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HW-K650 and Two R1 Wirelss Speakers in 5.1 With KS7000 TV

(Topic created on: 28-02-2017 09:03 PM)
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podavies
Pioneer
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When using the K650 sound bar and two R1 Wireless speakers in surround sound mode over wifi with the latest firmware, The quailty of the sound K650 drops, sounds very muddy. As soon as you use the sound bar on it own, the sound bar improves. this is happening for a quite a few users.

 

can you help.

1,608 REPLIES 1,608
Askarel
First Poster
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Even though I chose an R1 speaker as the main sound output, the volume is much too low. It's really desperate. There are no competent technicians at Samsung? It is not complicated to set sound levels. Really disappointed to have purchased this material. :smileysad:

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JCFARROW
Explorer
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If I hadnt temporarily moved out the country and away from my samsung setup I would have taken it all back.

 

Good idea to set up this 'community' however, it has so far been utterly useless apart from the odd bit of correspondance from a samsung employee once every blue moon. And having said that, the small and infrequent bits of advice we've had from moderators have all proven to be meaningless  as the products are still not doing what they are advertsied to do.

 

How the hell they can sell a product which simply does not work is beoynd me. Absolute joke. 

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Monkfish
Journeyman
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By this point in the thread, I feel mixed about recommending an alternative, however when I was a newbie, people wanting to take things back within deadlines was a thing. 

 

Does it do what you paid for it?

Are you happy with this being the same forever?

Are you happy with the firmware being fixed, but then diverging again, and you lacking the community voice to fix it?

 

Difficult questions, but if you have the money to invest in a Samsung optical 5.1 soundbar solution, then its roughly the same price for an all in one optical solution, where your speakers all sound great, and you don't run the risk of diverging firmware. 

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DreamTallStart
Journeyman
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I'm glad I found this thread as I thought I was going mad. I have the KS8000  65" two R1 lights and the HWK650. I had considered buying separates with amp and speakers all hard wired but in the end was convinced by the Samsung rep to keep it all in the family since I had already decided on the KS7000, I was offered the KS8000 for not much more as the KS7000 was out of stock. Initially I was able to have the TV and surround speakers within the week but had to wait almost 2 months for the soundbar. I had been using the speakers paired together using the multiroom app via my iPad,  the sound quality was excellent and apart from them losing Wi-Fi connection, ungrouping, the app having difficulty finding the speakers and having regroup and rename them almost every time I persevered with the set up. Why? Well the sound quality was simply excellent and exceeded my expectations. Then the soundbar arrived and everything was all put in place, I bought a cracking set of stands from Vebos designed to work with the R1s. Try as I might I could not get it to work with the TV,  I'm fairly tech savvy but I was getting know where. I could make it all work directly from the TV. So I tried via the multiroom app on the iPad through Deezer or Tunein, the speakers would all group and volumes could be adjusted independently. Whenever I then tried to link it through the TV though the speakers would not work again. I downloaded all the latest firmware updates still no joy. I gave up after 3 days and called Samsung. I have now spent a total of 6 hours on the phone to customer services going through their step by step tick list on three separate attempts! We made some progress, the first operator got the soundbar working but whenever we tried to adjust the volume levels at the rear it all ungrouped. After 2 hours he gave up,  I was left with the soundbar working on Bluetooth and no rears. He said he would call back later,  he did and after another hour of remote assistance he still made no progress.  He decided it was my internet connection which was unstable, even though I have had no problems. My service provider checked it out. Stability and Wi-Fi was good all OK no problems. I called back again this time I got a lady who said Samsung knew about the problem after I told her my internet service provider had confirmed no issues with broadband or wifi, she said it was a software issue and the engineers were working on it. However there was no firm date for a new firmware update. My option she said was to wait for the upgrade or take the R1 speakers back for a refund! I told her I had bought stands,  and if The R1s had to go back so would the TV and the soundbar as it was all bought as a complete AV system. I couldn't accept this, I still had faith in the system. I phoned back yesterday and spent another 3 hours on the phone, after lots and lots of fiddling about we managed to get the soundbar and rear speakers to work via the TV. However I had to press my ears right up to the rears and could just make it the sound in no more. The multiroom app levels were set up on the iPad with the rears set up to Max,  but whenever we connected via the TV the rear volume disappeared! I was told this was normal and she had fixed it as the surround rears only worked as an effect! I played the Martian and Revenant through the Samsung 8500 4K Blu-ray again virtually no sound coming out the rears even with the TV multiroom set up for soundbar to minimum volume and rears to Max. I had to turn the volume up to 50 to make out the rears with my ear pressed firmly against them. Walk away 30cm and I could not hear them! By this time I could not hear her talk to me as the soundbar was blowing me out the room. She said it was fixed and that is the level,  I said no way there must be a way of increasing the rears.  She said try pushing the plus sign on the rears,  all that did was increase the volume on the group and the soundbar took over.  The sub also grumbles constantlyblike an HGV passing by. I then asked for a Samsung engineer to come out and to fix it as I don't want my money back I wanted it fixed. I was given the local number for my Samsung authorised service and repair center. He offered a quick suggestion of grouping them all through the multiroom app and setting the rear volumes higher and then reconnecting, I tried it again but as soon as you connect it all through the TV it brings the rear levels down again,  it is as if it is fixed and will only allow a very low sound level effect which can only be heard if you hold both rears firmly against the side of your head against your ears (as I have done). So I am now going to try and get an engineer to come out,  if that does not work it looks as though £3000 worth of Samsung gear will need to be returned as I just cannot waste any more time on this.  It is such a pity as the speakers all sound great on their own or when worked via the multiroom app.  It's just that it will not work as a sound system through the TV. 

