When I bought my 486 back in the day, it came with my first set of multimedia speakers. These speakers were tiny, and didn't really output much sound but I loved them anyway. I thought to myself, "Wow I can listen to CDs and sounds with my computer now!" Well it's been 6 years since then and multimedia technology has evolved so much. The speakers that I once thought were great aren't even comparable to the lowest of the low by today's standards. My next set of speakers consisted of a Boston Acoustics BA-635, which came with my system from Gateway. That was 2 years ago. Although those BA-635s were small, they could put out some decent sound. The speaker market back then wasn't really too great. You didn't really have much high quality speakers like you do these days. It took about another year or so for the market to really pick up. The evolution of sound cards helped to move that along.

Now that you had sound cards supporting up to 4 speakers and digital output, new systems started emerging that would change the way we listen to sound on a computer. DVD movies became more and more widespread. Enter the Klipsch ProMedias v.2-400. These were the first THX certified multimedia speakers on the market. Most of you have probably heard of these speakers from someone or read about them somewhere. Although Klipsch has been a long time provider or high quality home audio, this was their first try at a pc multimedia system.

The contenders back then didn't even come close to the quality of this bad boy, and the reviews reflected this. The ProMedias were instantly crowned the best multimedia speakers. That was a year ago. The speaker market has changed a lot since then. New systems from Altec Lansing, Cambridge, Boston Acoustics, VideoLogic, Midiland, and others have come into the market and challenged the supremacy of the ProMedias. Despite all this new competition, and more to come, the ProMedias are still one of the best PC multimedia speaker systems on the market. This review will take a look at the good and the bad sides of the ProMedias.

Specifications (From Klipsch)
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
Dimensions:
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
Satellite
Sealed elliptical enclosure two-way system with 0.75" polymer dome tweeter mated to MicroTractrix Horn. Midbass driver is 3" long throw design with advanced fiber-composite cone and urethane surround for high output.
Subwoofer Enclosure
Bass-reflex MDF enclosure with front port and dual side-firing active 6.5" drivers (long throw design). Flared tuned port for enhanced bass coupling and deepest system tuning. Sixth-order design allows for high output, low distortion bass while minimizing excursion.
Amplifier
BASH® (Bridged Amplifier/ Switching Hybrid) design with high efficiency/ high output power. Discrete MOSFET power section for high current, maximum dynamic headroom.

The specs of this system are just incredible for a multimedia system. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since these speakers were actually released. The satellites use a MicroTractrix Horn and tweeter combination to deliver some nice high end sound. The subwoofer is huge and uses dual side-firing drivers that deliver some nice bass. The preamp is located right at the back of the subwoofer. All the inputs to the speakers and power are located there. Below is a shot of what the back looks like. If you're skeptical that the system actually uses 400 watts RMS, next to the power cord it says 120V, 5 Amps, which means 600 watts (120v x 5A). If the amp is capable of pulling that much power, getting 400 watts isn't going to be a problem. The technology that went into this speaker system was ahead of it's time, and it's evident considering these are still one of the top speaker systems more than a year later.

What's lacking from the ProMedias? Well, there's no on/off switch or headphone jack. Klipsch has developed a very efficient power system through their patented BASH® (Bridged Amplifier/ Switching Hybrid) design. The digital power supply used in this system draws very little power when there is no signal present, thereby allowing Klipsch to eliminate adding a power switch. The lack of a headphone jack is a minor inconvenience at times when you don't want to disturb your neighbors. However, why would you use headphones with such a kick ass system anyway.

Along with these impressive specs, the ProMedias are THX certified. In fact, they are the first THX certified multimedia speakers. If you're not familiar with what THX certification means, the next section explains it.

What's THX, and why is it a big deal? I think I'll talk about what THX is not first. THX is not a digital format or anything like that, but rather a certification from Lucasfilm Ltd. THX is basically a set of technical standards set by the engineers at Lucasfilm. Having a product THX certified means that the product meets some rigorous performance standards. You can always be sure that any audio product with the THX certified logo on it offer the most accurate and consistent sound reproduction. George Lucas established the THX standards to ensure that the sound in movie theaters stays true to the movies. Originally the THX certification was only for movie theaters. That has since changed and THX certification has been extended to home theatres, digital mastering, software, and now multimedia products. The multimedia certification program isn't as rigorous as the movie or home theatre ones but it still strives to bring the best listening experience to the consumer. Here's a description from their press release of what the certification involves:

The THX multimedia speaker 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.

