I've recently purchased a BAR 48- It arrived at my home on Friday and I wasted no time in setting it up and enjoying it! Its basic sound profile is great (although I wish the Sub *could* deliver a bit more boom when it's cranked up than it does), and my optical and analog connections seamlessly work on it.
The Bluetooth is a problem, though. I have the same issue that ebaqui details above: Although my BT capable devices can see the BAR 48 and can even "pair" with it, they cannot successfully connect to it. On my Windows PC, this simply results in my computer claiming it's connected to the BAR 48 but having no capability of playing sound over BT to it, while on my Android Smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S20 FE), I'm informed that I "need an app to use this device". That's how the BAR reacted to Bluetooth when I received it, and I can confirm that it is behaving the same way after I've installed the latest available firmware update (per Klipsch.com).
This is really unfortunate and reflects poorly on Klipsch's QC process. I'm a fan of their products and love the sound profile I get out of all my Klipsch speakers, headphones, and soundbars (I upgraded to the BAR 48 from an RSB-3 soundbar that I've had for almost two years and have really enjoyed, which never had any of these BT pairing issues). It's hard to maintain enthusiasm for even a brand you've had historically great experiences with when you have multiple problems with things like this (A bit separate, but I've also had issues with my T5 True Wireless earbuds that seem to boil down to Klipsch not being able to ensure consistent quality in their manufacturing). Bluetooth may be complicated, but if the BAR 48 is truly using BT 4.1, that standard has existed for quite some time and countless consumer electronics have incorporated it without any issue. Most devices that use BT 5.0 don't exhibit any of these issues, either, despite the more advanced standard.
Bluetooth has been a fact of life in the world of electronics for something like a decade, and it isn't unreasonable to expect a prestigious brand like Klipsch to competently incorporate it into their products. The fact that there are multiple topics open on this forum to the effect that customers aren't able to use the Bluetooth features on their premium audio products is disheartening. I'm planning on using a 3.5mm signal switch to gain some Bluetooth functionality by patching an Amazon Echo Dot into the 3.5 input along with my record player, so I should ultimately be able to achieve the functionality I want with minimal inconvenience. It's just a shame and a black mark on Klipsch that they're selling these defective units.
I'll keep my eyes open for additional firmware updates but I'm not optimistic given how long these products have been on the market that Klipsch is really interested in addressing these problems for the relatively few of us who are experiencing them. I'd try to get the BAR 48 replaced with another, except it seems like the other customers who've tried that have ended up with similar quality issues effecting other elements of their products (such as the Wireless Sub) that work fine on my own unit. These are the types of compromises consumers shouldn't have to make when paying for premium products.
Love the sound, but I'm thoroughly disappointed by this issue.
