Klipsch The Fives forgets EQ setting when powered down?

[anttielei]

I'm getting one major frustration with these speakers. For a week that I've owned them I have been on and off wondering why my Fives sound so muddy as my TV speakers every time I start the TV. Too warm. Blurred vocals. Too much bass. I have been wondering am I just that used to the bright sound of the old soundbar. Then I fiddle with EQ a bit, boost mids or high and find them okay. I finally find settings I'm pleased with and want to save these as a "set and forget" type of deal.

 

Just found out that the speakers do not actually save EQ settings in speaker as default. Meaning every time I boot up the TV one should start the Klipsch The Fives application on smartphone and activate the my custom preset again. It's not activated before I change it one time in app.

 

Please tell me it isn't so? It's a major inconvenience to connect with the application every time, and theres a whole family whos supposed to use them with the TV and app is only in my phone, I'm not always there etc. And on default flat setting they are pretty much unusable in our apartment.

 

Ughhh... I think I just might have to try to return them still. Please tell me there's a solution for this. Please! 🙏

[Kalam]

Yes, that seems to be the case. Mine work similarly, that everytime I turn off the TV, I have to fiddle with the app when putting the TV on again. Otherwise it starts from "default". Extremely annoying.. 

[Chris78]

Same here. Wondering why no more people are having the same issue. Guessing only an update of the Kilpsch Connect app will solve this issue at some time :-(

[anttielei]

I do find this absolutely insane software design - and surprised to see more people are not being more vocal about it.

 

I really hope they would fix this with future software update but as I think Fives are pretty much at the end of their lifespan and that they probably wont release any more updates. Imagine if every time you turned your TV off and on again, all your calibration settings would reset to factory defaults. Not even that, but you have to use completely different smart device to connect and set it up again to your liking. Every time. Insane.

 

In my apartment I unfortunately can not place the speakers super optimally (which would be at a good distance from wall, not in a corner and at ear level) so they have to sit very close to wall, and under ear level. I cant also play them very loud because of neighbors. I have no other reference, but at least with this configuration, they sound so weird with factory defaults, that I'm considering if the speakers could even be broken (?). Bass is so extremely boomy and all the mids and highs are very overly colored by the bass to the point vocals sound like they are coming from inside a mattress. Some music tracks can sound quite neat with this profile I guess, but regular TV use or even some vocal+bass heavy music like hiphop I find absolutely terrible.

 

Only way I find the sound even somewhat reasonable and leveled in these circumstances is to open the Klipsch connect app; disable dynamic bass, speaker placement: corner (cuts bass -6db) and enabling the custom Vocal EQ preset. Only then are close to getting to what I would consider normal balanced audio. And after that extensive tweaking, I'm not even so sure if it even sounds very pleasant or high quality - even if the clarity is now reasonably good.

 

I thought these would be the swiss army knife of home hifi with ease. Throw them anywhere and they'll sound great type of deal. Nope. Needs super optimized environment pretty much built around the speakers not to sound terrible boomy and muddy.

Edited February 11, 2022 by anttielei

[Chadder]

Noticed mine do this also.  It’s very annoying.  Considering taking them back as I just got them two weeks ago. 

[Leech FI]

On 2/4/2022 at 5:03 PM, anttielei said:

Just found out that the speakers do not actually save EQ settings in speaker as default. Meaning every time I boot up the TV one should start the Klipsch The Fives application on smartphone and activate the my custom preset again. It's not activated before I change it one time in app.

Thanks for this observation. I tested my fives and confirm this problem (using Klipsch Connect iOS app). The EQ settings are not stored on speakers and prior every use I have to use the app to re-select my custom EQ to cancel the boomy bass away. When the app says "Getting latest info" it skips the EQ settings. It will show the last user selected setting but in reality it has defaulted to "Flat" -setting (which in fact is not very flat at all). So the app gives you a false indicator.

 

I think Klipsch made a good job featurewise with the new update, but a little more time spent on quality control would have paid off. I expect this bug to be fixed in the near future.

[Leech FI]

On 2/4/2022 at 5:03 PM, anttielei said:

Just found out that the speakers do not actually save EQ settings in speaker as default. Meaning every time I boot up the TV one should start the Klipsch The Fives application on smartphone and activate the my custom preset again. It's not activated before I change it one time in app.

Thanks for this observation. I tested my fives and confirm this problem (using Klipsch Connect iOS app). The EQ settings are not stored on speakers and prior every use I have to use the app to re-select my custom EQ to cancel the boomy bass away. When the app says "Getting latest info" it skips the EQ settings. It will show the last user selected setting but in reality it has defaulted to "Flat" -setting (which in fact is not very flat at all). So the app gives you a false indicator.

