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I just purchased a Cinema 600 system with the surround 3 speakers. I hooked everything up Friday night and everything was working great. Then yesterday I power up the system to watch a few shows and movies and only the right side surround 3 speaker is playing sound. The left one will not play any sound no matter what. I tried resetting and reconnecting everything multiple times. I updated the software on the sound bar and woofer, and that did not help either. Can anyone offer any advice on what to do?

Hello @R1c0, @itsmeray, @CH315, @Dlayhue01 I just came across this thread otherwise I would have replied sooner. I use the Surround 3's with my soundbars. First, I had a BAR 48 so I know all about those issues. I too was given a Cinema 600 as a warranty replacement so I know all about the Cinema 600 issues too. My Cinema 600 died completely after a couple of months. I had just updated the firmware to the latest version a few days before Klipsch pulled that update. While Klipsch is pretty good about providing warranty replacements, if you are within the warranty period, the Cinema 600 doesn't really qualify as a replacement for the BAR 48. The BAR has more features than does the Cinema 600 and, while a warranty replacement doesn't have to be the same model, it does have to have compatible or better features than the model it is replacing. Both the BAR series and the Cinema series soundbars have major reliability issues, especially the BAR 48 and the Cinema 600. The most recently manufactured Cinema 600's are labeled Rev 3. 😞 When I pointed out to Klipsch that the BAR 48 specs had features not present in the Cinema 600, they replaced my dead Cinema 600 with a Cinema 800 that had just been released. Through all of this, my Surround 3's never gave me any problems. Here are some suggestions how to troubleshoot Surround 3 pairing issues. Move the Surround 3's close to the soundbar, say 3 to 5 feet, just in case there are any signal strength or interference issues. Move any bluetooth or Wi-Fi devices that could cause interference away from your soundbar. Make sure the switch on the back of the Surround 3's are set correctly: One should be in the "L" position; the other in the "R" position. If only one of the Surround 3 speakers is paired, try reversing the switches on the back so that left becomes right and right becomes left and try to pair them again. If the same physical speaker again pairs successfully, that would suggest the other speaker has an issue. If however the other speaker pairs successfully it would suggest that the soundbar is only able to pair to a specific channel (either the left or the right) and the failure to pairing is due to an issue with the soundbar. If you haven't done so already, I suggest you read these Cinema 600 articles.

purchased Cinema 600 with sub system (manufacturer refurbished) surround 3 speakers (manufacturer refurbished) and a dongle directly from Klipsch (brand new) all purchased separately

Like some of you already have, I just wanted to join in and say "Thank You!!" especially to SixerfFixer for starting this thread and everyone else that has contributed. I was able to get my cinema 600 up and running again yesterday thanks to the awesome info here, so grateful. Wanted to also share what I did if it can help anyone else. I have a cinema 600 with the sub and surround 3's that I bought at the end of 2020 and mine went out in the same fashion that most others have described mid year 2023. The system had been nothing short of amazing up to that point with no issues and sound that would fill not only our basement but almost the whole house. So when the sound bar initially went down I was heartbroken! Life has been busy so my sound bar has been sitting idle since it stopped working with the intent to eventually fix it or try and get a replacement. I got serious about it this past week and went the route of repairing the original power supply. I liked the idea of keeping the original power supply if possible and not using an aftermarket one even though it sounds like you can certainly go that route with success if you choose to do so. After reading this thread from start to finish I felt confident that I could replace the cap's on the 5v side and that would almost definitely do the trick...and it did. I only replaced cap's C05 & C06 (220uf 16V) on the original power supply. After removing the glue from the connections I disconnected all the power hookups to the power supply and completely removed it from the sound bar. I'm a diy'er and fairly mechanically skilled. Never soldered before but after a couple google searches on the basics of soldering and how to remover soldered capacitors from a circuit board it really wasn't bad. Definitely takes a steady hand but if your careful and have patience many of you I bet could do it. From taking everything apart to putting it back together I probably spent 1 1/2 - 2 hours, and that was with some interruptions from kiddos. Again, thanks everyone for this awesome thread. Now we are having dance parties and movie nights again with proper theatre quality sound!!

I'm facing an issue with my Cinema 700 system (Costco version of Cinema 800), which is connected to a Sony X91CJ TV. Recently, I added a pair of Surround 3 speakers to the setup. However, I've been experiencing audio issues even before integrating the Surround 3, and this persists when WIFI is disconnected, suggesting that signal interference is unlikely to be the cause.

