- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
You've Called Down the Thunder...
Pros
Incredible Frequency Response, Nice tight sound
Cons
Headaches, Mad Neighbors, Difficult to plug these into a home theater
Recommended it?
Yes
When I first heard of the Klipsch Promedia's THX certification, my initial reaction was, what the hell? Delving into the THX website I came across this statement,
"The current specification covers sound performance, user interface and construction quality. Performance parameters include bandwidth, frequency balance, front/rear speaker matching, directional characteristics, minimum peak sound pressure level and the system's ability to play up to its rated output level. In addition, ease-of-use is evaluated, including installation, set up and operation. "
This means that, according to Lucasarts, the Klipsch Promedias are the best of class in the above categories. I, and many of the other residents in my dorm, would have to agree (they've been "enjoying" the speakers as much as I have).
These are the perfect speakers for an apartment/dorm room setting. They don't produce the mass volume to fill a large room, but for any room that's 20ft x 20ft or less they are absolutely perfect, and for the money can't be touched. According to the Klipsch specifications, their frequency response is 29 to 20,000Hz. Judging exclusively by ear (I can't be bothered to do any real testing :) they get at least that low, and given the horn tweeters they shouldn't have any real problem in the highest ranges either. Now that all the fluff is out of the way, here's the review:
Setup: There are quite a few wires to deal with, and placement is crucial, but nothing anyone who coughed up the money for these speakers will have any problems with. One of the satellites has a removable control system on the bottom with subwoofer level, rear channel volume, and main volume. The two minijack speaker inputs lead from the soundcard to the back of the control panel, and then to the preamp input on the back of the sub. The satellites plug into the sub with typical speaker wire, and they provide long speaker wire.
Initial Impression: Once I figured out which plug goes into the front speaker out(green) and which goes into the rear speaker out (purple) the sound just blew me away. Then I turned the subwoofer volume up and it blew the guy two doors down away. I could not distort these speakers. Granted, I didn't turn them up more than halfway because I couldn't stand how loud it got, but there was no distortion. The 400watt Amp Klipsch built into the subwoofer is perfectly matched to the speakers.
Bass: There are two kinds of bass. There's boom boom bass and sexy bass. The boom boom base is what you hear in the trucks that high center on speed bumps, and while loud, sound about as nice as the inner workings of a cow's digestive track. The sexy bass is what you hear from a string bass in an acoustically perfect concert hall. It's the kind of bass that will put you to sleep if you listen to it for long enough. The Klipsch Promedias are dead sexy.
Mid to High: Midrange is easy, and cheap, yet the Klipsch midrange still sounds better than any other comparably priced speakers. The highs are pristine and incredible. Many people complain that horn tweeters are too sharp and piercing. I disagree. My music tastes range from classical piano to drum corps to pop. The horns on these speakers go from harsh to liquid flawlessly, and are never overpowering.
Cons: After a day of playing with these, I had a splitting headache. Why? Because I was listening to a subwoofer excursion test over and over. It plays bass tones of descending frequencies, and get's to the point where the pressure in your ears feels like it's going to be overwhelming. Con #1, you could hurt yourself with these speakers.
Con #2 is a bit different. I am so happy with the Klipsch Promedias, I would like to replace my home theater speakers (in the other room) with a set. If you read my description of the wires involved, you'll realize it might be a slight pain to hook these up to a standard surround sound receiver. However, I found a way with a minimum of effort. Provided you have a subwoofer output on your receiver (and most do), you can plug the two Klipsch inputs into a Y connector and that into the subwoofer out. The other 4 speakers hook up not to the sub, but to the typical speaker outs on the receiver. I leave it up to you to find a center channel. :)
I think my overall impression of these speakers can be summed up by, "Holy ****"
"The current specification covers sound performance, user interface and construction quality. Performance parameters include bandwidth, frequency balance, front/rear speaker matching, directional characteristics, minimum peak sound pressure level and the system's ability to play up to its rated output level. In addition, ease-of-use is evaluated, including installation, set up and operation. "
This means that, according to Lucasarts, the Klipsch Promedias are the best of class in the above categories. I, and many of the other residents in my dorm, would have to agree (they've been "enjoying" the speakers as much as I have).
These are the perfect speakers for an apartment/dorm room setting. They don't produce the mass volume to fill a large room, but for any room that's 20ft x 20ft or less they are absolutely perfect, and for the money can't be touched. According to the Klipsch specifications, their frequency response is 29 to 20,000Hz. Judging exclusively by ear (I can't be bothered to do any real testing :) they get at least that low, and given the horn tweeters they shouldn't have any real problem in the highest ranges either. Now that all the fluff is out of the way, here's the review:
Setup: There are quite a few wires to deal with, and placement is crucial, but nothing anyone who coughed up the money for these speakers will have any problems with. One of the satellites has a removable control system on the bottom with subwoofer level, rear channel volume, and main volume. The two minijack speaker inputs lead from the soundcard to the back of the control panel, and then to the preamp input on the back of the sub. The satellites plug into the sub with typical speaker wire, and they provide long speaker wire.
Initial Impression: Once I figured out which plug goes into the front speaker out(green) and which goes into the rear speaker out (purple) the sound just blew me away. Then I turned the subwoofer volume up and it blew the guy two doors down away. I could not distort these speakers. Granted, I didn't turn them up more than halfway because I couldn't stand how loud it got, but there was no distortion. The 400watt Amp Klipsch built into the subwoofer is perfectly matched to the speakers.
Bass: There are two kinds of bass. There's boom boom bass and sexy bass. The boom boom base is what you hear in the trucks that high center on speed bumps, and while loud, sound about as nice as the inner workings of a cow's digestive track. The sexy bass is what you hear from a string bass in an acoustically perfect concert hall. It's the kind of bass that will put you to sleep if you listen to it for long enough. The Klipsch Promedias are dead sexy.
Mid to High: Midrange is easy, and cheap, yet the Klipsch midrange still sounds better than any other comparably priced speakers. The highs are pristine and incredible. Many people complain that horn tweeters are too sharp and piercing. I disagree. My music tastes range from classical piano to drum corps to pop. The horns on these speakers go from harsh to liquid flawlessly, and are never overpowering.
Cons: After a day of playing with these, I had a splitting headache. Why? Because I was listening to a subwoofer excursion test over and over. It plays bass tones of descending frequencies, and get's to the point where the pressure in your ears feels like it's going to be overwhelming. Con #1, you could hurt yourself with these speakers.
Con #2 is a bit different. I am so happy with the Klipsch Promedias, I would like to replace my home theater speakers (in the other room) with a set. If you read my description of the wires involved, you'll realize it might be a slight pain to hook these up to a standard surround sound receiver. However, I found a way with a minimum of effort. Provided you have a subwoofer output on your receiver (and most do), you can plug the two Klipsch inputs into a Y connector and that into the subwoofer out. The other 4 speakers hook up not to the sub, but to the typical speaker outs on the receiver. I leave it up to you to find a center channel. :)
I think my overall impression of these speakers can be summed up by, "Holy ****"
