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The THX certifiers have lowered their standards
Pros
Detailed treble, Sheer output, Overall clarity
Cons
Sound quality problems, Speaker placement not practical for computer setups, Not worthy of THX certification
Recommended it?
No
Sound Quality
The first time that I had heard about the new Klipsch ProMedia's was when a dorm-mate had purchased them. Word about the speakers quickly spread and people started referring to these as "super" speakers. A few of my friends had caught this Klipsch craze and one had even bought the $90 rear stands for better placement in his small dorm room. I decided it was time for my own listening test.
The first thing I noticed about the Pro Media's was their precise clarity of sound. Never had I heard computer speakers that represented music with such detail. But wait, where was that hissing sound coming from? Could they be....? Yup, horn tweeters. Ouch. Female vocals and high-pitched instruments sounded way too sharp for my tastes. At lower volumes they were not quite as harsh (obviously). But let me remind the readers that this is COMPLETELY subjective. I personally cannot enjoy my music with speakers that use any type of metal or horn tweeter. Some people like their music very bright.
Muddy Subwoofers
Upon closer listening to "well-recorded" MP3's, I also noticed that the bass was pretty boomy. I cleaned it up a little with the bass knob but it still did not deliver the clean, tight bass I wanted. Excursion from the dual 6.5 inch subwoofer setup was impressive. Keyword being excursion. This sub can move a lot of air. However, low-frequency CANNOT be represented by any 6.5 inch drivers. The port gives the subwoofer a little more ummph but when the Klipsch system attempted deep, low notes at higher volumes distortion can be heard. If distortion is played through any speaker for long enough, permanent damage to the voice-coil can occur. Not a good thing.
Theater quality movies or SUPER high quality MP3's? (sarcasm)
In my opinion, Klipsch has created this set of speakers to appeal to the general population of people who believe LOUD is good. I'm no audiophile, but I do have a pretty well-trained ear. LOUD is not the same thing as good. No offense to anyone, but I find it amusing when people say "they shake the whole house" or something to that effect and actually think that it is a "plus".
The thing that I am confused about is the practicality of the speakers. Ok, as long as they sound good to the average Joe its fine, right? Well, Lets consider the different applications these speakers will be used in:
1. Movies
2. Gaming
3. Music
1. Movies are difficult to present on a computer monitor unless you are sitting in front of it(sheer lack of viewing area). But the problem is that if you are directly in front of the monitor, you will be able to localize sounds very easily. You will quickly find that the Klipsch set lacks a center channel unlike a real home theater set. Also, the enclosure for the subwoofer is fairly bulky and usually can not be placed in an ideal spot such as in front of the listening position(a computer desk) so that bass comes from in front of you. This means that you must place the subwoofer to the SIDE of your desk. This now presents another staging problem. The already muddy bass will sound even worse when you HEAR it coming from your SIDE! Most human ears cannot localize sounds below 70 Hertz therefore home subwoofers are designed to reach this lower region... I'm sorry Joe, the Klipsch 6.5 inchers just don't cut it!
2. The Pro Media's performed rather well during a little Quake 3 demo that my friend auditioned for me. For computer dedicated speakers, the gaming effects were nice to say the least. However, realistic 3-D sound was only possible with the rear speakers mounted directly behind the listening position which may be difficult in some computer desk layouts. Take this into account if you actually decide to purchase this set. In computer games and such where fidelity is not as important, the ProMedia's are ideal if you can get the setup right.
3. As for music, Klipsch had should to do something about the rear channels. They use identical speakers for the front and rear speakers which is fine..... with proper equalization. Rear speakers should only be used for ambience when listening to music and should not have an overwhelming presence. I don't know about anyone else's soundcards, but my "SoundBlaster-Live" does not decode DTS signals unfortunately. Because of such a strong rear output, the ProMedia's caused "High-quality" MP3's and even CD's to sound bad. Sound quality is only as good as the worst component. MP3's are already recorded bad enough... but throw in too-bright tweeters and a muddy subwoofer, all connected by low quality miniplugs...sound quality just takes a nose-dive.
The meaning of THX
The reason I am comparing these speakers to home audio speakers is simply because of the outrageous THX certification that the ProMedia's were given. Up until the ProMedia's I thought this was a respected honor that represented components that were rigorously tested and critically judged. In the home audio world however, there are sadly no THX speakers under $1500 or so. No not even Klipsch, and that amazes me. There are companies like Dynaudio (www.dynaudiona.com) that have an array of speakers that continue to fully impress me. Most of their speakers do not hold any sort of "THX" award but just sound great. The THX rating must have been given to the Klipsch because of their "value" at $250 instead of their performance. If THX ratings were truly given to only the best speakers in their CLASS (this case being the "computer-class"), how come no other speakers were given the THX certification before the Klipsch were released? (Some candidates could have been the Diamond Audio [midiland OEM] HPM-4100's or Altec's 4-point system.)
Conclusion
If you are not too picky on sound quality, tonal balance, and imaging these would be excellent speakers for you. I personally do not believe that $250 is justified here. I can write several more pages on why I believe achieving a "high-end" computer sound is pointless but I believe I presented my main points as concisely as I could on this review. I just thought people should know what to expect before they splurge a few hundred dollars on a set of computer speakers. The Klipsch DO have outstanding qualities such as detailed (yet harsh) highs, a very accurate and emphasized midrange, and attractive speaker design. Are they some of the best computer speakers I have ever heard? You bet. Do they compare to any other THX certified system? The other reviewers say so, you judge for yourself. Mini-plugs and sound cards are a damn good way to transfer signal to THX speakers if you ask me. (Just Kidding)
The first time that I had heard about the new Klipsch ProMedia's was when a dorm-mate had purchased them. Word about the speakers quickly spread and people started referring to these as "super" speakers. A few of my friends had caught this Klipsch craze and one had even bought the $90 rear stands for better placement in his small dorm room. I decided it was time for my own listening test.
