Klipsch Cinema 400 Review

Klipsch Cinema 400 and Cinema 600 soundbar systems are Klipsch’s latest two soundbar products. The height and depth of the two soundbars are the same, while the difference lies in the size of the subwoofer. The Cinema 400 has a width of 40 inches and is equipped with an 8-inch wireless subwoofer. The width of the Cinema 600 is 45 inches, and the wireless subwoofer is 10 inches. The scale, unit configuration, and price of the two are different. Consumers can choose according to TV size, space size, and budget. This article will introduce the smaller Cinema 400.

Design

Let’s start with the unit configuration of Cinema 400. The Cinema 400 soundbar itself is a 4-single 2-channel design. The left and right positions are equipped with a Klipsch exclusive 90° × 90° Tractrix horn tweeter, which has better efficiency and detail expression than ordinary tweeters. The extension of the bass is also better than the general tweeter.

Adjacent to the Tractrix horn tweeter, there is an oval 3-inch composite fiber woofer, one on each side. Why use an oval monomer? Because the height of the soundbar is limited, the width is sufficient. The use of an elliptical driver can make the diaphragm area larger, which is conducive to low-frequency performance. However, the middle section of the Cinema 400 is entirely covered by the mesh, so the two woofers are not visible from the outside, making the appearance more low-key and simple.

The Klipsch Cinema 400 Soundbar comes with a wireless transmission subwoofer with an 8-inch woofer inside, allowing the overall low-frequency extension to reach down to 35 Hz easily. The advantage of the wireless subwoofer is that it does not need a signal cable, and it is not troublesome to place it far from the soundbar. Besides, the subwoofer unit is set at the bottom of the speaker, as well as the bass reflex hole. The sound waves and airflow are diverged downward, making the placement of the subwoofer more unrestricted. In addition, Cinema 400 is also equipped with a subwoofer output set, so it is no problem to connect a second subwoofer through a cable.

Three Modes to Enrich the Hearing Experience

In the input and output section, Klipsch Cinema 400 is equipped with a set of HDMI-ARC jacks for connecting to a TV. As long as the TV is connected through an HDMI cable and has an HDMI-ARC function jack, the TV’s sound can be returned to the Cinema 400 for playback. What if the TV does not have an HDMI-ARC function? No problem, Cinema 400 also has a set of 3.5 mm analog input and a bunch of optical inputs, which can be connected to the TV through these two methods. Besides, Cinema 400 also has a Bluetooth transmission function convenient for listening through a mobile phone, tablet, or computer.

To make operation more convenient, remote control is absolutely necessary. The Cinema 400 Soundbar comes with an exquisite remote control that can easily control some essential functions. For example, the subwoofer volume can be adjusted individually to determine whether the low frequency of the entire system should be more or less.

In addition, the remote control can also turn on or off the listening mode. This content is originated from hifireport.com.

There are three modes. The first item is the SUR virtual surround mode. When it is turned off, the Cinema 400 sounds in stereo and the sound is flat. When turned on, the surround sound effect will be virtualized by the internal DSP processor. The second item is the DIALOG dialogue enhancement mode, which uses EQ to strengthen the mid-range, making the dialogue more clear and embossed. The third item is NIGHT night mode, which automatically turns off the subwoofer and reduces the dynamic range suitable for late-night use.

Another convenient function of Klipsch Cinema 400 is that it can be set to receive the TV remote control signal, and the volume can be adjusted through the TV remote control, which increases the convenience of use. In addition, Cinema 400 has a built-in Dolby Audio decoding function, which can support and decode Dolby Digital audio, providing a more powerful theater experience.

The setup procedure for using Cinema 400 for the first time is straightforward. Just turn on the Cinema 400 and plug the subwoofer into the power cord. They will automatically connect and pair without manual pairing. To reconnect, there is a PAIR button on the back of the soundbar and the subwoofer. Press and hold the PAIR button of the subwoofer for 3 seconds, and then press the PAIR button of the soundbar for 3 seconds to complete the pairing.

Sound Performance

From a few frequently-watched clips, I immediately discovered that Cinema 400 has a significant advantage. It can reproduce a fairly large sound field, and the sense of scale even exceeds the width of the soundbar, which is quite the experience of listening in a theater. However, such a listening experience will only be available if SUR mode is turned on. If the SUR mode is turned off, the sound field is about the same size as the soundbar. It can be seen that the DSP virtual surround processing of Cinema 400 is really helpful.

For example, when playing the “Leaf” test clip in Dolby Atmos, the leaves seem to float from the left side of the space, not just from the left half of the soundbar. You can know that its sound field is quite large.

Then I played the test clip of “Amaze” by Dolby Atmos. I felt that the bird flapped its wings from left to right and then from right to left, and the sound’s direction was not bad. Not only that, I even felt that some sound effects seemed to come from my side. That is to say, the sound had a sense of envelopment, not just a flat surface.

The soundbar’s primary function is to replace the original speakers on the TV, so there must be a high proportion of speech or dialogue. In this case, the DIALOG dialogue enhancement mode of Cinema 400 is used. It does make the voice thicker, the contours are more embossed, and the dialogue is clearer. In other words, you can hear the conversation clearly without turning up the overall volume.

Cinema 400 is better than TV speakers because its sound has a thickness and low-frequency energy. This is due to the smooth sound connection between the soundbar and the subwoofer, allowing the two sounds to blend into one. Thus, Cinema 400 can increase the excitement of viewing and provide sufficient sound pressure and let the sound field be more significant.

Watch another Blu-ray version of “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.” The scenes and sound effects in this movie are dark, and the dialogue between the characters and the slow soundtrack is relatively low. This shows the richness of Cinema 400 sound details. Compared with ordinary TV sound effects, the sound can be heard more clearly, and the voice recognition is easier, and there is no need to concentrate on distinguishing the details of the sound. The sense of three-dimensionality and presence brought by the magnificent soundtrack is also powerful. The vocals are clear, the low frequencies are full and heavy, and the movies look more passionate.

Conclusion

The profound acoustic background brings more outstanding design to Klipsch, and the performance of Klipsch Cinema 400 brings a better choice for the family experience “private cinema.” Using them to enjoy the wonderful film and television listening can also bring a lot of happiness in life in busy daily life.

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Klipcsh Cinema 400 Soundbar Specs

• SPEAKER SYSTEM: 40” 2.1 soundbar with 8” wireless subwoofer
• MAX ACOUSTIC OUTPUT: 99 dB
• HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVERS: 1” (25mm) soft dome tweeters mated to Tractrix® horn
• MIDRANGE: 3” (76.2mm) oval fiber composite cone woofers
• SUBWOOFER: 8” (203mm) ported subwoofer
• ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bar: Wood (Sealed) • Subwoofer: Wood
• SYSTEM POWER: 400W
• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 35-20KHz
• INPUTS: HDMI-ARC • Bluetooth® • 3.5mm Analog • Optical Digital
• OUTPUTS: Subwoofer Output
• DIMENSIONS: (BAR) 39 15/16” (101.4cm) W x 2 7/8” (7.3cm) H x 3 3/8 (8.6cm) D
• DIMENSIONS: (SUBWOOFER) 11 7/8” (30.2cm) W x 16 1/8” (41cm) H x 16 1/8” (41cm) D
• FINISH: Black
• VOLTAGE: 100-240V 50/60Hz internal power supply
• WEIGHT: 27.5 lbs (12.47 kg)