 

I think Klipsch made a good job featurewise with the new update, but a little more time spent on quality control would have paid off. I expect this bug to be fixed in the near future.

[afwee9x]

Hello Klipsch Team,

 

please consider this huge bug and provide us an Update to solive this Problem. Because the Mids are so like -6 from the factory settings, evertime i have to configure new, anytime i turn on my tv. Please make the Fives to save the settings. 

I think most people doenst even notice, that the settings wont save. The Klitsch App says it was saved, but its not. You have to change it once, then u immeadly notice , that it will get the new settings.

 

 

[Evert H]

I have the same problem, I guess it applies to everyone on the latest firmware version. 
 

What I find more annoying is how slow the volume changes when you turn the wheel on the speaker. You have to spin it like crazy to lower the volume by a few db.
 

Also, mine often automatically switch to Bluetooth when a connected phone is nearby, and don’t always turn on when I turn on the tv. 
 

It’s weird, they told us that the new update process allows for faster firmware updates, but it’s been quite a while since the latest update. 

[mateadam]

On 4/16/2022 at 7:40 PM, Evert H said:

I have the same problem, I guess it applies to everyone on the latest firmware version. 
 

What I find more annoying is how slow the volume changes when you turn the wheel on the speaker. You have to spin it like crazy to lower the volume by a few db.
 

Also, mine often automatically switch to Bluetooth when a connected phone is nearby, and don’t always turn on when I turn on the tv. 
 

It’s weird, they told us that the new update process allows for faster firmware updates, but it’s been quite a while since the latest update. 

+1 here, I've just created my account to post here. Exact same behaviour. The Bluetooth thing is annoying as hell, the only way around it for me was to remove the connection altogether from my phone so it never connects. 

 

Hopefully we can get a firmware update soon, this is a big mess... EQ not saving, Bluetooth messing up the TV input, volume knob... For a 900€ speaker I would expect A LOT more.

 

We need an update ASAP!

[fantseepants]

Yes! Created an account just to +1 this!

 

This happens to me as well, just got the Fives. I really love their sound WITH my eq settings. Without my EQ settings though the bass is absurdly high. Mine seem to keep their "dynamic bass off" status, but not the EQ. 

 

Please fix this Klipsch!

[Hannes]

I have already contacted the technical support by mail on the fourth of January to get help with the knob issue. I told them, that I am a very satisfied owner of The Fives but ran into that issue after updating. I only got an automatic incoming reply and then they ghosted me completely for 3 weeks. They apologized for the late reply and I was advised to just use the volume control in the app instead of the knob.

 

In the meantime, I noticed the Pop noise issue when changing inputs and asked for help with that as well. They answered with one-liners, asked if I had changed the HDMI cable, etc. After several emails in which I tried to explain that it can't be the HDMI-Cable, because the speakers pop even if no signal cable is connected at all, they ghosted me again. 

 

I then thought to myself, if I'm already in "contact" with support, I can also mention the EQ-issue. It is worth a try.

 

Finally, on February seventeenth, they replied that they "are aware of and working on a patch fix" for the Knob-issue and if I have multiple problems that "were not fixed by the updates or the reset", I should return the speakers where I bought them. I should note that I contacted the american support and they only offer "troubleshooting support".

 

So despite everything, they completely ignored that the problems came with the update and that all I want is troubleshooting support. I realized that this leads to nowhere and did not reply again. The ticket was auto-solved on March fifteenth.

 

This was by far my worst experience with any support i ever contacted.

 

 

[anttielei]

While waiting for proper update. If you are in the same boat as me; that you find the default sound to be muffled, boomy or too warm for TV use, and thus need the custom EQ to fix it but you but don't want to adjust it every time you watch TV. Not ideal but here's a possible solution that worked with me while I still had the speakers.

 

Disable speakers from powering off in the first place and don't turn them off. Disable HDMI ARC auto power setting in your TV, and disable Auto Power Off from the Klipsch Connect App. This way your speakers wont power off (reset the settings) unless specifically shut down or a power outage happens. And no - they should not consume a lot of power when they are in standby / idle even if powered on.

