We’ve been listening to about Dolby FlexConnect for just a few years because it was introduced in 2023, and Dolby and TCL have given demos of the know-how prior to now, however we’re lastly on the level the place the know-how is coming to the buyer market. And the primary audio system to include FlexConnect are the TCL Z100 and its companion Z100-SW subwoofer.
I obtained the chance to listen to the audio system at Interscope Data in Santa Monica on a sunny LA afternoon (is there some other form?) in early August. The demonstration was spectacular for a primary product try, though it did have some drawbacks. Extra importantly, I had the takeaway that FlexConnect and audio system just like the TCL Z100 promise to transcend the perfect soundbars in making residence theater speaker setup simpler and faster than ever.
The occasion was a joint endeavor (very similar to the speaker) by TCL and Dolby. After introductions, there was an illustration and transient Q&A about Dolby Atmos mixing earlier than shifting right into a room with three TCL Z100 audio system and a Z100-SW subwoofer arrange.
The Atmos combine demonstration session featured Nick Rives, the Director of Audio Engineering for Common Music Group, who can also be an achieved and extremely gifted Dolby Atmos music mixer. Critically, go take heed to his Atmos mixture of Billie Eilish’s “bury a buddy” to get a fantastic instance of what a Dolby Atmos music combine can do.
I’ll wait. Okay, again? It’s actually good, proper?
Within the session, Mr. Rives defined how Atmos and the way in which it’s combined differ from conventional encompass sound mixing. Mainly, Atmos is extra than simply including top results.
For a fast primer, once you combine in encompass sound, the sound is connected to a selected speaker as a way to decide its location. So, for instance, when there’s a automotive that screeches to a halt offscreen proper, the mixer places the tire squeal sound impact in the suitable entrance channel, most likely with some reverb that trails it into the suitable encompass speaker to provide it some house and distance. However that signifies that if the suitable entrance speaker’s placement is wider than it ought to be, so is the sound.
Dolby Atmos, in distinction, includes object-based mixing. Every particular person sound is taken into account an object, so when that tire squeal sound is combined by the re-recording engineer, as an alternative of attaching it to a selected speaker, it’s assigned to a spot in house. Then, it doesn’t matter what the Atmos configuration or speaker rely — 5.1.2 in your front room, as much as the handfuls of audio system present in an Atmos cinema — when the Atmos soundtrack is decoded, that sound is recreated within the correct relative location.
Even with Atmos, there’s nonetheless an expectation of correct speaker placement close to conventional positions for correct efficiency. FlexConnect, alternatively, takes that concept of sounds in an area to the speaker stage. So what precisely is FlexConnect?
What’s FlexConnect?
Dolby FlexConnect lets you place any speaker that features the know-how wirelessly wherever in your room. This may very well be in what can be thought-about a conventional encompass sound speaker location, however the great thing about the know-how is that it doesn’t must be. After a fast automated setup so the system is aware of the place every speaker is positioned, the speaker is optimized to ship Atmos audio no matter its location.
One of many largest hurdles that encompass sound and Dolby Atmos have confronted is the necessity for audio system to be within the right place for audio magic to work. Over time, there have been changes made to permit for extra life-friendly configurations — as an example, soundbars, which don’t require extensively set left and proper discrete audio system that take up ground house. However if you’d like greater than TV sound, you’ve at all times wanted a soundbar or left and proper audio system, to not point out correct placement of encompass audio system for correct immersion.
FlexConnect audio system might theoretically be positioned wherever in a room, with their location detected throughout a fast setup course of. Better of all, the audio system are wi-fi, making a location close to energy the one placement restriction. In observe, it is smart to attempt to have the audio system positioned considerably close to conventional speaker places, however that’s not completely crucial.
TCL Z100 and Z100-SW: first look
The ultimate a part of the afternoon at Interscope was an illustration of the brand new TCL audio system. The TCL Z100 is a wi-fi 1.1.1 cylindrical speaker with a material wrap. It measures 11.87 inches excessive, 5.42 inches large, and 5.22 inches deep, and weighs 5.62 kilos. There are 4 buttons on the highest round a part of the up-firing speaker grille for energy, quantity, and to modify the supply between Wi-Fi (to connect with the TV) and Bluetooth 5.3 for streaming music from a tool.
