Buy a new TV these days and you’ll be amazed by any number of advancements from screen technology and size to colors and number of pixels. But if there’s always been one constant, it’s that the built-in speakers just don’t cut it.
Historically that means the added expense of an A/V receiver, surround speakers and a subwoofer (or two, as in my case), which can easily go past the $1,000 mark when all is said and done. That kind of setup can be cost-prohibitive for some and just not worth it for others — especially for those who have no interest in running speaker wires through the ceiling.
That’s why cheaper, less-intrusive soundbars have become the go-to option for most consumers over the past decade-plus. Now one well-known audio tech company is looking to bridge the gap between expensive home theater systems and budget-friendly soundbars — but is its solution worth the price?
Klipsch Cinema 1200 Sound Bar System
Behold — celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary, the all-new Klipsch Cinema 1200 Dolby Atmos Soundbar System. It consists of a 54-inch long soundbar (4.5 feet!), a massive, 12-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer and two wireless surround speakers. Here are the other key specs:
- 1200 watts of power
- 5.1.4 system with full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos decoding
- HDMI-eARC and 8K video pass-through
- 2 additional HDMI inputs
- Dolby Vision HDR compatible
- Pairs with the Klipsch Connect app for firmware updates and more
- Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for smart home integration
- Compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Spotify Connect
- Retails for $1,699
Make no mistake — this soundbar isn’t supposed to be an answer to the bad speakers built into your TV; it’s supposed to replicate the experience of sound quality you can only get at a modern movie theater. Because where are most people watching movies these days? At home.
If you’re not familiar with Dolby Atmos, it’s a type of spatial surround sound technology that turns audio into a sort of three-dimensional object you’re immersed inside. And it’s supposed to sound exactly like the creators, whether of music or movies, intended.
And it comes down to how important sound quality is to each person. Do you want to just hear every explosion or spaceship fly-by you see on screen or be immersed in it?
I choose the latter, but the question is whether or not this very expensive soundbar can change my mind about traditional home theaters consisting of A/V receivers and speakers on every wall. I’ve never been a fan of soundbars for living room/movie room applications, and I definitely had my doubts.
Getting to know the Klipsch soundbar system
The Klipsch Cinema 1200 shipped to me for review arrived in three boxes: the elongated box obviously containing the soundbar, another with the two surround speakers and a very heavy box with the subwoofer.
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