klipsch...dipped my toe and...um...

Delta17

Well-Known Member
I decided to try 2 things. Klipsch and wireless.
I purchased The Three and The Gate.

The Gate...this is Klipsch's wireless transmitter. Out from preamp, allows me to hear my stereo on my remote speaker. That's the pitch.

It does not get seen by other devices. It does not update. It does not work. I may just have a dud. It happens.

Customer service is responsive when they are available. But no help to date. It has been weeks. Sent an email to update. Device will not see USB. Or let on that it does. Contacted over weekend for exchange. Told I would hear by now via chat support....nothing yet.

The Three does what it does, and sounds good. Though broadcasting to it will likely not be tested properly until warranty period is up.

I bought entry level gear from these folks to get a feel for the company. I am looking for speakers for a larger room application. I am not feeling impressed.

Is this typical or not typical of customer service from Klipsch? I am genuinely curious. Not looking to trash them.

Thanks for any replies.
 
I have a Three also. Comes in handy when I'm playing tunes off the laptop or listening to a ballgame. Fills the room with good clean sound for sure.
 
I'd say if you want a good idea of what Klipsch can offer look at the KG series as a stepping stone. KG 4/4.2 or higher. This way you won't end up spending big money but you can still resell fairly quick if you want. Anything higher up in Heritage line is where the good stuff is but prices start around $400-500 depending on the area you live
 
Tuner? Or a tone knob. Alas...it's a fun little box.

New and old gate are passing in a UPS facility, perhaps even as I type.

Let's see how it goes.

As for more expensive speakers, let me see how the link from stereo to devices works first. This had been the hope.

Though I'm having trouble thinking wireless will be more than a sacrifice for convenience over sound. I'd had a Ramsey FM transmitter that was awesome. Any radio within 300 feet could be a satellite speaker. It died. Now they are rare as Hens teeth.

I am trying to evolve...just very slowly. I'd been using my HF12 for an ipod dock...which reminds me, please check phase when recording, ok kids? Thanks.
 
The Gate has arrived. It was found, under the "Please deliver all packages to side door" sign on front door. In the rain...glad I tracked it, and found it was delivered Wednesday...Called home. Someone looked and there it was.

I'm told, Package is "not too wet". It should ok. Covered under small roof,etc.

I am struggling with a number of frustrations. some my doing, some others are responsible for, some i don't know where the issue is. May well be me there, too.

Of the 12 emails from Klipsch, why was the one with the tracking number in the Spam folder? My new phone ain't talking. And I may not understand anyway.

So I will try to focus on positives. Tonight I hope to have everything up and running. Which at this point is getting The Three, The Gate, and the server to communicate. To play music remotely from server, over stereo and The Three. And, to have material from stereo, play both there, and on The Three.

Klipsch applications are loaded in my phone and Kindle. I will likely skip the update for The Gate until after confirming all is functioning. Or seen by each other. The issue before was no devices saw The Gate.

I was so happy with my head in the sand and my 60's - 80's gear...what am I doing? I'm half joking. i am sure it'll be great. once again to be able to hear music all over at a level one can talk over if need be. Cuz right now, you can hear it everywhere. But speakers are all in one place. The pathway to domestic tranquility, this has not been. Hope springs, in this glorious new age of the wireless...I hope.
 
Of the 12 emails from Klipsch, why was the one with the tracking number in the Spam folder? My new phone ain't talking. And I may not understand anyway.
That's easy -- an e-mail with a tracking number and a link probably looked spammish to the algorithm used by whomever you use for e-mail (especially if, perchance, it came from a third-party e-mail address; i.e., not "klipsch.com" or whatever).
 
The Gate has arrived. It was found, under the "Please deliver all packages to side door" sign on front door. In the rain...glad I tracked it, and found it was delivered Wednesday...Called home. Someone looked and there it was.

I'm told, Package is "not too wet". It should ok. Covered under small roof,etc.