The first thing I noticed about the Pro Media's was their precise clarity of sound. Never had I heard computer speakers that represented music with such detail. But wait, where was that hissing sound coming from? Could they be....? Yup, horn tweeters. Ouch. Female vocals and high-pitched instruments sounded way too sharp for my tastes. At lower volumes they were not quite as harsh (obviously). But let me remind the readers that this is COMPLETELY subjective. I personally cannot enjoy my music with speakers that use any type of metal or horn tweeter. Some people like their music very bright.
Muddy Subwoofers
Upon closer listening to "well-recorded" MP3's, I also noticed that the bass was pretty boomy. I cleaned it up a little with the bass knob but it still did not deliver the clean, tight bass I wanted. Excursion from the dual 6.5 inch subwoofer setup was impressive. Keyword being excursion. This sub can move a lot of air. However, low-frequency CANNOT be represented by any 6.5 inch drivers. The port gives the subwoofer a little more ummph but when the Klipsch system attempted deep, low notes at higher volumes distortion can be heard. If distortion is played through any speaker for long enough, permanent damage to the voice-coil can occur. Not a good thing.
Theater quality movies or SUPER high quality MP3's? (sarcasm)
In my opinion, Klipsch has created this set of speakers to appeal to the general population of people who believe LOUD is good. I'm no audiophile, but I do have a pretty well-trained ear. LOUD is not the same thing as good. No offense to anyone, but I find it amusing when people say "they shake the whole house" or something to that effect and actually think that it is a "plus".
The thing that I am confused about is the practicality of the speakers. Ok, as long as they sound good to the average Joe its fine, right? Well, Lets consider the different applications these speakers will be used in:
1. Movies
2. Gaming
3. Music
1. Movies are difficult to present on a computer monitor unless you are sitting in front of it(sheer lack of viewing area). But the problem is that if you are directly in front of the monitor, you will be able to localize sounds very easily. You will quickly find that the Klipsch set lacks a center channel unlike a real home theater set. Also, the enclosure for the subwoofer is fairly bulky and usually can not be placed in an ideal spot such as in front of the listening position(a computer desk) so that bass comes from in front of you. This means that you must place the subwoofer to the SIDE of your desk. This now presents another staging problem. The already muddy bass will sound even worse when you HEAR it coming from your SIDE! Most human ears cannot localize sounds below 70 Hertz therefore home subwoofers are designed to reach this lower region... I'm sorry Joe, the Klipsch 6.5 inchers just don't cut it!
2. The Pro Media's performed rather well during a little Quake 3 demo that my friend auditioned for me. For computer dedicated speakers, the gaming effects were nice to say the least. However, realistic 3-D sound was only possible with the rear speakers mounted directly behind the listening position which may be difficult in some computer desk layouts. Take this into account if you actually decide to purchase this set. In computer games and such where fidelity is not as important, the ProMedia's are ideal if you can get the setup right.
3. As for music, Klipsch had should to do something about the rear channels. They use identical speakers for the front and rear speakers which is fine..... with proper equalization. Rear speakers should only be used for ambience when listening to music and should not have an overwhelming presence. I don't know about anyone else's soundcards, but my "SoundBlaster-Live" does not decode DTS signals unfortunately. Because of such a strong rear output, the ProMedia's caused "High-quality" MP3's and even CD's to sound bad. Sound quality is only as good as the worst component. MP3's are already recorded bad enough... but throw in too-bright tweeters and a muddy subwoofer, all connected by low quality miniplugs...sound quality just takes a nose-dive.
The meaning of THX
The reason I am comparing these speakers to home audio speakers is simply because of the outrageous THX certification that the ProMedia's were given. Up until the ProMedia's I thought this was a respected honor that represented components that were rigorously tested and critically judged. In the home audio world however, there are sadly no THX speakers under $1500 or so. No not even Klipsch, and that amazes me. There are companies like Dynaudio (www.dynaudiona.com) that have an array of speakers that continue to fully impress me. Most of their speakers do not hold any sort of "THX" award but just sound great. The THX rating must have been given to the Klipsch because of their "value" at $250 instead of their performance. If THX ratings were truly given to only the best speakers in their CLASS (this case being the "computer-class"), how come no other speakers were given the THX certification before the Klipsch were released? (Some candidates could have been the Diamond Audio [midiland OEM] HPM-4100's or Altec's 4-point system.)
Conclusion
If you are not too picky on sound quality, tonal balance, and imaging these would be excellent speakers for you. I personally do not believe that $250 is justified here. I can write several more pages on why I believe achieving a "high-end" computer sound is pointless but I believe I presented my main points as concisely as I could on this review. I just thought people should know what to expect before they splurge a few hundred dollars on a set of computer speakers. The Klipsch DO have outstanding qualities such as detailed (yet harsh) highs, a very accurate and emphasized midrange, and attractive speaker design. Are they some of the best computer speakers I have ever heard? You bet. Do they compare to any other THX certified system? The other reviewers say so, you judge for yourself. Mini-plugs and sound cards are a damn good way to transfer signal to THX speakers if you ask me. (Just Kidding)
