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FMnoise

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  1. This has been covered before. Please review the previous posts for more information.

    Summary: If the BAR 48 still does not work after you have followed the instructions provided by Klipsch and installed the latest firmware, then the hardware is defective (Best Buy also has plenty of old stock too). You will need to return it for a new one or refund.

     

    • "Based on the past few months of data, most of the sub power-cycle problems appear to be hardware related (early production units, which now flood the market) so not "fixable" with just the firmware update. Replacement is the only solution. If you have not done so, return for a refund/exchange or try a warranty claim through Klipsch." (* or the seller you purchased it from).
  2. Dave: That looks like a 1.10 Amp polyswitch, not a 0.5 A. They are rated for current and usually paired with a resistor in parallel. Here is a link to where you can purchase one.

    https://www.parts-express.com/te-connectivity-raychem-rxef110-110a-polyswitch-speaker-protector--071-262

  3. Rich, "Grid-tied systems send the electricity to the utility company and they credit you for it at a very low rate". *Should have stated "and they may..." for 100% accuracy.  Point is, it may not be the same rate. And yes, I have owned homes with grid-tied SOLAR systems.

    • Like 1
  4. Not all areas provide a 1:1 exchange for electricity. IN a few places that I have lived, they did not offer that at all and paid a fraction of the charge back to you. Each state sets up this agreement with the various utility companies. It is negotiated between them and can also change in the future. If you live somewhere where a 1:1 exchange is provided to you, then you are very fortunate and the value obtained is certainly higher. The rate that is paid to energy producers (like homeowners with grid-tied systems) may be less than what YOU pay to the utility company for the same. As they say, you need to check with the utility companies in your own area to determine what rates are applicable for your situation.

  5. As others have stated, it all depends on what type of electrical utility system connection you have (or if you are talking about an off-grid system). If you are grid-tied, like many users, than the power you receive (and that your audio equipment will use) is the same power it has always been direct from the power company, so no change at all. The power that you generate via solar or wind is fed back to the utility company and not to your house. Grid-tied systems send the electricity to the utility company and they credit you for it at a very low rate which then is applied as a credit against your utility bill. For safety, a number of laws regulating this process of energy transfer for what is and is not allowed varies by state.

     

    If you have an off-grid, dedicated system or a split system (where power is obtained from the utility company and you also have a battery based, secondary system that you can transfer on/off to specific circuits, on demand, then your choice of inverters, wiring and component parts will effect the results obtained. Which ever system you use, I recommend hooking up a high quality data logging system to one of the main outputs, under load, to measure and record the voltage output, current stability plus noise over a period of a few days (or more. A week is better) to get an idea of what types of problems are present. Once you know what needs improving, then changes can be made to address them by priority and save money overall by not investing in technology that does not address the actual problems. *DC to AC inverters are notoriously noisy so quality components are usually a good investment up front. High quality copper grounds and dedicated surge suppressors (circuit) are always a good idea too.

  6. Depends on the firmware spec set by the manufacturer. An 8 Gig USB flash drive only costs about $3 today. Did you try using the 32 G drive? Did the firmware load and all of the LEDs flash just as they said they would in the update instructions. If so, you did it correctly. If not, the drive may be to big OR an error was made during the firmware update process.

     

    Based on the past few months of data, most of the sub power-cycle problems appear to be hardware related (early production units, which now flood the market) so not "fixable" with just the firmware update. Replacement is the only solution. If you have not done so, return for a refund/exchange or try a warranty claim through Klipsch.

  7. Even if you required it to be sent in for calibration, you would not need to send it to the manufacturer in the UK for that. Plenty of service calibration companies can handle that in the USA. *And yes, it will cost more (or the same money, $125) to have the calibration check done that you could buy a new meter for!

  8. You just have to try and see (or listen). As others mentioned, that area looks bright so an area rug, drapes or other items may be needed in front of the windows.

     

    My own experience with KG4's (excellent speakers!) is that best results may be obtained by spacing them ~ 5 feet apart, about 1-2 feet away from any rear wall (or glass windows in your case) and away from any room corners. They are very finicky in placement. It pays to put on a familiar track with good staging and tweak them little by little. Usually I aim them either straight ahead or toe them in a slightly to place the sweet spot just in front of you (will depend of course on the room layout). Another helpful thing is to prop up the fronts about 1/2 to 1" or so to get the sound at or near the correct listening height where you are seated across from them. Propping them up also reduces floor coupling too (might be a  good idea in your building). At high volumes those passive radiators on the rear will fire a lot of sound out the back, sides and bottom. Enough to probably result in many people outside your window hearing your music too.

     

    Any chance you can place them on that side wall?

  9. It should be fine. The meter is simply telling you that the recommended Calibration Due Date has now past. If you use it in a regulated environment (or use it to provide services to others for a fee), then it is time to have it professionally calibrated. If not, you should be able to continue to use it as before.

  10. Yep a scammer on our board for sure. He "Rightmas"recently messaged me with the same offer to contact his "friend" for the speakers I was looking for. He had them.

    Rep = ZERO on this board which should always be a warning to be cautious.

     

    Here is the message he sent me on the forum.

    "If you are still interested in a Klipsch Forte II. I know a guy who has one up for sale.

    You can email him rifoscers@gmail.com"

     

    A check on other forums for the same scammer turns up many stories where he has been running the same scam on many different web forums. Example: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/warning-thief-and-hacker.2099516/

  11. "controlling it". Could you be more specific about which aspects you are having trouble with? What devices are connected to the TV, via what interface and what is or is not working?

    Also, have you installed the latest firmware, as provide by Klipsch on their Support Page, to the BAR 48?