I am struggling with a number of frustrations. some my doing, some others are responsible for, some i don't know where the issue is. May well be me there, too.

Of the 12 emails from Klipsch, why was the one with the tracking number in the Spam folder? My new phone ain't talking. And I may not understand anyway.

So I will try to focus on positives. Tonight I hope to have everything up and running. Which at this point is getting The Three, The Gate, and the server to communicate. To play music remotely from server, over stereo and The Three. And, to have material from stereo, play both there, and on The Three.

Klipsch applications are loaded in my phone and Kindle. I will likely skip the update for The Gate until after confirming all is functioning. Or seen by each other. The issue before was no devices saw The Gate.

I was so happy with my head in the sand and my 60's - 80's gear...what am I doing? I'm half joking. i am sure it'll be great. once again to be able to hear music all over at a level one can talk over if need be. Cuz right now, you can hear it everywhere. But speakers are all in one place. The pathway to domestic tranquility, this has not been. Hope springs, in this glorious new age of the wireless...I hope.

Just a suggestion, but I would update the Gate app. Often these updates contain bug fixes for connectivity, sound processing, etc. I feel your pain. I work in IT and sometimes I just want to throw computers and digital stuff at the wall .
 
Thanks, I am sure you are correct. My son, being an IT guy, will likely suggest the same. I will try to do the steps as they are laid out. I am a little gun shy though. Followed steps before...And it was hours of frustration.

This is a new day! i will follow step by step.
 
New the Gate arrived unscathed. box dented, contents fine.

45 minutes, the new Gate is not seen by the utility app, to update. I put little faith in online reviews typically. But, most every review says this is the case.

Followed the sparse instructions to the T. Plug in while holding power button until ledon back is steady. Search for device....not seen.

I'm going to dinner, this is crazy.
 
Got The Gate up and running. Updates were finally able to be made by taking all but one access point to the wifi down.
It stops on it's own at times. And needs rebooting if line in is physically changed. (ie: line out from receiver switched for laptop or tablet to play from server. )
Also, it asks for an update every time the app interacts with the Gate. The exception being adjusting volume via app. This works adjusting levels of all devices. Both together, or independently.Though it is slow to act. Why...

Latency is about a second and a half. Though using tape out to Gate and back for monitoring, plays both wired and wireless speaker in synch.

None of it is insurmountable, though it's not super reliable.

I like The Three. The Gate will need to prove itself.

But after a month. It is running.

I found the chat assistance most useful. And would thank them for expediting my exchange.

I am not a reviewer. I'm just a guy who listens to a lot of records. If this becomes more intuitive, I will be happy. If it is not something I am able to implement into my listening easily, I will need to see if streaming via a more established platform is for me. I'd hate to lose the Three. But I gotta get real.
 
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Been living with The Gate now for well over a month. It is by far the biggest piece of crap I have ever purchased. The App needed to operate it would be, but it was free.

It's updates are tedious to apply. Every time it is used, it claims there is an update. There may or may not be, though the gate is seldom seen by the Klipsch app required to operate it. And updates don't often take place.

The sound it sends is terrible. The critical listening mode does not function with more than one speaker, and is hardly critical.

Further, the volume control in the app is accessed after speaker group is chosen. It has had my Three come on numerous times with a level that I fear has affected my speaker...It sounds wrong, even with line in, now.

I see Chromecast is included in the new The Three. I hope it works for those who get it.

To anyone considering The Gate, I would say do not. I expected more from a company so revered for its quality and sound.

I gave it a fair time trial. Gonna try a more stable/established platform.
 
Been living with The Gate now for well over a month. It is by far the biggest piece of crap I have ever purchased. The App needed to operate it would be, but it was free.

It's updates are tedious to apply. Every time it is used, it claims there is an update. There may or may not be, though the gate is seldom seen by the Klipsch app required to operate it. And updates don't often take place.

