You know I am pretty stoked to be putting this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 article together. I have looked at the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 probably more than any other soundbar! Heck, I even put it against its own brothers in my epic Bose Soundbar 300 Vs 500 Vs 700 Which Is Better? showdown! As far as the Klipsch Cinema 600 goes, I just recently got the chance to put it through its paces. However, I have checked out the Dolby Atmos bigger brother the, Klipsch Cinema 800 in my Sonos Arc vs Klipsch Cinema 800 which is better? article so I am interested to see how it goes up against the Bose 700.
The Price
You have to start this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 contest of right and that is with the price, or is that the price is right? Either way, these are two rather expensive soundbars and they both at the time they were released were the most premium offering from both Klipsch and Bose. Both companies have since come out with newer more expensive soundbars. The big question is are these still worth the money or are you better saving a bit longer for the newer models?
Klipsch Cinema 600:
You can find some amazing deals on the Klipsch Cinema 600 . Currently on Amazon as I write this they have this listed on there for $513 which I think is a great price, it is over 200 bucks cheaper than the Bose Soundbar 700. I did also have a look on eBay and there are even better deals on there, there are some for sale in the 350 to 400 bucks range which for a soundbar of this quality is a great price. The upgrade from this the Dolby Atmos supported, Klipsch Cinema 800 is currently priced at $969. So, I do like how Klipsch has substantially reduced the price of this to make it still an attractive option for people.
Bose Soundbar 700:
Thanks to the release of the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 I have noticed more and more deals popping up for the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 if you are willing to shop around. Over at Amazon right now, you can get the black version for the price of $899.99 which is very high! The 900 is priced at that same price point! The white version can be found on there for 100 bucks less at $799.99 which was the original RRP for this so I have no idea why the price has jumped up a 100 bucks for the black version. The best deals are on eBay, I have seen many sellers with this brand new in the 500 to 650 dollars range which is a very nice amount of money to be saved. If you can get this for close to 600 bucks, that really is a great deal.
The Verdict:
While I do love the Bose Smart Soundbar 700, I just feel that the RRP still being $799.99 is way too high considering the 900 is 100 bucks more and offers Dolby Atmos. I think that the Klipsch Cinema 600 takes this one. I feel that if you shop around there are more deals to be had and even if you just stick to Amazon, you are also getting that subwoofer included for under the 900 bucks Amazon wants for the 700! If you can get the 600 for under 400 bucks that is just a tremendous value for money.
The Design
I have to say that the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is one of my favorite designs for a soundbar! Do not count Klipsch out just yet though. Design is actually one of the categories I was most looking forward to writing about in this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 contest. I always say that a soundbar is 99/100 fully out on display so you want to make sure that it is going to look good!
Klipsch Cinema 600:
The fact that Klipsch kept the same style they have with the 800 as they have here with the Klipsch Cinema 600 tells you that Klipsch like the design and clearly had good feedback. I suggest you take a look at this Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar Review | Klipsch Home Theater Solution! video that shows this soundbar and subwoofer off really well. This is a bit larger than the Bose Smart Soundbar 700, most notably in the length which is 45.1 inches long. The first thing that catches your eye with this is the speakers at the side which are done in a different color to the rest of the soundbar. It has a very solid feel to it and the plastic they have used is very strong. Covering the soundbar is a fabric that they have on the top, front, and bottom of the soundbar. As is the case with all soundbars that go for this design, you will have to take good care of this.
Before we get to the back, on the side of the Klipsch Cinema 600 are two USB ports, I am not sure how I feel about this, to be honest. I like that they are there, but they are kind of ugly if you have the soundbar in a position where they are clearly on display. As far as connectivity around the back goes, we have HDMI and optical, you also have a port for the subwoofer and there is a standard 3.5mm jack as well so you could directly connect your phone to this if you wanted. They have these weird diagrams on the back that tell you what each port is, Sony does a similar thing and I am still not sure who needs this little diagram to avoid plugging an HDMI cable into the optical port!
We do also have to take a look at the subwoofer and the subwoofer that is part of this package is pretty damn good. It comes in at 18.4” x 14.3” x14.3” so it is a pretty decent size. It has these little feet that it stands on as it is a down firing subwoofer. It is mostly made with wood and the front of the subwoofer has a design that fits in with the look of the soundbar really well. In all, I am impressed with the build quality of the subwoofer, especially when you consider how much cheaper this set is now.
