Today we are looking at the Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam. While I have looked at the Klipsch Cinema 600 a fair bit recently. However, it feels like a while since I looked at the Sonos Beam so I thought this would be a pretty interesting matchup to do. The last time we looked at the Beam here on the site was in my Sony HTX8500 vs Sonos Beam which is a better buy? article which was one of the more even matchups that I have done this year. For this battle, I think again it is quite an even one as these are two kinds of similar soundbars in regards to what they are offering.
The Price
You always have to start these things off with the price and this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam is no different. These are not too far apart in terms of price so that is why I could see more than a few people looking at both of these when it comes to finding the right soundbar for them.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
The most recent price for the Klipsch Cinema 600 over at Amazon was $549. I think this is more than a fair price, to be honest, but this is one of the craziest soundbars on Amazon when it comes to the price fluctuating! It goes up and down all of the time! Of course, you may be wondering if there are any deals for the 600 to be had on eBay. Well, I had a good look for you and out of all the Klipsch soundbars, this one seems to be the most readily available on eBay, I have seen it around the 350 bucks mark many times so it is worth shopping around and being patient.
Sonos Beam:
The Sonos Beam is a very popular soundbar, probably due to its size. It has a current price of $499 which is more than it was when I last looked at it! I did notice on Amazon the price does go up and down quite a bit so you certainly want to make sure that you shop around. I have seen this on Amazon for as low as $370 which is a great price and certainly makes this contest much more interesting. However, at 500 bucks I think that the price is a bit high, to be honest with you. I would actually recommend you look on eBay for the Sonos Beam. I just had a quick look and found a brand new one on there for under 300 bucks!
The Verdict:
I think this is a pretty even battle. I think that the average price of the Klipsch Cinema 600 being as much 100 bucks more is not out of line when you consider it comes with a soundbar. I have to say that side by side I do think that the Klipsch Cinema 600 is offering more meat on the bone in terms of the value for money. Still, I do think that the Sonos Beam is not out of line at all in regards to the asking price.
The Design
My favorite part of this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam has to be this design category. I say that because these are two very radically different soundbars when it comes to the design. I could actually see either one of these being preferable to you. It is a very personal preference kind of thing here as the designs are so different.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
I think that this Klipsch Cinema 600 – Get sucked into the movies (right from home!) video does a great job of giving you an idea of just how long the Klipsch Cinema 600 is. The overall dimensions of this soundbar are 45.1” x 2.9” x 3.3”. As it is quite long you will need at least a 50 inch TV like this Sony X80J 55 Inch TV for example if you want the soundbar to sit between your TV’s legs. It has a very impressive feel to it and when I first held it (what is this a baby?) I was nodding my head at how solid and high-quality the soundbar felt. Now, while this has that Klipsch quality all throughout it there is an aspect of the design that I think is going to either make or break this soundbar for you and that is the speakers which are on the side of the soundbar. The soundbar is made with black plastic and has this black fabric grill that covers the front and also the top of the soundbar. The side speakers are done in a much different style and I have to say I am not a massive fan of it. I could see why some people would think it is cool, but I prefer a more uniform kind of look.
As we head around the back of the Klipsch Cinema 600 we can see what it has in store for us in terms of connectivity. You have an HDMI and an optical port on the back of here. I am more of an HDMI guy when it comes to connectivity, but I like how there is an optical port on here as it gives people more options. You have a USB port, but that is actually on the side of the soundbar instead of the back like it usually is. This is another design choice that I am not sure I am super cool with, to be honest with you.
We do have to talk about the subwoofer as that is an important part of the Klipsch Cinema 600. It is actually a bit bigger than I thought it would be coming in at 18.4” x 14.3” x14.3”. I think that this is a good size, but not at the expense of it taking over the room! It actually has a solid build and a pretty cool design. I like how it is raised on these little feet that kind of make it look like it is floating. In all, the subwoofer fits in with the soundbar very well.
Sonos Beam:
What makes the Sonos Beam really stand out I think is its small stature. The dimensions of the Sonos Beam are 25.6” x 2.6” x 4.0. So if you have a smaller TV like this SAMSUNG 43-Inch Class Crystal UHD AU8000 Series – 4K UHD HDR Smart TV or even this smaller Toshiba 32LF221U21 31.5-inch Smart HD 720p TV – Fire TV then the Beam might be the soundbar that you want to go for. I love the overall design of the Beam and how curvy the thing is. It has a solid plastic feel to it, but the whole of the soundbar is covered by this fabric mesh which does look smart. However, I do have to say this can get covered in dust and it could be damaged pretty easily if you have kids or cats! One thing that I like about the Beam (and most other Sonos soundbars) is that they come in white and black. Check out this SONOS BEAM UNBOXING Part One video if you want to get a closer look at it.
