KevinB

Cinema 800 web interface after installing firmware update to DSP 4.9 I've been playing with this and completed a couple of firmware updates. These are the details. The first step is to get the IP address assigned to your soundbar: Open the Klipsch Connect app. I'm using the iOS version 1.9.2 (100). Go to: Settings. Go to: PRODUCT INFORMATION. At the very bottom you will see your IP address (assuming you have already setup your network). Open your web browser and go to: http://<your IP address from step 4 above> You will be presented with the Main Page: I have chosen not to display the network info. Even though I'm using a private IP address, all settings can be accessed and changed without any authentication. This is the Device Settings page: Device Name will be used to identify your soundbar when you do a Bluetooth pairing. Check for Update tells me my firmware is up to date - nothing else. File lets me select the firmware file. After selecting it, it appears to install the update but I don't think it actually does. Reboot device to the Update Mode displays this: This is what appears after the page refreshes. I will begin with part 1 of the update: Choose File lets me select the firmware file I want. Reboot Device starts the update. Part 1 of the update completed very quickly: about 2 minutes. This is the result: Note: SUB RX version: SUB TX version: 00 SURR RX version: 00 SURR TX version: 00 Part 2 of the update: After I clicked on Reboot Device the update took 3-4 minutes to complete. The green area is a progress bar. As it expanded to the right additional lines of information appeared in the main part of the page. When the webpage refreshed this is what it displayed. While this appears to be the Main Page, it is not. There are no Network settings shown. When I went to the Main Page, all my network settings were as they should be. It's unfortunate that all of this is yet to be documented. I can confirm that the firmware was successfully installed. This approach is much faster, easier, and more reliable than the manual install using a USB thumb drive. Note: The web interface never did show a value for SUB RX version:, nether before nor after the firmware update. When I checked the versions on the soundbar they matched those shown in the Cinema 800 firmware update article and are different from what you should see on the Cinema 1200. Cinema 800 - Firmware Update MCU 92 > WIFI 1.0.146.0 > DSP 4.9 > SUR T 04 > SUR R 11 > SUB T 03 > SUB R 02 > HDMI 43 Cinema 1200 - Firmware Update MCU v92 > WIFI 1.0.146.0 > DSP 4.9 > SUR T 80 > SUR R 80 > SUR L 80 > SUB T 03 > SUB R 06 > HDMI 43

That appears to be a common occurrence with the Cinema 600. Mine died too! Don't worry that it is out of warranty. Open a case with Klipsch Product support. They know this is an issue affecting Cinema 600s. They may still arrange for a warranty replacement. Replacing a power supply yourself is an extra cost and effort. It should used only as a last ditch effort!

Do you know if anyone has tried the firmware update using a web browser? I'm not sure if this capability existed before the latest firmware update. Maybe you can confirm? The settings in the Klipsch app can show you the IP address assigned to your Cinema 800/1200. If you open a browser from your computer or tablet and go to: http://<your-soundbar-IP-address> you will get a webpage showing information about your soundbar and you can also initiate a firmware update using your Internet connection rather than using a USB thumb drive. I haven't tried this myself. When I check for new firmware it says I already have the latest version.

Yes, trying to get the firmware to update successfully can be extremely frustrating. I had to try a dozen times before it worked. Klipsch Product Support would only say, "Keep trying. Eventually it will work," I thought they were crazy. You have to complete step one successfully before proceeding to step two. When you start the update the display should show "UPDATING" then a few seconds later it should change to "UP DSP". If it doesn't, the update is not installing and you need to suspect the thumb drive. When you see "UP DSP", the firmware is installing. You have to give it time to complete. Forget about the five minutes the instructions mention. If it hasn't updated successfully after thirty minutes, repeat the process and wait an hour before shutting off the soundbar then removing power, etc. After you completed the update, did you verify the installed version(s)? After completing step one, DSP should show 4.9 and not 4.4.

I have successfully updated my firmware. The reason it wouldn't install previously is that I followed the instructions provided by Klipsch Product Support. 😒 Here is what I did: When attempting the firmware update (part 1), wait 30 minutes after the update begins before powering off the soundbar and completing the remaining steps. When attempting the firmware update (part 2), wait 90 minutes after the update begins before powering off the soundbar and completing the remaining steps. The excessive wait times certainly aren't necessary in every case but if you can't get the update installed try these times. Klipsch has said to make sure the update has completed before powering off the soundbar but there is absolutely no indication given when the update has completed. The actual time it takes to install may depend on the specific USB device used.

I have replied to your other post here. I suggest others wishing to reply do so in the other thread so as to keep all replies in one place.

