of that subwoofer , it ’s a limited review of the Core 200 soundbar . And since you’re able to plug into any subwoofer you want , it ’s arduous to complain about a intersection you do n’t want to grease one’s palms .
I did n’t get the chance to try two Sub 100s , but the Core 200 patronage that configuration . Heck , if you want to go crazy , you’re able to even run two Sub 100s wirelessly and a third poor boy via the pumped-up turnout .
I ’m impressed with the Sub 100 ’s styling . Klipsch previously fit its soundbars with mammoth , loom subs that are n’t exactly easy to disguise or even minimize . The Sub 100 , on the other handwriting , is comparatively compact at about a cubic foundation , and its rounded , wood - like body is attractive enough that you may not even mind if it ’s out in the open .
Klipsch ’s quirky , dongle - establish Transport 100 wireless system is n’t very elegant , especially when you consider that nearly every other wireless soundbar system manage to put up the same functionality without going the dongle road . And yet , once I got the sub and surround paired , it work seamlessly , which is all you may inquire .
Tunes, too
Listening to music is also a great experience on the Core 200 . Klipsch ’s factory auditory sensation signature when in Music fashion with the Flat EQ setting is pleasingly balanced , with just a slight boost in the highs .
There ’s plenty of elbow room to adapt this to your personal predilection using the presets and the usance EQ choice , though again , remember that these will adhere around when you shift back to watch TV .
What surprised me the most about the Core 200 ’s musical chop shot is its treatment of Bluetooth audio .
Normally , I consider Bluetooth audio frequency on soundbars with disdain . Even when they support the AAC codec , I receive the audio gets smeared . detail are lose and what ’s left is n’t meet . I typically switch to Wi - Fi streaming instantly , which usually offers an contiguous melioration .
In fact , one of the first thing I did with the Core 200 is connect aWiim Proto the optical interface , expecting I would want to practice it entirely .
But that has n’t been my experience with the Core 200 . go between Bluetooth and the Wiim did meliorate detail , but not to the percentage point where I want to desert Bluetooth , which is a bragging profits for a soundbar that does n’t do Wi - Fi .
Here ’s a pro tip for Bluetooth listening : The manual does n’t say this , but the remote ’s play / pause button can also be used for trail - skipping . Double - wardrobe it to skip forward or triple - imperativeness it to go back to the starting time ( or back to the previous caterpillar track if you ’re within the first few seconds of a new lead ) .
It ’s reliable that the Klipsch Flexus organisation is not as sophisticated or as flexible as soundbars from Sonos , Bose , and Sony , each of which offer Wi - Fi and/or Ethernet networking . But what you give up in terms of smarting , you ’ll more than make up for with the Core 200 ’s cinematic lick . And thanks to Klipsch ’s wireless Transport arrangement , you retain the expansion opening offer by those other rival .
If you ’re looking to transform your TV room from a casual viewing area into a true base theater , theKlipsch Flexus Core 200is one of the respectable — and maybethebest — single - loudspeaker system system you’re able to grease one’s palms for $ 500 .
