This Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc is a very interesting battle. One comes with a subwoofer for that extra kick of bass, but the other supports Dolby Atmos. I have looked at the Sonos Arc many times here on the site. Recently it went head to head with Sony in my Sonos Arc vs Sony ST-5000 which is better? article. While I have only had the pleasure of playing around with the Klipsch Cinema 600 a few times. I am a massive fan of many of Klipsch’s products and I think this is going to be a very interesting battle.
The Price
We are starting out this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc contest the same place we always do with these things and that is with the price. There is quite a price difference between these two, so much so that I think price is going to play a massive factor in which one of these is more attractive to many people! I feel that the asking price for both of these is not out of line at all to be fair, but there is no ignoring a price difference as large as what is on offer here.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
As I write this the Klipsch Cinema 600 is available on Amazon for $539. When I looked just a week ago it was $513. The price for this seems to fluctuate a great deal. The reason for this is that Klipsch released the Klipsch Cinema 800 which is the follow up to this, but that one depending on where you shop can be as much as double the price of the 600! I did do a fair bit of homework on this one and made sure to look around. If you were to go to eBay right now, you can find this brand new from some sellers in the $350 to $400 range. There are deals out there for this so be sure to shop around before settling on one.
Sonos Arc:
Right now the Sonos Arc is still the most premium offering from Sonos. It has an RRP of $799.99 and very rarely do you see it go much lower than that. As a matter of fact, the popularity of this spiked a few weeks back, and on Amazon, it was going for 100 bucks more at $899.99! This is a very, very popular Dolby Atmos soundbar and as a result, not many places tend to offer significant discounts on it. I always check eBay to see what is happening on there and even on there I have very rarely found amazing deals. I think the best I ever saw it was for like 30 bucks cheaper.
The Verdict:
This is a hard one to call. I have to say that the Sonos Arc is one of the most popular higher end soundbars on the market for a very good reason. I know the price is high, but I do feel it is worth it. Then we have the Klipsch Cinema 600 which at close to 500 bucks is just amazing value for money. Granted it is not a Dolby Atmos soundbar, but you do get that subwoofer with it. I think that a 400 bucks price difference is very, very hard to ignore and I think that alone would be enough to make the majority of people go for the 600 over the Arc.
The Design
Your soundbar is going to be out on full display for the whole world to see, you want to make sure it looks good. That is why I always have a big design section in all of these types of articles. I know before I even start the design portion of this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc battle how it is going to go, but I do think that these are two good looking soundbars in general.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
If you want to watch a quick video that gets straight to the point and gives you a good look at this then check out this Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar Overview video. Dimension wise the Klipsch Cinema 600 and the Sonos Arc are quite similar as they both come in at around the 45 inches mark in the length department. This means it is pretty long so be sure to measure your TV unit before you pull the trigger on this thing. Klipsch has made sure the soundbar has a solid feel to it thanks to using a nice and thick plastic for the body. This is covered with a fabric covering that is very easy on the eyes and gives the soundbar a bit of class. This covers the front, bottom, and also the top of the soundbar. Sonos have used a similar approach with some of their soundbars too such as the Sonos Playbar. What really draws your attention with the 600 is the speakers at the side which are done in a different shade of plastic. I have to say, I get why some people like this, but I much prefer a more uniform look.
On the side of the Klipsch Cinema 600, you have two easy to access USB ports which is neat. They are easy to get to so I do appreciate that, however, I am not a fan of the way that they look. Around the back of the soundbar, we have our major ports that we need to take a look at. The first thing that surprised me here was that there was your standard 3.5mm jack on the back of here. You also have your HDMI and optical ports for hooking this up to your TV or devices. In all, it has all that you need to get hooked up and there is even a little diagram that tells you what each port is.
I was very impressed with the build quality of the subwoofer that makes up this package. It is a fairly decent size as it is coming in at 18.4” x 14.3” x14.3”. I like the way it is raised thanks to these little feet, these not only look neat, they help with the bass too as this is down firing subwoofer. It has a solid and thick build quality and I feel that Klipsch has done a great job with it as it matches the vibe of the soundbar very well.
Sonos Arc:
Check out this epic The New Sonos Arc that Sonos made as a trailer, advertisement, or whatever you want to call it for this soundbar. Sonos have made more than a few soundbars, but the Sonos Arc is the best looking one that they have made. If you were to see this in an electronics store, it would make you stop and take notice of it. The dimensions of the soundbar are 3.4” x 45” x 4.5, so it is very similar to the dimensions of the Klipsch Cinema 600. I do want to take a moment to mention that while I have only ever used the black version of the Sonos Arc, they do also make this in white which looks very cool too. The moment you take the Sonos Arc out of the box, you know that you are dealing with something that is very well made and high-quality. It just feels so solid, so premium and so well put together that while it is expensive, you feel like you have gotten a lot of bang for your buck.
