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Cinema 600 Sound Bar Thread


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20 hours ago, Droneface said:

Will my 2011 Samsung-55" Class / LED / 1080p / 240Hz / 3D/ HDTV-UN55D8000Y work with the Klipsch Cinema 600 3.1 soundbar?

 

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:

  1. HDMI-ARC
  2. Digital
  3. 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.

 

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On 1/10/2022 at 12:12 PM, KevinB said:

 

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:

  1. HDMI-ARC
  2. Digital
  3. 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.

 

Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate the guidance. 

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16 hours ago, NickYeram said:

Has anyone run into this?

 

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.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great info in this thread!  I have yet to complete my setup but after reading a review of a 4K film (the Thing) i read about an audio issue that may be resolved by increasing the dB's on the left and right channels.  Is there a way to do this while leaving the center channel "alone"?  Thanks!

Edited by mattp99893
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@mattp99893

 

These Cinema 600 articles describe most of the features.

These are the Cinema 600 - Sound Modes.

 

The volume of the L/R channels is adjusted using the volume control. It will adjust the volume of all the channels. You can adjust the volume of the subwoofer independently and reduce or increase if necessary. 

 

The centre channel is used mostly for dialog. Many customers have have noticed that the dialog can sometimes be indistinct and they need to increase the center channel volume or make use of enhanced dialog modes. I have never heard of anyone wanting to decrease the centre volume level relative to the L/R channels.

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My Cinema 600 turned off last night while watching tv and will not turn back on. I see others have had this problem. This unit is only 14 months old. This is my second Klipsch sound bar and will probably be my last. What is Klipsch saying?

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On 2/6/2022 at 9:41 PM, KenN said:

My Cinema 600 turned off last night while watching tv and will not turn back on. I see others have had this problem. This unit is only 14 months old. This is my second Klipsch sound bar and will probably be my last. What is Klipsch saying?

 

Klipsch says very little about reported issues and there have been quite a few. They will provide a warranty replacement for a defective unit but sometimes it takes them a while to determine that a unit really is defective and that the defect cannot be resolved by a firmware update.

 

In this case, I think it's pretty clear that your soundbar is defective. Since the same thing has happened to many of us, Klipsch is now well aware of this issue. I would open a case with Klipsch Product Support and request a warranty replacement even if you are just outside your official warranty period. If they are reluctant to provide one you can mention that you are aware that this is a known issue impacting many customers and insist.

 

Please let us know what happens.

 

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  • 3 months later...

I purchased a Cinema 600 soundbar in May 2021, which just died. Red light, won't power on. Went through the FW upgrade steps, still nothing; it's dead, Jim. I contacted Klipsch support and they wouldn't honor the warranty because I bought it open box through Best Buy which, honestly, is crap (but I get it). Worse, the Cinema 600 replaced an equally faulty Bar 48.

 

Looking around the internet, I see a litany of similar stories and stumbled upon this (https://www.channelnews.com.au/is-the-klipsch-cinema-600-soundbar-being-recalled/) which leads me to believe this isn't isolated at all and Klipsch probably knows it.

 

Here's the thing: I purchased the Surround 3's so I have the set up for a decent enough 5.1 should I choose to replace the Cinema 600. My question is: has the Cinema 600 been improved? Was the power supply issue addressed (which supposedly leads to the red light issue)? Will my Surround 3's still crackle and disconnect all the time if I purchase (yet another) Klipsch soundbar?

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Update: My local Best Buy had a Cinema 600 in stock so I went ahead and purchased it since I suppose I can't learn my lesson and I desperately want Klipsch to be my brand, having used them almost exclusively since the early THX Promedia days.

 

Anyway, I was comparing this new 600 to my old one and found something very interesting. On the back of the bar (as well as on the box), the model number is listed "Cinema 600-2". Oddly, on the back of my broken soundbar, the version is listed as "Cinema 600" which leads me to believe that there was, in fact, some kind of model update in the last year. Hope so, anyway!

 

That said, so far, so good. My Surround 3's connected straight away (they were fussy getting connected to the old bar) and I'll be damned if the whole setup doesn't sound just a little better to boot. Also, the remote has a different feel than the previous one with the finish being more matte and  the buttons have a distinct "clickiness" to them that was missing previously (that's a good thing). I'll keep everyone posted.

