PhilH

A few years back, there were some incorrect power handling figures printed on RC-7 serial number labels that got to market by mistake. The correct continuous power handling rating for the RC-7 has always been 200 watts max. As far as serial number labels go, the Reference label is the gold/brown tone and the RC-7 never had a black and silver label. PhilH

Chip: Welcome to the Klipsch team! I just talked with Dan at your store as a follow-up to the call you made to us on Monday. We do appreciate and understand your concerns, and as David and Trey have already stated here, we have a public statement here on our website (the "Unauthorized Dealer Warning), and have an active team that monitors and acts against these sites that, as I have found after over 4 years in dealing with all of them covertly, consistently deceive their customers. I have had no products shipped yet with charges for them to my card, obviously used products shipped, damaged products shipped, even dusty products shipped. The first fact is that no matter what these sites claim, the products they claim to come from Klipsch have no Klipsch warranty whatsoever. If you are not satisfied with the yes, opened box product in nearly all cases, then they not only charge you the exorbitant (yes, that is part of the way they get you) shipping charges to return it, they charge you a restocking fee to boot! When they cannot get product to ship to you, they lie and say that we are backordered on it and cannot ship it to them. We do not ship anything to these unscrupulous sellers, whether it be product or parts. Last January, we filed several lawsuits against the major offending sites and were very successful in significantly reducing our brand presence on these and many other sites. There are still some sites out there though who just don't "get it": we will continue to do everything necessary to protect the Klipsch brand from unscrupulous "here today, gone tomorrow" sellers and will not stop in our efforts until their deception of our customers, both loyal and new, has ended! PhilH

sox: A loose/disconnected wire inside the sub is my thinking also. Unfortunately, since Brandnamez is not authorized to sell any Klipsch products, there is no Klipsch warranty on the sub. The best course of action is to return it to Brandnamez for a full refund and purchase from an authorized Klipsch dealer who can handle a problem correctly, expediently and under warranty if something like this occurs again. PhilH

The RW-12 has R and L Line Ins and an LFE IN, so simply split the sub out on your receiver to hook two up. PhilH

The button on the front of the RCR-5 is a Treble Attenuation control. It's main purpose is the ability to lower high frequency information by 3dB in case, for example, the speaker is mounted near a window or other hard surface which causes some unwanted reflected/delayed sound. PhilH

ccsakura: The warranty those sites offer is not through or from Klipsch in any matter. We do not provide them with either products or warranty parts. What they claim to do is repair it themselves during the same time period as a manufacturer warranty would. Who is repairing it, what are they using for parts and will they still even be around if and when you need that "warranty" service are the questions. PhilH

Thanks for the "heads up" on the RC-35 info being down. No reason for it, just a web maintenance issue. It's back up now. PhilH

No particular reason for it to not be up...just a web maintenance problem. Thanks for letting us know. It's back on now... PhilH

ofeefee: Either the RC-25 or RC-35 will timbre-match the RB-25's. If you have the extra room and extra dollars for the RC-35, the most noticeable difference will be more bass with it's larger woofers, especially a consideration if you are not using a subwoofer in your system. Either way you go, have fun and enjoy!! PhilH

The Led Zeppelin DVD is remarkable for the age of the material on it. Say all you want about Jimmy Page, but he found an engineer who also knows what the Zep live experience was all about and, at the same time, knows what the latest technology is to make an incredible remaster out of 30 year old relics. You can almost smell the illegal substances floating through the air as you watch the concert clips on these 2 DVD's. John Paul Jones never got the credit he deserved for his abilities...keeping up with Page in concert was a remarkable feat in itself!! The multiple "through time" versions of "Communication Breakdown" in the extras section is a hoot too! Hopefully, other classic 60's and 70's performances by other bands can now be dusted off and re-engineered to sound great with today's audio technology. Another one of my favorites is "The Who...Live From Royal Albert Hall" DD and DTS, recorded in 2000 while Entwhistle was still with us and Zack Starkey had developed into the best possible Who drummer since Keith Moon. You can sure tell he emulates Moon even more than he emulates his father Ringo. Unfortunately, another great Who combination never to be seen again... PhilH