Hi, Setup: - sound bar cinema 600 - 2 wireless surround 300 speakers placed max 10 feet away from the bar Both wireless speakers keep cutting out all the time. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Update Monday 20 January 2020. I received the JBL Bar 5.1 soundbar and subwoofer yesterday. It works right out-of-the-box just like I expected a 5.1 sound system to work and sound in full-time, room-filling 5.1 sound from all sources, both stereo and 5.1 source. Let me repeat that: 5.1 surround sound full-time from all sources, whether stereo music sources or 5.1 video sources. Full-time 5.1 surround sound, loud enough to be heard ALL the time during two 2+ hour movies (Star Wars, The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens). The Klipsch Bar 48 5.1, in comparison, played surround sound barely loud enough for only a few seconds at a time and only during a few loud scenes during the same two 2+ hour movies. Also, Bluetooth paired with no problems to my computer and smartphone (Klipsch Bluetooth failed to connect on 2 of 3 units I tried). After trying three BAR 48s with 5.1 in the last six weeks, the result is obvious to me now: Klipsch fails to deliver 5.1 surround sound on the BAR 5.1, nor do they acknowledge the problems (including Bluetooth failure to pair), nor do they promise a date when it will fully work as well as the competition does right out-of-the-box. Competition 1, Klipsch 0. Game over for me. I'm happy with the JBL Bar 5.1 and will be returning the Klipsch BAR 48 5.1 today. ***** Update 15 January 2020. Where to start? Klipsch has really dropped the ball with the BAR 48, in lack of features and poor quality control. 1) Out of 3 BAR 48s I’ve had in two months, two fail to pair with Bluetooth, including the latest unit. This is a show-stopper for me. I haven’t decided whether to seek a 4th replacement or get a refund and go with a competitor which I know works well and sounds nearly as good. 2) Out of 3 sets of Surround 3 speakers I’ve had, one pair produced static, none are loud enough while playing 5.1 surround videos (such as Star Wars Last Jedi), and none play stereo sources on the S3 speakers louder than a whisper, which I fully expected to enjoy (given that simple car audio and home theater receives plays stereo sources on all speakers using ‘Balance’ for left-right and ‘Fade’ for front-back balance). I may just return them for a refund, since 5.1 is an option for me, as I’m fine with 3.1. 3) I’ve an online support request. The tech said he has forwarded a bug report to engineering. I replied I hope he forwards these concerns to marketing, engineering and manufacturing so they can decide on a competitive feature set and improving product quality. 4) Kudos to Amazon for their extended return/exchange dates during the annual holiday period starting at Thanksgiving (extending normal 30-day returns to January 31). ***** Update Mon Dec 30, 2019, 1200PM PST. In short, I received the replacement BAR 48 (from Amazon), updated the firmware (to v23 of 12/13/2019) and was disappointed (again) the Surround 3 (2nd set) speakers remain whisper quiet even with Dolby Digital and Surround lights on. To add insult to injury, Bluetooth does not connect (Bluetooth on the 1st BAR 48 worked fine to connect to both my Windows 10 computer and Android smartphone). Bottom line, if this were any other brand and I absolutely had to have 5.1 rather than 3.1, I'd shytecan it and never look back, but I'm a long-time fanatic for the Klipsch sound and Klipsch delivers for me again in amazing 3.1 sound from the affordable BAR 48. Having 5.1 with the Surround 3 speakers is an option that doesn't work for me and I'll simply return them for a refund. I can easily exchange the BAR 48 on Amazon again to get Bluetooth back online (Kudos to Amazon. Each year, from Thanksgiving onward, Amazon offers deep discounts and allows returns/exchanges through Jan 31 for almost everything). ***** Update Sun Dec 22, 2019, 1640PM PST. In short, I'm waiting to received a replacement BAR 48, then will test the Surround 3 volume output. I chatted with Amazon tech support, explained everything I have done (firmware update, exchange of Surround 3 speakers). After we tried an HDTV audio out adjustment, they will exchange the BAR 48 for a new one. I should receive the new replacement BAR 48 in a few days. Note: Klipsch tech support has not responded to my online service request in 12 days. ***** Update Dec 21, 2019, 1800PM PST. Bad news for the replacement S3 speakers I received today. I received the replacement Surround 3 speakers, plugged them in and connected them. The low-volume sound problem still exists with this new set of speakers. I have the BAR 48 Surround volume turned up all the way for both channels. I have to put my ear up to the speakers to hear them, which makes them useless. I am confident I properly installed the BAR 48 firmware v23 (dated 12/13/2019) several days ago (all the lights lit up in sequence as the PDF said they would). Update 1830PM. I updated the BAR 48 to firmware v23 again. No change in the low-volume problem. Sigh. ***** Update 12/16/2019: Klipsch just posted a firmware update for the BAR 48, firmware v23, which includes this fix: "Increased Surround Output when Rear Surrounds are present." Ironically, two days ago I returned the Surround 3 speakers and am waiting for a replacement set to be shipped to me for this exact problem. I went ahead and installed the firmware update and will be ready when the Surround 3 speakers arrive. Fellow owners, if you want to try this on your BAR 48 to see if it improves sound volume for the Surround 3 speakers, please post here and let us know your findings. ***** Original Post 12/09/2019: I have a BAR 48 sound bar, which I love. I just added the Surround 3 speaker pair and adjusted the surround volume to maximum, but I can still barely hear the sound. The surround speakers are on my desk. By comparison the BAR 48 across the room drowns out the surround speakers. My BAR 48 firmware was up-to-date out of the box (I just checked in klipsch.com, which said it has the current firmware, v14, released 7/17/2019, region Global). I've adjusted the Surround 3 speaker volume to maximum (using the Surround button on the remote as per the Klipsch PDF). Is there another way to turn up the surround speakers louder? Am I missing something else? Or should I request support from Klipsch?

