Klipsch Cinema 800 Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos REVIEW

Provides an unforgettable listening experience.

For several years, I’ve tried to get my office to a place where I could enjoy it for working, photography, and gaming. I finally got it just the way I want it and each of those focus areas has its own dedicated space. The only thing I felt was missing was an improved speaker set-up for the entertainment corner where I game (Xbox console) and watch videos. Because of the set-up of the room, I knew I didn’t want a full surround sound speaker set, but I wanted the feel of surround sound. I also really liked the idea of a soundbar, but just wasn’t finding one that met my standards. Fortunately, technology-driven audio company, Klipsch just released a brand new line-up of feature-rich soundbars and the Cinema 800 Sound Bar was the ideal option for my personal needs. 

DETAILS

The Klipsch Cinema 800 Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos measures 48” and comes with a 10” wireless subwoofer for 3.1 immersive sound (decodes 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos). 8K HDR passthrough with Dolby Vision compatibility, and next-generation HDMI eARC connectivity means true Dolby Atmos sound and ultra-high-definition video with a single HDMI cable. The Cinema 800 is crafted with premium materials including real wood so that it looks like the Klipsch signature Reference Series speakers. 

MAIN FEATURES

• Dolby Atmos Cinema in the Home
• Easy Plug and Play Set-up
• Wireless Multi-Room Streaming 
• Best-in-Class 10-inch Wireless Subwoofer
• 8K Passthrough
• 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos Decoding
• Dialog Enhancement Modes
• Bluetooth Wireless Technology Ready
• Horn-loaded performance 
• Motion Sensing Remote
• Dolby Audio Built-In

The Klipsch Cinema 800 Sound Bar may be paired with Klipsch Surround 3 wireless speakers (sold separately, $279 pr.) for 5.1 surround sound. Built-in universal Wi-Fi works with Google Assistant™, Amazon® Alexa®, and Spotify Connect, and allows the soundbar to be added to existing smart home ecosystems for multi-room streaming and control. Includes two additional HDMI inputs for external devices. Available now, $879 ea.

SPECS

USER EXPERIENCE

The Cinema 800 Sound Bar and its subwoofer arrived in a very strangely shaped box. Klipsch seems to have had a special shipping box created to house both the subwoofer and the soundbar along with all their accessories (cables, hanging hardware, etc.) in one conjoined package. While I appreciate the efficiency of the packaging in the respect that both pieces coming in one box, it was a bit awkward to dispose of the box after pulling the pieces out. That said, everything arrived in good order and was ready to work out of the box. 

The first thing I did once I got all the parts lined up was to determine how I wanted to set up the soundbar. There are a couple of different options users have. I opted to utilize the HDMI eARC port on the soundbar. In my entertainment corner, I have an Xbox Series X, Apple TV, and Nintendo Switch using HDMI connections to my TV. I wanted to be able to control volume from whatever input device I was using. So, that pretty much meant I needed to use the eARC option. This means that the TV is using the soundbar as its external speaker no matter where the input video/audio is coming from. At first, I simply connected the HDMI cable to the TV to make sure this process was going to work as I thought and when it did, I started planning how I was going to install the soundbar permanently. 

I have a TV stand beneath the TV and could have rested the soundbar there, but ultimately, I decided that mounting the soundbar to the wall just beneath my TV would make for a cleaner set-up. Klipsch includes wall mounting hardware for the soundbar, but they don’t include screws for the wall. After a quick run to the hardware store, I was ready to mount the soundbar. Klipsch also includes a paper wall mounting guide that is a big help – as long as you can get it leveled on the wall. Once I had the paper guide stuck to the wall and leveled, I marked the holes and got the hardware mounted for the soundbar. The soundbar pops into places fairly easily at that point and you can run the cables behind it. Once you have the soundbar mounted, it can be hard to maneuver cables behind the unit so I recommend routing your cables before it’s completely attached to the wall. 

Once the soundbar was mounted and all the cables were properly connected, I was able to start testing the quality of the sound. The Cinema 800 Sound Bar connects to its subwoofer wirelessly and also connects to the Klipsch Connect app. Aside from being able to connect the soundbar to the Internet and being able to view the unit’s information (series number, firmware version, etc.), the app doesn’t give the user many features to use. Personally, I would have liked to see an equalizer or something included in the app. You can’t even control the volume of the soundbar or the subwoofer from the app – but you can from the remote. 

While the set-up is a big part of the user experience in my opinion, since this review is about a soundbar, I think it’s important to discuss the sound quality. To frame this up, you should understand that I have hearing loss. To be specific, I have high-end hearing loss and I miss a lot of contexts when it comes to entertainment because I simply cannot hear the nuances in soundtracks – especially when it comes to dialogue. I’ve tried other soundbars before and no matter how premium they are, I just can’t seem to get crisp, clear sound from them unless I use my hearing aids. Sometimes, even then, I don’t have a quality cinema sound because the soundbar just isn’t good enough. With the Klipsch Cinema 800 Sound Bar, however, I’ve been able to hear the crisp, clear sound – without the use of my hearing aids. Movie soundtracks – even super-rich ones like The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – have been like new experiences to me and standard videos from sources like YouTube and other streaming services have been easy for me to understand. I believe this is in part due to the Dolby Atmos feature. I’ve been completely overwhelmed with the power of the Cinema 800 soundbar system. It not only puts out a premium quality sound, but it also has great volume. I rarely have to have a volume above 60 in order to hear things clearly. For me, this is a low volume. I typically have to turn volumes up to their maximum level. 

CONCLUSION

Because it’s very easy to set up and the quality of the sound it produces is so amazing, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Cinema 800 Sound Bar to anyone looking for a theater-like sound experience. At nearly $800 (at the time of publishing) it’s a hefty investment, but it’s well worth it if you want a quality product. 

For more information, visit Klipsch.com, Facebook, and Twitter.