Panasonic will honor it's warranties if you buy from an authorized Panasonic online dealer, one that they have designated and one that they ship products directly to. That is why when you go to their website and choose their version of the dealer locator, it will give you "brick and mortar" dealers near your zip code and possibly an online seller or two if they have authorized one for that product. Again, no manufacturer will provide a warranty if the product is not purchased from an authorized dealer, whether it be storefront or online. Buyer beware....unauthorized sellers try to capitalize on these type of misconceptions. .....and just how do those speakers, receivers, camcorders, etc. you buy from most of these unauthorized sellers wind up with no manufacturer issued serial numbers on the product, yet that product is still in a "factory sealed box"???? Sounds like magical voodoo to me!!! PhilH

BigBusa: When a supposed Klipsch speaker does not have a serial number issued by Klipsch, there is no way to tell exactly where it has come from or where it has been. Previously repaired, currently damaged, tampered with or stolen products, as examples, cannot be warranted by any manufacturer. Unauthorized sites also do not have access to warranted Klipsch parts, therefore those who claim they will perform the work themselves are using both questionable personnel and questionable parts to perform that so-called "warranty work". Again Klipsch, just like any other manufacturer, cannot provide a warranty on whatever these sites use as products. That is why Klipsch, just like most other manufacturers, warns consumers of the possible outcome from purchasing products from these sites. PhilH

As we have stated before, we have no desire to be represented in any manner by Internet-only sellers on any of our current Home Audio products. Selling under a blanket of deception, along with very questionable customer service both before and after the sale are common with these sites. Will any of these sites leave customers "high and dry" if there is a problem? The answer is a resounding YES! I have personally spoken with customers who have been left out in the cold by websites who either become "inactive" or their site is now available for sale because they have gotten their money and it's time to move on to the next scam. Some sites that still exist refuse to help a customer even when product is shipped to them that is damaged or suspicious. Some sites "help" their customers by charging ridiculous shipping charges even if they do agree to an exchange or repair, more than erasing any "price benefit" that customer realized to begin with. Most of these sites truly decieve their customers by either claiming to be authorized, or by using wording that leads the average shopper to believe that. Our caution about these sites is at the bottom of this page under "Unauthorized Dealers". The fact remains: if you make a purchase from one of these sites not only will you get a product of questionable origin, you will get a product with no Klipsch warranty whatsoever! PhilH

Of course, these speakers do not require such a modification but, as with any mod, should make a sonic difference that may or may not be perceived as an improvement. PhilH

jzoz01: The gentleman that you talked with at Audio King has his "facts" quite jumbled up. His company definitely knows the real facts, as do his buyers and managers. Apparently he wasn't listening (or possibly was on vacation, etc.) when those facts were communicated. He needs to speak with his manager. PhilH

Since the subject of the "grey market" has alluded to possible reasons for the recent distribution change by Klipsch, I want to make sure one rumor here is not carried forward. Klipsch's decision to discontinue it's relationship with Tweeter had nothing to do with "grey market" sales. PhilH

What? How can you not enjoy Billy Preston dancing to "Will it go round in circles"??. Anyway, I agree that there have probably been better performances. The problem with a lot of the EC stuff out there though was questionable recording quality due to age of concert, etc. This latest one is a clean recording with DD and DTS options. Unfortunately,poor to average recording quality plagues a lot of great performances out there transferred to DVD. Neil Young (listen to the "new" release of "Rust Never Sleeps" that even has a DTS choice), Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Queen, etc. all have some great concert videos but play those antiquated recordings through a revealing system, and even a "digital remastering" can't save them. It still is tough to "clean up" an older recording, even with today's technology. BTW, that King Crimson DVD is a good one too. Slightly compressed with some wierd voice and instrument placement at times, but a great disc nonetheless. PhilH