  12. "glens", I made no mention or suggestion of "mixing" signals in my comment. The new poster stated the SB turned itself 'ON', without their input. This could indeed be caused by another wireless signal waking it up, though the TV itself (or what is connected to it) is more likely to blame.

     

    Not enough info to provide any more constructive suggestions unless more information is provided.

  13. A model number is really needed to provide better suggestions for your device. Many sound bars have Bluetooth plus a wireless network connection so it is possible that you may be picking up a signal(s) from someone else using similar frequencies on their devices. Insuring that your soundbar has the latest firmware installed, as noted by others, should certainly be checked too (firmware for Klipsch sound bars is on their support page).

  14. The idea to share with others is that if you do exchange the BAR plus sub unit, to be sure and get one of the more recent models because they have the newer electronics inside which has fixed several of the know problems (esp the sub woofer power-cycle pairing problem). As previously noted, the later serial number BAR's have the sub fix, but other issues such as the low volume on the surround speakers may or not be fixed with firmware alone. You may have to wait for Klipsch to issue a "fix" (make sure you have submitted a case with customer support) or return the surround speakers for a refund.

     

    Overall, a very disappointing customer experience for many customers with this Klipsch product.

     

  15. Melting735: From recent data on Klipsch's support page, BAR 48's starting with S/N: 106655719280001 appear to be the most reliable models (they have the newer PCB's and 2.4Ghz wireless feature which fixed the sub-woofer pairing problem). Many sellers still have older, defective models in their inventory so I would recommend checking the S/N of any replacement/exchange models before walking out of the store. These modules have been through several revisions so try and get the latest model and then be sure and update it with the correct firmware file before use (because they all shipped out BEFORE the recent firmware updates could be applied).

  16. Based on the large number of reports of broken/defective BAR units and the currently flooded market (gray market) offering them for sale, best advice to anyone thinking about purchasing one is to Buy a new one directly from Klipsch or their authorized dealers. Most of the ones being offered through the 'other' sellers appear to be the returned units or defective units produced during the first few production runs. If you do buy from a gray market seller, make sure you can return it for a full refund if it proves defective after receipt.

    • Like 1
  17. Try the firmware patch first, though if you have to unplug/plug the sub back in to make it pair, this will probably not fix it (but you need to try and the firmware upload process is super easy). After you confirm that the latest firmware patch does NOT solve the problem, then contact the seller you purchased it from to arrange for a return. They will advise you how to ship it back. If they can provide you with a new exchange model, please make sure it is one of the lastest models (by S/N). Many, not all, of the recent models appear to work well. Klipsch provides warranties when you purchase it through them direct or one of their authorized dealers (at this writing, Crutchfield and Best Buy). If you purchased it from a non-authorized dealer (gray market, like Amazon or ebay), then your only recourse is with the seller.

     

    RE-PAIRING SUBWOOFER is described in the free downloadable Firmware update pdf on Klipsch's support page: https://www.klipsch.com/firmware

     

    • Like 1
  18. The firmware update is one of those things that you just have to try and see. For some issues, it may fix the problem. For others, you will have to submit a warranty claim to Klipsch and have it replaced. *My original BAR 48 never worked out-of-the-box, even with all the firmware updates. **I am happy to report that the replacement BAR 48 system they sent me just before Christmas is working perfectly so far.

     

    Bottom line: Klipsch sold a lot of sound bars that do not work (a very disappointing experience overall) and it is up to the customers to let them know and file a warranty claim with them to receive a replacement that works.

    • Sad 1
  19. The firmware update is one of those things that you just have to try and see. For some issues, it may fix the problem. For others, you will probably have to submit a warranty claim to Klipsch and have it replaced. *My original BAR 48 never worked out-of-the-box, even with the firmware updates.

     

    From what I have experienced, it looks like many of the early batches were defective (like yours, and like my original one too). The used market is now flooded with broken BARs as it appears the early batches were dumped on the reseller market (lots of returns). The newest versions of the hardware appear to have fixed the problems with having to plug/unplug the sub plus the system loosing most of the settings every time it it powers down. The latest firmware updates appear to have addressed the low-volume output problem on the surround speakers. The replacement BAR 48 that I received under warranty (a newer production model with later s/n) fixed the lost sub connection issue (it powers up and pairs instantly when the sound bar turns on) plus it remembers all of my settings (e.g. LED off, volume settings) every time. If you patched your BAR with the latest firmware and have not seen any improvement, then you may need to contact Klipsch customer support to arrange for an exchange.

  20. In fact, Klipsch does appear to finally have read their email and realized that they uploaded one or more defective firmware files. The one that I had trouble with was only 1/3 the file size it was suppose to be and locked up my system (IOW: they forgot to add all of the data to it) and has since been removed by them. They uploaded a new firmware file dated Nov 29th to replace it which has the correct file size to imply it is complete (though that does not mean it will work). If you did input the correct serial number and had a failure with the 12/13 dated defective firmware file, it is worth deleting that file and downloading and installing the new replacement file, backdated to November. Note: this only applies to you if you had one of the defective firmware files. Some of the units use an updated firmware file which is also dated Dec 13th which is NOT effected by this. These files are serial number dependent. If in doubt, re-check the support site's firmware download page to see which file they are currently showing for YOUR system. It may or may not have changed. Maybe that will fix some of the issues many of us are having ???

     

    In the meantime, I received my replacement BAR 48 with the 2.4GHz wireless connection and will certainly have to install the appropriate newly updated firmware on it when I get home to see if that one works and solves the un-plug/re-plug issue with the wireless sub woofer pairing lost.

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