TCL Z100 and Z100-SW FlexConnect speakers – Easily almost like a real home theater

Building multi-channel home theater sound usually requires at least some kind of soundbar or AV amplifier with several precisely positioned speakers. A soundbar is, in principle, the simplest solution, but even if there were separate rear speakers and a subwoofer included, its structure would not be able to achieve the same spaciousness, channel separation, and dynamics as a properly implemented separate speaker system.

The AV amplifier and separate speakers certainly produce the best result most reliably, but then, speaking of the complex whole, of the precise placement of the speakers and, of course, the cabling.

Between these two solutions lies the FlexConnect technology developed by Dolby, which offers a kind of intermediate solution between the simplicity of a soundbar and the better sound quality and spaciousness of a separate speaker system.

It is a wireless multi-channel system where the loudspeakers do not need to be located exactly in predetermined positions. The system recognizes the loudspeakers in use, measures their location, and automatically adjusts the audio output to the configuration and room in use.

The TCL implementation of FlexConnect is the Z100, a wireless speaker that is used in conjunction with a compatible TCL television. The television acts as the hub of the system: it recognizes the speakers, measures their location, and distributes the audio between the television’s own speakers and the Z100 speakers.