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JCFARROW
Explorer
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Great summary to the problem we're all having. How recently did you buy the setup because it amazes me that theyre still able to sell a product that simply does not work?

 

It comes down to whether we have any faith left in samsung and are prepared to keep waiting for a firmware update or we just bin the lot. 

 

I think i'll write to 'Which?' and see what they think. Im sure this kind of thing gets them very excited and a published article by them might encourage Samsung to actually do something about their faulty product.

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DreamTallStart
Journeyman
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Thanks JCFARROW glad to someone out there feels my pain. I bought the system 18/12/16 soundbar arrived about mid February.

 

My house is full of Samsung I chose them over Bose Sony Sonos and separates simply because I loved the sound originality of design and features. When it works it is awesome and better than my Bose I would say, but the software is just not holding the rest of it together.  I'm not giving up yet,  I do believe in the system.....at the moment however it is a matter of faith. Just how long can I believe in Samsung before I am also forced to give up and return the items. 

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DazzaP
Student
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DreamTallStart, are you connecting the soundbar to TV via optical? I'm doing that and whilst having to use the soundbar remote to adjust volume isn't ideal, the volume levels on the rear speakers are fine and the ability to configure them separately in the Multi-Room app is available.

 

If Samsung can achieve this with TV to Soundbar via HDMI (allowing the use of TV remote for volume), then I think I'll be completely happy!

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DreamTallStart
Journeyman
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Hi DazzaP,

 

I've seen it all now, my last post has been "modified" by the moderator to remove lots of my comments! It would seem Samsung will not allow you to be too honest on here. What should I have expected, its on a Samsung platform after all. 

 
I've heard about this "frig" or "botch" to try and get around the problem. However for me when I played the soundbar through the optical I wasn't convinced the sound quality was as good through the sound bar (that might just be me however). 
 
That's not however my main concern. If I buy a car for its benefits and features I do not then want to find myself having to wear a coat in the car because the heater doesn't work or flip flops and shorts and run with the windows down because the air conditioning doesn't work. Ie it is not working as advertised and sold. 
 
I didn't mean that to sound patronising, it's just me stating the facts. I bought the system because it could all be linked and operated together via the multiroom facility through the WiFi and with all the flexibility that goes with it. That's why I bought it over other systems. I didn't want wires I wanted a clean looking, organic/flexible system with good sound, good looks, easy to operation at a reasonable price..... The box and the Samsung sales man said... Yes! 
 
The reality however is that the system and it's unique selling points is simply not working as advertised. 
 
I think writing to Which as previously suggested is not a bad idea as I'm getting no where with Samsung. They seem to be sweeping this problem under the carpet. Why? Because most people will use the speakers as separates or through the multiroom app and for that it seems to work fine it just doesn't work through the TV as a 5.1 system as advertised. We are in the minority of users. Resources are perhaps being used in more "urgent and pressing" issues. 
 
It's such a shame as the sound, look and feel is excellent when used as previously described, but useless if used as a home theater 5.1 surround system. 
 
I live in hope that Samsung can come out with a firmware update soon. Alternatively I like many others will reluctantly have to admit defeat and return all the items to the shop.  
 
I just want a system that works as advertised, I can't afford to keep spending the time on it with my efforts falling on deaf ears. The problem is well known and well documented throughout the Internet
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DreamTallStart
Journeyman
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PS When I say "modified" I mean completely removed from the thread!

The frustration builds to breaking point!
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DazzaP
Student
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Hi,

 

I'm not sure you'll get 5.1 without a wired connection to the soundbar though. I think you have to use either an HDMI or optical to get that, which I think is mentioned in the Samsung blurb.

 

I agree though, it's far from perfect to release a product that doesn't work as expected and will certainly alienate some fans of the Samsung brand. I believe that the firmware will be fixed eventually...

 

So what about it Samsung mods? We're told the engineers are on the problem, do you have any indication of a date for delivery of a fix? This thread will run and run until the issues are ironed out....   ;o)

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