Edited by JasonMCG
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On 6/5/2022 at 2:47 PM, JasonMCG said:

I purchased a Cinema 600 soundbar in May 2021, which just died. I bought it open box through Best Buy

the warranty of the Cinema 600 open box , could be 90 days

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22 hours ago, JasonMCG said:

Here's the thing: I purchased the Surround 3's so I have the set up for a decent enough 5.1 should I choose to replace the Cinema 600. My question is: has the Cinema 600 been improved? Was the power supply issue addressed (which supposedly leads to the red light issue)? Will my Surround 3's still crackle and disconnect all the time if I purchase (yet another) Klipsch soundbar?

 

I was provided a Cinema 600 warranty replacement for my BAR 48 which had a multitude of issues. The BAR 48 was supposed to support Dolby Digital Plus which can provide CD quality audio but it never worked. I was never able to get Dolby Digital Plus working with my Cinema 600 then Klipsch admitted that the Cinema 600 doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus so the replacement didn't provide the same features that the BAR 48 was supposed to provide. Before I could discuss the matter with Klipsch, the Cinema 600 dropped dead!

 

Long story short, I now have a Cinema 800 and still using the same Surround 3s that I purchased with my BAR 48.

 

Most of My BAR 48 issues appear to have been resolved in the Cinema 600 and now my Cinema 800 supports Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos. The Cinema 800 is everything the BAR 48 should have been!

 

The Cinema 800 has had its issues, most of which have been firmware related. Klipsch has just provided me with their latest firmware update which looks very promising. While the crackling sound you hear may be due to an issue with the Surround 3s, some customers have reported that issue has been resolved with the latest firmware update to their Cinema 800 soundbar which will also update the firmware in the Surround 3s.

 

I understand your issues trying to get a warranty exchange on your Cinema 600. Klipsch may be more sympathetic if you explain that you had a BAR 48 with many issues, that you purchased the Cinema 600 as a replacement and didn't seek a warranty replacement on your BAR 48. You may still be able to return your new Cinema 600 to Best Buy and wrangle a Cinema 800 as a replacement from Klipsch, if you are lucky.

 

Let us know what transpires.

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12 minutes ago, KevinB said:

 

I was provided a Cinema 600 warranty replacement for my BAR 48 which had a multitude of issues. The BAR 48 was supposed to support Dolby Digital Plus which can provide CD quality audio but it never worked. I was never able to get Dolby Digital Plus working with my Cinema 600 then Klipsch admitted that the Cinema 600 doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus so the replacement didn't provide the same features that the BAR 48 was supposed to provide. Before I could discuss the matter with Klipsch, the Cinema 600 dropped dead!

 

Long story short, I now have a Cinema 800 and still using the same Surround 3s that I purchased with my BAR 48.

 

Most of My BAR 48 issues appear to have been resolved in the Cinema 600 and now my Cinema 800 supports Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos. The Cinema 800 is everything the BAR 48 should have been!

 

The Cinema 800 has had its issues, most of which have been firmware related. Klipsch has just provided me with their latest firmware update which looks very promising. While the crackling sound you hear may be due to an issue with the Surround 3s, some customers have reported that issue has been resolved with the latest firmware update to their Cinema 800 soundbar which will also update the firmware in the Surround 3s.

 

I understand your issues trying to get a warranty exchange on your Cinema 600. Klipsch may be more sympathetic if you explain that you had a BAR 48 with many issues, that you purchased the Cinema 600 as a replacement and didn't seek a warranty replacement on your BAR 48. You may still be able to return your new Cinema 600 to Best Buy and wrangle a Cinema 800 as a replacement from Klipsch, if you are lucky.

 

Let us know what transpires.

Yes Kevin, just spoke to 48 user just now. Maybe he will see this also... @Floyd91

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2 hours ago, KevinB said:

 

I was provided a Cinema 600 warranty replacement for my BAR 48 which had a multitude of issues. The BAR 48 was supposed to support Dolby Digital Plus which can provide CD quality audio but it never worked. I was never able to get Dolby Digital Plus working with my Cinema 600 then Klipsch admitted that the Cinema 600 doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus so the replacement didn't provide the same features that the BAR 48 was supposed to provide. Before I could discuss the matter with Klipsch, the Cinema 600 dropped dead!

 

Long story short, I now have a Cinema 800 and still using the same Surround 3s that I purchased with my BAR 48.

 

Most of My BAR 48 issues appear to have been resolved in the Cinema 600 and now my Cinema 800 supports Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos. The Cinema 800 is everything the BAR 48 should have been!