I have the bar 48 with Surround 3 Speakers. One of my rear speakers (I have it set to the right channel) makes a scratching noise that lasts about 1 second, but only it only happens every few hours. It happens suddenly and complete out of the blue. Has anyone else ever experienced a similar issue? I haven't tried any trouble shooting yet like swapping channels with the left speaker and seeing if the speak does the same thing on the other channel, or re-syncing the bluetooth. It'll be hard to trouble shoot so it's very unpredictable. Is it possible I have 1 defective speaker?

Thanks for the reply and checking my testing logic. I’d normally agree with you except the noise only emits from the soundbar and not the surround speakers. I’ve experienced the squeal and pop noise from the surround 3 in the past and realized it was interference being caused by the Wi-Fi router. That has since been resolved by relocating the router. But you do have me thinking if there is a chance the transmitter for the Surround 3s are a potential cause?

Hi @allanwmurray, These are all the support articles for the Cinema 600. I suggest you read through them and the posts in this thread. Klipsch Cinema series product documentation, in my opinion, is rather poor. It is best if you read through existing posts to get an idea of capabilities and limitations. The input source does not affect how the Surround 3 speakers work. Sources other than HDMI/Optical are limited to mono or stereo. I had a first generation Cinema 600 and found that the overall sound and the sound from the Surround 3 speakers was disappointing. There have been a number of improvements since then so, hopefully, things are better now. This is all that Klipsch has to say about Cinema 600 - Sound Modes. On my Cinema 600, if I remember correctly, the ((SUR)) would only enable/disable the sound from the Surround 3 speakers. It would enable/disable Virtual Surround if Surround 3 speakers were not connected. The Cinema 800, although more expensive, is a much better product. The sound is fantastic and it will use your existing Surround 3 speakers.

I’ve got cracking in my wireless Surround 3 speakers connected to my Bar 48. It’s intermittently R or L or both at once & seems to come when I’m switching a channel or source. Switching surround mode off eliminates it until I turn surround mode back on, however unplugging the surround speaker seems to reset it resulting in no crackling. At first I thought it was cable related, but occurs with both comcast and ATV, then I thought it was related to using the dialogue mode, but that wasn’t it either. Looks like other folks have the same problem on the forum but I don’t see any answers there. I’m wondering if the issue is WiFi related and unplugging the surround speaker resets it’s little WiFi chip or settings? I don’t have to re-pair the unit to the Bar 48 after repowering the unit which makes me thing it’s not resetting to a default mode…any suggestions on preventing this intermittent crackling?

