Nirvana1000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Computer retail stor

Summary:
I have had mine for about a year.I have to say that the satellites really shine.They are made with a Klipsch's patented Micro Tractix horn and a 3" long throw mid bass driver.And let me tell you.They rip!These are awesomely balanced throughout the sound sprectrum.Highs very promenant but in a good way.Mids are probably as good as you can get at this price range.Bass although the Z-5500's have a tighter and boomier sub.(that is the only good thing about theZ-5500's)the subwoofer has ample bass and perfectly compliments the satellite's.Some people have complained of the sub over powering the sat's.But all you have do is keep the level at or below the manufacturer's suggested level.(marked with a white dot)They also come with a high efficiency mosfet powered amplifier.These are quite powerful PC speakers.They can go very loud without distorting.But if you do get distortion,all you have too do is lower the bass levels and it's gone.I have no need to go to loud levels and have my ears ringing(OH YES! THESE GET TO EAR RINGING LEVELS!)!So that's not a problem.I have a Auzentech souncard and Monster speaker cables that bring these speakers to another level.So i would say at this price range,it's hard to find better 2.1 PC speakers.(Logitech,Bose,Altec L don't compare!)Although the Audio Engine A2's kick ass also.But i think they are higher priced and are 2.0 monitors.

Strengths:
Awesomely detailed and powerful PC speakers that sound good throughout the sonic spectrum!High quality parts inside not outside.Value.

Weaknesses:
Power switch located on the back of the subwoofer.Some people have complained of a easily breakable DIN cable.(i have not had any problems).High quality parts inside not outside.

Similar Products Used:
Creative,Logitech,Bose,Altec Lansing...

boon4376

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $99.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I got these when they went on sale at best buy, at first my impressions were very good, but after a year of just playing them at relatively calm volume levels they are already starting to deteriorate. The left speaker mostly sounds like the foam is ripping, the right speaker is still ok. The subwoofer is really punchy now. I NEVER abuse these things, they just arn't built to last.

Strengths:
Sounded good for about 6 months. They sound much better than creative and logitech speakers in the same price range.

Weaknesses:
not built to last, good with games and movies but severely lacking when it comes to music.

Rotard12a

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $110.00 from Amazon.com

Summary:
After a while of searching through the extremely shallow high-quality PC speaker market, I settled on the Klipsch ProMedia's for my brother (who was set on getting the rather boomy, unrefined Logitech Z2300's). Ordered them from Amazon at an awesome price of $110 (140 shipped), and they arrived in THREE DAYS with standard shipping. Badass.

First thing I noticed was the very efficient packaging. The box weighs almost 30 pounds, but it's really not that big. The speakers were very secure in styrofoam. Upon inspection, the fit and finish of these speakers falls below the Logitech competition. The grilles are a bit flimsy and don't attach rock-solid like I'm used to. Also, the stands are just basically a bent piece of steel. As I read in some other reviews, the cable jacks don't connect in a way that inspires much confidence. The subwoofer is hefty, and is good solid MDF. The package comes with 12 rubber feet to attach to the bottoms of all of the speakers. Definitely necessary for the sub, which has a flat bottom.

Setup was slightly different than other PC speakers I've used before. The right satellite connects directly to the sound card, then a preamp cable runs from the right speaker to the subwoofer, which has the power cable (duh). Then speaker wires run from the sub *back* to the satellites. The wires connect to the sub via spring clips. Slightly odd, but nothing wrong with it.

Now here's where the biggest problem I encountered was: I went to connect the speaker wire for the left channel to the sub, and one of the spring clips BROKE. I hadn't even pushed it down all the way, and the seat for the spring just snapped. I haven't returned the unit, I currently have a bunch of tape holding the spring clip tight against the wire. Wow, what a pain. I didn't expect that.

After plugging it all in, I went straight to itunes and played some Symphony X, and wow, the satellites sounded terrible. Turns out the stock settings on the sound card had some kind of weird "virtual surround" turned on, which totally mucked everything up. After turning it off and tweaking a few settings, the problem was fixed. Just be sure to go into your sound card's control console and make sure none of the DSP crap is on.

As for the sound quality, the ProMedia 2.1's are fantastic. They throw a surprisingly large sound stage. The satellites sound good from all kinds of angles and really fill the room (in my case, 10x18'). I put on Boccherini and found that the imaging is quite good. All of the details right down to the sound of the musicians' fingers strumming a violin in the background came through clearly. The 8" subwoofer produces clean, tight bass, much less boomy and muddy than the Logitech subs I've used. It won't bring the house down, but it's very satisfying none the less. I found the horns to be a bit too "live" or bright sounding, and a bit tiring to listen to at high volume for extended listening, however they are pretty accurate. A bit of equalizer tweaking helps some.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the sound of these speakers. At $110, this is a STEAL. I'd say it makes up for the so-so build fit and finish. The important stuff (drivers and electronics) is of excellent quality. Now, obviously, these in no way can compete with your big stereo or home theater setup, but for computer use the Klipsch's are more than enough and the value is outrageous. I wouldn't recommend this setup for anyone who plays a lot of First Person Shooters, as you won't get surround sound, which is critical. But for most anyone else, you can't really beat this package. Better than all of the Altec Lansing, Logitech, and Cambridge speakers I have heard in this price range.

Strengths:
- Big, accurate sound
- Compact, tight-sounding subwoofer
- Unbeatable value

Weaknesses:
- Fit and finish leaves a lot to be desired
- Spring clip broke for no good reason. Who knows what else might break?
- I'd prefer standard dome tweeters.

Similar Products Used:
Altec Lansing FX6021
Logitech Z5300E
Logitech Z2300
JBL SoundsticksII
Cambridge Microworks II

jthouvenell

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $100.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Best Boom, uh, Bang! for the buck!

Was looking for a set of powered speakers for an audio mixer. Didn't need much but also didn't want to spend lots of bucks for the Pro powered monitors. I like the Klipsch sound from some of their passive monitors so read reviews that give high marks for volume. They're not kidding!!!!! These speakers are just a 'tad' bright. But if you like crisp highs with a very detailed and pronounced mid, you'll like these. The bass is overpowering at first but on good quality audio, they're very smooth and I've grown to like them... a LOT. I'm ready to throw the box away because these aren't goin back.

Strengths:
Bright crisp highs, Clear mids... OMIGOD sub dominance!
Two-way satellite speakers give nice presence
Plenty of volume... my KIDS told ME to turn it down! Loud without distortion.

Weaknesses:
Power Switch on Sub....on the back. (aw heck, I listen to them all of the time so I guess I don't really need it)

Similar Products Used:
Altec Lansing, Yamaha, Creative Labs, Bose

trowand

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
These speakers absolutely rock, especially for the price. The subwoofer may be on the small side (compared to home theater subs) but it is mighty. They've got tons of balls and thus go very loud. The bass can get kind of boomy on some bass heavy music but not as much with games and movies. I have almost never used the headphone jack so I can't comment much on that. The speakers do have one minor problem though and that's when I adjust the volume by turning the knob, I get a little static/noise but only while moving the knob. Once the volume is adjusted it stops. MY friends love them and always comment on how rad they are. I've got tons of music ripped to my PC so these things are great because they've basically turned my PC into a stereo. They really can fill the whole main floor of my house with music. I love them.

Strengths:
Go loud without distortion, crisp and clear, plenty of serious bass, price.

Weaknesses:
The static noise while adjusting volume knob.

Similar Products Used:
Cheap Dell speakers, Harmon Kardon, etc.