While this is (as far as I know) the smallest offering from Sonos right now, I do think that it does have a pretty big personality. As I said, this is the soundbar that I feel is perfect for those that have a TV that is 42 inches or smaller, it is going to have no trouble sitting between a TV like that legs. Also, another plus of this being rather small in its size is that you do not have to worry about it hanging off the edge of your TV unit like some of the larger ones can do.
Around the back of the Sonos Beam, we have a design that is very similar to all of the other Sonos soundbars that are on the market right now. There is only an HDMI port on the back of here and that is pretty interesting. I am more of an HDMI guy to be honest with you so the lack of an optical port does not bother me in the slightest. However, if you do want to connect this to your TV via an optical cable do not worry. Sonos has you back as they include an HDMI to optical cable thing with the soundbar.
The Verdict:
You know if those side speakers were the exact same color as the rest of the soundbar I would probably give this one to the Klipsch Cinema 600. I think that the Sonos Beam wins this one for me. It is a very cool looking soundbar that is a bit more compact and I really like the curvy nature of the soundbar. It has a very sleek and elegant design that I am sure people will really fall in love with. I know that the whole thing being covered in fabric may raise some eyebrows so that could be something to consider.
The Sound
This Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam would not be complete without a category dedicated to sound. This is the main reason you are here after all to get that cinema style sound at home. Or at the very least, get better sound than your TV speakers are offering. Look, TVs are getting better with their speakers, but they are still pretty lacking if you ask me.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
Over the last year, I have used the Klipsch Cinema 600 a great deal. I have put it head to head with many other soundbars and I always come back to one word and that word is balance. The way that this balances sound is great and if you to get a better idea of the kind of sound this provides have a look at this short Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar Impressions video. I could not point my finger and say that it does one thing amazingly well, it does everything decently and it all adds up to a “balanced” sound. Watching a movie that has a good mixture of different kinds of sound like Zack Snyder’s Justice League. You have lots of action, ambient sound, talking and this handles it all very well, even without playing around with any of the various settings that the Klipsch Cinema 600 has to offer.
One area that I think that this really excels in is with the dialogue. One movie that I have watched multiple times and it only came out earlier this year is A Quiet Place Part II. A movie like this which has quieter and more precise dialogue really does shine. I have said this before, but my grandparents use this soundbar in their home and are more than happy. They are able to watch all their “amazing” TV shows without having to have the volume up so loud the neighbors start complaining. If you want a soundbar mainly for clear voice, you are not going to be disappointed with what is on offer here.
One of the advantages the Klipsch Cinema 600 has over the Sonos Beam is that it comes with a dedicated subwoofer. I know that some soundbars have internal subwoofers and they do a great job in adding a bit of bass to your movies and TV shows. However, there is no substitute for a dedicated subwoofer. This one is pretty damn good, I watched the new Mortal Kombat movie with this and was impressed at how thumping the bass was. It really did add quite a lot to the experience.
Sonos Beam:
I do have to start by saying that the Sonos Beam we are talking about today has been replaced by a newer model the Sonos Beam Gen 2 which is offering Dolby Atmos. The Beam we are looking at today is the original offering. Many videos like this Sonos Beam BASS IMPACT Test and Review – Listen to it HERE video seem to love what the original Beam offered. One movie I want to talk to you guys about is a bit of an obscure one called Blue Chips. This is a 90s basketball movie that stars Shaq and Penny Hardaway. What makes this movie great to talk about is the intro scene features a rambunctious basketball game with music, crowd noise, lots of yelling, and people talking too. It is a massive mixture of sound and the Beam handles it very well and it is all nice and clear.
The Sonos Beam like all of the other offerings from Sonos has amazing clarity when it comes to people talking. When my grandparents wanted me to get them a soundbar, people talking was their main focus. If you take a drama like The Wonder Years which was one of my favorite shows as a kid (I had a massive crush on Winnie Cooper) that is all about people talking to each other then you will certainly appreciate how the Beam works. It is very impressive what they have done here and I think if getting clearer dialogue is one of the main things you want from a soundbar, you are not going to be disappointed here.