Hi i got my cinema 1200 few months ago. We have been loving this thing. Its better then anything we ever had. But this morning my wife put on cartoons for the kids and the back left was making a scratching nosie out of no where. I got home from work and she showed me it was not turned up loud and i can hear it across the house. only some sounds trigger the scratch. I have been freaking out for hours trying to figure this out with no help. I did every possible reset factory the bar. Unplug wait swap left to right all the stuff i could find. I spent allot of this and its barley 2 months old and took forever to get here. Its got both the latest firmware updates mcu and dps. If anyone has any idea of what i can do please help. Im so sad right now lol

@Larry1974GD Re: Surround 3s The sound levels and sound quality delivered to the Surround 3s are determined by the firmware on the soundbar. Customers have been complaining about extremely low sound levels from their Surround 3s for a long time. Klipsch attempted to resolve these issues on the BAR 48 with a couple of firmware updates but I noticed very little difference after applying the updates. The Cinema 600 only provides very limited control of the Surround 3 volume and, in my opinion, it too is largely ineffective. See the Klipsch article: Cinema 600 - Surround Sound Level Adjustment with Surround 3's. I now have a Cinema 800. There have been three firmware updates since I've had this soundbar and the Surround 3s now produce adequate sound levels. The Cinema 800 firmware updates will also update the firmware on the attached surrounds and have resolved other issues like hissing and scratchy sounds that some customers have reported. Since I am using the same Surround 3s that I purchased with my BAR 48, I can only conclude that the majority of the issues affecting the Surround 3s are a result of the soundbar to which they are attached.

Just recently purchased the surround 3’a for the cinema 600. Surround synced without any issues problem I am having is with the surround speaker the volume is to loud it over powers the soundbar. I’ve lowered the volume for the rears but still the same issue. Firmware and software are up to date on the soundbar. Anyone else have this issue

Surround 3 manual: Page 4 This is a page from the Surround 3 manual. When I first saw it I just skipped over it. Later, I went back to try and understand what it was trying to explain. I hate to admit it but I'm still baffled! The diagram shows two additional speakers which, I assume, are the Surround 3 speakers. I must therefore assume the diagram is trying to explain what happens if the ((SUR)) button is pressed when the BAR 48 has the Surround 3 speakers connected and is capable of producing 5.1 surround sound. Each time I press the ((SUR)) button on my remote the ((SUR)) light on the BAR 48 toggles on then off. That much is obvious. When the ((SUR)) light is on I can hear sound from the surround speakers. When it's off, I don't. At least that is what I think is happening. The left side of the page appears to describe the effect the ((SUR)) button button has when listening to music. Furthermore, I assume this is a mono/stereo source and that neither the DTS or Dolby Digital lights on the soundbar are illuminated. I think it is suggesting that pressing the ((SUR)) button will produce sound from the surround speakers. 😉 What is VIRTUAL SURROUND? Besides being an oxymoron, what is 5.1 STEREO? What is a 3.1 UPMIX? The right side of the diagram suggests the source is a movie. Since it shows 5.1 DISCRETE, I assume either the DTS or Dolby Digital lights are illuminated and the source may contain 5.1 content. If the ((SUR)) light on my BAR 48 is illuminated, I can hear sound from the Surround 3 speakers. If it is not illuminated, I don't. The diagram suggests that pressing the ((SUR)) button will switch from 5.1 DISCRETE to VIRTUAL SURROUND. So, when I have sound from my Surround 3 speakers, am I listening to 5.1 DISCRETE or VIRTUAL SURROUND?

Hello @dissatisfied buyer and welcome to the Klipsch Community forums. Klipsch has been very good at honouring their warranty and providing warranty replacements. I have a Cinema 800 with Surround 3s. The current firmware resolves most of the major firmware issues although the soundbar still must be power cycled occasionally to regain audio. Once you manually install the firmware Klipsch provide and connect your soundbar to your network (wired or WiFi), the soundbar will automatically update the firmware when newer firmware becomes available.

For the last 2 years, I’ve been dealing with an intermittent issue on my Klipsch Cinema 800 sound bar. It is connected to a Sony Bravia XBR65A8H via HDMI eARC. I also have a pair of Surround 3 speakers. The soundbar powers on and off with the Bravia. Every so often, the speakers will emit a low squealing noise when they turn on with the tv. The display comes up and I am able to change the volume, but there is no audio from the content on the tv. I have tried to power down the soundbar while it’s in this state, but the eARC connection causes it to power back on automatically when it recognizes the active input on the tv. The only way to reset the soundbar is to unplug it, wait for a few seconds and plug it back in. It works for 1-3 weeks and then it happens again. I’ve reached out to Klipsch support about this but they seem to be bewildered by the cause. I’ve done factory resets, firmware re-flashes, and changed the HDMI cable twice. Has anyone else experienced this and found a resolution, or does anyone have any ideas on a potential cause for the issue? I’m thinking I could use an optical cable, but then I’m limited on audio format support to Dolby Digital and not Dolby Digital Plus.

