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The best sound for a PC, but not perfect...
Pros
Good tonal range, flexible, overall great sound
Cons
Cheap wires and knobs, THX means little, frequently backordered
Recommended it?
Yes
They're Sleek. They're black. They're THX rated. They've got cheap knobs and thin speaker wire.
But hey, DON'T let that stop you from buying these speakers. They're clearly the best you can get for your money.
I've had these speakers for about 6 months now. I got them when they first came about on the PC scene, and i'll admit I was sucked in by the THX rating, given that most of my home theater gear is THX rated. While this multimedia set of speakers will come nowhere close to the quality of my Sunfire MKII subwoofer and Polk Audio RT's, it's a darned noble effort for the PC.
What you get: 400 watt system (*all* channels driven, including the sub - 160W goes to the sub alone, the rest distributed through the satellites). Oh, did I mention you get some cheap 22 gauge speaker wire? Oh, and it's not 100% normal speaker wire. It's normal speaker wire with push-in terminals on the subwoofer end, and a 1/8 inch plug on the other (that plugs into the back of the satellites).
Oh, and the price is certainly right. $250 direct from Klipsch is a BARGAIN for the kind of sound you get out of these. You get everything you need to get some pretty kicking sound out of your PC. While you aren't going to get any "Digital" inputs, we all know that speakers are an analog thing. Right? RIGHT?!?!? While some speaker sets like the Altec Lansing 880-series give you an S/PDIF input, it's largely useless on the PC. Besides, truth be told, the sound quality from the Promedias being analog sounds much better than the 880-series Altecs.
The sound quality. Now this is a mixed bag for me, but will vary since it's a very subjective thing to the listener.
Bass is quite good. Pretty boomy, and NOT muddy, but you *WILL* experience some pops at higher volumes. I tend to expect this from smaller woofers, however. If you need some perspective on this, i'll put it to you this way. You'll be getting phone calls from your neighbors asking you to turn it down before you notice any pop coming from your woofers. You can hear that they're TRYING to move as much air as their bigger home-theater-geared brothers, but they don't QUITE keep up at higher volumes, but you'll only notice popping at the more EXTREME level of the spectrum (in other words, don't worry about it). Midrange sounds are vibrant and clear, though a bit overstated. While you can't really compensate for these effectively on most soundcards, it's a trait I got quite used to and actually preferred after a while . Highs are very good. Not *terrific*, but very good. They can't be overstated, but they aren't anywhere near understated.
The layout of the speakers is relatively standard-fare for a 4-speaker rig. You get your sub (which is pretty beefy). One thing I must point out is that the sub cabinet has TWO subwoofers within. This will make placement a bit more difficult, and PLACEMENT DOES MATTER. when setting up your system, you should do your best to allow as much flexibility as possible with the placement of your sub. Moving it even just a foot could dramatically increase (or decrease) your bass response. This is actually pretty typical of higher-end subwoofers, so that's a bragging point if nothing else :)
As far as the Midrange/Tweeter "Satellites" (I hate calling 'em that. Reminds me of Bose junk), placement is also important. Since midranges tend to be a bit overstated, the average listener might want them placed a bit further from the listening center. This might drown out the highs a tad bit, but you can easily find your sweet spot with a little trial and error. Again, allow a little flexibility in your wire layout to allow for this. I myself have a VERY large U-shaped desk that I bought from Price Costco ages ago that gives me plenty of room to play. If you care about your sound enough to get these speakers, you might want to consider a desk upgrade.
Wiring is a bit of a pain. It's like this; you get 4 satellites, 1 of them is home to the volume controls for the Front speakers, the Rear speakers, and the Subwoofer gain control. That one satellite also has the connections to the subwoofer, and the front/rear inputs to be plugged into your soundcard. The NICE thing about this is that you can place this speaker closest to your PC, as it still requires a 1/8th inch plug from the subwoofer for normal speaker operation. With your kit, you'll recieve 4 lengths of cheapo 22 gauge speaker wire. 2 are "shorter" than the others (though all are adequately long). You *CAN* make your own speaker wires, but it will require a trip to radio shack for 1/8th inch plugs and a nice warm soldering iron.
What I like: Semi-audiophile quality sound from a "cheap" set of Multimedia speakers, decent tonal range, 4 point standard, perfect for 3d gaming, good, solid bass, removable speaker grilles, flexible from a layout standpoint.
What I don't like: Could come with better speaker wire, some pop at higher volumes from the sub, THX certification for a PC speaker rig doesn't come close to what it is on a home theater rig, availability issues (frequently backordered from Klipsch).
Specs:
Sub: Two 6.5" drivers, front port. Best when loaded into a corner. These could have been a little bigger in my opinion.
Sats: 0.75" dome tweets, 3" "midbass" driver. Polymer, not cheap paper. Sharp mids, decent highs. Metal stands. Well built, except for the knobs. Knobs seem a bit cheap, but not cheap enough to matter.
Wiring: Cheap. Don't buy it for the cables, folks. 22 gauge stuff.
Amps: All sitting on the sub, easily accessible Push-in speaker terminals. You're used to these.
Dimensions (Blatantly taken from Klipsch's webpage)
Satellite (including bracket): 8.5" H x 4.2" W x 5.67" D
Subwoofer: 9.25 H x 10.25 W x 13 D
Net Weight
System: 28.2 lbs. (12.8 kg)
Satellites (each): 2.1 lbs. ( .95 kg)
Satellites w/ volume control: 3.31 lbs. (1.49 kg)
Subwoofer: 17.5 lbs. (7.95 kg)
Total system frequency response: 29-20,000 Hz
Maximum acoustic output: 110dB SPL at listening position
Amplifier headroom: 4 x 60 watts, Satellites 1 x 160 watts, Subwoofer
Satellite impedance: 4 ohms minimum
But hey, DON'T let that stop you from buying these speakers. They're clearly the best you can get for your money.
