Setting up surround sound has always been a headache, and that’s coming from someone who reviews home audio systems for a living. You get all the speakers, untangle a web of wires, scratch your chin about where to place them and half the time it still doesn’t sound quite in sync with your TV.
Simply put, surround sound tends to be more intimidating than immersive.
That’s precisely the pain point Dolby is going after with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. Instead of punishing you for not having a perfectly measured home theater, FlexConnect promises to make Dolby Atmos sound its best with whatever you’ve got. Whether it’s one speaker or a multi-speaker setup, FlexConnect will automatically recognize and adapt software-supporting hardware to your room layout.
TCL Z100: the first FlexConnect speakers
I got to see and hear FlexConnect in action inside TCL’s new Z100 wireless speakers, the first U.S. products to ship with this kind of Dolby technology built in. The Z100s are TCL’s attempt to create an entertainment space without a traditional soundbar.
With these modular speakers, you can start small with and expand later, with a FlexConnect system currently supporting up to four total speakers (including one subwoofer) connected via Wi-Fi in one space. A single Z100 is a 1.1.1 channel speaker with 95 watts of power.
In seconds, Atmos knows where every speaker is placed and adjusts the sound accordingly.
All of TCL’s 2025 4K TVs already ship with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, so the Z100s don’t replace the TV’s speakers, they work together. Once you turn the speakers on, the TV identifies each speaker and runs a quick tuning process using a series of beeps. In seconds, Atmos knows where every speaker is placed and adjusts the sound accordingly.
In other words, even if your speakers aren’t “optimally” placed, FlexConnect tunes sound on screen to land in the proper place in your room.
Watching some action-packed movie scenes, I could hear roaring plane engines zip from one side of the room to the other. When an explosion went off, the bass punched harder than expected while smaller details seemed to fly out toward both back corners of the room — even though only one rear corner had a Z100.
Dolby Atmos FlexConnect: Outlook
While it would be great to have a professional 9.1.4-channel system for movie night, at home most of us are lucky to manage a soundbar and maybe a sub. FlexConnect bridges the gap in terms of both budget and accessibility by creating a virtual soundscape that makes the most of what you have.
You’ll get an Atmos experience that doesn’t punish you for imperfect placement.
From my understanding TCL’s hardware is just the starting point. And it makes a lot of sense for the FlexConnect mission. The company already sells TVs that punch above their weight from a price perspective, so it makes sense to do the same in audio.
At $399 per speaker, the Z100 isn’t cheap, but it’s also not an all-or-nothing investment. You can start with one, grow into a full system, or stop somewhere in between. Either way, you’ll get an Atmos experience that doesn’t punish you for imperfect placement.
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