Introduction

Back in the day, the only type of sound you could get from your computer would be a barrage of beeps and chirps from the built-in PC speaker. That didn’t stop game programmers from making the most of that little speaker or in some cases piezo buzzers, driving those speakers into pure distortion. Times have certainly changed. Many computers are now the hub of the family entertainment center, you can find high-end home theaters are built around personal computers. Technology, like some theories of evolution, often moves in spurts. Klipsch, a few years ago, created a new standard in computer audio that was the ProMedia v2.400 THX certified speaker system. Today, we take a look at Klipsch’s ProMedia 5.1 multimedia system.

I just got back from cryo

Unless you have been out of the computer scene for the last few years, are recently returning from an alien abduction, or were cryogenically frozen, you’ve heard about the Klipsch THX certified multimedia speakers. The original Promedia v2.400 was replaced by the ProMedia 4.1 with the ProMedia 2.1 as its baby brother. Things that then changed include an improved pre-amp with less gain, and thus lower noise levels, and a slight tweak of the satellite crossovers. Now we have the new ProMedia 5.1, which adds more power with a 500 watt BASH amplifier, and a larger sub with dual 8 inch drivers. There has been recent controversy about the power ratings for the ProMedias and whether or not the numbers are representative of true RMS power. Klipsch has recently been adding the words peak music power to these values. I will say that the power supplies of the Klipsch systems suggest that they would be capable of these numbers. The 5.1 can draw 5 amps from the wall; that’s 600 watts on our American mains.

What you get

The Klipsch Promedia 5.1 includes 4 matched satellites for your front and rear, a center channel that is designed to be used on its side, a tethered volume control module, and a large sub that houses all the amplification.

The package

In addition, you get all the necessary cables to connect the speakers to the sub and the sub to your 5.1 source.

Cables