The catch
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
At three inches tall, it can block a low screen. It has no Wi-Fi music and no separate HDMI source input.
Side by side
Klipsch Flexus Core 100 vs Sonos Beam Gen 2: Beam fits a lower screen, Core 100 can keep your wired sub
Quick verdict
The Core 100 can reuse a compatible wired powered sub, whereas the Beam is narrower and 0.32 inch lower. If that sub and a Bluetooth music routine already work for you, take the Core 100. For Wi-Fi music, compatible Sonos expansion and a lower cabinet, take the Beam. Trueplay tuning on the Beam requires a compatible iPhone or iPad, and neither bar adds HDMI source inputs.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Which whole system costs less can hinge on the sub you already own
When an older receiver setup is being downsized into a small apartment, a working powered sub may be the one piece worth holding on to. Core 100 has a wired RCA sub output, whereas Beam expands through compatible Sonos subwoofers. Core 100 can save you from buying another bass box if your current sub has a suitable line-level RCA or LFE input. The saving vanishes if the old sub is passive, connects only over a proprietary wireless link or lacks a suitable input. Inspect the actual unit before you compare the Amazon offers for the two bars. The total cost of the equipment that completes your setup is what counts. The price of a soundbar that leaves part of it unusable does not tell you that.
Where this comes from
Documented output and ecosystem compatibility, applied to replacing an older system in a smaller room. No universal cost or acoustic advantage is claimed. The sub you already have must be powered and have a compatible input.
The catch
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
It has no generic RCA powered-sub output. Trueplay depends on compatible iOS hardware.
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- Why pick it
- Your powered sub has a compatible RCA or LFE input, and you would like to go on using it.
- Bluetooth is enough for your music, and the 28-inch, three-inch-tall bar sits clear of the TV.
- The catch
- At three inches tall, it can block a low screen. It has no Wi-Fi music and no separate HDMI source input.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Why pick it
- Wi-Fi music, a smaller cabinet and the option of adding compatible Sonos speakers are what you want.
- You own a compatible iOS device for Trueplay and want to be able to turn off the touch controls around children or pets.
- The catch
- It has no generic RCA powered-sub output. Trueplay depends on compatible iOS hardware.
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What this page compares
Core 100 against Beam Gen 2 for a compact TV, an old powered sub and music around a shared home. Look at screen clearance, expansion costs and iPhone-only tuning.
Each is a compact standalone bar with virtual Atmos and optional expansion. A buyer with a small TV could consider either, and they differ in which existing equipment and household devices keep being useful.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
A compatible conventional powered sub is something you want to reuse
The RCA output is on Core 100. Beam calls for compatible Sonos expansion.
- Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- Better fit
- Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Not suitable
The gap you measured at the screen is 2.8 inches
The cabinets stand 3 and 2.68 inches tall. Check the sensor and the plugs as well.
- Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- Not suitable
- Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Better fit
You require Wi-Fi music
Bluetooth is what Core 100 uses instead.
- Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- Not suitable
- Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Better fit
Trueplay is needed, and no compatible iOS device is at hand
To run that tuning on Beam you need a compatible iPhone or iPad.
- Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- Not suitable
- Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Caution
In practice
Differences you will notice
Which whole system costs less can hinge on the sub you already own
When an older receiver setup is being downsized into a small apartment, a working powered sub may be the one piece worth holding on to. Core 100 has a wired RCA sub output, whereas Beam expands through compatible Sonos subwoofers. Core 100 can save you from buying another bass box if your current sub has a suitable line-level RCA or LFE input. The saving vanishes if the old sub is passive, connects only over a proprietary wireless link or lacks a suitable input. Inspect the actual unit before you compare the Amazon offers for the two bars. The total cost of the equipment that completes your setup is what counts. The price of a soundbar that leaves part of it unusable does not tell you that.
How we worked this out
Documented output and ecosystem compatibility, applied to replacing an older system in a smaller room. No universal cost or acoustic advantage is claimed. The sub you already have must be powered and have a compatible input.
The Atmos badge can count for less than a fraction of an inch
A small TV on its original low feet may not clear the picture or the remote sensor with Core 100, however compact its width. Its three inches of height is 0.32 inch more than Beam’s 2.68 inches. If your measured gap falls between those two heights, Beam is the practical fit and you do not have to raise the TV or change furniture. Both use a virtual height presentation, so do not pick either one assuming the Atmos label means dedicated upward-firing height drivers. Measure the screen and the sensor separately, and leave space behind the bar for its plugs. With less than 2.68 inches of usable clearance, neither cabinet solves the placement as measured.
How we worked this out
3 minus 2.68 = 0.32 inch. This is a conditional geometric fit and promises no remote-control result. It is not a recommendation to use an unstable TV riser.
