After x-mas last year, on a whim, I bought a new set of powered speakers for my laptop. We were in Best Buy, had about $100 in gift cards, and found ourselves in the speaker aisle. Our Best Buy is pretty lazy about hooking up the speakers so that you can try them out, but fortunately this section was golden, and we proceeded to crank each set up to compare / contrast. (I love cranking up audio equipment in Best Buy and leaving. The subs in the car audio section are fun but too easy. I prefer to blast the floor speakers with public or Skidmore radio. The keyboard with the loud metronome is fun too.)

Some of the speakers were really lousy. I mean atrocious. But we were impressed with this Klipsch set. So impressed, we decided to buy.

One year later, and they still sound fine. They’ve been in storage over the summer (ie. unhooked on a shelf, collecting dust), so I was worried they’d be a little crusty. You know – connections that cut out, resonations from the speaker boxes. But as luck would have it, they sound as good as when I shelved them.

Specifications, courtesy of the Klipsch website and Amazon.com
THX-certified, three-piece computer audio system
31 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response range
Maximum acoustic output: 106 dB SPL
Subwoofer: one 6.5-inch (16.51 cm) fiber-composite cone
satellites: one 3-inch fiber-composite cone each and one 0.75-inch Poly-compression driver each in a MicroTractrix horn (90° x 40° radiating area)
Speaker power (RMS): 55 watts/channel @ 1% THD, 200Hz - 1KHz (Note: all channels driven)
Subwoofer power (RMS): 50 watts @ 7% THD, 40 - 100 Hz
Max Burst Power: 200 watts @ 1% THD (Note: all channels driven)

Sound is subjective. I had a set of Sony 3-way 6 1/4″ car speakers. They were good quality but sterile. I would almost say tinny or metallic. I prefer a warmer sound. Blaupunkt car audio has always been more to my liking. Personal preference.

It’s like the difference between CDs and LPs. And the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 are firmly in the latter category. Sound is warm and rich without loosing detail. The subwoofer and satellites match nicely, getting loud without overpowering each other. When turned up to ear-bleeding territory, highs don’t overwhelm the mids and lows – which is a good thing. I want ear-bleeding, not headache-inducing.

As a part-time bass-head, I could use more bass sometimes. When turned up, these Klipschs start to get farty and loose definition. At moderate levels the sub can be a tad too boomy. But in this category and price point, that’s always going to be an issue.

My Klipschs have the sub currently dialed at about 11 o’clock and I have iTunes’ “Sound Enhancer” turned on, which creates a fuller bodied sound without messing around with the equalizer. (I find myself fiddling with equalizers after every song or album. The Sound Enhancer seems to get the job done.) And, as I started out saying, I’ve been pleased with the durability of the set. Going on a year with no problems. My previous 2.1 set – a highly reviewed Yamaha model – started cutting out and loosing clarity about a year in.

For computer and light music use – or to replace your TV’s wretched built-in speakers – a 2.1 set like this works fine. 4 or 5.1 is just adding unnecessary cost and bulk unless you’re spending big $$$ on a quality home theater.

For about $100 (about what I paid a year ago, retail is still $149) I’d say the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 are a deal. They’ll be enough to annoy your neighbors next door.