The sound it sends is terrible. The critical listening mode does not function with more than one speaker, and is hardly critical.

Further, the volume control in the app is accessed after speaker group is chosen. It has had my Three come on numerous times with a level that I fear has affected my speaker...It sounds wrong, even with line in, now.

I see Chromecast is included in the new The Three. I hope it works for those who get it.

To anyone considering The Gate, I would say do not. I expected more from a company so revered for its quality and sound.

I gave it a fair time trial. Gonna try a more stable/established platform.

Interesting. New tech can be hit or miss, that's for sure. My Chromecast has been nearly flawless for 3 months (knock on particleboard). Thanks for the review.
 
Just speaking to my experience.

I agree this was not a speaker issue.

It was an issue enough that the speaker design has been fundamentally changed. Both visually, and technologically.

Clearly, in my time communicating with Klipsch directly, there was knowledge that the flaw was substantial. Though not acknowledged directly.

The Gate says Klipsch on it. They chose to hitch themselves to that wagon. I made my purchase based on the reputation of that wonderful company.

The Three is a nice device. The Gate is, in my experience, not. And the Klipsch App used to interface the 2, via Play-fi, is not a good app. I have had a number of IT professionals puzzled by it. I have had AV installers say it is an unstable platform. And now The manufacturer has gone with a Google platform, in Chromecast.

I would buy a speaker from Klipsch. Whether or not I'd buy wireless again...I dunno.
 
I would never, ever judge a sound and speaker company by the craptastic stuff they attach their name to in this era of commodity licensing. Not just buyer beware, but buyer needs to be informed before a purchase.

In this case, you were, yet you purchased anyway and are now giving a not surprising negative review yourself. Why expect your experience with a flawed product be different than others?

You were, in fact, drawn to Klipsch because of their positively reviewed items. Stick with those if you want to avoid disappointment.

The Gate is terribly reviewed, for reasons now clear to you.

The Three is reviewed more favorably, but is still very limited from a fidelity standpoint. Reviews bear that out, too. So don't hold out too much hope for ongonig "wows" from anything in this rig.

You want wows and Klipsch, buy the stuff that wows people - Reference speakers, Heritage line, for example.

Not commodity licensed junk, even the "good" junk.

If you want easy wireless connectivity, maybe look at what people are using to get that... Most I respect like Chromecast audio for simplicity and connectivity, as well as decent quality. It's all compromise, so make one that is demonstrably working, not a wish and a prayer past all the negative experiences just because you like the name.

That's how that abortion of a McIntosh bluetooth speaker snuck into existence, when it never should have seen the light of day.
 
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Well, It's not like I bought a Chevy, expecting a Cadillac. The branding is not the problem. The branding like other products is.

Ironically, My Three has a Heritage badge on it, as does it's re-invented self. Like it's original flavor, but now with low sodium.

As for buying more expensive gear to get a feel for a product...Had the labeling been indicative of a particular line, I may have steered clear. I did not. Perhaps I'm naive. Or even wrong. Is there a nuance in the font, or some such I missed? This has not affected my feelings toward the speaker lines. If I have any.

I have not been down on Klipsch. Have I been down on their least expensive item? Guilty as charged.

The reviews, mentioned above? They are terrible. You are right. I was not seeing them on places that were reputable, from my perspective. Not here, nor other audio forums, that I recall. I think that all reviews I saw were either one or five stars. Typical outrage, or gushing. I put little faith in such reviews.

As for a wow factor, That was not an expectation. As I stated, I was going to be streaming from my server, as well as my stereo.

All this tread has been is a descriptor of my experience, with these products. The Three I like, The Gate, I do not.

The tread title could have been more specific, in retrospect. I certainly didn't go to an enthusiast board to anger folks. Sorry if that occurred.

Again thanks for the replies.


Oh, As for big, horny and wired...are their shirts half open to show me their chains?
 
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