As TVs get slimmer and 4K video becomes the norm, improving sound quality without the clutter of a traditional component audio system has become vital. This guide will compare two top-rated soundbar options – the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 vs the Klipsch Cinema 800 – to help you achieve immersive, cinema-quality audio with minimal setup.
What Are Soundbars, and Why Do They Matter for Home Entertainment?
Soundbars represent an appealing one-stop upgrade for flatscreen viewing compared to more complex home theater arrays. Modern soundbars pack integrated subwoofers, advanced audio decoding, wireless music streaming, and voice control into a single slim speaker bar.
But not all soundbars live up to their promises. Critical factors any premium soundbar should deliver include:
- Wide, Consistent Frequency Response: Clear, balanced sound across low bass, rich midrange, and crisp high/treble frequencies
- Spectral Separation: Distinct audio elements rather than a muddy blend of instruments and effects
- Expansive Soundstage: audio that extends beyond the physical dimensions, immersing you in cinematic width and depth
- Dialogue Clarity: Voices cut through the mix with pristine intelligibility so you never miss critical lines
- Powerful Peak Output: Delivers impactful transients and avoids distortion at loud volumes
- Latest Audio Codec Support: Decodes surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos over HDMI eARC
- Seamless Connectivity: Simple hardwire or wireless casting from smartphones and computers
Keep these factors in mind as we contrast options from pioneers in premium home audio.
Legacy Brands Built on Pristine Fidelity
Both Bowers & Wilkins and Klipsch carry strong reputations for accurate, life-like sound harkening back to their roots designing monitors for recording studios and concert venues.
Bowers & Wilkins: Revered Reference Monitors Turned Sleek Soundbars
For over 50 years, Bowers & Wilkins has created benchmark speakers relied upon by Abbey Roads Studios as well as luxury automakers like BMW and Maserati.
With the Formation line launched in 2019, Bower & Wilkins took their audiophile pedigree from the recording booth to streamlined solutions like surround speaker systems and the Panorama 3 soundbar reviewed here.
Klipsch: Pioneered High-Efficiency Cinema Speakers
Founded in 1946, Klipsch built their reputation by applying horn-loaded speaker technology to movie theaters and concerts spaces for dynamic range with minimized distortion. Their speakers empowered the explosive sound behind film premieres and rock festivals at high volumes.
Today, Klipsch leverages this powerful cinema heritage in home designs ranging from bookshelf speakers to the Cinema 800 soundbar matched up to Bowers & Wilkins‘ latest.
Now that you understand the pedigree behind each brand, let‘s break down how they compare where it matters most – sound quality and components.
Soundbar Audio Showdown: Panorama 3 vs. Cinema 800 Head-to-Head
| Specs | Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 | Klipsch Cinema 800 |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 3.1.2 | 3.1.2 |
| Dedicated Speakers | 2 tweeters, 4 midrange, 6 woofers, 1 center channel | 2 tweeters, 6 midrange woofers, 10-inch wireless subwoofer |
| Amplifier Power | 400 watts | 600 watts |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz – 48kHz | 34Hz – 20kHz |
| Wireless Audio | Bluetooth, Airplay 2, Spotify Connect | Bluetooth |
Despite nearly identical 3.1.2 channel setups on paper, these two soundbars produce vastly different listening experiences – with Bowers & Wilkins setting the higher bar across music, movies, and TV.
Cinematic Soundstage: Wider and More Immersive
From the opening blast of the THX theme to soaring sci fi scores, the Panorama 3‘s separation and imaging make sound effects breathe around you in a wider, airier soundstage. The integrated processing seamlessly blends channels for cohesive phantom center imaging while enhancing cross-firing side and height cues for a taller presence.
Vocals stay locked to the screen yet retain detail and intimacy – critical for <>content with lots of rapid fire or accented dialogue. Even at deafening volumes, the Panorama 3 never loses poise or balance across effects and mix elements.
By comparison, the Klipsch Cinema 800 feels restrained, with a shorter, narrower stage. Sound clusters together rather than wrapping around, struggling to convey height and dimensionality. Distinct audio elements turn more homogenized at louder playback levels as well.
Musicality: Richness and Airiness
With music, the Panorama 3 again delights by revealing texture and nuance lost by the Cinema 800. Acoustic guitars shimmer with realistic resonance while electronic bass lines drive with precisely contoured punch. Familiar tracks sound refreshed with intricacies that recapture the vibrance of a live venue.
In comparison, the Cinema 800 seems to struggle producing the fullness and openness expected from Klipsch‘s heritage. Higher frequencies sound dull and compressed. Combined with booming low-end, the overall balance lacks authenticity – as if you switched a hi-fi component system for a Bluetooth mini-speaker.