Rather than use fabric, Sonos has gone for a solid plastic for the entire soundbar and this is a design choice that I am very happy with. The grille is plastic and the way it curves and wraps around the soundbar gives the Sonos Arc a very sexy kind of look. This is actually amplified when you set it next to the rather boxy looking Klipsch Cinema 600. It is the kind of tech that is a real showcase piece and that would look very cool in any room that you have it in. Sonos, I feel must be getting close to showing off a Sonos Arc 2 or some new soundbar, but how they can improve on this design, I truly do not know, but I am very excited to see what they have planned that is for sure.
The Sonos Arc is so sexy it will hypnotize you just like the epic Biggie Smalls song from The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death album. We do though have to take a look around the back and see what Sonos have in store for us in regards to hooking this thing up. As this is a Dolby Atmos soundbar, Sonos decided that 99 percent of people will be hooking this up via HDMI and that is why there is no optical port on the back of here. I actually do not have a problem with this as I do not know why you would spend this kind of money on a soundbar and not use the main feature. However, Sonos do give you a little HDMI to optical cable if you do want to connect it to your TV that way. There is also a handy little USB port that is there for updating the firmware should you ever need to do that.
The Verdict:
I have to say that this is a pretty easy win for the Sonos Arc. I do like the design of the Klipsch Cinema 600 and actually, it has cinema in the name and it does kind of look like the speakers you would see in a cinema. However, the boxy design and the way the speakers at the side look are not my cup of tea. Still, the Sonos Arc is next level when it comes to the design. It is sleek, it is sexy and it looks amazing, you will not be disappointed with the design.
The Sound
Sound is the most vital category in this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc battle. This is an interesting battle. You see one offers Dolby Atmos and the other does not, but the other one has a subwoofer for better bass! It makes it something that is very interesting to talk about and I am excited to dive right into it so let’s just do that!
Klipsch Cinema 600:
I did come across this pretty neat Klipsch Cinema 600 Sound Test which can give you a basic idea of what you can expect from the sound that the Klipsch Cinema 600 is going to offer you. One of the things that impressed me right out of the box (before I played around with the settings) was just how balanced the sound the Klipsch cinema 600 offers. If you were to watch a movie that has a vast range of sound such as Avatar for example. You will notice how all kinds of sound like ambient sound, speech, and loud action scenes have a great balance when pumped through the 600. I would wager that most people would take this out of the box, set it up, and just leave all the settings as is as Klipsch has them near perfect for people right out of the box.
As far as the subwoofer goes it is great. Usually, when a soundbar comes with a subwoofer I am a little bit on the skeptical side in regards to quality. As this has the Klipsch name on it I should have known they would not skimp on the quality. This down firing subwoofer is pretty great at giving you some nice bass to your movies. A great example I want to give you is Cloverfield which was fantastic through this. I actually had it cranked up pretty damn loud and it really did give me that cinema vibe as I was watching it.
I am going to stick with the Cloverfield series for a second here as I talk about the amazing and tense, 10 Cloverfield Lane. What I am talking about here is the clear voice that the Klipsch Cinema 600 provides. It truly is amazing stuff, the performance from John Goodman in this movie is nothing short of epic. However, it is his performance that shows this soundbar off in what it can do! He can go from being very softly spoken to yelling like a crazy person and you never skip a beat with this soundbar as the vocals are so clear.
Sonos Arc:
Ok so I know that this Sonos: The Mandalorian meets Arc video is short, but it is fun and lets you know that the Sonos Arc is not messing around when it comes to offering an amazing sound performance in the comfort of your own home. Bringing the cinema experience home is what this soundbar is all about and thanks to the impressive Dolby Atmos capabilities that it has, they do just that. While the movie was not one of my favorites, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has an amazing Dolby Atmos track, and the Arc well and truly does it justice. I think for big blockbuster movies that have clearly had a lot of work done in regards to supporting Dolby Atmos are going to thrive when played through the Arc. There is a very good reason why the Arc features on so many best soundbar lists! The way it engulfs you would sound is something that is very hard to write about and you really have to experience for yourself.
Ok, so the Dolby Atmos is great and movies that have a lot of action are going to be awesome. However, the Sonos Arc also brings it to movies, TV shows and so on that are more dialogue heavy too. Take a movie like the phenomenal Cast Away for example. You get crystal clear dialogue that would make it impossible to go back to your TV’s terrible speakers. However, due to the design of the Sonos Arc, the ambient sound you get in a movie like this also shines. A movie like Black Panther that is action heavy, but also has a lot of dialogue really does hit that sweet spot. There is no fumbling around with the remote turning it up when people are talking and the having to turn it down when something action based happens!