"Book 'em Danno!!!" PhilH

We do realize it is our responsibility, as a manufacturer, to reduce and eliminate availibility of our products on the "grey market". As we have mentioned before, we have been working to do that (over a dozen dealers terminated to date for transshipping to these sites or selling out of market on their own). Due to both the extreme popularity of the Klipsch brand and the ability of the resellers to manipulate people to obtain product, our efforts are ongoing in this area. I want to clarify to those of you who purchase from these resellers my statement I previously made. First, "bottom feeders" was not my (or anyone's at Klipsch) terminology to describe you. There are two classifications of people who buy "grey market". First, there are those who do not know they are buying from resellers, and are duped into believing they are buying from factory authorized, factory stocked and factory supported merchants. They are duped into this thinking because the majority of resellers use lies and statements to this effect when they "sell" to these people. Their relationship with their customers starts with deception and word twisting. Since some of their customers are interested in our products, they are also our customers and we do not want our customers treated this way. We do not want our products represented this way. Second, there are those, like several on this bb, who know what type of seller they are buying from, know how the merchandise is obtained, and are willing to take the chances (such as no factory warranty, etc.)to save a few bucks. We, fortunately, live in a free society to make that choice if we desire to. We, as a manufacturer, feel that there must be an honest relationship between buyer and seller from the outset, feel that the buyer should have the opportunity to physically compare and audition the products they are looking to purchase in a proper environment, and feel that the seller should be there to take the responsibility of advising that customer and professionally handling any questions or problems that may arise during and after the transaction. The "grey market" does not allow all these opportunities and does allow (through being "faceless") much more of an opportunity for deception and lack of customer service. Does it cost more to have a physical showroom, salespeople trained in products and customer service, a service department, an inventory, etc.? Of course it does, but we feel this is the best environment for a customer to make a proper decision for them from the myriads of choices of both products and installation and use of those products available to them today. If the "grey market" prevails, we feel that all types of customers will suffer, in the long run. PhilH

JW_Leonheart: Please call 1-800-Klipsch and talk to customer service. They will be able to take care of your problem. PhilH

Doug: I appreciate the fact that you have had good experiences in your dealings with unauthorized resellers. I also believe in fair competition. The fact is that lies begin once the statement is made "factory sealed box" (boxes are opened to remove serial numbers in most cases). They continue with the terms "factory authorized", "full manufacturers warranty" (yea, but repairs are by us if you can find us when it breaks) and so on. Open boxes can now easily be filled with repaired, damaged, etc. goods. Some of those "factory sealed boxes" have come from dishonest employees stealing them out of the back door of an authorized dealer. Employees and dealers both are sometimes duped by these hucksters to get them merchandise. Most of their selling is based on untruths designed to deceive the public, and when the public, in most cases, calls their bluff once they found they have been deceived, it becomes a shouting match to try to get any customer satisfaction. I'm sorry, but this is not fair competition to a company that has made an honest investment in the community they are selling to. I am not being hard on "grey market" resellers, just honest about them...and this is based on over two years of both personal and customer-related experience with a vast majority of these resellers. It is much easier to hide behind a phone hundred of miles away without a hint of a physical location or the hint of affilitiion with a company that is actually real and accessable, promoting lies and half-truths, instead of showing the community you're selling to, that you are physically there, truthfully informative, willing to help them and willing to handle any problems or concerns that show up.... because you have made an honest and large investment in what you are doing!. Of course in a sea of drownings there is bound to be a few who survive...you have "survived" so far Doug in your limited dealings with them. I also appreciate the fact that you do not pump time and information out of a commissioned salesperson at a physical store just to leave and buy the products from the reseller. But Doug, my friend, unfortunately you are in the minority on that point. Several people on this bulletin board are upset that we have chosen Best Buy to sell our Synergy line. We are upset that the unauthorized resellers (mis)represent our brand when we never chose them to begin with. With them there is no control on how your brand is represented. My mind is not the least bit changed about this form of "competition" and we will continue to do everything possible to eliminate any source of our products from getting into the hands of these unscrupulous people. PhilH