I see that you also asked the same question in the Cinema 1200 soundbar thread. Most communities frown on members double posting. It's bad enough that there are multiple Cinema 1200 threads but things can get really confusing when when answers to a specific question are spread across multiple threads. Just pick an existing thread or start a new one. Okay, I won't suggest returning it! Check out my other post here where I have tried to provide some additional perspective.

My Cinema 800 experiences these same issues. Check out the links I have provided here. There are many more subtle issues affecting these soundbars that you may only notice once someone else has pointed them out.

It is unfortunate in some ways that there isn't a "Cinema soundbar thread". I certainly understand why there are separate threads for the 1200, 800, and 600, each being a different product, but when it comes to the issues we all encounter there is much more in common across the whole Cinema line. As you may appreciate, because the Cinema 800 and Cinema 600 have been available longer than the Cinema 1200 more customers have had an opportunity to identify issues with those products. You may be surprised to learn that many of the Cinema 1200 issues have plagued the other models too. Have a look at some of the other threads in this forum: Cinema 1200 Cinema 800 Cinema 600 I have responded to posts in most of the threads involving the Cinema soundbars and, while numerous issues have been identified, there are common issues impacting all models related to: Firmware updates Power (soundbar just dies!) Random noises (affecting the soundbar, or subwoofer, or surround speakers) Dialog (indistinct, difficult to understand) HDMI-ARC connectivity All sound stops (either for a couple of seconds or permanently until power is removed from the soundbar) Video and sound synchronization. ... and more. In my opinion, these are just symptoms of a few larger issues impacting not only the Cinema soundbars but the previous BAR series too. Component reliability Design defects (or oversights) Software defects impacting the firmware. While these issues can be dealt with during the product development phase, they are much more difficult to rectify once a product is in distribution. The typical resolution for a component failure is a replacement unit but if there is an issue with the general reliability of the component the replacement may encounter the same issue. Worse yet, if other components are also subject to reliability issues, the replacement can have more issues than the soundbar that was returned. This is exactly what happened to me when I received a warranty replacement for my BAR 48! It would appear that the Cinema series has not achieved a significant improvement in component reliability. Design defects can be much more difficult to deal with, for example, a soundbar with a power supply incapable of providing the needed power. These issues are usually rectified when the product design is revised which, from what I have observed, is when Klipsch announces a new line of soundbars. If we expect to see improvements in future soundbars it is important that we provide Klipsch Product Support with the appropriate feedback. Firmware issues are likely to impact all devices so, if your issue is related to a firmware defect, a warranty replacement will not help. Unfortunately, as customers, we are unable to determine what issues are specifically firmware related. The good news is that some issues may be resolved by installing a firmware update. So far, I have not been very impressed with Klipsch firmware updates! Whatever issues you may be experiencing, I encourage you to register your product and open a case with Klipsch Product Support. Whether or not they are able to resolve your particular issue, this is the only way to reduce the likelihood that new products will encounter the same issues found in current models. I hope this overview will help you decide how to best deal with your current issues.

Did you ever get your firmware updated?

Yes, it happened to me and, if I remember correctly, someone else reported the same thing. In my case, the soundbar was completely dead. If it is new, you should return it to the retailer from whom you purchased it. If you can't do that, you should be able to get a replacement from Klipsch. If it is still covered by the warranty you should have no problem. If the warranty has expired, they may still be able to help you if you ask nicely. There is one other thing you can try first. If the soundbar is not completely dead, you may be able to revive it by disconnecting the power cable then reconnecting it 10-15 seconds later. Please let us know what happens.

Hi Eugene, You started this thread. I'm interested in learning more about your experience with the Cinema 1200.

It looks as if your firmware did not get updated correctly. If you see DSP 4.9, the first part of the update succeeded. Otherwise, repeat the first part. Once you see DSP 4.9, use the same thumb drive for the second update because you know it works. After the update starts, wait a couple of hours before powering down the soundbar. I retried the update eight times before it succeeded. The last time I left it overnight.

Please see the Cinema 800 - Firmware Update article and confirm that the update was successful. If the firmware update was successful, open a case with Klipsch Product Support to report these new issues.

The Klipsch Surround 3 speakers are the only surround speakers that are supported. The specs state that they are wireless speakers but do not state they are Bluetooth speakers. What makes you think you can connect Bluetooth speakers?

That depends what you mean by work. Check the manual for your TV. There are three ways the soundbar can be connected. In order of preference, they are: HDMI-ARC Digital Analog Even if your TV supports HDMI-ARC the specifications are somewhat open to interpretation and not all manufacturers have implemented them exactly the same way so there could be some communication issues, especially with older implementations. The only way to know for sure is to try it. I suggest you review these Cinema 600 articles.