As you can see the specification covers all the aspects of the speakers, and the ProMedias passed all of them. Currently there are only two speakers designed for the PC that are THX certified. The first is the Klipsch ProMedia and the second is the Altec Lansing ADA885. Even though the ProMedias lack Dolby Digital and Dolby Prologic support they were still awarded the THX certification. What does that mean? That means that despite the absence of those features the speakers are still good enough to pass the rigid standards of THX.

What? These speakers don't even come with Dolby Digital and Dolby Prologic support? Yes, one of the major drawbacks of this system is the lack of digital surround sound support that you would get with most of the new speakers coming out. Klipsch's response to this question is that adding in those digital goodies along with a center channel would significantly raise the price of the speakers over the retail price of $249. Personally, I think the THX certification says a lot already, but digital output would have been nice as well. If it really bothers you though, getting a separate decoder card shouldn't be a problem.

The lack of a true center channel is also an issue for most hardcore DVD enthusiasts. With the release of new 5.1 digital speaker systems, as well as the new 5.1 Sound Blaster Live! cards, the ProMedias are losing their edge in the market. However, it may not really be fair to compare this system to these new products, but considering these speakers are the first THX certified multimedia speakers, they may not need all that fancy digital stuff. Some of the heavy duty 5.1 systems out there work better in movies than the ProMedias, but may not be as good when dealing with games or music. You rarely see a system that can do everything, but the ProMedias effectively pull it off and at a reasonable price.

System Settings
Processor	Dual Celeron 366@550 (being upgraded soon though)
Motherboard	Abit BP6
RAM	256 MB RAM (128 PC133 From Memman)
Sound Card	Sound Blaster Live! Value
Video Card	VisionTek GeForce2 GTS 32 MB DDR
Operating System	Windows 2000

Installing this monster system didn't take long at all. Everything was clearly labeled, and the manual outlined everything you needed to hook up. When I received the speaker system, I was immediately impressed with the look and size of the subwoofer, as well as the satellites. The subwoofer is big and very nicely constructed. You could tell this isn't your run of the mill speaker system here. Klipsch really went all out when they designed this system. I spent at least 15-20 minutes just admiring how the system actually looked. The Klipsch and THX certified logo on each component is definitely a nice touch.

Speaker placement is always important to get the maximum effect of the sound. The two front satellites sit right in front of me at the sides of the monitor, and the two rear satellites sit about a foot away from the back of my chair. The subwoofer placement is critical to hear the full bass effect. Since my dorm walls were pretty thin, I didn't expect them to bounce the sound around that much. I placed the sub right in front of me, against the wall. Since there is a window right in front of me also, I knew the sound wouldn't be as good as it could be, but I was too lazy to rearrange the room just to get slightly better sound.

Next I proceeded to plug the speakers into my sound card, which supported the 4 speaker system. After everything was hooked up properly (always make sure you don't cross the positive and negative wires), it was time to see if the speakers worked as advertised. Sure enough they worked, and I even tested the 4 speaker output with the Live! software. Now the next part of the review is the performance and quality.

How would you really measure the performance of a speaker system? Well my definition of performance is basically how well the system performs. I tested the ProMedias using various music CDs, wav files, mp3s, and games. Since I don't have $20,000 worth of equipment to fully test the frequency response, decibel output, etc, I'm just relying on my ears for this one. My taste in sound will most likely be different from yours, but I'll try to be as objective as I can. With 400 Watts of power, you know these speakers are loud. The maximum output is rated at 110dB, which is equivalent to your average rock concert. Long exposure to that kind of volume will damage your ears. However, how loud can they get without sacrificing quality? Surprisingly I was able to turn the volume to about 75% on most songs without any distortion at all. The distortion does kick in, but you'll never really need to turn the volume to 100%, as the speakers are loud enough at 50-75%.

