KevinB

@Natste9d The Klipsch soundbars, especially the BAR 48, have had more than their share of issues but it's unfair to suggest the every Klipsch product is similarly affected. Register your new soundbar and be sure to install the latest firmware. Based on comments in these forums by different owners it appears that these soundbars have some major quality control issues. Just because one of your issues has been resolved with your new soundbar doesn't mean there aren't others waiting to be encountered. I have several issues with mine that the latest firmware does not resolve. It's important that we all share our experience with Klipsch technical support: I've asked if there are newer hardware revisions that may resolve some of my issues but I have received no response. You, on the other hand, got a newer model. I get an email every three or four weeks that basically says engineering is working to resolve my issues but they still haven't provided an update. I've been patient but this lack of any commitment to get these issues resolved is no longer acceptable!

Considering how many issues this product has and how dissatisfied owners are, Klipsch has to be aware how this product is impacting their reputation. It may be worth your effort to ask for a replacement and see if they are willing to do something. Maybe they would be willing to send you a replacement board...

Like I said, Have you considered just asking Klipsch for a warranty replacement?

@Zee See the BAR 48 subwoofer power supply fix post by @nova. Return your BAR 48 to your retailer, if you can. If you can't, you should: REGISTER YOUR KLIPSCH PRODUCT Update your BAR 48 firmware. Open a Klipsch PRODUCT SUPPORT request and report your issues.

@nova My BAR 48 is still under warranty so I haven't explored any drastic measures. Of course, Klipsch tech support remains mum on the types of issues owners are experiencing let alone the cause. Up until now we have assumed most of our issues are firmware related so I find your post most interesting. I have asked tech support if some of the issues I have reported may be related to hardware defects and if there have been any hardware revisions but so far they have been ignoring me! 😣

The BAR 48 has lots of issues that the latest firmware does not address. We all have BAR 48 issues and are waiting for fixes. You are not alone.

@Kulanan See my post from May 15, just above yours...

@Leopardlady See this thread for additional information: BAR 48 Surround Button Others have reported a burst of static which I have also experienced. It is unclear from the limited information provided about the V30 firmware update whether it completely addresses this issue. Many of us have experienced this issue. It was supposed to have been addressed by the previous firmware update. If I remove power from the subwoofer for about a minute then reapply power the issue resolves itself. If this doesn't work for you, I would then follow the procedure in the manual to pair the subwoofer with the soundbar. I have provided additional information in this thread: Bar 48 Bluetooth Issue....maybe....

@tom974 I'm glad this worked for you. After I installed the update I noticed little difference in the volume from my Surround 3 speakers. Even though we all have a BAR 48, I suspect we may have different hardware revisions. The serial number is only way to know for sure but Klipsch hasn't made that information public.

I just received an email from Klipsch Tech support: According to the firmware notes:

I just received an email from Klipsch Tech support: According to the firmware notes:

I just received an email from Klipsch Tech support: According to the firmware notes:

@MikeF I'm a customer like you. When we encounter issues we can't get resolved we turn to public forums for answers when we probably should have checked the forums before making our purchase. 😉 My personal recommendation is to return your soundbar for a refund or for different brand, if your retailer will do that for you. It's really up to the retailer. I have not done this because I purchased my BAR 48 last November and my retailer is under no obligation to accept the return. In my opinion, Klipsch should not be suggesting we do this as it's not the retailer's responsibility to resolve issues with Klipsch products. Have a look at this thread for other reasons why I suggest looking at a different brand. Audio is coming but voice is not coming with new soundbar You might be surprised at the number of BAR 48 issues that customers have encountered as is evident from these forum posts. If you are unable to return your BAR 48, I have some additional recommendations in this thread: BAR 48 Surround volume at max but can barely hear them Please update this thread and let everyone know how you plan to proceed.

@glens True... Even at the best of times it takes time to verify, diagnose, correct, and test issues involving firmware but how much time is sufficient before expecting some kind of response? These issues have been around since the product was first introduced. Some companies are much more transparent when dealing with such issues. I prefer to give companies, and people, the benefit of the doubt. Early on I could have returned my soundbar to the retailer but I decided to give Klipsch the opportunity to correct the defects. Had they been more forthright about the number and severity of these issues I may very well have opted to return the device. While we can take our business elsewhere, and some of us have already done so, I prefer to hold such companies accountable for the products they produce and for the misleading advertising that describes how they had hoped such products might perform. At this time all I can do is to raise awareness so that new customers just encountering these issues have the information they need, and that I didn't have, to decide a particular course of action.

