Best 2.1 speakers system you can buy

Introduction
You can't have a discussion about computer speakers without talking about Klipsch. A few years ago, few could even spell Klipsch, but times have changed. Today Klipsch's ProMedia v.2 400 speaker set sets the bar for all other 2.1 systems.

Klipsch is one of the biggest specialty speaker manufacturers in the United States. They recently entered the PC speaker market and have caused quite a stir. Their efforts have caused all other manufacturers to improve upon their products as well.

Overview
Marketed as the little brother to the ProMedia v.2 400, the ProMedia 2.1 is a two channel system that features two satellites and a subwoofer. In comparison, the v.2 400 has four satellites and one subwoofer. The satellites seem to be identical in both systems, although the subwoofer for the 2.1 system only has one driver versus the two in the v.2 400. While the 400 watts of output of the v.2 400 was considered overkill by many, the 200 watts of output of the 2.1 is still enough to compromise your long term hearing.

What hasn't changed is the THX certification and the Klipsch horn technology. There don't seem to be any sonic compromises made in bringing these speakers to market. Klipsch's website claims that the ProMedia 2.1 is designed to show the more musical side of Klipsch.

Specifications
Total System Frequency: 32Hz-20kHz
Maximum Acoustic Output: 106dB (peak)
Amplifier Headroom: 2 x 35 watts - Satellites, 1 x 130 watts - Subwoofer
Satellite Impedance: 4 ohms
Preamplifier Control Pod:
Subwoofer and Main volume level controls
LED Power indicator
MP3/Aux player line input with soundcard mixing function
Headphone Jack


Satellite:
Sealed elliptical two-way enclosure with 0.75" polymer dome tweeter mated to MicroTractrix Horn and 3" long throw mid-bass driver

Subwoofer:
Bass-reflex enclosure with front port and side-firing 6.5" long-throw driver; flared tuned port; sixth-order enclosure design.

Amplifier:
Digital linear hybrid amplifier; discrete MOSFET output section

Subwoofer Limiter:
Protective limiter function protects the driver and amplifier from extremely high volume playback.

The satellites are 4.25 inches across, 6 inches deep, and are 9 inches high with stands. This makes the Klipsch satellites slightly larger than other multimedia satellites. The subwoofer is 10 inches tall, 10 inches wide, and 11 inches deep.

The ProMedia 2.1 finally offers a headphone jack and an auxiliary input. The auxiliary input has a higher sensitivity than the standard input, which is very useful with the lower level outputs of portable music devices. The mixing function is also a nice novelty. When the headphones are plugged in, the satellites and subwoofer mute, and the volume control controls the headphone output. This is very useful especially if your computer is in a place where you can't play your music or games too loudly, for fear of disturbing the neighbors.

With 200 watts of power, 2.1 is only half as powerful as the ProMedia v.2 400, but that is like saying that a racecar is only half as fast as a plane.

Inputs

The ProMedia v.2 400 advertises BASH technology in the amplifier, but we don't see the same claim here with the 2.1s, although both are digital hybrid designs.

I would take the frequency response numbers with a large grain of salt, as there is no published dB bound for the value. The upper bound of 20Khz is accurate, but a low end of 32Hz is a bit optimistic (this isn't a jab at Klipsch as very few speaker systems can go to 30Hz). This is only a 6.5-inch driver we are talking about. Nevertheless, Klipsch's bass response remains unmatched in the multimedia speaker market.

The original Klipsch ProMedia v.2 400 had an excessively noisy pre-amplifier. This is Klipsch's compensation for the often insipid outputs of our sound cards. The ProMedia 2.1 does have some hissing at very high volumes, but not more than to be expected. A digital input for these speakers would have reduced this low-level noise.

It would have been nice to have digital connections, but the ProMedia 2.1 is strictly an analog system, taking stereo mini-jack inputs.

Features
The ProMedia 2.1 is "no frills" product. Installation can be completed in a matter of minutes without once consulting the owners manual. Reading the manual would probably add another minute or two to the setup time.
An attached stereo mini-jack cable connects the sound card or portable music player to the control pod which has a second cable to the sub. One problem with this setup is that the lengths of the wires going into the control pod are fixed, thus limiting creativity in speaker placement. These wires are about 2 meters long. For a small office or bedroom, this limitation should not be a problem. A similar restriction is placed on the satellites as well, the included cables are 3 meters long. These cables are a mono mini-jack to two bare wires, a cable type that is not readily available or replaced.

The main guts of the system are held within the subwoofer enclosure. Here, the signal is amplified and sent to the satellite speakers. As long as you know your left hand from your right hand, you will be fine.

There is a replaceable fuse on the back of the sub. It is rated at 2 amps, at 250V, or 500 watts. The ProMedia 2.1s are designed to play loud. Many systems have internal fuses, but an easily accessible fuse just begs to be tested. I don't think I'll try though!

There are no bass or treble controls like with other systems. The only controls are system volume and subwoofer volume. Once again, Klipsch offers a recommended subwoofer setting, with a mark at the 10 o'clock position. Even at this conservative subwoofer volume, you could already feel rocket blasts or the strumming of the bass guitar.

Controls
Instead of adding more features features, Klipsch simply put all the money in the drivers and amplifier. This decision should bring a smile to music lovers everywhere. Purists will also rejoice, since many believe that all the extra circuitry of tone controls does nothing but degrade the sound. With a compromise between features and sound quality, I would go with sound quality.

Performance
The ProMedia 2.1 system sounds very similar to the v.2 400, and that's a very good thing. Even with less power and a single driver subwoofer, the ProMedia 2.1 has no trouble filling a room with music. Contrary to Klipsch's claims, I did not find the ProMedia 2.1 more musical that the v.2 400, nor did I find it any less musical. Both systems sound great. The 2.1 may have a slight edge in the integration of the subwoofer and satellites.

One complaint that I have seen with sub-sat systems is the poor low volume performance. With many systems, at lower volumes, the sub disappears and you are left with a very hollow sound or noticeable localization of the sub. The ProMedia 2.1 does not join this group. At low volumes, the subwoofer was able to effectively blend with the satellites, without over powering them.

High frequencies were very clear without being harsh, and vocals had a nice air to them. The sound tended on the high side, without the warmth. The only type of music where this difference would be noticed would be with acoustic vocals or acapella type music where the vocal is the primary sound. For games and other synthesized music, the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 doesn't make any compromises.

Klipsch has no competition when it comes to bass. Yeah, you can buy bigger subs for your home theater, but no set of computer speakers can match the extension of the Klipsch ProMedia series. It isn't that Klipsch is using bigger enclosures or bigger drivers for the bass, just more power and smarter design. Even with the sub volume set at the recommended level, which is about 30% of maximum, the bass is very palpable. The subwoofer driver used in the ProMedia 2.1 is different from that used in the ProMedia v.2 400, at least from the front. Unfortunately this driver is not shielded.

Compared to the other multimedia speakers on the market, Klipsch remains at the head of the pack. With a true two-way system, including a separate tweeter and mid-bass on each satellite, the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 system is able to more effectively reproduce a higher range of frequencies. There really isn't a very good substitute for drivers specialized for specific frequencies.

The sub is louder and plays deeper than the other computer speakers. Overall the Klipsch setup comes closest to creating a computer system that rivals the bigger home systems. For sonic ability alone, the Klipsch ProMedia series will be hard to match.

Conclusion
Klipsch's ProMedia v.2 400 speaker sets the standard for all other 2.1 systems. They are definitely worth the $180 price tag. But if you have a bigger budget, go for the 4.1 or 5.1 Klipsch systems!