Bose Soundbar 700:
The design for the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is so good that Bose pretty much copied and pasted it for the 900! I am a big fan of unboxings and Bose has made this Bose Smart Soundbar 300 – Unboxing + Setup video which shows this off pretty well. I really could not be a bigger fan of the design of this soundbar. It has such a solid and premium feel that the moment you take it out of the box, you know that you are dealing with something that is very special. The dimensions of the soundbar are 38.5” x 2.25” x 4.25 and that 38 inches of length is right around the average for a premium soundbar these days, give or take a few inches of course. I hand on heart do not know how anyone could not love the look of this soundbar. I have the black version, but the white version is also very easy on the eyes.
Bose has made this to be a really showpiece device. It has such a sleek and stylish look about it that you want to run your hand across it when you look at it. Bose has used a very strong plastic for this soundbar and the front is protected by a metal grille that gives the soundbar a very strong, but also artistic kind of look which I think is very cool. It is the top of the soundbar where Bose got really creative. Rather than making the whole soundbar plastic or using faux leather like Sony has done or fabric like Bose has done in the past. Bose has a glass covering on the top of this soundbar which I really do like. However, I can tell you firsthand that this attracts dust like crazy and it also has a tractor beam for fingerprints.
On the backside of the soundbar, you have your selection of hookups. Bose takes good care of you in this regard. You have an HDMI port and an optical port, as this is not a Dolby Atmos soundbar, you can connect it with either of these. You also have a USB port and an ethernet port as well. This does not have a built in subwoofer, but there is a port for connecting it to their very expensive, but awesome Bose Bass Module 700.
The Verdict:
These are two good looking soundbars, but I have to give this round to the Bose Smart Soundbar 700. It is one of the sleekest and coolest looking soundbars around, like I said Bose copied the design for their Bose Smart Soundbar 900. The Klipsch Cinema 600 is a fine looking soundbar too and I could see why someone would like the design of that better. For me, the sides of the soundbar stick out like a sore thumb, but on the flip side of this that could be the part of the design that other people like!
The Sound
Is there a more important category in this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 battle than sound? I mean, sound is in the name soundbar! Well, here we will be taking a deep dive as I share my experiences with these soundbars with you guys. Neither of these are Dolby Atmos soundbars, but I would say that they are at the top end of soundbars that do not have it.
Klipsch Cinema 600:
The way that the guy in this Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar Review | Klipsch Home Theater Solution! video talks about the dynamic sound and bass that the offers is pretty much how I feel about the Klipsch Cinema 600 too. I think that it has a very balanced sound and if you were to watch a movie like King Kong you get a great impression of just why so many people love this soundbar. I was very happy with how loud and clear it all was. Sometimes I have found that a soundbar can have a hard time balancing the sound and it can make it kind of awkward, but right out of the box, I was impressed with what this was offering.
Now, we do have to give some special attention to that subwoofer and I can tell you that when you factor in the price of this right now, that subwoofer is pretty fantastic. A movie that I feel is loved by a few, but ignored by many is The Huntsman: Winter’s War. I actually enjoyed both of the Huntsman movies and think that they have an incredible sound design. The subwoofer here gives you some great bass, the fact that it is a down firing subwoofer means that you get a nice bit of rumble too if you have it positioned just right.
One of the main reasons that people want a soundbar is actually down to vocal clarity. My wife would be all happy when watching a TV show and then go psyche when the sound would be messed up with quiet vocals and abrasively loud music, action, or whatever. I think that this manages to have the ideal blend. You can hear what people are saying perfectly clear, but the rest of the sound is just right. One of the first movies I checked out was a real favorite (and another Peter Jackson movie) called The Frighteners which is a great dark comedy and it pains me that it has not been released on 4K yet. Well, this movie has a fair bit of quiet speaking with shouting and the balance is great.
Bose Soundbar 700:
Until the last week the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 was the soundbar that I proudly had in my living room. Just check out this Bose Soundbar 700 Sound Test, Bass Test, Awesome Sound video to see why I and so many others love this soundbar. For me personally, this is the best soundbar that does not have Dolby Atmos that you can get. The sound this offers is just amazing and if you are watching something big and epic like The Lord of the Rings, for example, you will feel like you are back in the early 2000s watching it in the movie theatre. I think that this soundbar just ticks all of the boxes when it comes to what makes a soundbar great. I know that Dolby Atmos is the way things are going now and I am right there waving that Dolby Atmos flag. However, I still feel that the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is able to fill a room with sound and make you feel like you are in a movie theatre.
As well as offering booming cinema style sound for action movies, the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 also has crystal clear vocal clarity too. Before I upgraded to the 900, one of the last movies I watched was Stardust which is a fantastic fantasy movie that deserved to make way more money than it did. Well, with the Bose Soundbar 700, movies like this that are very dialogue heavy, but also do have plenty of action are handled very well. You can always hear people talking, no matter what else is going on.
