klipsch cinema 1200 what problems, software flaws, glitches?

[Craig Shevln]

I am on my second system and have been emailed umpteen drives to update software. At this point , I am so fed up with this product I would ask for money back but with all the time wasted trying to get this system working, I feel like tossing it in the ocean . Now while listening to music via BT, the night mode constantly flips through all three levels , this 1200 has been nothing but problems. Ian busy and do not have time to constantly mess with my audio when I want to relax at home. When I DO come up for air, I will looking at a Bose system or something equivalent.   When the 1200 works….it is amazing , but it is making me insane!!!

[KevinB]

On 8/26/2023 at 10:54 AM, Craig Shevln said:

I am so fed up with this product I would ask for money back

Honestly, I think that is your best option.

[Old Salt]

Just received a new Cinema 1200 yesterday. Installed firmware matches what Klipsch shows as current.

 

MCU v118 > 
WIFI 1.0.219.0 > 
DSP 5.4 > 
SUR T 82 > 
SUR R 82 > 
SUR L 82 > 
SUB T 03 > 
SUB R 06 > 
HDMI 43

 

Setup was pretty easy, though a bit clunky. First few hours of use were extremely buggy, mostly with the remote buttons doing random things. Volume changing night mode, and muting the TV instead of changing volume up/down, extreme delays when trying to make changes. Then it settled down and seemed to respond normally. This afternoon it turned on and there was no sound. Switching inputs to HDMI 2 then back to HDMI 1 fixed it, or maybe it just needed time. Can't really judge sound, as surrounds are not yet properly placed and I have not hooked up my existing subs. Testing was with the included wireless sub placed in a poor location.

[KevinB]

6 hours ago, Old Salt said:

This afternoon it turned on and there was no sound.

This is an issue seen on many of the Cinema series soundbars. Recent firmware updates have reduced the number of times the audio disappears but have not completely resolved this issue. Often the only way to restore the audio is to power cycle the soundbar.

[OO1]

14 hours ago, Old Salt said:

Just received a new Cinema 1200 yesterday. Installed firmware matches what Klipsch shows as current.

 

MCU v118 > 
WIFI 1.0.219.0 > 
DSP 5.4 > 
SUR T 82 > 
SUR R 82 > 
SUR L 82 > 
SUB T 03 > 
SUB R 06 > 
HDMI 43

 

Setup was pretty easy, though a bit clunky. First few hours of use were extremely buggy, mostly with the remote buttons doing random things. Volume changing night mode, and muting the TV instead of changing volume up/down, extreme delays when trying to make changes. Then it settled down and seemed to respond normally. This afternoon it turned on and there was no sound. Switching inputs to HDMI 2 then back to HDMI 1 fixed it, or maybe it just needed time. Can't really judge sound, as surrounds are not yet properly placed and I have not hooked up my existing subs. Testing was with the included wireless sub placed in a poor location.

 contact klipsch tech support ,  they have sound bars hooked up for troubleshooting purposes  , 

[Old Salt]

6 hours ago, OO1 said:

contact klipsch tech support ,  they have sound bars hooked up for troubleshooting purposes  , 

 

For now, it seems to be fine. I was actually surprised this morning when I tried the music streaming from Apple/Amazon. "Alexa, play classic rock on cinema 1200", and it just worked. I always expect problems, or having to add a "skill" when adding 3rd party hardware to Amazon's ecosystem.

 

If the system does act up, I will definitely reach out to Klipsch. I'm a techie, and somewhat tolerant of quirks I can work around. My wife is not, and her leisure time is too valuable to deal with unreliable tech. If it causes her trouble, it will be going back.

[Old Salt]

TLDR: the output level of the subwoofer RCA jack is very low. Without the extra gain of my WA-2s, integration might have been difficult.

 

After initially setting the Cinema 1200 up with the included wireless sub, I switched to the subs from my previous system, consisting of 2x Klipsch R112SW, connected via WA-2 wireless subwoofer kits. At first, there was no output at all from my subs. I found that the subs were not powering up in the "auto" mode (the input was too low to trigger them on). After switching the subs to "on" I noticed very low bass output. I had to max the gain knob on the subs to 11 and add max out the soundbar sub volume to get reasonable output. When using the wireless sub, the sub volume was set to 0 and I mostly listened in Night 1 mode to reduce bass. Fortunately, the WA-2 has the ability to apply 12db of gain or attenuation, and that seems to be enough to compensate for the very low output on the sub out jack. I still need to play with levels to adjust Night-0 for normal use and Night-1 for quiet times, aka after wife goes to bed.

[KevinB]

@Old Salt

Most customers use the wireless sub that came with the soundbar and find that the bass is more than adequate.

 

While the Cinema soundbars provide an RCA jack so customers can connect a wired sub, the specs don't say much about output levels. Considering the many issues with the Cinema series soundbars, the issue you are encountering could be related to yet another defect.