When I checked out the Sonos Beam for the first time the one area that really surprised me was the bass that it produced. I thought for sure that a dedicated subwoofer would be a must with this, but I that is not the case. One of the first movies I watched with the Beam was a real favorite of mine, Starship Troopers and I was very taken aback at just how room filling the sound the Beam provided was. For such a small soundbar it packs one hell of a punch. I am pretty used to smaller soundbars lacking when it comes to bass and power, but that is 100 percent not the case here.
The Verdict:
I like the Sonos Beam and I have always been very complimentary about it. Heck, if you ask my grandparents, it is one of the greatest things ever invented! It does offer good sound, but I have to say that overall, the Klipsch Cinema 600 offers a much more balanced and room filling sound. It is not just because it comes with a subwoofer either. Overall, you are getting a much more “cinema like” sound out of this.
The Remote Control
I could not tell you why, but the remote control is always a category I love to write about. Ever since I was a kid, I have had an interest in remotes. Actually, it is probably because my dad was the master of the remote in our house as a kid and he hardly ever gave that thing up. Anyway, here we are at the remote control section of our Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam fight.
Klipsch Cinema 600: The Klipsch Cinema 600 comes with a pretty awesome remote control. I like how it has a very sleek and curvy design to it and it feels great to hold. Again, I am weird and like to hold a remote control. My eldest son is 14 and he seems to think that he is the master of the remote in our house! It features all of the buttons you will need and it is very clear to figure out what each thing does. It makes playing around with different sound presents easy too. In all, this is a damn fine remote, and Klipsch would actually use a very similar design for their Klipsch Cinema 800 which followed this.
Sonos Beam: If you know anything about Sonos you know what I am about to say here. The Sonos Beam does not come with a dedicated remote control. The idea here is that at its most basic, you can have it use your TV remote to control the basic functions, I found this not to be ideal, however, it is how my grandparents use it. You can also use your voice to control it if you want. The real way that you are supposed to use the Sonos Beam is with the app. Now to be fair, this app is great and gives you complete control over the sound the Beam produces. I just feel it could not have hurt them to make a basic remote control and throw it in here.
The Verdict: Come on! If you have read any of these VS articles that I have done you will know that Sonos has yet to win this category. I mean how could they? To be fair, the Klipsch Cinema 600 is not just winning this round by default. The remote that Klipsch gives you with this is great and I think that they have actually put up a hell of a fight in this category against other companies besides Sonos.
What Is In The Box?
Make sure you are getting what you are paying for as we take a gander at what you can expect in the boxes for these. Sure, it is a strange category, but think it is good to know if you need to buy anything else before your soundbar arrives at your house.
Klipsch Cinema 600: As the Klipsch Cinema 600 is a soundbar and subwoofer combo, it comes in a pretty big ass box! Getting this in the back of a smaller car could be a bit of a challenge so keep that in mind if you plan on getting this from a store. You, of course, get your soundbar and your subwoofer inside the giant house sized box. You also get the remote, which comes with a set of batteries so I give Klipsch a tip of the hat for that! They do also give you an HDMI cable which is the standard these days. This does mean if you want to connect this via an optical cable, you will have to buy one separately. To be fair these are cheap enough.
Sonos Beam: Next up we need to take a look at what is inside the box waiting for you when you buy the Sonos Beam. The first thing I have to say is that thanks to the smaller size of the Sonos Beam you do not have to worry about this coming in a Castle Grayskull sized box! As well as the actual soundbar, you get your instructions, an HDMI cable, and that nifty HDMI to optical connection too. In all, Sonos gives you all you need (well apart from a remote control!) to get going right out of the box.
The Verdict: In a category like this you really cannot pick a winner. At the end of the day both Klipsch and Sonos are giving you what you need here… well unless, you want to connect the 600 to your TV via an optical cable! I do like how Sonos gives you an HDMI to optical cable converter so perhaps that is enough to give them a slight edge in this category?
What Is The Best?
I think that the Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Sonos Beam matchup we have been looking at today has been pretty interesting. I could see someone making an argument for either one of these, to be honest with you. However, at the end of the day, this is my article and in my personal opinion, I feel that the Klipsch Cinema 600 is the better option. I think that even if you were to pay 50 to 100 bucks more than the Sonos Beam it is money well spent. It just offers an overall better sound and the inclusion of that dedicated subwoofer really does make a difference. The Sonos Beam is awesome and I know a few people who have one and are very happy with it. Plus, its smaller stature may suit your needs. Based purely on sound performance though, the Klipsch Cinema 600 wins this one. I do have to say that if you are deadest on the Beam, I would actually recommend you go for the Sonos Beam Gen 2 as it is offering far more.
