U.S. audio firm Klipsch has launched two new Dolby Atmos soundbars at the upper end of its 2021 lineup. The Klipsch Cinema 1200 and Cinema 800 both promise a serious upgrade to TV sound with built-in streaming encased in stylish, real wood cabinets.
The soundbars mirror Klipsch’s iconic Reference speaker look and feature its signature “horn-loaded” technology, plus powerful subwoofers that combine to deliver a truly impactful cinematic sound experience, the company promised.
High-end features include 8K passthrough and HDMI enhanced Audio Return Channel, plus support for Dolby Vision HDR. This enables compatible TVs to stream Dolby Atmos from apps such as Netflix via a single, simple connection.
The flagship Klipsch Cinema 1200 with Dolby Atmos (pictured above) offers 120 watts of power in a 5.1.4 channel system that boasts upwards-firing Atmos speakers and a 12-inch wireless subwoofer with two wireless surround modules.
The main soundbar is a 54-inch model that’s capable of delivering a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos mix. Inside the bar are three proprietary 90x90 Tractrix horns each equipped with a 25mm linear suspension tweeter, plus three pairs of 3-inch fibre composite cone woofers and two, three-inch discrete up-firing Atmos speakers. The total combined power amounts to 1,200 watts. Connectivity includes two additional HDMI inputs and an optical digital port.
Klipsch said the Cinema 1200 will go on sale in August, priced at £1,449.
For a more affordable alternative, the 48-inch Klipsch Cinema 800 with Dolby Atmos looks to be a worthy 3.1 channel model that’s also able to decode 7.1.4 Dolby signals. It features a separate 10-inch wireless subwoofer and is compatible with optional Kipsch Surround 3 wireless speakers that would expand it to a 5.1 system, the company said.
The total power drops to 800 watts with just four mid-range woofers instead of the six on the Cinema 1200.
Klipsch said the Cinema 800 soundbar will be priced at £899 when it hits the shops in August. The optional Klipsch Surround 3 wireless speakers cost £265 per pair for those who want the extra punch.
Earlier this year Klipsch announced a couple of lower-end models in its lineup, the 45-inch Klipsch 600 Dolby Atmos soundbar, which is a 3.1 channel sound system that costs £549, and the Klipsch 400 wth Dolby Atmos, a 2.1 channel system priced at £379. Those models lack the 8K passthrough capabilities of their pricier siblings.
All four of Klipsch’s new soundbars are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as the Spotify Connect music streaming service. They also support Apple AirPlay 2, enabling iPhone owners to stream sounds directly from their devices, and Bluetooth, which enables connectivity to multi room systems.
