The catch
Sonos Beam Ultra
It has no generic RCA powered-sub output. Adapters and Sonos expansion mean further purchases. Look at the CCFL TV exclusion and the top-clearance requirements.
Side by side
Sonos Beam Ultra vs Klipsch Flexus Core 200: A turntable plugs into Beam, and your powered sub can stay with Klipsch
Quick verdict
A turntable input is possible on the Beam Ultra through an optional adapter, and the Core 200 can keep a compatible powered sub. Let the equipment you plan to keep guide the choice. The Beam also brings Wi-Fi music and a documented TV-headphone route with compatible Sonos headphones. The Core 200 is the useful choice when its 44-inch cabinet fits and a conventional powered sub is staying. Neither bar accepts both a direct analog record-player input and a generic wired powered sub.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Hold on to the right half of the old system
When you replace a receiver, you may want to hold on to both your record player and a powered sub that still works. Each of these two bars keeps a different half of that plan. Beam Ultra takes the record player through a separately sold Sonos adapter and the right preamp. Core 200 has an RCA output for a compatible powered sub, but the turntable cannot plug into that socket. Before you compare offers, decide which of your existing pieces you cannot do without. If both have to connect directly to the new bar, neither model meets the combined requirement. You then need a different connection plan or another type of product, and not a cable picked because the plugs look alike.
Where this comes from
Signal direction and supported analog roles, set against two components kept from an older receiver system. Neither conclusion covers passive subs or unamplified phono output. No guarantee is made for any alternative converter, since none is invented here.
The catch
Klipsch Flexus Core 200
The RCA socket on this bar is an output for a subwoofer and cannot take a turntable. It has no Wi-Fi music and no separate HDMI source input.
Sonos Beam Ultra
- Why pick it
- Your record player has to plug into a line-in on the bar itself, with the required Sonos adapter, cable and phono preamp.
- Wi-Fi music or TV listening on compatible Sonos headphones appeals to you, and you accept the separate accessories and the TV compatibility checks.
- The catch
- It has no generic RCA powered-sub output. Adapters and Sonos expansion mean further purchases. Look at the CCFL TV exclusion and the top-clearance requirements.
Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Why pick it
- A powered sub with a compatible RCA or LFE input is already yours, and you want to keep using it.
- Bluetooth takes care of your music, and the 44-inch, 3.0625-inch-tall bar fits your TV furniture.
- The catch
- The RCA socket on this bar is an output for a subwoofer and cannot take a turntable. It has no Wi-Fi music and no separate HDMI source input.
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What this page compares
Beam Ultra against Flexus Core 200 for an existing subwoofer, record player and shared living room. See which of your equipment survives the switch of soundbar.
Each is a standalone Atmos bar with optional expansion, aimed at people who are simplifying a TV system. Which approach costs less to complete can flip depending on the source and bass equipment you already have.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
A compatible powered RCA-input sub has to stay in use
The matching output is on Core 200. Beam expands with a compatible Sonos sub.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Not suitable
- Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Better fit
The record player has to be plugged in at the bar
Beam works with a specified optional adapter. The RCA socket on Core 200 is an output.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Not suitable
Both a direct analog source input and a generic wired sub output are required
Each keeps just one of those direct connections.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Not suitable
- Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Not suitable
The surface you can use is 36 inches across
Beam Ultra measures 29.53 inches across and Core 200 measures 44 inches, excluding clearances.
- Sonos Beam Ultra
- Better fit
- Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Not suitable
In practice
Differences you will notice
Hold on to the right half of the old system
When you replace a receiver, you may want to hold on to both your record player and a powered sub that still works. Each of these two bars keeps a different half of that plan. Beam Ultra takes the record player through a separately sold Sonos adapter and the right preamp. Core 200 has an RCA output for a compatible powered sub, but the turntable cannot plug into that socket. Before you compare offers, decide which of your existing pieces you cannot do without. If both have to connect directly to the new bar, neither model meets the combined requirement. You then need a different connection plan or another type of product, and not a cable picked because the plugs look alike.
How we worked this out
Signal direction and supported analog roles, set against two components kept from an older receiver system. Neither conclusion covers passive subs or unamplified phono output. No guarantee is made for any alternative converter, since none is invented here.
A small TV room may tip things toward the bar that leaves the console in place
On a narrow TV unit shared by a game console and audio equipment, trading a 44-inch bar for a 29.53-inch one frees up 14.47 inches of width. With Beam Ultra, the console may be able to stay beside the TV and not end up on a shelf that suits it badly. The lower cabinet also affects clearance at the screen, though the overhead output has to be checked separately. Core 200 is still attractive when the surface is wide enough and keeping a powered sub saves you another purchase. Cabinet height alone should not decide it. Measure the TV sensor, allow room for plugs and ventilation, and follow the placement instructions for the bar.