 

The Cinema 800 has had its issues, most of which have been firmware related. Klipsch has just provided me with their latest firmware update which looks very promising. While the crackling sound you hear may be due to an issue with the Surround 3s, some customers have reported that issue has been resolved with the latest firmware update to their Cinema 800 soundbar which will also update the firmware in the Surround 3s.

 

I understand your issues trying to get a warranty exchange on your Cinema 600. Klipsch may be more sympathetic if you explain that you had a BAR 48 with many issues, that you purchased the Cinema 600 as a replacement and didn't seek a warranty replacement on your BAR 48. You may still be able to return your new Cinema 600 to Best Buy and wrangle a Cinema 800 as a replacement from Klipsch, if you are lucky.

 

Let us know what transpires.

I already spoke with the Klipsch reps who offered me 10% off a product of my choosing. It was a nice gesture but ultimately throwaway since product prices have increased drastically in the last year. 

 

That said, I did purchase a replacement. See my follow-up post for details about it; was interesting to say the least.

Edited by JasonMCG
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1 hour ago, Floyd91 said:

The sounds I’m hearing my be the bar not being able to process the Dolby digital.

 

The BAR 48 definitely can process Dolby Digital. I enjoyed many movies that had Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. Dolby Digital Plus provides higher sound quality than does Dolby Digital. The BAR 48 specs said it could process Dolby Digital Plus but Klipsch never got that part working.

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I happen to like the sound bar a lot. It has more than enough bass for my area that I watch TV and listen to music. Although the Surround 3's are very low volume. I had one fail recently. It started having far lower than usually volume. It was barely audible with a lot of hissing static noise. I've spoken to Klipsch and I'm wait for them to verify my purchase from Amazon. For a replacement. Hopefully the new ones will have louder audio than the ones I had. I could barely notice them until I hit about 50% volume which is much to loud for my living situation. I rent in a smaller house the whole second floor of a nice home. It makes the paintings shake on the walls downstairs at that volume. The people I rent from are elderly and don't really watch TV. It is way to loud for them at that volume. I even used acoustic panels to lessen the volume perceived downstairs. I can't turn up the adjustment any more than 4 dots on the soundbar for the Surround 3's. Is there any way to improve that? I was also curious about improving my input audio to the soundbar. I use a pretty decent HDMI cable that's speed is 48gb per second from my computer. Is there an HDMI DAC with video pass through or am I stuck only using a DAC with the 3.5mm aux input. If using a conventional decent but no where near high quality balanced 3.5mm cable. It made for a much lower volume output from the soundbar compared to the ARC audio connection. I use it from my desktop PC into my TCL QLED TV. Then into the soundbar to take advantage of the TV's remote since I'm limited on desktop space. I have no expansion options on my desk due to the unusual cut out area built into the home I rent from. Is the aux 3.5mm input on the soundbar low quality or is it an inferior cable and DAC?  I know the PC integrated DAC sucks but I made a small improvement using Equalizer APO using the Peace GUI and HeSuVi plug in software. It's short for Headphone Surround Virtualizations for Equalizer APO. Works great on headphones but with the quality of the connection to 3.5mm input on soundbar. Be it the cable, integrated DAC, or the aux jack to the soundbar is way to low compared to ARC HDMI. I do have plans to put a high quality sound card into my PC in the near future. Although it doesn't have HDMI and using that companies software will make a ton of improvement. Given no HDMI output. I seriously doubt the software will make much difference on the integrated HDMI output from the PC. What are my options using a DAC? I don't think many. I could only find 2 or 3 HDMI DACs. I'm hoping the low volume through aux was due to Realtek crap DAC from PC & a crap aux cable was the cause. I can use that connection via other devices and it plays loud. Hopefully the 3.5mm aux input on the soundbar isn't low quality as well. If anyone has a better way to improve my audio please let me know other than replacing it with component audio. Which isn't really much of an option in this location. It has all wood paneling along with the roof slope makes for an usual room geometry. Even the ceiling is wood paneling that I really don't want to damage or hang speakers from. I can't use Dolby Atmos speakers that bounce off the ceiling because it will reflect in an off sort of way. Ceiling speakers aren't an option either because of the depth between ceiling to roof area is only 6 to 8 inches at best. I am hoping others have gone down this road so that I may benefit from their experience. Regarding audio quality improvement for the Cinema 600 in the 5.1 configuration. 

Thank you for your help in advance,

Larry D

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@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.

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