The Panorama 3 simply provides superior sonic joy.
Connectivity and Components: Where the Cinema 800 Regains Some Ground
The Panorama 3 may claim the audio quality crown, but the Klipsch Cinema 800 bests it in some areas regarding physical design and connectivity:
- Included Subwoofer: The Cinema 800 packages a 10-inch wireless active sub. By contrast, the Panorama 3 relies on integrated drivers resulting in less visceral bass response.
- HDMI 2.1: With HDMI 2.1, the Cinema 800 automatically adjusts latency for gaming audio and passes through cutting edge 8K/60fps video sources. The Panorama 3 maxes out at 4K/60fps passthrough.
- Surround Ready: While both support Dolby Atmos height channels, only the Cinema 800 enables wireless surround speaker expansion for 5.1.4 immersion.
- Smart Assistant Integration: Use the Klipsch Connect app to access integrated Google Assistant and Alexa control. The Panorama 3 does support assistants via connected devices.
However, besides added bass the Cinema 800‘s lead in these areas doesn‘t overcome core sound quality deficiencies. And the Panorama 3 counters with superior codec support, wireless streaming versatility, and smarter industrial design.
Sound Formats Demystified: Making Sure Your Soundbar Keeps Up with Audio Technologies
To fully appreciate the nuances between these two models, let‘s decode the critical sound specifications tied to compatibility:
- Dolby Atmos & DTS:X: These advanced sound formats add height and object-based data to immerse you inside the sound field, critical for next-gen gaming and movies. Both bars support Atmos decoding.
- Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD MA: Required to pass high-res audio from Blu-ray players without quality loss over HDMI eARC connections. Again, both handle lossless surround codecs.
- Hi-Res Audio: Refers to above CD-quality music files encoded at 96kHz/24-bit fidelity vs 44.1kHz/16-bit CD quality. The Panorama 3 goes higher resolution at 192kHz/24-bit.
- Wireless Protocols: Bluetooth provides base wireless streaming while Apple Airplay 2 and Chromecast offer multi-room smart home integration. Spotify Connect enables direct streaming from the mobile app. The Panorama 3 supports them all while the Cinema 800 only has basic Bluetooth.
Soundbars for Media and Gaming: Consider Your Usage
Are you looking to upgrade a bedroom TV or construct an entertainment hub for gaming and movies? Soundbar needs can vary, so think about how you want to use your Panorama 3 or Cinema 800.
For background TV viewing, the Panorama 3 provides cleaner voice lift and musicality. But if easy smart assistant control matters most, the Klipsch better integrates Alexa and Google Assistant access.
Movie and gaming fanatics will fall in love with the Panorama 3‘s spectacle – wide mixing and hwash of effects pour over you. The Cinema 800 can‘t match the scale and dimensionality especially critical for immersive titles. Its Sound Mode+ intelligence attempts to emulate formats like Dolby Atmos but struggles to separate elements cleanly.
For streaming music lovers, either model offers app support like Tidal, Amazon Music, or Spotify Connect. However the Panorama 3 simply conveys richness and intimacy lost by the Cinema 800. Its spaciousness brings acoustic, rock, and orchestral recordings to life better.
Next-gen gaming remains tricky for many soundbars due to lag. But both bars promise 4K/120fps passthrough to support HDMI 2.1 consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X without delay. Only the Cinema 800 touts specially calibrated Game mode. Of course, its middling audio quality hinders getting the most from modern game soundtracks.
No matter your A/V priorities, the Panorama 3 should meet them in style.
Bottom Line: My Soundbar Recommendation to Friends
After this in-depth face-off contrasting flagship models from Bowers & Wilkins and Klipsch, the Panorama 3 earns my wholehearted recommendation for its superior musicality and cinematic soundstaging. Quite simply, it conveys the breath and dimension of movies, music, and games that the Klipsch Cinema 800 cannot.
The Cinema 800 bests expectations for physical design by integrating voice assistants and bundling a wireless subwoofer absent from the Panorama 3. It also supports next-generation gaming and entertainment formats. Yet none of these enticing features can overcome its average audio performance unbecoming of the Klipsch brand.
Meanwhile for just $100 more, the Panorama 3 delivers phenomenal fidelity worthy of high-end component systems in a dead simple soundbar package. That accessible high fidelity combined with extensive format support and wireless connectivity check every box I‘d want as an aspiring home theater enthusiast.
Treat your senses and simplify your setup with Bowers & Wilkins‘ sonic powerhouse Panorama 3 soundbar.
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