After having had four Klipsch soundbars (three different models) and helping out in these forums for the past two years this is what I can conclude: Most of the issues I have observed or that have been discussed in these forums appear to be due to poor quality control and/or poor design. As such, many of the same models currently stocked by retailers may experience the same or similar issues. Klipsch Product Support has recommended that any customer experiencing issues with their soundbar first try to return it to the retailer from whom it was purchased. If it is beyond the time period when the retailer will accept returns, and it is still within the warranty period, the customer can request a warranty replacement from Klipsch but that can take many weeks. Based on my own experience and that of others posting in these forums, there is no guarantee that the issues one is experiencing will actually be resolved with the replacement. In some cases the replacement may actually exhibit additional issues. Klipsch won't comment on the issues that have been reported and I have been unable even to get an acknowledgement let alone a progress report on the issues reported in the case I have opened but I still believe it is important for all of us to provide as many details as possible to Klipsch about the issues we encounter. Almost all the issues I encountered with my BAR 48 and reported to Klipsch appear to have been addressed in the Cinema 600 and Cinema 800. 🙂 I'm happy to see that each new soundbar generation has fewer issues and more features than the previous one but I'm disappointed that owners of a current model may not find a replacement completely free of issues.

I have a Cinema 800 and have noticed the same thing. This is the setup on my Cinema 800 Sound Bar HDMI-1 - Apple TV 4K (with a Dolby Atmos stream) HDMI-2 - Cable TV Box (with a Dolby Digital stream) There is one Cable TV channel where the dialog is very weak. I need to listen to it with Dialog 3. Other TV channels are not so bad. I haven't noticed a similar issue when listening to Dolby Atmos content from my Apple TV. My soundbar is still at firmware version 4.4. It will not update to version 4.9. Has your firmware updated to 4.9 and did you notice any difference in the dialog after the update?

You should be able to reinstall the firmware update (or just the second part of it). Make sure the subwoofer is powered on and paired before installing the update.

@Christian Bonnet Two years ago I purchased a BAR 48 and Surround 3 speakers that had just recently become available. Almost immediately I encountered issues. Not knowing where to turn I posted my concerns in this forum and found other customers having similar issues. I found the Klipsch support web pages but it contained very little information about any soundbars so I opened a case with Klipsch Product support. Over the course of a year I documented about a dozen issues and shared my experiences with other community members. About a year after my original purchase I was offered a warranty replacement which had more issues than my original one. Other customers had a similar experience. In January of this year the Cinema 600 became available and I was offered one to replace the defective BAR 48 warranty replacement. Of course, I accepted. The Cinema 600 was a big improvement. All the issues I had with the BAR 48 appeared to have been resolved but there were still a couple of show stoppers. The BAR 48 advertised support for Dolby Digital Plus but I never did get it working. The Cinema 600 was supposed to resolve that issue but didn't. Later I was told it didn't provide support for DD+. 😒 About once a week it would lose its connection with my TV (HDMI-ARC). I could only restore the connection by removing the power and reconnecting it. This behaviour continued for about eight months. In September, v33 of the firmware was released and I installed it September 3rd. A couple of weeks later, the soundbar would no longer power on at all. It was bricked! Perhaps that is why firmware v33 is no longer available. I don't know. On November 1 my Cinema 800 arrived and, yes, there are issues. I have added my comments to this thread: Do I have the bitter honor of having the first dead Cinema 800? It begins... I use my soundbar primarily when watching loud movies. I haven't listened closely in a quiet setting so I haven't noticed your issue. Since Klipsch provides little information about what issues a firmware update is supposed to resolve, you'll have to contact Klipsch Product Support and ask if v33 might resolve your issue and when it might again be made available. If you learn anything, please share with the community.

The information provided in Cinema 600 - How to Check Firmware Versions says the current firmware version for the Cinema 600 is v33. It would not hurt to do a firmware upgrade. I downloaded V33 on September 3 but now I see that only v31 is available. You can check with Klipsch Product Support to find out what happened to V33. Perhaps it was pulled. If so, it is further evidence to support my opinion about their quality control. You may have the same problem. There is no guarantee won't. You clearly understand your options. If the new firmware does not resolve your issues, I would seek a refund!

