- Anthony
In this Klipsch Cinema 400 soundbar review, this soundbar is a highly regarded soundbar that is excellent for movie viewing. The product is an easy solution for those without a home theater system with a rear speaker.
With a sleek design and a crisp sound, it’s a solid choice for those looking for a high sound quality experience.
Klipsch Cinema 400 Review
Pros &Cons
Pros
- Beautiful design with wooden enclosures
- 35-20,000 Hz frequency response
- Bluetooth device compatible
- Flexible placement
- Dolby Digital decoding
- Virtual surround sound
- Dialogue mode
- Everything you need
- Includes an external subwoofer
- HDMI Arc
- Top control panel
Cons
- No eARC
- No Wi-Fi
Price
The Klipsch Cinema 400 is a very affordable 2.1 channel soundbar. You will be surprised at the number of soundbars on the market that offer as many features as the Cinema 400, such as the TCL Alto 6+. They also cost about the same.
We were pleasantly surprised at the price range for a soundbar with virtual surround sound, dialogue mode, and Dolby Digital Decoding. It’s a soundbar that our experts consider worth the investment.
Klipsch 400 Specifics
- SPEAKER SYSTEM – 40″ 2.1 soundbar and 8″ wireless subwoofer
- MAX ACOUSTIC OUTPUT 99 dB
- HIGH-FREQUENCY DRIVERS – 1″ (25mm), soft-dome tweeters mated with Tractrix(r). Horn
- MIDRANGE: 3″, (76.2mm), oval, fiber composite cone-woofers
- SUBWOOFER: 8″ (203mm) ported subwoofer
- ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bar: (Sealed) Wood * Subwoofer Wood
- SYSTEM POWER: 400W
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 35-20KHz
- INPUTS: HDMI ARC * Bluetooth(r), 3.5mm Analog
- 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″) W x16 1/8″ 41cm H x16 1/8” (41cm).
- FINISH: Black
- VOLTAGE: 100-240V 50/60Hz internal power supply
- WEIGHT: 27.5 lbs (12.47kg)
Design and Features
Klipsch is best known for its horn-loaded speakers. This technology is a driver amplified with a widening diaphragm, and it’s used in megaphones and public address systems. The Cinema 400 is proud to feature this design aesthetic.
A Tractrix horn in gunmetal with a 1-inch tweeter is located at each end of the soundbar. These distinctive horns are flanked by a pair of 3-inch oval, fiber-composite cones woofers hidden behind a black tweed grill.
Cinema 400 soundbars are made of wood (MDF), which is a different material than most. It feels very sturdy. The bar is 40 inches wide and 2.8 inches tall. Some TVs can have issues with height. I found that the bar was high enough to block the remote sensor of the Sony XBR55X950G that I tested.
I had to lift my small hand over the soundbar to get the TV’s commands to register. The JBL 2.1 Bar Deep bass was shorter and allowed management to be sent to the TV without any problems. It will depend on the TV you have and how tall it is, but it is something to be aware of.
Also made from wood, the wireless subwoofer measures 11.87 inches in width, 16.12 inches in height, and 16.12 inches deep. It is larger than the JBL Deep Bass sub and one of the most impressive soundbars I have ever seen.
The system boasts a frequency response of 35Hz, thanks to the reserve. The soundbar also features a subwoofer to allow you to connect to a wired sub. This sub can be used with or without the soundbar.
The connections to the Cinema 400 include HDMI-ARC and Bluetooth and 3.5mm input and optical digital input.
While these connections should be sufficient for most users, I would love to see an additional standard HDMI cable. HDMI ARC is a method that feeds a signal from your TV into your outboard gear.
It can be finicky, depending on your equipment. A second HDMI port can be used to connect your set-top box to the soundbar. This is also available on other products like the JBL Deep Bass or Polk Command Bar.
