Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Speakers
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- Max. Power Output: 60 Watt (RMS)
- Number of Speakers: 5 Speakers + Subwoofer
- Connection Type: Cable
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A System that will keep Me Happy for Years to come.
Pros
Awesome power. Superb reproduction of AC3 audio and DVD-Audio formats. Headphone jack. THX certified
Cons
Fidgety control pod volume knob. Port isn't big enough for the power of the subwoofer.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you want audiophile quality, get these speakers along with the appropriate source material and DAC (sound card or decoder/receiver). Then prepare to be amazed.
Well, I've owned these for a year and a half now, and I've just recently acquired a full THX certified setup and 5.1 audio; from the source material to the DAC and then to the speakers.
My first impressions with these speakers, when I had only a 4.1 soundcard and MP3 source material, was that the power output and subwoofer clarity was amazing. The bass never distorted when I played music at high volumes. The sub reproduces very deep bass that it almost gives me a headache if I concentrate on the low frequencies of some electronica. The music is always clear and I often notice new instruments and sounds in some songs. These Klipsch even allow me to hear the flaws of a bad recording. Compared to most other computer speaker systems, these speakers sound much more like a classic audiophile's home theatre system because they are horn-loaded with a tweeter and midrange cone in each satellite. The only complaint I have is that when the LFE is jacked up too much, the air rushing through the port in the subwoofer enclosure will make a rapid "woosh" sound. The amplifier and dual 8" drivers can easily handle more power, but I believe the hole is either too small and/or the enclosure is too small (which is already taking up plenty of space at 11.9" by 15" and 11.25" tall). I just read that the new version of these ProMedia's, called ProMedia Ultra 5.1 has a 20% larger enclosure, so maybe they fixed this "woosh".
One of the features that persuaded me into purchasing this system include the amplified headphone jack on the control pod that has its own circuitry so that the speakers can be muted and the gain supplied to the headphones can be adjusted with the volume knob. Another feature that was important to me is a little rod on the back of the center channel that allows adjustment, vertically, of the center speaker.
On to the audiophile quality of these speakers... one of the drawbacks of a fully analog system like this is that you need to get a 5.1 decoder or sound card. I went with a Soundblaster Audigy 2 because I want my 5.1 audio tracks decoded as close to the source as possible, rather than passing digital signals from the soundcard to an external 5.1 decoder. I also chose the Audigy 2 because it is THX certified to match these THX certified Klipsch. I also discovered that I needed a computer system that's faster than a PII-300MHz.
So once I popped in some 5.1 audio like movies and 5.1 encoded music, I was simply overjoyed. The fullness of AC3 tracks is many times better than a CD. The Audigy 2 performs Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding, so I usually watch movies in this mode and this really takes advantage of the center channel. However, if I have a DVD that also contains a DTS track, such as U-571, I use PowerDVD 5.0 with DTS decoding at the software level. With these Klipsch, one can actually hear that a DTS encoded depth charge in U-571 is cleaner than a Dolby Digital encoded depth charge. It's quite extraordinary.
The truest attestment to the quality of these speakers is when one plays multi-channel DVD-A (DVD Audio at 24bit/96kHz over the 16bit/48kHz of CD Audio). The sound quality is extremely clean, clear and true. The instruments sound full and the dynamic range is excellent. The speakers can each produce discrete sounds, often certain instruments originate from a certain speaker and the vocals usually from the center speaker. Orchestral music, and jazz DVD-Audio is just spectacular on these speakers, it seems like you're on the stage with the musicians. The combination of these Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 and a THX card with support for DVD-A has convinced me that music is worth buying again. I'm looking forward to more music recorded at DVD-A quality.
To really experience this Klipsch system to the fullest, I guess you must have a set-up such as I described. It doesn't come cheap. A decent computer, a 5.1 sound card that supports 24bit/96kHz tracks (I know SB Audigy 2's and up do), a DVD drive, and these speakers all add up in cost. A note about choosing a sound card like the Audigy, is that most soundcards will upmix stereo material like MP3 to all 6 channels, which is great because when I listen to mp3's my speakers aren't wasted, all 6 of these Klipsch speakers are active. Most external receivers will only activate the 2 speakers and the subwoofer when playing from stereo sources.
