Dolby Laboratories and TCL have confirmed the launch of the first products with support for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, the new wireless protocol that is able to automatically configure an immersive sound field between multiple speakers, regardless of their position in the room. Following a confirmation at IFA 2024 that TCL would be embracing the technology, the Chinese consumer electronics giant now unveiled its first products coming to market.
Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is a next-generation audio technology designed to make immersive Dolby Atmos immersive audio (and consequently simpler surround sound formats such as Dolby Digital 5.1) accessible for any home environment, simply using wireless speakers combined with the TV speakers. The solution automatically configures the Atmos experience to any unique room layout, allowing users to place wireless speakers wherever is most convenient. Those active speakers will have “smart” features in the sense that they can be automatically calibrated and optimized for any specific sound setup and source.
The concept is extremely appealing to TV manufacturers who can gain control of the configuration process, since Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is configured as a living room system where the TV becomes the central hub and core wireless transmitter (no need for an AVR). This way, users can place any number and different types of speakers anywhere in the room, unlike traditional Dolby Atmos systems that require speakers to be positioned at specific locations and angles. The system uses test tones and a specific algorithm to map the position of each speaker and analyze the room’s acoustics. It then adjusts the audio output from each speaker (and the TV’s built-in speakers) to deliver a balanced, immersive audio experience.
Following those guidelines, TCL confirmed it will launch Dolby Atmos FlexConnect in its 2025 QD-Mini LED TVs in its Precise Dimming Series, including the QM8K, QM7K, and QM6K models. Users will then be able to pick and choose from any of the four TCL wireless speakers that the company also unveiled earlier this year. For now, only the TCL Z100 wireless speaker model has been released, and the TCL announcements show up to four of these units connected to TCL’s 2025 QD-Mini LED TVs, which fill the role of center speaker. These designs are powered by MediaTek SoCs and Dolby has indicated that several other wireless speakers, including soundbars, will be available until the end of 2025.
The TCL Z100 is a smart, omnidirectional loudspeaker that has been purposely designed to pair with TCL’s lineup of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect-enabled TVs. The active design, developed by the TCL Golden Ear team in collaboration with Dolby, features four custom drivers, one configured for up-firing, and built-in microphones to analyze room acoustics. The drivers include a lower woofer, separate midrange and silk dome tweeters, plus a full-range driver on top.
The built-in Flex Connect module allows the Z100 to be synchronized with compatible TCL TVs to create immersive sound, with an intelligent calibration system automatically adjusting the sound for optimal performance. An optional Z100-SW subwoofer is available to boost bass. With this speaker design that uses Bluetooth 5.3 for connectivity and auto-calibration, TCL was able to configure a true multichannel system by adding the speakers on the TVs.
“The launch of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect across TCL’s Precise Dimming Series marks a new chapter of personalized home audio experiences,” says John Couling, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories. “With Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, consumers can unlock even more flexibility and adaptability in how they design their home entertainment systems, while removing the stress of whether their speakers are in the right location to get an incredible Dolby Atmos experience.”
“TCL and Dolby share a long history of redefining home entertainment – TCL’s entire 2025 4K TV lineup sport Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, all of our full-feature soundbars use Dolby Atmos, and soon we’ll have Dolby Atmos FlexConnect,” added Chris Hamdorf, Executive Vice President at TCL North America.
For now, this seems to be a wireless home cinema solution that remains tied to the TV manufacturers’ upsell strategies, although the direct collaboration with Dolby offers a different perspective, promising to eventually create an interoperable, modular ecosystem. From the TCL announcement, nothing indicates that Dolby Atmos FlexConnect will work with more devices from other brands.
Yet, the launch of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is seen as crucial to meet the requirements of Dolby Atmos sound reproduction, and the vast amounts of content that is available and generated every day around the globe, including movies, TV, music, sports, and gaming, delivered by all platforms. In movies alone, 98 of the top 100 box office titles from the past five years had Dolby Atmos soundtracks. Dolby Atmos is supported across all major global streaming services and PayTV services worldwide. And even in music, more than 20 music streaming services worldwide are distributing music in Dolby Atmos from all three major record labels and thousands of independent artists.
TCL is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics brands, with a vertically integrated supply chain and state-of-the-art display panel factory. According to Counterpoint research, TCL ranked as the second-largest TV brand globally by shipments (14%), continuing to close in on Samsung (16%) in 2024.
www.tcl.com
www.dolby.com
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