As the Klipsch Cinema 600 does come with a dedicated subwoofer it clearly trumps the Sonos Arc in the bass department. You can get the Sonos Sub (which I have not had the pleasure to test out as of yet) however, that is very expensive. I have to say that in all the times I have used the Sonos Arc, I have never had an issue with the level of bass that it provides. Men in Black is a movie series I love and I watched the first one via this and thought that in the bass department it was as good as any other soundbar I had tested out.
The Verdict:
I do feel that this is all down to what you want from your soundbar. If you want cinema style Dolby Atmos you have to go for the Sonos Arc. It is one of the best in this category on the market right now. It truly is an amazing soundbar and one that people fall in love with as soon as they get it. Now, the Klipsch Cinema 600 on the other hand does offer a nice balanced kind of sound. Plus, you get that fantastic subwoofer which gives you some nice meaty bass and kicks some serious ass too! For me personally, I would take the Dolby Atmos over the subwoofer, but I can see why some people would go the other way.
The Remote Control
When I started this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc, I knew that this was going to be the easiest segment for me to write. If you have read any other article I have written that features the Sonos Arc (and there are quite a few on the site) you know already what way this is going to go!
Klipsch Cinema 600: The Klipsch Cinema 600 has an awesome remote control! I like the size of it and the design is comfortable to hold and flip around to drive your wife nuts when you are trying to watch a movie. It does not have a ton of buttons, but Klipsch has been clever with the design as you can control every aspect of the soundbar. It is very easy to figure out and they do give you a few different settings to play around with if you want to tinker with the sound and get it just the way you like.
Sonos Arc: I would love to meet the guy who designed the Sonos Arc and decided that it did not need a remote control! Sonos decided that as pretty much everyone has a smartphone these days that they can use that to control the Sonos Arc instead of a dedicated remote control. I have said this a million times, but this is not a decision I am cool with. Sonos has designed a fantastic app that is easy to use and gives you complete control of the soundbar. However, I do not want to have to pick up my phone and open an app when I want to quickly change the volume. At the very least, they should have included a basic remote that gives you access to the basic features of the soundbar.
The Verdict: As long as I write these articles, I do not see a situation where the Sonos Arc is ever going t come out on top in this category! I just cannot get my head around the decision to not have a remote control! Now, the Klipsch Cinema 600 wins this one by default, but that is doing Klipsch a huge disservice. I say this because the remote control they give you with that is fantastic, Actually, the remote they give you with the Klipsch Cinema 800 is very similar and builds on what the 600 did.
What Is In The Box?
See just how much bang for your buck you are getting with each of these soundbars as we take a look at what you can expect in the box. This way there will be no hidden surprises like Gremlins or Small Soldiers waiting to get you!
Klipsch Cinema 600: Like any soundbar that comes with a subwoofer the Klipsch Cinema 600 comes in a massive box. That is something you do have to take into consideration if you plan on going to a store to pick this up. Inside this giant sized box, you have your soundbar, subwoofer, and their accompanying power cables. You do also get an HDMI cable, but there is no optical cable included so you will need to pick one up if you plan on hooking this up to your TV that way. You also get your remote control, which actually comes with a set of batteries! If you decide that you want to mount this on the wall, you also get brackets and a handy mounting template.
Sonos Arc: As the Sonos Arc is pretty large so is the box, but Sonos has managed to keep it more streamlined which I do appreciate. You get your soundbar and its power cable in here. You also get your instruction booklet too, but who the heck actually needs that? Sonos also gives you an HDMI cable and a little HDMI to optical cable as well should you decide to hook it up that way for some crazy reason! Just a reminder that if you want the Dolby Atmos, you need to hook this thing up via HDMI!
The Verdict: While the Sonos Arc gives you all that you need inside the box, the fact they ditched the remote control makes this an easy win for the Klipsch Cinema 600! I know that they could have included an optical cable. However, the fact that Sonos is trying to take away my remote control is not something I am ok with!
What Is The Best?
I have had a fun time putting together this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Arc contest. However, I do have to say that every fiber of my being is telling me that the clear winner here is the Sonos Arc. It is one of the most premium soundbars on the market right now and the Dolby Atmos gives you that cinema quality sound which makes watching a movie in your own home a truly amazing experience. While I do feel that the Sonos Arc is the better soundbar. I do have to say that the Klipsch Cinema 600 is a damn fine opponent. It offers a fantastic and very impressive balanced sound and the included subwoofer is great too. I think at the end of the day, it is going to be the massive price difference that decides this one for you. Is Dolby Atmos really worth all that extra money? I would say yes, but I am a weird and OCD kind of guy!
