Still, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a pretty good-sounding model. When watching a 4K UHD Blu-ray from Top Gun: MaverickI was impressed by the precision of the dialogue in the opening scene – it sounded clearly defined and had the echo effect you’d expect in a wide open space.
Over and beyond nonconformist introduced the low-end talents of the Flexus Core 100. The rumble of jet engines had more impact than many bars of this size range – and other parts of the frequency range didn’t appear to be obscured as Tom Cruise’s character prepared for takeoff.
However, I would like to say that the verticality of the movement was very limited when the plane flew overhead. And in general, this soundbar struggles to evoke a sense of height – that’s understandable given its technical limitations, but will be an issue for those who want great Dolby Atmos in a small package.
Despite its unobtrusive height effects, the Flexus Core 100 still offers a decent width for such a narrow model. In The maskThe soundbar commendably reproduced the main character’s cartoonish turn on screen. When he smashed a window, the combination of a deep bang and a high-pitched crash also came across clearly and impressively, brilliantly capturing the startling nature of the movement.
One small problem I noticed occurred in a scene where two Level B gangsters were playing air hockey in the background. Here, the separation of the left and right channels seemed exaggerated and choppy – probably due to the lack of a center channel, as I didn’t experience that on a 5.1 bar like the Marshall Heston 60.
In addition to watching movies, I tried listening to music via Bluetooth using Tidal. And like many small soundbars, the Flexus Core 100 isn’t particularly good in this area.
In Black eye by Allie Meanwhile, the vocals were clear enough, but not too different from other mid-range sounds. The percussion was also not particularly precise and lacked a sense of space. Overall, I had a relatively clean listening experience, but one that lacked nuance or detail.
It was similar with Atmos’ music. Dream of Arrakis by Hans Zimmer packs a solid bass punch, but the percussion attack was pretty brutal and the vocal elements weren’t very clear in the mix. The size of this Master has also been significantly reduced compared to what I’ve heard from premium compacts like the Sonos Beam Gen 2.
Another thing I noticed while listening to music was that the soundbar didn’t automatically switch to music mode – something I’m relatively used to on most modern soundbars. You must select the appropriate mode using the included remote control or the Klipsch Connect Plus app.
However, the two modes are quite different and if you want to make further changes, you can use an equalizer in the companion app. And the EQ options aren’t bad at all: you can manually adjust the bass, mid, or treble, or switch between presets including: Flat, Vocal, Bass, Treble, and Rock.
In general, I was a big fan of the Klipsch Connect Plus app. It’s superbly responsive, well-presented and very feature-rich.
On the main screen you can switch sources, enable a true multi-level voice enhancement setting, enable night mode, and more. An additional settings menu also opens channel level adjustment, surround and subwoofer coupling, and screen brightness adjustment.
The only thing I was really missing from the app was some kind of room calibration tool to optimize the Flexus Core 100 for my listening room – something found on soundbars like the Sonos Beam 2nd Gen and Marshall Heston 120.
I mentioned the Flexus Core 100’s screen earlier and I have to give Klipsch credit here – it looks absolutely fantastic. Instead of relying on a simple lighting system, there’s a large display with full letters and numbers that shows you what mode you’re using, what source you’re connected to, and what volume is set. This is incredibly clear and makes for a much smoother user experience.
Along with a polished display and a smooth in-app experience, setting up the Flexus Core 100 really couldn’t have been easier. Simply plug it into a power source and connect to your TV via HDMI eARC or digital optical – it’s easy.
You can also expand your system at your own pace by connecting a compatible wireless subwoofer or wired subwoofer via the soundbar’s “Sub-Out” port. For a more three-dimensional listening experience, you can also purchase Flexus surround speakers.
The only major lack of features, in my opinion, is the lack of WiFi streaming. For me personally, this is an absolute must-have.
I love being able to use Spotify or Tidal Connect to enjoy my music in higher quality than Bluetooth streaming. Some may also complain about the lack of DTS support, which is less common in streaming than Dolby Atmos but is commonly used on Blu-rays.
We’ve talked a lot about the technology so far, but how does the Flexus Core 100 perform visually? In my opinion, this soundbar is a bit average.
The large logo on the right isn’t particularly attractive and the fabric speaker grille doesn’t give a premium impression. However, the model is well made and I was already impressed by its excellent screen.
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is the price of the Flexus Core 100. And all in all, it’s pretty competitive. It costs $349 / £299 / AU$645, which is less than a 2.0-channel competitor like the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 and significantly less than compact Atmos titans like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the Bose Smart Soundbar.
Ultimately, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a solid soundbar overall. It doesn’t offer the most amazing Dolby Atmos, it’s not the prettiest model I’ve ever seen, and I’m also still sad about the omission of Wi-Fi streaming.
But the excellent bass levels, clear dialogue, impressive companion app support and ease of use are all very commendable. If you have the money, I recommend going for the compact soundbars from Sonos or Marshall, but if you’re on a tighter budget, this model is worth considering.