Other Cinema 800 issues encountered after a failed firmware update! I didn't have a lot of time to explore the sound bar features before encountering this failed automatic firmware update issue. This was my initial setup on my Samsung Q70R TV. TV HDMI-4 ARC - Cinema 800 Sound Bar TV HDMI-3 - Apple TV 4K TV HDMI-2 - Cable TV Box The TV recognized: I had a Home Theater connected. It supported Dolby Digital It supported Dolby Digital Plus It supported Dolby Atmos When I Selected Dolby Digital, it automatically switched to Dolby Atmos. It sounded great. I could disable the Dolby Atmos if I wanted to. After the failed firmware upgrade, the surround sound seemed to be different. I decided to change my configuration. This is my current setup on my Samsung Q70R TV. TV HDMI-4 ARC - Cinema 800 Sound Bar This is the setup on the Cinema 800 Sound Bar HDMI-1 - Apple TV 4K (with a Dolby Atmos stream) HDMI-2 - Cable TV Box (with a Dolby Digital stream) The sound from the Apple TV 4K and the Cable TV Box is great, especially Apple TV movies with Dolby Atmos sound. I assume the sound bar gets its sound directly from the connected devices and doesn't rely on the HDMI ARC connection. With this configuration, however, the audio and video is not synchronized. It is barely noticeable on the HDMI 2 connection but quite noticeable on the HDMI 1 connection. The TV has streaming apps installed including Netflix which supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Atmos. Prior to the failed firmware upgrade I could enjoy the surround sound from Netflix movies with Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos sound. Now, When I check the sound output settings on the TV, there are several issues: When I check the sound output it shows Home Theater. If I select TV Speakers, it immediately jumps back to Home Theater. I can no longer play sound from the TV speakers when the sound bar is connected. When I go to my Advanced Audio Settings, I see the output format is PCM. Dolby Atmos compatibility is selected which means the TV recognizes the sound bar supports Dolby Atmos. I suspect the lack of Surround Sound might be due to the output format being PCM. Edited 2022-01-29: I have the option of selecting an output format of PCM, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus which implies all are supported by the connected device. If I select anything other than PCM I lose all sound output from the sound bar. Going back to PCM and enabling/disabling Dolby Atmos compatibility also makes no difference. The only way to restore sound to the sound bar is to remove power from it and reconnect after a few seconds. After successfully installing the 4.9 firmware update this is no longer the case and I can select any of the formats. I have reported this to Klipsch Product Support but they have yet to respond. The Cinema 1200 can exhibit similar behaviour after a failed automatic firmware update. The other day I visited the retailer where I purchased my original soundbar. I was discussing with the owner the issues I was having with my Cinema 800. He had just received his Cinema 1200 a few days earlier and had completed the initial setup. He told me the soundbar had completed the automatic update and he hadn't notice any issues. He began to demo the unit for me. It sounded great but there was very little sound from the rear speakers. The soundbar was connected to a brand new Samsung TV via HDMI-ARC but he was using the YouTube app which doesn't support Dolby Digital. I convinced him to setup Netflix and use a Dolby Atmos movie to really exploit the Cinema 1200's capabilities. He did that but I noticed no difference in the soundscape. When we checked the TV's sound settings it showed PCM with no options for Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus. I had this eerie feeling of déjà vu. When I checked the soundbar it showed DSP 4.4, not DSP 4.9. A brand new Cinema 1200 is showing the same symptoms and behaviour as my Cinema 800. That should be proof enough that this issue is far more widespread than Klipsch Product support has been willing to admit. How they will respond remains to be seen.

After a half dozen attempts to complete a manual update the firmware, Klipsch Product Support asked me to try a few more times. 😒 I disconnected all inputs and removed the dongle connecting my Surround 3 speakers just to eliminate any possible issue due to connected devices. It made no difference. The firmware still showed "DSP 4.4" after the upgrade completed. In a previous post I reported that my display showed "DSP 4. 4" (with the space). Klipsch Product Support asked me to provide a photo then responded that was normal.

Klipsch soundbars certainly have had more than their fair share of issues and, in my opinion, many are due to poor quality control. If your issue is due to a hardware defect then I agree with your assessment of the situation. If it is due to a hardware design issue then it is unlikely to be resolved until the next generation of the soundbar becomes available, possibly a year or more from now. It's possible your symptoms may be caused by a firmware issue. If that is the case it would surely affect all devices and may be corrected with a revised firmware. Please see this article: Cinema 600 - How to Check Firmware Versions If your issues persist with the latest firmware, your options are limited. The first thing Klipsch product support is likely to suggest is that you obtain a replacement from the retailer from whom you purchases it. If you decide replace your current soundbar(s) try to get one with a more recent serial number, if you can...

In case you haven't seen it, there is a new article to address this issue: Cinema 800 - Soundbar Bricked After Update