If you read the forums on Klipsch's site, you'll notice that some ProMedias have problems with hiss when no sound is being played and the volume is turned up. This hiss is a product of having a high gain preamp and high efficiency tweeters. Although it's only noticeable at high level volume over 50%, you'll always see people complaining about the smallest details. However, Klipsch has heard all the cries for help, and has responded by replacing the old preamp they used originally with a new one that lowers the hiss significantly. The ones I have are new so they have the new preamp. If you have an older model with the original preamp, you can contact Klipsch and have it replaced. Any set of ProMedias bought within the last few months should have the new preamp.

A sure sign that these speakers are high quality is that they will reveal flaws in your audio system. The sound card you use with this system really makes a difference. The latest cards should have good signal to noise ratios and shouldn't be a problem when using the ProMedias. When I tested the ProMedias in my system, I initially had a high level of static and hiss. However, I found out I needed to mute some of the output channels to clear things up. After that the speakers sounded crystal clear. The way the satellites are designed with the MicroTractrix Horn and dome tweeters provide excellent high end output. Couple that with a subwoofer with dual side firing active 6.5" drivers that deliver full, rich bass, and you've got yourself one hell of a system. Some systems might highlight certain frequency ranges and basically change the way you hear the sound. In the ProMedia's case, it reproduces the sounds very accurately and consistently, even the flaws. Some might say that the addition of the tweeters in the satellites highlights the high end too much. In my opinion it enhances the quality, and you can definitely see that when comparing it to other tweeterless systems. In the next sections I'll examine the system's performance in various applications, including listening to music, playing games, and watching DVD movies.

Like most people, I have my own collection of CDs and music that I play most of the time to relax or just hang out. Well I can tell you that I've been using Winamp almost non-stop since I received the ProMedias. The sound quality for CD music is very good. The sound reproduction is almost flawless. These speakers will expose flaws in your mp3s though. You'll be spoiled by these speakers in that you won't want anything but high quality rips. I am a bit disappointed with the bass output though. It's great up until you reach around 50%, and then it starts to get less and less noticeable. The highest level where the sound quality wasn't compromised was about 65-75% depending on the song. At that level, the system was VERY loud. I mean, not concert level, but enough so that I needed to shout to talk to someone next to me. Needless to say my neighbors in the dorm are getting annoyed by the constant music. :) The only speakers that rival mine in loudness and clarity are a set of speakers that my friend brought from home. The rest of the speakers here just don't come close to the ProMedias. Although some of their subs get really boomy at high levels, they don't sound as tight as the ProMedias.

Being a 4 speaker system, the ProMedias are definitely built for games. The positional audio helps to immerse you into the game and provides an better overall gaming experience. I tried Quake 3 Arena with these babies and it was an entirely new experience. I could accurately tell in what direction and how close my opponent was. The blasts from the weapons were very good, and it really felt like rockets and rails were flying past my head. I couldn't really find anything wrong with these speakers in terms of gaming. If anything they would scare me when I would hear a shot go off behind me. I also played Diablo 2 and a few other games which were equally enhanced by the 4 speaker system. Even if the game didn't have support for 4 speaker sound, just the presence of the two extra speakers and the quality of the over-all system heightened the experience.

The THX certification tells you that this system is built for movies. Lucasfilms tries to bring the ultimate cinema experience to the PC with their multimedia certification. That alone tells you that these speakers meet very high standards. Klipsch even added a recommended setting (about 10 o'clock) on the volume control for the subwoofer, so you get the best sound for movies. Since I don't have a DVD drive myself, I tested the speakers out on a friend's system. We both have the same sound card, and he was using Windows 2000 also, so everything was pretty much the same. He has the Microsoft Digital Sound System 80 speakers. Although those speakers are nice, the lack of 4 channels really limits them. The 4 speaker output of the ProMedias made watching DVDs just like watching movies in the theater, except without the loud people in the back. Even though Dolby Digital is done through software (5.1 is down mixed to 4.1), the ProMedias sound quality is good enough to make it seem like Dolby Digital was being used.

Nothing is perfect, and the ProMedias certainly have their faults. Static and hiss are pretty much the number one problem most people have. You see a lot of complaining about it in the forums but that's only because only people with problems usually go to the forums anyway. Klipsch tech support is extremely helpful and you usually get your problem solved within 24 hours or so. I'm not sure if it's really a problem or not, but the preamp on the sub can get very hot after heavy use. I consulted the forums and everyone said it was normal since there was a 400 watt amp in there. Oh well, at least the amp can warm my footsies during the winter :).