You may be wondering how the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 handles bass as it does not have a subwoofer. Bose does offer two very impressive subwoofers in the Bose Bass Module 500 and the Bose Bass Module 700, but these are both very expensive. To be fair, I think the bass provided by this soundbar is far better than you would think, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not everyone’s favorite Spidey movie, but this is one movie where I remember being impressed by the level of bass that the soundbar was providing.
The Verdict:
As far as non Dolby Atmos soundbars go, these really are two of the best around. This is a really hard call as I think they are both great at what they do. The Klipsch does come with that pretty awesome subwoofer which is great and the sound the Klipsch provides is very solid. However, even without the subwoofer, I am giving this one to the Bose Soundbar 700. It offers a more “room filling” kind of sound to me and overall, I just slightly prefer what it is offering that tiny bit more.
The Remote Control
Both of these soundbars have excellent remote controls so this is going to be a fun round in our Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 battle for supremacy. If you have read any other article I have written that has featured the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 you probably know how this round is going to go, but I do have to say that Klipsch also knows how to make a great remote too!
Klipsch Cinema 600: I feel this is a bit harsh as the Klipsch Cinema 600 has a great remote, but so far nothing has toppled the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 when it comes to the remote control. This is a nice and comfortable remote control to hold and I feel it is a great size for most people. Despite not being overloaded with buttons, Klipsch gives you complete control over the soundbar and subwoofer with this remote. I am sure many people will like how easy it is to switch between the different sound modes. The Klipsch Cinema 800 actually builds on what Klipsch did here and that is cool to see.
Bose Soundbar 700: The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 has one of the greatest remote controls that I have ever had the pleasure to use. This remote control is stacked with buttons so you can get the sound just the way that you want it! The craziest thing about this remote control is that it has these little LED lights. These will highlight buttons that are usable when you have a specific setting activated. Bose also has an app that is one of the best around too. Look, the remote control is the one aspect of the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 that I feel is a step down from this!
The Verdict: I have yet to put together one of these VS articles that features the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 where it did not smash the competition in this category! I actually think this is the greatest remote control that I have ever seen with a soundbar. The remote that comes with the Klipsch Cinema 600 is more than fine, but it just came up against a much stronger opponent that no other remote has been able to topple. Yes, I am aware I made this round about remote controls sound as epic as Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III!
What Is In The Box?
As these are at the higher end of the pricing spectrum when it comes to soundbars, you need to know what you are spending your hard earned money on. That is why this category is rounding up our Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700 showdown.
Klipsch Cinema 600: Inside the box for the Klipsch Cinema 600 you get your soundbar and subwoofer along with their power cables. You also get an HDMI cable as well, but no optical cable. Amazon has some cheap optical cables like this KINGTOP Digital Optical Audio Cable which costs under 10 bucks. I do feel that they could have thrown in an optical cable as well, this is what Bose did. You also get your remote control and a set of batteries. They also give you some wall mount brackets as well as a mounting template should you wish to put this on your wall.
Bose Soundbar 700: Bose gives you all that you need inside the box for the Bose Soundbar 700. You get your soundbar, power cable, and instruction manual as you would expect. Oh, and do not forget that remote control we were talking about just before. One of the most surprising aspects of what is in the box is that Bose gives you both an HDMI and an optical cable. This means that this is ready for action right out of the box no matter how you want to connect it. A very nice bonus is the Bose ADAPTiQ headset. This is there to help you calibrate the soundbar so it is just right for your room. I played around with it for a bit, but I ended up selling mine on eBay and making a few bonus bucks. They even throw in a little cleaning cloth for the glass at the top of the soundbar.
The Verdict: This one has to go to the Bose Smart Soundbar 700. The Klipsch Cinema 600 is fine in what it offers, but Bose really went the extra mile with what they offered. From the headset to the little cleaning cloth and the fact you get both an HDMI and optical cable is awesome. At the time of release, this was the most premium offering from Bose and they went all in with what they were offering.
What Is The Best?
I had a lot of fun with this Klipsch Cinema 600 vs Bose Smart Soundbar 700. Both the Klipsch Cinema 600 and the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 are two of the best soundbars that do not have Dolby Atmos. I know that you may think the fact that the Klipsch Cinema 600 comes with a subwoofer should make that the winner here and I could actually nod my head in agreement with someone who felt that way. At the end of the day, bass is important and the Cinema 600 certainly wins this if you want big dirty bass! However, overall, I feel that the Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is the better soundbar. It features cinema quality sound, it looks amazing and it comes with the greatest remote I have had the pleasure to use. While I would recommend getting the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 over the 700. Between the two we have looked at today, The Bose Smart Soundbar 700 is the winner.