 

Also things to try to reduce the excessive bass/boom:

1. Speaker position. Not too close to wall. This is the number one reason for boomy bass and Klipsch Fives are particularly sensitive to it. 
2. If that is not possible for you, you can also try to plugging the rear ports. This can help tremendously and imho is the way to go if you have to place speaker very near to wall. Experiment with different configurations, partly plugged, only a soft seal or full seal. 
3. Extreme fix that might help some is just inserting a RCA plug to the speakers sub out, even if there isn't a sub on the other end. This will cut lowest bass frequencies entirely giving much more room for clarity on the other end.

I ended up doing this as a solution. Disable auto power off. Insert soft plugs to back ports. Custom EQ Mid +5, High +4. This made the speakers "set and forget" usable for me with TV and sound was nice. But eventually decided to sell them because all in all the solution started to feel wonky for me, for so expensive pair of bookshelf speakers.

[Evert H]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:17 AM, Hannes said:

I have already contacted the technical support by mail on the fourth of January to get help with the knob issue. I told them, that I am a very satisfied owner of The Fives but ran into that issue after updating. I only got an automatic incoming reply and then they ghosted me completely for 3 weeks. They apologized for the late reply and I was advised to just use the volume control in the app instead of the knob.

 

In the meantime, I noticed the Pop noise issue when changing inputs and asked for help with that as well. They answered with one-liners, asked if I had changed the HDMI cable, etc. After several emails in which I tried to explain that it can't be the HDMI-Cable, because the speakers pop even if no signal cable is connected at all, they ghosted me again. 

 

I then thought to myself, if I'm already in "contact" with support, I can also mention the EQ-issue. It is worth a try.

 

Finally, on February seventeenth, they replied that they "are aware of and working on a patch fix" for the Knob-issue and if I have multiple problems that "were not fixed by the updates or the reset", I should return the speakers where I bought them. I should note that I contacted the american support and they only offer "troubleshooting support".

 

So despite everything, they completely ignored that the problems came with the update and that all I want is troubleshooting support. I realized that this leads to nowhere and did not reply again. The ticket was auto-solved on March fifteenth.

 

This was by far my worst experience with any support i ever contacted.

 

 

Thanks for the update, it took them more than a year to add EQ support so it might take a while before these bugs are fixed I’m afraid. 
Seems to me that besides bad support (why don’t they ever respond on this forum?) they have a very small development team with limited resources to deliver a functioning App. 
 

And for people who say that we shouldn’t expect any fixes because they are ‘end of life’, the Fives are €1.000 speakers and just 2 years old. It’s not unreasonable to expect these issues get fixed. 
 

I’m happy with the Fives, but next time I’ll go with passive speakers and a separate amp, and not rely on Apps and software updates. 

[MrDAndersen]

Same issue here. In addition, I have my Fives connected to a 100SW subwoofer, and the speaker does not retain the gain setting for sub set in the app when the speakers are powered off. Can get quite a rumble when starting to play music if not changed. I agree with other posters that having to fiddle with the settings every time you power on the speakers is annoying. Please provide an update to the firmware.

Edited May 27, 2022 by MrDAndersen
typo

[Hannes]

Hey guys, I just learned from another forum member that with the hardware version 02.00.01 of the speakers, the EQ settings are saved successfully. 

[anttielei]

11 hours ago, Hannes said:

Hey guys, I just learned from another forum member that with the hardware version 02.00.01 of the speakers, the EQ settings are saved successfully. 

 

Is this actually verified? I feel many people also have said "yea, mine saves them just fine". Because the app actually shows the last EQ settings that were used, but after reset they arent applied before you make a slight change to the EQ setting and they get re-sent to speakers by the app. I think this might throw some people off and they think that the settings are saved there, even though they are actually not.

[Hannes]

No, it isn't, and that's definitely a valid objection. Maybe @Ghen himself can help us out here?

 

By the way, I measured the idle power consumption of the fives, which is about 7 watts. 

 

Greetings Hannes

 

 

[Ghen]

As I said in the other post, I have these versions:

 

App version :1.11.0(1207)

FW version: 1.6.9

HW version: 02.00.01 

 

This is the only help that I can give you, try to update to last version all the parts. I don't know if you can update the HW version, maybe I have newer factory build. Can any dev response that? If the bug is because the HW version and you can't update it, the bug will never be fixed

Edited June 24, 2022 by Ghen

[coldfreeze]

FW version: 1.6.9

HW version: 02.00.01

 

I have the same version as the above user, and my Fives EQ settings doesn't save after power off. 

 

I can tell immediately because on the song "when the party's over", I can feel the bass rumble whenever the EQ is reset. And then I have to go in to the app to turn down the bass a few notches.