How we worked this out
44 minus 29.53 = 14.47 inches. The different cabinet heights and Beam Ultra overhead guidance are set against shared furniture. Console ventilation and safe installation are not established without the actual device requirements.
A connection ecosystem may beat bass hardware for viewing after bedtime
A powered sub earns its keep for weekend films but means nothing when one person wants to keep watching after the household has gone quiet. Beam Ultra has a documented TV Audio Swap route to compatible Sonos Ace or Ace Ultra headphones, which you buy separately. That gives you a planned way to move off room-speaker playback, with no assumption that ordinary Bluetooth headphones will work. The powered-sub output on Core 200 takes care of the bass connection and not of that headphone workflow. If your TV already offers a satisfactory headphone route, Beam’s ecosystem advantage may not be enough reason to swap out equipment that works. Confirm the TV route on its own terms, including any delay or format limits, before you treat it as equivalent.
How we worked this out
The headphone route Sonos supports compared with the powered-sub role Klipsch documents, set against speaker use by day and headphone use late at night. That Klipsch documents no equivalent feature is not treated as proof that no external TV solution exists.
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.
Sonos Beam Ultra
Fails these checksWith 0 separate HDMI source inputs, it cannot take the 1 device you want to plug into the bar.
Klipsch Flexus Core 200
Fails these checksAt 3.0625 inches tall, it is higher than the 3 inches below your picture.
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
Sonos, BMULTUS1BLK
Sonos Beam Ultra
Your record player has to plug into a line-in on the bar itself, with the required Sonos adapter, cable and phono preamp.
- Best for
- Your record player has to plug into a line-in on the bar itself, with the required Sonos adapter, cable and phono preamp.
Facts we checked
- Analog connection direction: Optional adapter accepts line-level audio from a source
- Width and height: 29.53 inches wide and 2.56 inches tall
- Music with TV off: Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth
- TV headphone route: TV Audio Swap with separately purchased compatible Sonos headphones
Option B
Klipsch, Flexus Core 200
Klipsch Flexus Core 200
A powered sub with a compatible RCA or LFE input is already yours, and you want to keep using it.
- Best for
- A powered sub with a compatible RCA or LFE input is already yours, and you want to keep using it.
Facts we checked
- Analog connection direction: RCA output sends bass audio to a compatible powered sub
- Width and height: 44 inches wide and 3.0625 inches tall
- Music with TV off: Bluetooth music, no Wi-Fi streaming
- TV headphone route: No equivalent TV-headphone route established in the reviewed documentation
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Sonos Beam Ultra | Klipsch Flexus Core 200 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analog connection direction | Optional adapter accepts line-level audio from a source | RCA output sends bass audio to a compatible powered sub | Input sockets and output sockets each handle a different part of replacing the old system. |
| Width and height | 29.53 inches wide and 2.56 inches tall | 44 inches wide and 3.0625 inches tall | Beam frees up 14.47 inches of width, but suitable space is still needed for its upward path. |
| Music with TV off | Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth | Bluetooth music, no Wi-Fi streaming | How the household shares sources can matter more than the number of drivers. |
| TV headphone route | TV Audio Swap with separately purchased compatible Sonos headphones | No equivalent TV-headphone route established in the reviewed documentation | Beam has a documented path. That does not mean headphones are universally ruled out with Klipsch. |
| HDMI source expansion | No separate source HDMI input | No separate source HDMI input | With either bar, switching between consoles and players is still done by the TV. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Sonos Beam Ultra
- Holding on to a turntable does nothing to make a passive or proprietary wireless sub compatible with the bar.
With Klipsch Flexus Core 200
- Another compatible source route is needed for a record player. Do not plug its audio output into the subwoofer output.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
The powered sub is the piece you need to keep
Go with Klipsch Flexus Core 200. As long as the sub is compatible, Core 200 supports the line-level output that matters here.
What is missing is a record-player input or a Sonos route for TV on headphones
Go with Sonos Beam Ultra. Beam offers those documented paths, with accessories sold separately and compatibility to check.
Decision guide
Before you buy
Simplifying an older audio system is the goal, without finding out afterward that the record player or powered sub you kept has no compatible connection any more.
What this page can’t tell you
- No winner on bass, dialogue, fatigue or hearing benefit is inferred. Any TV headphone route you already use has to be verified separately. Neither product comes with external rear speakers or a subwoofer.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonos Beam Ultra |
|
| |
| Klipsch Flexus Core 200 |
|
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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.
Sonos Beam Ultra
Your record player has to plug into a line-in on the bar itself, with the required Sonos adapter, cable and phono preamp.
Wi-Fi music or TV listening on compatible Sonos headphones appeals to you, and you accept the separate accessories and the TV compatibility checks.
See price & reviews on AmazonKlipsch Flexus Core 200
A powered sub with a compatible RCA or LFE input is already yours, and you want to keep using it.
Bluetooth takes care of your music, and the 44-inch, 3.0625-inch-tall bar fits your TV furniture.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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