Customer Reviews

Klipsch Promedia Ultra 2.0 PC Speaker System- Silver

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I would have loved these speakers had I not already owned the Klipsch GMX A 2.1 set. I was willing to sacrifice some bass to ditch my bulky subwoofer, which is why I bought the silver ProMedia speakers in the first place. While they sound good for what they are, they couldn't match the GMX set, which costs about the same but has a sub.

OK, so this wasn't a surprise -- I already said that I was prepared to sacrifice some bass, but the ProMedia speakers didn't sound as good in the mids or highs as the GMX kit. They simply had a lot less depth, no matter how I tried to equalize away the difference. They sound quite good when you are right in front of them, but they can't fill the room like the GMX.

In short, Klipsch spoiled me and I sent the ProMedia speakers back, but I'm still giving them four stars because I can't imagine speakers in this form factor sounding much better -- but if you can spend a few extra dollars and have room for a subwoofer, look at the GMX speakers. You don't have to be an audiophile to appreciate the difference.

With these speakers, you're not going to get high-volume or house-shaking bass. If that's what you want, buy something else. These are $100 computer speakers, not a replacement for your home stereo.

I chose these speakers over the Bose Companion 2 (exact same price, and arguably the same sound quality) for the following reasongs:

1) The Bose model looks "plasticy", the Klipsch dooesn't (I have the black model, btw)

2) The Bose model doesn't have an on/off switch, the Klipsch does

3) The Bose model's line in is on the back, the Klipsch has it on the front (easier to get to)

I rate sound quality as 8.5 out of 10 (vs. my home stereo at 10/10). Don't expect audiophile sound from these little speakers, and you'll be happy with them.

My only complaint is the volume dial: the knob is solid black and you can't see how high you have the volume turned up. A little white on the knob would be a big help.

The speakers have great sound but after 6 months the speakers would quit without warning. I checked Klipsch message board and this seemed to be a common problem.

These speakers sounded quite nice for me while they worked, with a nice crisp upper range. However, after a few months they intermittently stopped producing sound. I'd recommend you stay away from these speakers --- they could clearly do with better quality control.

I was first introduced to Klipsch speakers when I was 19 years old and attending Purdue University. A engineering student buddy took me to the "Golden Ear" high fidelity store where I was exposed to the 1812 Overture, cannons and bells included, via a Mercury Living Presence LP. I was astounded at the perhaps bigger than life sound coming out of the Klipschorn speakers. At over a thousand dollars for the enormous speaker, it was way more than a student could afford but I vowed to have a Klipschorn one day. That day never came but I will never forget the solid, gut pounding sounds of the cannons coming from the Klipsch speakers. Now, in my elder years I came across these affordable speakers which have the Klipsch name and retain some of the famous Klipsch quality that I have admired through the years. Paul Klipsch has passed out of the picture and the speakers are made in China rather than Hope, Arkansas but these are quality speakers and well suited for PC sound. I got them for my laptop which plays DVDs but sounds so miserable, you don't want to listen to soundtrack. These inexpensive speakers have the clarity and range you want and need for movie audio. And jazz music sounds very good on them too. No deep bass and certainly nothing like Klipschorn sound from these little speakers, but minimal distortion and maximum clarity you can expect. For the price, they are exceptional. If you buy them for your PC or to occasionally play your MP3 music, you will not be disappointed.

I love these speakers. They have a great sound and can handle bass when you need them too. They are compact enough to travel with if you really want to. My only complaint is the bright blue led. I like to listen to music at night and the blue light is a little bothersome. But I covered that up with some tape so not really a big deal.