 

I would Submit a request to Klipsch Product support and explain what is happening. They should be able to confirm the soundbar's output levels and let you know if they are sufficient to drive the R211SWs. You have nothing to lose and if they determine there is an issue with your soundbar they can arrange for a warranty replacement.

 

 

[OO1]

 it's not another defect  , pure  speculation  

[KevinB]

13 hours ago, OO1 said:

 it's not another defect  , pure  speculation 

 

17 hours ago, KevinB said:

the issue you are encountering could be related to yet another defect.

Yes, both of us are speculating.

 

When problem solving one forms a premise (or speculates) based on knowledge and experience then attempts to prove it or disprove it. 

 

My speculation is based on considerable experience working with these soundbars. What qualifies you to make the assumption that this is not another defect?

[OO1]

   troubleshooting  wise  ,  you simply do not have the  tools to identify  the real problem  whether it's user -dongle- installation-software-hardware or  firmware related   .

 

- the 1200 sound bar has all the latest FW and downloads   users  can contact  klipsch tech support  and open a ticket if they have issues   .

[KevinB]

3 minutes ago, OO1 said:

users  can contact  klipsch tech support  and open a ticket if they have issues

 

That is exactly what I suggested. I even provided a link. 😇

[dissatisfied buyer]

I have a cinema 800 soundbar ive experienced alot of sound not coming through.  Have to unplug then plug back in.  Still have problems.    Klipsch only fix is sending you a file you download to a flash drive.  Then try to update  what a hassle.   I see alot of people with issues on these bars.  They are expensive.  Klipsch should of done better.   Im highly dissapointed.  I bought mine directly from Klipsch.   Hope they honor what they sell and fix this. 

[James Robertson]

Original purchase in August 2023 direct from Klipsch. Sub stopped working almost immediately. Finally got support to issue an RMA and received another complete kit yesterday. Replaced all components and Sub initially worked and sounded good (again). After about an hour, Blue light on back of unit turned off and no sound out of Sub. Klipsch app shows Sub as connected. No amount of unplug and re-plug or trying to re-sync fixes. The Blue light is permanently off - not even flashing. Anyone else seen this one?

[KevinB]

On 10/21/2023 at 11:12 AM, James Robertson said:

No amount of unplug and re-plug or trying to re-sync fixes.

 

Hello @James Robertson and welcome to the Klipsch Community forums.

 

The Cinema Series (and before that, the BAR Series) were plagued with severe firmware and reliability issues. Current firmware has addressed most of the major firmware issues affecting the Cinema Series but component reliability continues to be an issue.

 

You haven't provide much information about your issue and while it sounds as if it could be a component failure there are a few things you can check before requesting another RMA.

 

Verify that your electrical outlet is still providing power: plug another device into the outlet that supplies power to your sub or plug your sub into a different outlet that you know is working.

 

Please review these knowledgebase articles:

• Cinema 1200 - Subwoofer Wireless Connection
• Cinema 1200 - Subwoofer Reconnect

Please reply back and let us know how your issue got resolved.

[KevinB]

On 10/5/2023 at 12:57 PM, dissatisfied buyer said:

Hope they honor what they sell and fix this.

 

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.

[OO1]

On 10/21/2023 at 1:12 PM, James Robertson said:

 not even flashing. Anyone else seen this one?

sounds like you  have an electrical problem   ,that's 2 units failing  in a row due to an electrical cause  

[OO1]

On 10/5/2023 at 2:57 PM, dissatisfied buyer said:

  Hope they   fix this. 

  call klipsch tech support  , re-install the device  from scratch  ,  if the device is defective , request  a warranty  replacement 

[mushasho]

On 3/26/2022 at 2:15 PM, KevinB said:

 

• If you need more proof, read through the Bar 48 No-Power Repair Thread thread.

There definitely are major reliability issues with many Klipsch soundbars. 😒

 

 

The only proof I need now, is proof of purchase... As I can't seem to find it and am no being required to provide that in order for customer service at Klipsch continue to help me with my open ticket.

[KevinB]

11 hours ago, mushasho said:

The only proof I need now, is proof of purchase

 

 

Hello @mushasho and welcome to the Klipsch Community forums.

 

I'm sorry I can't provide much help with this one other than a few suggestion.

• If you purchased it online, many online sites will keep a record of your purchases for you.
• If you purchased it from Klipsch, they should have a record of your purchase.
• If you purchased it from a retailer, explain your situation to them and they may be able to help. 
• If you can't remember exactly when or where it was purchased, your credit card statement may help.

Your soundbar's serial number will tell Klipsch to which country and to which distributor the soundbar was shipped. The distributor's records should provide the name of the reseller who purchased it. Unfortunately, that information may not be easy to obtain.