SpltScreen

Nice to see an old thread of mine resurfacing! My RMA replacement iFi has been running fine for several months now. If your iFi is under warranty, I highly recommend just doing an RMA, rather than waiting for the Volume Control Dock. Using the fine advice in this forum and elsewhere, I'm actually running my iFi satellites off a Denon receiver most of the time. Still, when I take my speakers on the road, I use the subwoofer and Volume Control Dock to control them. And I fear the time when the dock will go crazy again. Has there been any update on a pinout for the Volume Control Dock cable, and wiring something up to bypass the Dock altogether? As surprising as the iFi's longevity has been long after being discontinued (look at the recent interest in this forum alone), a simple dongle or wiring rig to bypass the Dock could give this system many more years of life. I think that's a fine testament to Klipsch for producing such a fine 2.1 system, one that hasn't had an equal in the marketplace since. It's something I would hate to see go to waste.

I know this sounds dumb... but make sure both plugs are plugged in all the way. Press as hard as you can! I had similar trouble once simply because one end of a stereo plug wasn't plugged in as far as it could go into the Volume Control Dock. Because of the way the stereo connector is designed, with segments along it's tip, if proper contact isn't made with each segment, you can end up with "one channel working and not the other".

Well, I know it's been a few months, but it looks like those replacement volume control units are on backorder indefinitely. Like several others, I got tired of waiting, and RMA'd the whole system. Andy, if you read this, please check for RA # 62242 to reference my specific system and problem. From what I've read in the forum recently, I'm not the only with this problem anymore. If this is a growing issue, something must be done about those volume control docks. Hopefully after looking at mine, you can figure out what the problem is, and fix those volume controls before they're due to come in 3 months. I have a feeling you're going to need quite a number of them. It's a shame that the iFi cannot be operated at all without the dock. I originally bought the iFi simply because it was the best-in-class 2.1 speaker system ever produced. Never connected them to an iPod, just to a stereo source from my computer. I'm sure there are many others using the speakers the same way. If you find that the volume controls are doomed to fail, may I recommend a dongle or something else that could be plugged into dock connector on the subwoofer, just to enable the system, and accept audio via the stero connector on the back of the sub? I'm pretty handy, so even a pinout of the PS/2 style connector for the dock might be all that's needed to enable the system for those who are stuck. That way, at least the system will work, and volume could then just be regulated at the source (on the iPod directly, a receiver, your computer, etc.) I think for many of us with this problem, feedback and communication is most important thing right now. Even if it's just an email every week to say, "Hey, we remembered you were having this issue, here's what we've found so far...". Instead, I think we've all gotten mixed answers about the availability of replacement volume control docks, assuming they are even the problem in the first place. Communication is sometimes spotty with the Parts Order department. And, myself, I was given the runaround on finally deciding to return the whole system, at one point being told that *I* had to cover the return shipping costs -- which was unacceptable. Eventually, these issues were handled by a very competant supervisor in the chain. But, the end result is that a whole 3-4 months later, I'm still waiting to hear sweet music out of a working iFi system. Someone should have recommended replacing the whole system a lot sooner, rather than hoping for those parts to come back in stock. Hopefully Andy will get to the bottom of this problem by looking at my system, and then be better equipped to offer a more permanent solution. Thanks, -- Joe

Thanks for replying. I've already tried troubleshooting the issue, and checked about every possible connection. It just feels like a very intermittent connection the volume control. Somehow, as you turn the knob, volume cycles between each speaker randomly, left, right and even the subwoofer. I contacted Customer Support, and after listening to my tale of woe, the representative said I should fax over my proof of purchase and they'll send out a replacement volume control i-- assuming that is the culprit. He also said that they are currently backordered on those volume control units, so it's going to be at least a couple weeks before I can provide some results. I'll be sure to keep you all posted with my results, when I get them. Thanks, --Joe

Wow! I have the exact same problem! And I seem to remember leaving my iFi on mute for long periods (overnight) many times, leading up to this problem. This is so frustrating. As you turn the volume control, it's really hit or miss as to whether sound comes out from the left or right speakers. It's like the volume control has lost it's mind! It doesn't matter where you are on the volume scale, random volume levels are sent to either the right or left speaker. If I'm really, really patient, I can sometimes get the sound to come through both speakers, but usually at maximum volume output. I've tried searching the forums to no avail. The closest thing was a similar mention of the problem here: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/722670.aspx But no solution was ever posted. I haven't contacted Customer Service yet, and I'm not sure what they can do since my unit is around 8 months old now. I don't know if it's still under any kind of warranty. But the unit is mighty useless without a working volume control. Any suggestions?