In any event.......
It's a common issue with these speakers that they stop working. The problem with this is the potentiometer behind the volume control knob. It's actually a pretty easy fix. You can replace it if you have a soldering gun and solder and the necessary potentiometer. However, if you don't have the skills and tools, you can apply a fix that will generally last for a fairly long time. First (and this should go without saying), if you chose to perform this fix you do so at your own risk. Secondly (and this should also go without saying), unplug your speakers from all power sources. Now for the actual work... Unscrew the cover on the speaker with the volume controls on it (right channel) there are 10 screws (they are all the same so don't worry about mixing them up). This isn't necessary, but it makes the job a lot easier, take a paper clip and straighten and push the led light out of it's socket, this just makes the rest of the project easier without having to worry about the front plate dangling around. Slide out the circuit board with the knobs on it, this might require a firm tug but don't rip it out as it's connected to another circuit board mounted vertically behind all the foam/cotton. The rubber grip for the volume knob should slide off relatively easily and can only be mounted on in one way so you can set that aside without worrying. Next, you'll need some WD-40 and q-tips. (you could use some paper towels or something, but q-tips/cotton swabs I find perfect for this). Saturate one end of the q-tip in wd-40 and hold it against the base of where the volume knob was and spin the volume knob back and forth while doing this. Be sure to go all the way to max volume and into the off position. You should go back and forth at least 20 times and reapply wd-40 to the q-tip as necessary. After doing this, you can reassemble everything and you should be good to go. You should notice the volume knob spins a lot easier now which is normal.

I've been an owner of these speakers for two and a half years now. The sound they put out is excellent, and if you have an issue with super high-frequency sounds, they include slide-in faceplates that cover the speakers. They also have tremendous low-end capabilities--truly amazing for a 2.0 speaker system--and they are capable of reproducing almost any sound I've thrown at them. It's also nice to have a speaker system that can handle analog audio from two independent sources. However, they are not without their troubles. I have had to replace the speakers through Klipsch once, as after 6-7 months of use, the rear input failed, and soon after that, the front input failed as well. They were good enough to give me a new pair of speakers, however in this second pair, after about 8 months, the volume/power knob has started acting up: crackling and cutting out the right speaker at random as it is adjusted. The problem resides somewhere within the volume control unit: the potentiometer that is used to determine the amplitude of the electric frequencies. Unfortunately for me, the problem has progressed to where I really have to coax the knob to maintain sound out of the right speaker, and I waited too long to take advantage of Klipsch's warranty.

That said, I give these speakers three stars total: superb sound and great functionality, but they do not stand the test of time.

The Promedias sound great for about the first year. After that, the power switch/volume pot goes bad.

I wrote to Klipsch and asked about this, and they referred me to some third party company they said would fix this (not free.) I am not sure how much they would charge for this, but this is unacceptable. I have a nice set of paperweights now.

I will not be buying Klipsch again.

Liked the sound and design of these, including convenience of master speaker headphone jack. Sadly they died abruptly after less just under a year, so I'm looking to other manufacturers in the future.

I was thinking of either these Klipsch ProMedia 2.0 speakers or the Creative T20's 2.0.

Reviews claimed that both speaker sets produced excellent quality sound, except Klipsch is much better known in speakers. The bottom line came down to the price.

I purchased my Klipsch ProMedia 2.0 set for $59.00 on sale ($100+ retail). When I received them, I tried them out with my iPhone. All I had to do was plug in the power supply and attach the included cable into my iPhone and into the front iPod jack of the Klipsch speakers. I turned my iPhone up and the Klipsch speakers let out a lush, full ranged sound of music which suprised me. I didn't think two, not so big speakers could produce such rich and clear sound.

These Klipsch speakers have it all. The highs, the mids and even the lows. They don't produce as much ground shaking bass as they would with a Klipsch subwoofer, but trust me, if you don't need or like subwoofers, these speakers deliver excellent bass and lows for their size. I have my bass level half way and it seems to sound great. Now that I know the great sound quality they have, I'm hoping it lasts a long time.

One primary factor regarding computer speakers is how good your sound card (hardware) is. If you have a bad quality or cheap sound card, any speakers will sound bad on them. Make sure the source is of good quality in order to hear the full ability of these Klipsch ProMedia speakers.

If you can find them on sale for a great price, get them right away! If not, they are still well worth $100.