The Z100-SW is a 130-Watt ported wi-fi sub with a 5.25-inch woofer. It’s very related in design to the Z100 with a fabric-wrapped look, however it’s greater and extra hexagonal. The Z100-SW is 13.15 inches tall, 9.61 inches large, and eight.87 inches deep, weighing 9.59 kilos.
For the demonstration, the setup included a TCL QM8K TV, with its built-in audio system turned on and contributing to the sound, three Z100 audio system, and a Z100-SW subwoofer. Two of the Z100 audio system had been on the perimeters of the room, in the direction of the entrance, however not within the conventional left and proper positions flanking the TV. The third Z100 was just a few toes behind the listening place to the suitable.
The sub was as much as the suitable of the TV, and there have been no audio system within the again left of the room. And this is among the limiting components of the Z100 FlexConnect system (though not of the FlexConnect know-how): Solely 4 audio system, together with a sub, may be related at one time, so the system we listened to couldn’t be expanded. In case you needed so as to add a speaker to the again left, you’d must take away the sub.
Setup was surprisingly quick. When you enter your seating distance, the audio system will play a nice 10-second monitor, and the microphone within the TV will hear to find out the speaker places. As soon as accomplished, the audio system will present their positioning on a room map displayed on the TV, which appears to be like to be remarkably correct.
There’s no want for an additional microphone setup, as is frequent with an AVR, or using an app on one other system. It’s all dealt with on the TV. Actually, it has to be dealt with on the TV — particularly, a TCL QM9K, QM8K, QM7K, or QM6K. Dolby permits for corporations that use FlexConnect know-how to make use of an app for setup and calibration, however within the case of the Z100 system, a kind of three TCL TVs is a requirement (future TCL TVs can even assist FlexConnect and work with the Z100 system). There’s the potential of different calibration options taking place sooner or later from TCL, however not on the preliminary launch.
When it got here to the demos of Hollywood movies, the FlexConnect system crammed the house nicely and delivered a convincing Atmos efficiency. The Z100-SW had extra bass than I anticipated from its 5.25-inch woofer – a testomony to the design of its enclosure.
Missiles flying across the room had been nicely dealt with by the Atmos up-firing audio system on the Z100. As talked about, the again of the room solely had a single Z100 on the suitable aspect. There was a little bit of a gap within the sound cover to the again left the place no speaker was positioned, however the sound wasn’t fully absent, and it didn’t trigger me to be pulled out of the scene when sound flew again into that nook. Nonetheless, if I had the chance to maneuver the speaker, and there was someplace to put it, I’d put a single rear speaker behind the listening place as an alternative of at one of many again sides.
Join-ing the dots
Even with a number of the limitations of the system in its present kind, the TCL Z100 Dolby FlexConnect speaker demo proved it to be a powerful and easy-to-use resolution. It appears to be completely designed for somebody who needs improved sound for his or her TCL QM collection TV with out having to depend on a soundbar or discrete Atmos speaker system powered by an AVR.
The pricing is akin to aggressive techniques as nicely. A single Z100 speaker will price $399.99 (round £295), with an anticipated avenue value of round $300 (round £220). Bundles are additionally accessible, with two Z100s priced at $799.98 (round £590), two audio system and a sub priced at $1,299.97 (round £960), and three audio system and a sub for $1,699.96 (round £1,300). Once more, these costs are all MSRP, so avenue costs will certainly be decrease, as is the tendency with TCL merchandise
Past the TCL Z100 FlexConnect speaker, Dolby’s know-how appears extremely promising by lifting a number of the restrictions we’ve all develop into accustomed to with residence theater sound. And by assuaging these obstacles, there’s an opportunity that extra individuals will really feel compelled to convey the Atmos expertise into their properties for each motion pictures and music. The TCL Z100 FlexConnect speaker isn’t only a new speaker from TCL; it’s the start of a brand new manner to consider residence theater.
