Bernd W. Herrmann

2 de diciembre de 2024

This Klipsh CORE 200 is quite the chameleon - in a very good way!

Prior to purchasing this Klipsch Flexus CORE 200 soundbar, I had used several other models from the likes of Yamaha, Vizio, and Sony. I felt that they did well, given their price-point, but for some, they didn't last long. Recently, I became intrigued with this Klipsch model, and at the time of this writing, I purchased it with an $80 off coupon (which only appeared for 24 hours on Amazon).When the CORE 200 arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see such a nicely designed unit - with some good heft to it . It is mostly made with wood and metal with plenty of inputs and outputs on the rear. And did I mentioned that it was an attractive unit?Another reason I wanted to get this Klipsch model is due-to-the-fact that it had a dedicated wired self-powered subwoofer output connection on the rear - which is rare to find anymore - since most soundbars now-a-days only feature dedicated wireless connections. But for someone with a wired powered subwoofer, having this dedicated subwoofer output (RCA connection) was the icing on the cake.I connected the unit via the HDMI-arc(e) input on my 77" Samsung 4K TV, and then I began watching a variety of programs. My reasoning for calling the CORE 200 a chameleon is due to the fact that if your video has poor audio - well, that's what you'll get - poor audio. Let's face it, many (if not most) TV programs have poor audio (music, etc). Now, do keep in mind that this CORE 200 can't magically make chicken salad out of c-h-i-c-k-e-n s-h-i-t - it's that simple. Often-times, some of us - and it's not realistic to assume this - believe that fine audio gear should somehow automatically make "everything" sound better. So due to this unrealistic assumption, when listening to poor audio - with the soundbar not sounding any better - some initial disappointment can set it. As I stated, what goes in should come out with the same effects.With videos and broadcasts with good to superb soundtracks, this CORE 200 will fill the front of your viewing area with a broad sound-stage and excellent separation from left to right. With excellent movies/recordings, you'll get excellent instrumental timbre and a surprising amount of bass (even without any external subwoofers). The internal 4" subwoofers do a great job of getting the bass down to around 50-55 hz, and provide you with a palpable effect. I happen to be also using an Edifier 8" powered subwoofer connected to my Klipsch, and the bass reach and effects are even better. So if you don't have a subwoofer already, then I'd suggest getting the optional Klipsch 10" subwoofer to really give this baby some extra wallop.So folks - this is certainly one of your better soundbars. Sure, there are much more expensive models out there from several audiophile-level vendors - some going for $3000+ (and those prices are without additional subwoofers), and one would assume that they would sound better. But then, what does "better" really mean? In addition, the downloadable Klipsch app for your cell phone will give you very detailed information and options to further adjust your soundbar - even allowing you to update the firmware (when new firmware becomes available).The remote control is also nice - very straight forward - allowing you to choose a variety of functions, and that LCD screen on the right of the sound-bar, shows you at-a-glance what settings you have (as you adjust them).Of course, some of you may be asking, "well, what about the negatives?" Well, do keep in mind that all reviews are subjective, based on how we are using the gear. As I alluded to above, for me - in my family room setup - I have the Klipsch connected to a 77" Samsung 4K TV. Because I'm a senior citizen, there are certain sound tracks where the voices are difficult for us to make out. I found the dialogue control on this Klipsch still lacking somewhat (for us personally) and on some movies where the music and other sound effects almost drown out the voices, it was still difficult for us to make things out - unless we turned up the volume quite a bit. However, due to the overall superb performance of this CORE 200, I won't deduct any points in the overall rating.So for me, this CORE 200 is far, far superior to the previous brands that I've used, and I can heartily recommend this unit. Thus a full 5 stars?Ver más

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Mark

25 de junio de 2025

Another Klipsch masterpiece!

Listen, you’ll see a lot of reviews that start with, “I never leave reviews…”, but you can check me out, I think I’ve left 5 reviews in the past 10 years. If I like it, I leave a review.This soundbar is amazing. I used to sell electronics and I went in with very low expectations knowing the soundbar market, but I’ve had nothing but admiration and success with Klipsch products. So, I decided we finally needed the upgrade for family movie night.The soundbar is heavy. Solid build quality. I had no doubts from Klipsch. I decided to go with the grey/walnut color scheme and it is gorgeous. I totally didn’t know there’s an LED array that lets you know different pieces of information (volume, mode, etc), so that was a pleasant surprise.I used the eARC connection from my TCL tv and once I got audio switched in the settings of my tv, there seemed to be a few second delay as the tv and the soundbar synched up with each other. After that few seconds, it was like being in the room as whatever I had on the tv was being recorded. The sound was crystal clear and the voices could be heard thanks to the dedicated center channel.I switched to Max (or whatever it’s called now) and pulled up Dune 2 to hear how it handled Dolby Atmos. Despite not having surrounds or a subwoofer, the vibrations of a battle scene were palpable and the buzzing resonance of the Harkonnen speech at the beginning of the movie was haunting. I decided to see what Star Wars sounded like and tried out Episode 9 on Disney+. The built-in subwoofers enhanced the thrum of the engines and the simulated surround sound made the space scenes immersive.After testing for movies, we watched 2 comedy specials on Netflix. It felt like we were there in the theaters. The room we have is about 200 sq ft and the sound fills the entire space. A very immersive experience with this soundbar.The real test was with my wife. She normally doesn’t like the hassle of “dealing with extra remotes or the different sound,” but this seems to have integrated with our TCL Roku tv remote with no issues. And she’s happy that the dialog is more pronounced than with the tv speakers alone. It’s only been a few hours with it, but this thing is amazing. She said she’ll probably watch tv with the soundbar from now on!Finally, I tested the Bluetooth out with my phone and it connected easily and, again, the sound could only be better with a dedicated subwoofer. Otherwise, a great way to play some tunes with great, full sound.If you’re looking for a soundbar that is easy to use, immediately enhances the sound for your tv, and sounds absolutely mind-blowing for what you’re getting, look no further. The Klipsch Flexus Core 200 is the real deal. Bravo again Klipsch!Full disclosure: I didn’t test the optical connection. The HDMI cable I used was a 2.2 high speed, 8K capable, 48Gbps cable that I had bought on Amazon about a year ago (I had some lip synch issues with my PS5 and TCL tv using a basic HDMI 2.0 cable and found that upgrading to a higher quality cable is the answer). So, I can’t tell you if there are issues with lower quality cords or other connections. I would assume there would be issues based on my past experiences.