TCL announced today that select smart TVs, including the QM8K, QM7K and QM6K, will support Dolby Atmos FlexConnect after a corresponding software update. This feature allows built-in speakers to be paired with compatible surround sound speakers, which can be placed freely in a room and calibrated automatically.
Unlike traditional surround setups, these speakers don’t have to be positioned in specific locations. This also gives home theater fans more freedom, as they can start off with just one or two speakers and then expand their audio system later on. For this exact purpose, TCL now offers the Z100, which are Dolby Atmos FlexConnect-compatible speakers that can wirelessly connect to compatible smart TVs. Users can connect up to four of these speakers along with a Z100-SW subwoofer with 130 watts.
Each TCL Z100 speaker is equipped with a woofer, a front-firing tweeter and an up-firing driver. Effectively, four TCL Z100 speakers combined with the television's integrated speakers can create a 7.1.2-channel surround sound setup. Since Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is exclusively available on TCL products at launch, it will likely take a few months until this flexible surround sound technology becomes available on TVs from other manufacturers.
Price and availability
The TCL Z100 home theater speakers will first hit the Chinese market, where TCL is asking ¥1,499 (around $210). A global launch in other regions is apparently planned for summer 2025, but pricing details or an exact release date are not available at the time of writing.