Skip to main content

Klipsch’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar brings 1,200 watts of power

Klipsch may have taken its time to join the Dolby Atmos soundbar race, but it’s here now, and it brought along a fire-breathing monster. The $1,699 Cinema 1200 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar, which can be ordered today through Klipsch.com, is a 1,200-watt 5.1.4 system that comes with a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surround speakers for a fully immersive home theater setup. Klipsch has also released the less expensive $879 Cinema 800 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar. Here’s what we know about these two new models in the Klipsch soundbar lineup.

Klipsch Cinema 1200 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar

Klipsch Cinema 1200 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar in a home theater room.
Klipsch

It might be tough to tell from the photo above, but the Cinema 1200 is a beast both in power and size. The main soundbar measures 54-inches in width — wider than many TVs. It’s deep too, at just over six inches, but Klipsch has managed to limit the height to just a hair under three inches, which should keep it from obscuring the bottom of most TVs.

The 12-inch wireless subwoofer is also beefy at 15-inches per side and over 20 inches tall. The soundbar, subwoofer, and wireless surround speakers all use handmade wood cabinetry, which Klipsch claims is part of the reason why its speakers sound the way they do.

The presence of the circular up-firing drivers on the ends of the soundbar, combined with the surround speakers, which also have their own up-firing drivers, gives you four discrete height channels, which should create a very immersive 3D sound field for Dolby Atmos content.

The soundbar also packs three one-inch Tractrix horn-loaded tweeters and six three-inch oval midrange drivers. These nine drivers are responsible for the center, front-left, and front-right channels.

The Cinema 1200 isn’t shy on inputs. It boasts two HDMI inputs, both with 8K/Dolby Vision passthrough, an HDMI eARC port for connecting to a TV, a 3.5mm analog jack, and an optical port. There’s also a wired subwoofer output for those who want to run a second, wired sub with their system.

When it comes to wireless connections, you get Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi, too. With Wi-Fi, the Cinema 1200 is compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and will also work with Spotify Connect. There’s no AirPlay 2 or Chromecast support, and Klipsch hasn’t indicated how folks will stream non-Spotify music services — it may require using Google or Amazon’s smart home platforms.

The system has onboard decoding for a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos signal, as well as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby TrueHD.

Editor’s note: The original version of this article claimed that the Cinema 1200 didn’t support Dolby TrueHD. This has been corrected.


Klipsch Cinema 800 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar

Klipsch Cinema 800 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar in a viewing room.
Klipsch

The Cinema 800 Dolby Atmos Sound Bar is probably better suited to someone who wants immersive Atmos sound but in a much smaller, simpler, and more affordable package, but it still packs a lot of punch, with 800 watts of power.

As with the Cinema 1200, both the soundbar and wireless subwoofer have wooden cabinets. At 48 inches wide and only 3.5 inches deep, the soundbar is smaller, but still pretty big as bars go. The wireless sub uses a 10-inch driver.

You’ll find the same set of inputs and outputs on the back of the bar: Two HDMI inputs and one HDMI eARC output, plus analog and optical inputs with a wired subwoofer output. And 8K/HDR passthrough is supported on both HDMI inputs.

Where the Cinema 800 is significantly different from its larger sibling is in how it renders Dolby Atmos. It doesn’t have discrete up-firing drivers in the soundbar, and there are no surround speakers included. So even though it has 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos decoding just like the Cinema 1200, it must virtualize this content through just a 3.1 channel speaker system.

Some virtual Dolby Atmos speakers can do a surprisingly good job at simulating both the overhead height channels, as well as the left/right surround channels — we’ll have to wait and see if the Cinema 800 belongs to this club.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
JBL reveals its new flagship soundbar at CES 2023: 15 channels and 1170W of Dolby Atmos power
JBL Bar 1300X Dolby Atmos Soundbar.

JBL has taken the wraps off its most powerful Dolby Atmos soundbar to date at CES 2023. The Bar 1300X follows the same design principles as the company's previous top-of-the-line Bar series soundbars, including the line's signature detachable, fully wireless surround speaker modules, and a wireless subwoofer. But the Bar 1300X brings even more sound and power to your TV room, with an 11.1.4-channel configuration and a massive 1,170 watts of total power. It will be available on February 19, 2023, for $1,700.

The JBL Bar 1300X boasts both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatibility, but what sets it apart from JBL's other Atmos/DTS:X soundbars is its six dedicated up-firing drivers, which will presumably do a better job of delivering the height channel effects that these 3D surround sound formats are known for. It also has the largest wireless subwoofer in the Bar range, with a 12-inch driver.

Read more
Polk’s latest Dolby Atmos soundbars make for compelling Sonos Arc alternatives
Polk Audio MagniFi Max AX SR soundbar.

Polk Audio has two new Dolby Atmos soundbars models that are aimed squarely at folks who might be considering the excellent $899 Sonos Arc. The MagniFi Max AX ($799) and MagniFi Max AX SR ($899) are both equipped with wireless subwoofers and 11-speaker arrays, including dedicated up-firing drivers, but the MagniFi Max AX SR provides an extra level of surround sound immersion by including a set of wireless surround speakers. Both models can also work with DTS:X and will be available in October from polkaudio.com and select retailers.

Polk Audio says that the key to the MagniFi Max AX's performance, beyond all of those drivers, is the company's Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology. Now in its fourth generation, Polk claims that SDA delivers an ultra-wide soundstage by eliminating interaural crosstalk. My experience with Polk's previous SDA-equipped models like the MagniFi Mini AX suggests that's not just marketing-speak -- they do provide a very convincing wide sound field.
MagniFi Max AX

Read more
Sony’s latest Dolby Atmos soundbar is smart, modular, and one of its most affordable
Sony HT-A3000 Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Sony has launched the HT-A3000, its newest Dolby Atmos/DTS-X soundbar in the A-Series, which currently includes the $1,000 HT-A5000, $1,400 HT-A7000, and $1,800 HT-A9. At just $700, that makes the 3.1-channel HT-A3000 the most affordable option in the range. It's available for pre-sale starting August 30.

The HT-A3000 shares many features with its pricier siblings, including AirPlay, Chromecast, and compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa smart speakers, plus the ability to connect to Sony's Bravia XR series smart TVs, which can be used as an extended center channel for more immersive sound and more realistic dialogue.

Read more