My suggestion would be to return it to wherever you bought it, if it's not too late. The BAR series had (has?) lots of reliability issues. Your Surround 3's will work with the newer Cinema series 600, 700, & 800. While these soundbars have also had their issues most have now been resolved. They are a big improvement over the BAR series. What's more, the price of these soundbars has recently been reduced significantly. The Cinema 700/800 would be a replacement for the BAR 48.

How does Virtual Surround work with Surround 3 speakers connected? I raised this question when I had my BAR 48 but I never got a answer. The Cinema 600 user manual doesn't provide any additional information. The documentation is severely lacking. Regarding Virtual Surround and Surround sound with Surround 3 speakers connected, the manual states: When the ((SUR)) LED is on, Virtual Surround mode is engaged. When the ((SUR)) LED is on and the Surround 3 speakers are connected, sound will emanate from the Surround 3 speakers. It never specifies what kind of sound! I finally got some answers from the Product Support group and thought I'd share them with the Community. Every little bit of information helps...

I have the exact same problem with my Cinema 800 and it has been this way since I bought it in 2021. I also have the surround 3s but I am using an LG C1 for my TV. I have seen this reported for the Cinema 1200 as well but I have yet to see a root cause or a fix identified. I have done troubleshooting with Klipsch support but nothing resolves the issue.

,,,,,, @johndt are you using the Surround 3

the power supply fails very often with these units , but the unit powers on off , so , ruled out - it could be the logic board , but since you are doing resets and firmware updates , with success , ruled out as well -it could also be wireless interference with the .Klipsch Surround 3 speakers ..this appears to me to be the most likely cause of the noise ,

Hi everyone does the klipsch soundbars from the 600 upwards have Dolby Pro Logic decoding built in for creating surround sound from stereo broadcasts as i couldnt find anything mentioned on the klipsch website. Does the surround 3 speakers work when the soundbar is recieving stereo signals v HDMI or optical

Buongiorno, chiedo un’informazione a merito della Soundbar Klipsch cinema 600. Durante i film spesso nei dialoghi il Sub parte lo stesso riproducendo un suono fastidioso, quasi come interferenza.. E difettoso o c’è un modo per toglierlo? Possiedo anche Surround 3. Grazie

@Larry1974GD Re: Audio Quality There is a lot of information about things that can impact audio quality if you search online. There is no way this issue can be explained in a few paragraphs here. The sound levels you obtain when using an analogue or Bluetooth input depend on the source. If the sound from the soundbar is not loud enough, increase the sound level at the source. Again, audio quality also depends on the source material. If you are listening to old MP3 files, it doesn't matter what type of connection to the soundbar you have, the audio quality will be poor. Most TVs will pass through audio from one of its inputs to the HDMI-ARC as-is without converting it so while the HDMI-ARC (or eARC) has a much higher bandwidth than other connections and can support higher quality audio, it can't improve or change the audio quality it sees on its other inputs. If you are listening to audio only from external sources, you are better off connecting those sources directly to your Cinema 600 using the Digital (optical) input if you can. If not, use the analogue or Bluetooth inputs. You will get the best audio quality from your TV using the HDMI-ARC connection. This will allow you to use your TV's CEC functions to turn the soundbar on/off and control the volume using the TV remote. The Cinema 600 supports "Dolby Audio" but there are many types and only the most basic one, Dolby Digital, is supported. Dolby Digital can provide 5.1 surround sound via the HDMI-ARC or Digital connection but it cannot be considered high quality audio. Dolby Digital Plus can provide "CD Quality" audio but only via HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC. Unfortunately, the Cinema 600 cannot decode Dolby Digital Plus. If you want higher quality audio and higher sound levels from your Surround 3s, you might want to consider a Cinema 800. It will work with your existing Surround 3s. It has two HDMI connections on the soundbar so you will not be restricted by any limitations your TV may have. It supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby HD, and more. It supports HDMI-eARC so if your TV also has HDMI-eARC your soundbar will be able to process higher quality audio from your TV. Dolby Atmos provides precise positioning of specific sounds: front to back; left to right; up and down. The Cinema 800 does not support any up/down positioning and there is no way to connect additional speakers needed for full Atmos positioning but it does support Dolby Atmos, provides better positioning of sound than does Dolby Digital and provides much higher quality audio. I hope this helps...