I've had these speakers for about 6 months now. I got them when they first came about on the PC scene, and i'll admit I was sucked in by the THX rating, given that most of my home theater gear is THX rated. While this multimedia set of speakers will come nowhere close to the quality of my Sunfire MKII subwoofer and Polk Audio RT's, it's a darned noble effort for the PC.
What you get: 400 watt system (*all* channels driven, including the sub - 160W goes to the sub alone, the rest distributed through the satellites). Oh, did I mention you get some cheap 22 gauge speaker wire? Oh, and it's not 100% normal speaker wire. It's normal speaker wire with push-in terminals on the subwoofer end, and a 1/8 inch plug on the other (that plugs into the back of the satellites).
Oh, and the price is certainly right. $250 direct from Klipsch is a BARGAIN for the kind of sound you get out of these. You get everything you need to get some pretty kicking sound out of your PC. While you aren't going to get any "Digital" inputs, we all know that speakers are an analog thing. Right? RIGHT?!?!? While some speaker sets like the Altec Lansing 880-series give you an S/PDIF input, it's largely useless on the PC. Besides, truth be told, the sound quality from the Promedias being analog sounds much better than the 880-series Altecs.
The sound quality. Now this is a mixed bag for me, but will vary since it's a very subjective thing to the listener.
Bass is quite good. Pretty boomy, and NOT muddy, but you *WILL* experience some pops at higher volumes. I tend to expect this from smaller woofers, however. If you need some perspective on this, i'll put it to you this way. You'll be getting phone calls from your neighbors asking you to turn it down before you notice any pop coming from your woofers. You can hear that they're TRYING to move as much air as their bigger home-theater-geared brothers, but they don't QUITE keep up at higher volumes, but you'll only notice popping at the more EXTREME level of the spectrum (in other words, don't worry about it). Midrange sounds are vibrant and clear, though a bit overstated. While you can't really compensate for these effectively on most soundcards, it's a trait I got quite used to and actually preferred after a while . Highs are very good. Not *terrific*, but very good. They can't be overstated, but they aren't anywhere near understated.
The layout of the speakers is relatively standard-fare for a 4-speaker rig. You get your sub (which is pretty beefy). One thing I must point out is that the sub cabinet has TWO subwoofers within. This will make placement a bit more difficult, and PLACEMENT DOES MATTER. when setting up your system, you should do your best to allow as much flexibility as possible with the placement of your sub. Moving it even just a foot could dramatically increase (or decrease) your bass response. This is actually pretty typical of higher-end subwoofers, so that's a bragging point if nothing else :)
As far as the Midrange/Tweeter "Satellites" (I hate calling 'em that. Reminds me of Bose junk), placement is also important. Since midranges tend to be a bit overstated, the average listener might want them placed a bit further from the listening center. This might drown out the highs a tad bit, but you can easily find your sweet spot with a little trial and error. Again, allow a little flexibility in your wire layout to allow for this. I myself have a VERY large U-shaped desk that I bought from Price Costco ages ago that gives me plenty of room to play. If you care about your sound enough to get these speakers, you might want to consider a desk upgrade.
Wiring is a bit of a pain. It's like this; you get 4 satellites, 1 of them is home to the volume controls for the Front speakers, the Rear speakers, and the Subwoofer gain control. That one satellite also has the connections to the subwoofer, and the front/rear inputs to be plugged into your soundcard. The NICE thing about this is that you can place this speaker closest to your PC, as it still requires a 1/8th inch plug from the subwoofer for normal speaker operation. With your kit, you'll recieve 4 lengths of cheapo 22 gauge speaker wire. 2 are "shorter" than the others (though all are adequately long). You *CAN* make your own speaker wires, but it will require a trip to radio shack for 1/8th inch plugs and a nice warm soldering iron.
What I like: Semi-audiophile quality sound from a "cheap" set of Multimedia speakers, decent tonal range, 4 point standard, perfect for 3d gaming, good, solid bass, removable speaker grilles, flexible from a layout standpoint.
What I don't like: Could come with better speaker wire, some pop at higher volumes from the sub, THX certification for a PC speaker rig doesn't come close to what it is on a home theater rig, availability issues (frequently backordered from Klipsch).
Specs:
Sub: Two 6.5" drivers, front port. Best when loaded into a corner. These could have been a little bigger in my opinion.
Sats: 0.75" dome tweets, 3" "midbass" driver. Polymer, not cheap paper. Sharp mids, decent highs. Metal stands. Well built, except for the knobs. Knobs seem a bit cheap, but not cheap enough to matter.
Wiring: Cheap. Don't buy it for the cables, folks. 22 gauge stuff.
Amps: All sitting on the sub, easily accessible Push-in speaker terminals. You're used to these.
Dimensions (Blatantly taken from Klipsch's webpage)
Satellite (including bracket): 8.5" H x 4.2" W x 5.67" D
Subwoofer: 9.25 H x 10.25 W x 13 D
Net Weight
System: 28.2 lbs. (12.8 kg)
Satellites (each): 2.1 lbs. ( .95 kg)
Satellites w/ volume control: 3.31 lbs. (1.49 kg)
Subwoofer: 17.5 lbs. (7.95 kg)
Total system frequency response: 29-20,000 Hz
Maximum acoustic output: 110dB SPL at listening position
Amplifier headroom: 4 x 60 watts, Satellites 1 x 160 watts, Subwoofer
Satellite impedance: 4 ohms minimum