A feature meant for a shared room may carry a hidden requirement about your phone
Beam appeals when the TV room doubles as the household’s Wi-Fi music spot. Its Trueplay room tuning, though, needs a compatible iPhone or iPad. In a household that only has Android devices, separate the supported music features from that tuning requirement before you buy. In the app, Beam also lets you turn off the touch controls, which helps if a child or pet keeps touching the top of the bar. Core 100 gives you sound adjustments in an app and Bluetooth music, with no equivalent room-measurement system promised. Neither one guarantees clearer speech for a listener with hearing difficulties, and locking the controls is not a child-safety feature.
How we worked this out
Sonos tuning tied to specific devices and a documented touch-control setting, set against shared-home music and accidental operation. It is not inferred that Klipsch control locking is absent just because it is undocumented.
Plug in your numbers
Is there room for the soundbar under your TV?
Measure the clear space under your TV. Count only the devices you will plug into the soundbar. Leave out the ones already connected to the TV. The numbers below are placeholders until you enter yours.
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
Measure the top of an open shelf. This check does not cover enclosed cubbies. Detachable speakers count toward the docked width. Leave extra depth for cables and the TV stand. This checks size and port count only. Dolby Atmos, 4K/120Hz passthrough and the audio formats your TV supports are outside it.
Option A
Klipsch, Core 100
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
Your powered sub has a compatible RCA or LFE input, and you would like to go on using it.
- Best for
- Your powered sub has a compatible RCA or LFE input, and you would like to go on using it.
Facts we checked
- Cabinet clearance: 28 × 3 × 5 inches
- Existing powered sub: RCA powered-sub output
- Music routine: Bluetooth playback, no Wi-Fi music
- Room setup and controls: App adjustments including Dialog Boost and Night Mode
Option B
Sonos, Beam Gen 2
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Wi-Fi music, a smaller cabinet and the option of adding compatible Sonos speakers are what you want.
- Best for
- Wi-Fi music, a smaller cabinet and the option of adding compatible Sonos speakers are what you want.
Facts we checked
- Cabinet clearance: 25.63 × 2.68 × 3.94 inches
- Existing powered sub: Compatible Sonos sub expansion, no RCA sub output
- Music routine: Wi-Fi streaming and AirPlay
- Room setup and controls: Trueplay on compatible iOS, Night Sound and optional touch-control disable
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Klipsch Flexus Core 100 | Sonos Beam (Gen 2) | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet clearance | 28 × 3 × 5 inches | 25.63 × 2.68 × 3.94 inches | Beam is narrower by 2.37 inches and lower by 0.32 inch, a difference that can matter at a screen edge. |
| Existing powered sub | RCA powered-sub output | Compatible Sonos sub expansion, no RCA sub output | A suitable conventional sub can stay in use with Core 100, but Beam cannot take it directly. |
| Music routine | Bluetooth playback, no Wi-Fi music | Wi-Fi streaming and AirPlay | Base the choice on the household’s sources and services as well as film playback. |
| Room setup and controls | App adjustments including Dialog Boost and Night Mode | Trueplay on compatible iOS, Night Sound and optional touch-control disable | Tuning Beam requires a particular kind of device. Its control lock can prevent accidental taps. |
| HDMI source ports | None, TV eARC connection only | None, TV ARC or eARC connection only | With either bar, a crowded TV input panel is still a separate problem. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Klipsch Flexus Core 100
- The RCA socket does not make an old proprietary wireless sub or a passive sub compatible.
With Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Plan on compatible Sonos expansion instead of assuming a sub or rear pair you own will connect.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
You plan to keep a compatible powered sub you already have
Go with Klipsch Flexus Core 100. Its RCA output lets it stay useful.
Wi-Fi music or a lower cabinet is what solves the room constraint
Go with Sonos Beam (Gen 2). Beam brings those benefits, along with its own tuning and expansion requirements.
Decision guide
Before you buy
A smaller TV setup is the aim, without replacing a good subwoofer or making a shared-room feature depend on a phone you do not own.
What this page can’t tell you
- No advantage in measured dialogue, isolation, bass or neighbor noise is established. A night listening mode does not guarantee that sound stays inside the room.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the soundbars we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klipsch Flexus Core 100 |
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| |
| Sonos Beam (Gen 2) |
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Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
Your powered sub has a compatible RCA or LFE input, and you would like to go on using it.
Bluetooth is enough for your music, and the 28-inch, three-inch-tall bar sits clear of the TV.
See price & reviews on AmazonSonos Beam (Gen 2)
Wi-Fi music, a smaller cabinet and the option of adding compatible Sonos speakers are what you want.
You own a compatible iOS device for Trueplay and want to be able to turn off the touch controls around children or pets.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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