Introduction

Klipsch, Klipsch, Klipsch

These days, you can't have a discussion about powered computer speakers without talking about Klipsch. A little more than a year ago, few could even spell Klipsch, but times have changed. Today Klipsch's ProMedia v.2 400 speaker set is the system to beat.

To readers who haven't heard about Klipsch, they are one of the biggest specialty speaker manufacturers in the United States. Their founder, Paul W. Klipsch, revolutionized the horn loaded speaker to provide the highest efficiency drivers. Klipsch has been making speakers for over 50 years now, and over this time the company has continually produced unique products.

In the world of computer equipment, not many products are able to remain on the cutting edge nearly 15 months after its initial release. Not willing to send all their multimedia engineers on a long, well deserved vacation, Klipsch gave them the assignment for creating another system in the ProMedia line.

The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1

The new ProMedia 2.1 Personal Computer Audio system is the result of this endeavor. Marketed as the little brother to the ProMedia v.2 400, the 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. The more important question, however, is if there were any sonic compromises made in bringing these speakers to market. Klipsch's press material claims that the ProMedia 2.1 is designed to show the more musical side of Klipsch. Looks like it's time to take a listen…