@glens I'm a new Klipsch customer and new to this forum (~5 months). I'm well aware of Klipsch's reputation for producing quality products and that, in part, influenced my decision to purchase the BAR 48. During the past five months I have encountered almost a dozen issues with this product that I have documented and reported to Klipsch technical support and all of which have been referred to engineering. All of these issues, I might add, are with the firmware or other active components. As I browse through posts from owners of other Klipsch soundbars I find similar issues. You say, "they'd be better off sticking with passive loudspeakers only." Perhaps, but market conditions change and vendors need to explore new market segments to stay competitive. I do believe there is a large demand for soundbars and I'm glad to see that Klipsch has stepped up to the challenge. Having said that, their current line of active products is plagued with issues that basically make them unusable in certain situations for which they were designed and marketed. Whether or not the active components in these products were developed by Klipsch or sourced from third parties is irrelevant. These products are marketed under the Klipsch brand and are having a negative impact on the Klipsch brand reputation. One way or another, it is Klipsch's responsibility to resolve these issues. It's unfortunate but but it does happen, to all vendors, that new products sometimes experience unforeseen issues. What is important is how they deal with them and in my opinion Klipsch is not handling this well at all. Technical support will only say that these issues have been reported to engineering and that they will provide updates when they hear back from engineering. Of course, engineering has not yet reported back (or so I'm told) and despite my many requests, tech support has made no effort intercede on my behalf. In effect, it appears their primary function is to ensure customers remain ignorant about the number of issues reported and the steps (that may or may not) being taken to get them resolved. Customers are told to return their products to the retailer from whom they purchased it and ask for a replacement. As discussed in these forums, the replacements may have more issues that the product being returned. This suggests strongly that there are internal quality assurance issues that need to be addressed. Furthermore, Klipsch is aware that many of the reported issues are related to firmware defects which will also be present in any replacement product. Tech support will not even confirm that the issues I've reported can be reproduced. All they will say is that there has already been one firmware update released and that will not be the last. I have pointed out to them that I am about half way through my warranty. I have asked about what happens if these issues are not yet resolved when my warranty expires. I have not yet reserved a response. Obviously, there is a lot of concern about how these issues are being handled. What I find most disturbing is the apparent lack of interest in getting these issues resolved. Yes, the products affected by these issues are entry level products and may not generate the same revenues as some of the more traditional products but, on the other hand, a huge number of customers are affected. Take a look at the number of views generated by a couple of threads in only a few months (these numbers keep increasing daily). Bar 48 Subwoofer disconnect 126,505 views BAR 48 Surround volume at max but can barely hear them 44,730 views In conclusion, I agree that products containing active components do appear to experience more issues than more traditional products but the real issue here just how Klipsch is dealing with this!

For those reading this thread I thought I'd provide another update... I get an email about once a week to remind me they are still working on the issues I reported. Other than that and the fact that my issues have been forwarded to their technical team, I have had no feedback at all. I haven't even been told that the issues I have reported have been confirmed or if they can be reproduced. I'm very disappointed! In the beginning I was getting an email from Tech Support about once a week, mostly just to acknowledge the latest issue I reported, but absolutely no report on progress at all. On February 26 they reported, "We are working on the issues that you have presented to us." On March 23 they reported, "Our engineering team is still working to resolve the issues you are experiencing." On April 21 I requested another update but received no response. I'll acknowledge that the restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic are impacting everyone and are likely contributing to the delay but it is inexcusable that they refuse to discuss any aspect of the issues that have been reported. I purchased my BAR 48 in November 2019. I am now about half way through the warranty. I have asked, "What happens when my warranty expires and these issues still haven't been addressed?" Still I have received no response!

@Badhan I just discovered this post... My BAR 48 is connected to my Samsung TV via the HDMI-ARC connection. I have experienced the same issue. I will also lose audio completely if I skip forward or backward multiple times while watching a program. I have opened a support request with Klipsch tech support but have yet to hear back from them. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

@Bigdrago I can find no additional information on the new (revised) BAR 48 other that what was available at CES. See this Klipsch press release: KLIPSCH INTRODUCES NEW FEATURE-RICH SOUND BAR LINEUP CES 2020 Here's a clip of Michael Buratto, Sr. Product Manager - Connected Audio, at CES describing the new BAR 48. CES 2020 - Klipsch BAR 48 with Dolby Atmos @wuzzzer Were you, by chance, looking at the spec sheet for the current BAR 48? That is indeed the case for the current model.

@aston_martin260 I'm not sure what you mean. The lights show the volume level for the soundbar, subwoofer, and Surround 3 speakers (if you have them). When the bottom light is red, it means the audio source is from the digital input. Have you checked the manual? BAR 48 Sound Bar + Wireless Subwoofer Manual

@aston_martin260 Did you get your firmware updated? Did it help?

@v.mizandari@gmail.com I would think very carefully before proceeding. Scroll through the posts in this Home Theater forum for BAR 48 threads to see the many issues others have encountered. If you do not purchase your BAR 48 from an authorized Klipsch reseller you may not be able to get any support for it and, believe me, this product requires lots of support!

@JayPea @Hooped.ca @justinm@sgm-inc.com I would like to assure you that you are not alone. I too am experiencing the same issue and I have a Samsung Q70R TV. I have reported this issue to Klipsch tech support along with a half dozen other issues. If you have not done so already, search the forums for "BAR 48" or scroll through the posts in this Home Theater forum for BAR 48 threads. You will discover there are many other issues along with suggestions how to best deal with them.

@Ivan Larios When you download the firmware, in my case V23, you get a file named (in my case) "Bar48_2.4_V23.zip". That is a compressed file (i.e. .zip). When you extract the files from there you will get the app.bin file. The app.bin file is the actual firmware that you copy to the USB drive. The app.bin file is an unsupported format because it is not a compressed (.zip) file and there is nothing to extract from it.

@Srhigson At this point you have two options: Return your unit to your reseller for a replacement (different brand recommended) or a refund. REGISTER YOUR KLIPSCH PRODUCT then open a Klipsch PRODUCT SUPPORT request and report your issues.

@Srhigson Please see my response here: Bar 48 fail to power on after firmware update