The first speaker that works with Dolby Atmos Flexconnect, the TCL Z100, has finally presented, although with most ads these days of changing tariffs regularly, there is still no exact price or release date.
Announced in 2023, the idea with Dolby Atmos Flexconnect is that you do not need to think about where the speakers are placing to get a home movie sound, it does not even need to have pairs of them placed symmetrically.
Place one next to the TV, one on the shelf to your right, one directly behind you, which is convenient for your space is fine. Then, the system will map acoustically placement and adjust the speaker output to give the best version of the Dolby Atmos engine surround that can from those positions.
It can have up to four of the TCL Z100 speakers in a configuration, and each speaker is an audio configuration 1.1.1 alone (a forward -oriented controller, a low controller and a sudden controller), although when combined, they can produce something similar to virtual 7.1.2 audio, according to TCL. That includes a compatible television that provides two channels, including the central channel.
Speaking of that, the speakers must be connected to an appropriate Dolby Atmos Flexconnect, which can handle mapping and processing. At this time, that means obtaining one of the mini-lid televisions of TCL 2025.
TCL is the only company that offers products for the launch of Flexconnect, although other companies have compromised support in the future, and it should also be possible for one of the best sound bars to be Flexconnect Hub in the future.
They also support play music through Bluetooth: two can work in a stereo pair to play music from their phone.
As expected for a specific Dolby product, there is no incorporated DTS support. However, the TCL televisions that are necessary to make the system work all the support DTS: X, and the idea is that they decode the DTS sound (including the DTS: x), they will processed it into channels 7.1.2 and then they will convert it for the virtual enveloping system for your configuration, so you ought Get something close to complete fat DT.
Although there is no price, the European arm of TCL has told us to wait for a price that approaches € 300, and generally the prices of the euro and the US dollar become very closely, although the final amount will depend on the latest rates. United Kingdom prices will be close to the price of the euro.
What is the good thing about Dolby Atmos Flexconnect?
I have seen this technology in action several times since its announcement in 2023, and it is very impressive, although the speakers with which I saw were demonstrated were more elaborate than the TCL Z100 has turned out to be.
@Techradar ♬ powerful songs like Action Movie Music – Tansa
Those had lateral shooting drivers, as well as forward and relaxation controllers, which potentially gave them more control over the direction of virtual sound. It was surprising in my demonstrations how two speakers, one in the front to the right of television, and another behind the left of me, could create a widely immersive sound with the direction of sounds basically in all directions.
It remains to be seen if the Z100 can do this, and in any case, the system does not coincide only with the speakers in all the right places, but that is not possible for everyone.
I think there is a real value in having speakers that can be placed not only in an imperfect way, but in totally strange places, and still obtain something more immersive than the sound of television only from them.
However, the other thing that is missing in this ad is the bass. I have been told that the flexconnect system can support a subwoofer, but there are no signs of one here, hopefully that will come before.
Update: Dolby and TCL have informed me that a subwoofer that is compatible with the system will arrive in the summer of 2025, which also gives us an indication of when to expect these speakers to launch.
You may also like
