You make very good points, about everything i.e. the manual, the meaning of the beeps and of pulsing LEDs, etc...
Those are all issues I've had to deal with too.
I believe that yes you need to upgrade the firmware for the RW-1 to work too. However, no need to get to the speakers to do this. As opposed to the soundbar, the RW-1 firmware can be upgraded wirelessly.
As for your last question " If I ever get these speakers to work, will the setup need to be redone after every power failure?", unfortunately, most likely yes.
I'm saying that because I need to disband and re-create the surround group of speakers roughly every other day, whether there was a power failure or not. If I don't, then the two rear channels won't play any sound at all until I do.