The problem with owning this system is that when I listen to other audio systems, they pale in comparison and don't sound as clear nor offer as much output. Owners of this system will find that low quality earphones really sound like crap, that stock car stereos are not nearly as full-sounding, and that most other 5.1 multimedia systems just don't offer as much volume.
My first impressions with these speakers, when I had only a 4.1 soundcard and MP3 source material, was that the power output and subwoofer clarity was amazing. The bass never distorted when I played music at high volumes. The sub reproduces very deep bass that it almost gives me a headache if I concentrate on the low frequencies of some electronica. The music is always clear and I often notice new instruments and sounds in some songs. These Klipsch even allow me to hear the flaws of a bad recording. Compared to most other computer speaker systems, these speakers sound much more like a classic audiophile's home theatre system because they are horn-loaded with a tweeter and midrange cone in each satellite. The only complaint I have is that when the LFE is jacked up too much, the air rushing through the port in the subwoofer enclosure will make a rapid "woosh" sound. The amplifier and dual 8" drivers can easily handle more power, but I believe the hole is either too small and/or the enclosure is too small (which is already taking up plenty of space at 11.9" by 15" and 11.25" tall). I just read that the new version of these ProMedia's, called ProMedia Ultra 5.1 has a 20% larger enclosure, so maybe they fixed this "woosh".
One of the features that persuaded me into purchasing this system include the amplified headphone jack on the control pod that has its own circuitry so that the speakers can be muted and the gain supplied to the headphones can be adjusted with the volume knob. Another feature that was important to me is a little rod on the back of the center channel that allows adjustment, vertically, of the center speaker.
On to the audiophile quality of these speakers... one of the drawbacks of a fully analog system like this is that you need to get a 5.1 decoder or sound card. I went with a Soundblaster Audigy 2 because I want my 5.1 audio tracks decoded as close to the source as possible, rather than passing digital signals from the soundcard to an external 5.1 decoder. I also chose the Audigy 2 because it is THX certified to match these THX certified Klipsch. I also discovered that I needed a computer system that's faster than a PII-300MHz.
So once I popped in some 5.1 audio like movies and 5.1 encoded music, I was simply overjoyed. The fullness of AC3 tracks is many times better than a CD. The Audigy 2 performs Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding, so I usually watch movies in this mode and this really takes advantage of the center channel. However, if I have a DVD that also contains a DTS track, such as U-571, I use PowerDVD 5.0 with DTS decoding at the software level. With these Klipsch, one can actually hear that a DTS encoded depth charge in U-571 is cleaner than a Dolby Digital encoded depth charge. It's quite extraordinary.
The truest attestment to the quality of these speakers is when one plays multi-channel DVD-A (DVD Audio at 24bit/96kHz over the 16bit/48kHz of CD Audio). The sound quality is extremely clean, clear and true. The instruments sound full and the dynamic range is excellent. The speakers can each produce discrete sounds, often certain instruments originate from a certain speaker and the vocals usually from the center speaker. Orchestral music, and jazz DVD-Audio is just spectacular on these speakers, it seems like you're on the stage with the musicians. The combination of these Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 and a THX card with support for DVD-A has convinced me that music is worth buying again. I'm looking forward to more music recorded at DVD-A quality.
To really experience this Klipsch system to the fullest, I guess you must have a set-up such as I described. It doesn't come cheap. A decent computer, a 5.1 sound card that supports 24bit/96kHz tracks (I know SB Audigy 2's and up do), a DVD drive, and these speakers all add up in cost. A note about choosing a sound card like the Audigy, is that most soundcards will upmix stereo material like MP3 to all 6 channels, which is great because when I listen to mp3's my speakers aren't wasted, all 6 of these Klipsch speakers are active. Most external receivers will only activate the 2 speakers and the subwoofer when playing from stereo sources.
The problem with owning this system is that when I listen to other audio systems, they pale in comparison and don't sound as clear nor offer as much output. Owners of this system will find that low quality earphones really sound like crap, that stock car stereos are not nearly as full-sounding, and that most other 5.1 multimedia systems just don't offer as much volume.