drburgh66: Call Klipsch Tech Support at 1-800-Klipsch. PhilH

First on the "declining quality" issue, the reputations of both Klipsch and Denon have IMPROVED when it comes to product quality and the advanced technologies included in the products, as with another partner of ours: Samsung. There may be some isolated incidents of examples to the contrary, but there is NO manufacturer who can produce every single individual product perfectly each time, making it last "forever". Would you buy any new product, no matter what it is and no matter who makes it, without some type of warranty? I doubt it. Our ProMedia 5.1's have generated concerns which we are addressing (see new information about fixes and resoultions here on the bulletin bopard). Myself, and ANYONE who is part of Klipsch can assure you that Klipsch is NOT approaching the market in the way that is being described here. Second, with regard to the "grey market", Klipsch DOES NOT ignore it and turn a "blind eye" as has been stated. I have a friend at Denon who continually works to reduce their preence on it and know, for a fact, that they are also not turning a "blind eye". Klipsch has been attacking this problem for years, but when there is fanatical demand for a brand in a tough market, less reputable retailers will succumb to the temptation to make a quick buck and violate their dealer agreements by participating in transshipping or out of market Internet sales. Klipsch has terminated more than a dozen longtime dealers for such activities. Further, we have now adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE policy and we will terminate our relationship with ANYONE that does this on the first offense. Unauthorized Internet resellers have replaced the unscrupulous "guy on the street corner" of old, with the unmarked van who says anything to make a sale, then when there is a problem, denies responsibility or denies the lies he told to make the sale in the first place...if he can be found again. And as long as customers (who know better), who DON'T CARE who they support to save a few bucks buy from these faceless people in hiding, these people whose big business investment is basically a phone, a garage, a website and a "good pitch" will continue to lurk on the Internet. Just how will ANYONE be able to audition ANYTHING if these type of operations prevail??? It is our responsibility as a manufacturer to better inforn those who do not know better who wind up being taken in by their deception and poor customer service. Our cards are on the table and our intentions are clear. There are no hidden agendas and no "bean counters" or evil Enronesque profit mongers running the show at Klipsch (although there are some "armchair quarterbacks" who want to believe there are). Our management is as cautious are they are innovative when it comes to protecting our brand reputation, and the negative speculation out there will give way to awe when the dust clears. All of us at Klipsch are people who sincerely care about what we do!! We work hard and do our best to deliver superior sounding, premium quality audio products globally. The 20% growth every year for three years supports the claim that our efforts are paying off. We have issued press releases that show the massive re-investment that has been made in the company. All you have to do is click "Newscenter" at the top of any page here and look at release dates of 11/1/2001 and 10/24/2001 for proof of that. The new Reference products not being real Reference?? None of our dealers or customers who have actually listened to them have told us that...quite the opposite as a matter of fact. And as far as Heritage availability goes, we have also stated here the challenges of Heritage being on display. Who knows, with the new distribution plans, maybe there is a better opportunity for Heritage on display? Please don't take any of this as personal attacks, it is just that myyself and anyone I work with here at Klipsch is very passionate about,and dedicated to, what we do. We know the reasons for the actions our company has taken, those reasons have been communicated to all, and we have sincerely become distressed with the continued "reading between the lines" that is going on when we KNOW there is nothing else to "read" into the decision that has been made! PhilH

RB5M: Although your(or your friend's) observation may apply in some situations, it does not with either Klipsch or Denon. PhilH

Soon2bbuyer: If you would like to, send me an e-mail (click on my "profile", then click on "e-mail") with details, such as dealer talked to, etc. I would like to help you out if possible. PhilH