The soundbar has a Dolby Digital encoder and not DTS. It’s not a problem because DTS streams and broadcasts are sporadic. In a pinch, you can always set your source to output DTS in PCM. There are several sound modes available, including surround enhancement, dialog, and night processing.
The remote controls the input, EQ, and sound modes. It’s a friendly little tool. The remote allows you to control the volume of the sub based on what I am playing.
Want to know exactly the way to pair a subwoofer with a soundbar, check our article on how to connect subwoofer to soundbar
How Does It Sound Like?
Klipsch’s sound would be described as detailed and sassy if I had to describe it. It’s no surprise that the rock establishment adopted the brand, both by those who love the genre and by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Klipsch Cinema 400 is a faithful reinterpretation of this tradition, but it doesn’t drift into the upper-midrange unhappiness as other bright speakers.
The Klipsch was compared to the JBL Bar 2.1, Deep Bass. I found the Klipsch sounding airier than the JBL, while the JBL seemed a bit more forward. In my Deep Bass review, I noted that the JBL lacks transparency and slam when it comes to music.
My testing began with the Matrix lobby scene. In it, Neo and Trinity take out the metal detectors and transport human truckloads full of weaponry. Then comes an epic firefight.
Although the Klipsch subwoofer could go deep, it wasn’t as good as the JBL combo. This scene’s bass never made it to the forefront of the Klipsch the way it should. Klipsch was able to improve upon this start quickly.
Next came avatar, and the Klipsch made the jungles of Pandora lush and vibrant when it was heard through his headphones. As Jake fled the rampaging that actor’s clutches, I enjoyed a fun romp with Jake’s cat-like avatar.
The adventure ended with a dip in a waterfall. However, the JBL made the scene appear smaller and didn’t convey specific details. The voices were more hollow, and the clicks of the machine gun seemed less natural. Bar 2.1 had some significant bass effects, and the thanator smashed into the trees to get at Jake.
The Klipsch soundbar listened to all kinds of music, from electronica to country to hardcore punk. It was just as easy to listen to The New Abnormal by the Strokes, the band’s fantastic comeback album.
Coriky is made up of two ex-members of Fugazi. Clean Kill’s chiming guitar and guttural vocals evoke the DC quartet’s Red Medicine album.
This was a clear departure from the JBL, as the Klipsch had a better separation of instruments and a greater sense of dynamics when I listened carefully to the interplay of the drums with the guitar. I could feel Joe Lally’s bass line through my feet.
However, Klipsch was not all about power. The Klipsch could convey Dolly Parton’s melodic Jolene guitar playing, and the instrument’s snap seemed more natural than a physical speaker.
Her voice was expressive and haunting in the best possible way. After that, the JBL was a disappointment. Her voice wasn’t as clear, and her lyrics weren’t quite as understandable.
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FAQs
Klipsch Cinema 400 has Dolby Atmos?
Klipsch Cinema 400 does not support Dolby Atmos content and doesn’t have height channels.
Are speakers possible for the Klipsch 400 cinema?
Because it’s a 2.1 channel soundbar, the Klipsch Cinema 400 doesn’t have rear speakers. The 600 allows you to connect three rear speakers for a more expansive sound.
How can I reset my Klipsch soundbar400?
The Cinema 400 can be factory reset by simultaneously holding power and source buttons for 10 seconds. An orange source light will appear on the front of your Cinema 400 (the same color as the TV source), and three white LEDs will indicate that the reset was successful.
Conclusion
The Klipsch 400 is designed for watching movies in the comfort of your home. It’s a sleek and small soundbar that plugs into a power outlet and brings a high-quality audio experience to any television. As far as soundbars go, the Klipsch Cinema 400 does not disappoint.
It offers a crisp sound quality that fills the room without sounding too tinny or boomy. If you’re looking for a solution to listening to movies with friends, family, or kids in the room, the Klipsch Cinema 400 is an excellent choice.
After this article, Hooke Audio hopes you have a better understanding of soundbars. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to leave a comment with your thoughts on this Klisch Cinema 400 review.