Despite some minor problems the ProMedias have been selling like hot cakes. There was even a bad shortage late spring to mid summer with the ProMedias where you had to get on a waiting list for weeks before you could order your set. Those days are long gone though, and now Klipsch is even offering free shipping on their website, and some authorized dealers have free shipping too. The ProMedias have also begun to pop up at your local electronics store so availability shouldn't be an issue anymore.

Even though the ProMedias are a year old, the price hasn't changed a bit. The only thing is that you can get free shipping now from Klipsch itself or free overnight from Outpost.com. So what do you get for $249? You get 4 speakers, 1 of the best subs out there, and certification that this system can deliver theatre quality sound. It truly delivers excellent performance in music, games, and DVD movies. The closest competitors to the ProMedias are priced higher and some aren't even as good. And if you are familiar with other Klipsch speakers, you know they don't make low quality products. The ProMedias may not have all the features that the new speakers have, but they still put out the best sound you can buy for $249. If you want much better, you'll have to spend a lot more money.

As with any piece of hardware, the Klipsch ProMedias aren't for everyone. Some people will want the full 5.1 speakers and Dolby Digital support. There are definitely other systems out there that can provide those needs. However, they might be priced as competitively and perform as well in all areas as the ProMedias. Here are few examples:

• VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire 4.1 Speaker System - $449
• Altec Lansing ADA880 - $300 (available for around $120 on Pricewatch)
• Midiland S4-8200 - $299
• Boston Acoustics BA4800 - $199 (available for around $160)

These are just a few of the systems out there competing with the ProMedias. Since I don't have these speaker systems on hand to test, I don't really know first hand how they compare to the ProMedias. From the 4 I mention here, the VideoLogic and Boston Acoustics models also lack Dolby Digital support. The other two have their own digital decoders. It's really up to you to determine what you want. There are other more expensive digital systems out there from VideoLogic and Boston Acoustics, as well as other companies. It all depends on your tastes really. Since stores like CompUSA and Best Buy have them now, you can test them against the other speakers there and see which ones you like better.

As you can see, I've tried to be as methodical as possible in this review. I've read the countless other reviews on the Klipsch ProMedias raving about how good the system is. I basically tried to put those thoughts out of my head and really measure how good this system is. I've basically broken down the review into categories and provided a score based on my experience. The final rating isn't an average, but a rating of what I think the speakers deserve. Since it's very hard to measure speaker performance without the proper equipment, I had to rely heavily on my own ears and opinions from my friends as well. I was very happy with these speakers from day 1, and as you can see I had to give them a final score of 9.5. They should have gotten a perfect score, but I want my Dolby digital support.

The installation process was straightforward and wasn't complicated at all so no points off on that. In terms of features, the lack of Dolby Digital support, on/off switch, and a headphone jack, cost the speakers the full 10 points. With a price tag of $249, that's probably the best value you can get for speakers of this caliber. And you don't need to order directly from Klipsch anymore (although they are offering free shipping for a limited time), since authorized dealers have been popping up all over the place.

The performance and quality are the best that I've experienced, and they even rival the home systems I've seen. However, in terms of listening to music, it's good but at volume levels over 50%, the bass gets less noticeable. That doesn't keep it from a score of 10 on performance though. The subwoofer still makes the room shake which is what I was looking for. The satellites are very powerful as well, and it's amazing how loud this system is. The quality is definitely a step above your average speaker system, and a lot of other systems out there for that matter.

Installation: 10
Features: 8
Value: 10
Performance: 10
Quality: 10
Final Score: 9.5

What can I say, I love these speakers. The only problem I have with them is that they don't support 5.1 Dolby digital decoding. I can always get a separate digital decoder if I'm really craving the Dolby stuff. But for right now, software decoding is good enough for me. The pure quality and performance of this system makes it deserve a perfect score, but it didn't have all the features I was looking for. So there you have it, these are the best multimedia speakers you can get for $249. Even after a year, these speakers are still a great value. Now only if Klipsch would make a 5.1 digital theatre system...

Rating: 9.5/10 SystemLogistics