Cooler Xtreme : Audio / Sound : Klipsch ProMedia 4.1

Klipsch ProMedia 4.1

Performance - Music :

The Importance of Personal Auditions and Multiple Reviews

Compared against similarly priced systems (that could include $400 systems that come with hardware Dolby Digital decoders) there are usually many subtle and sometimes not so subtle differences that can make speaker evaluation such a challenge. Some of those differences like room acoustics simply can't be fully accounted for in a review. This is why when ever you can manage it personal auditions of speaker systems with music that you are familiar with is the way to go and where you can't, hard facts and as many impressions from others (and not just one review) as you can gather are a must.

Not only will there be differences between speakers systems but there can also be fairly significant differences in performance for the same speaker system in different types of music. On top of speaker performance there is also, no matter how hard people try, an inevitable reviewer preference for a speaker system that does the best job in the kinds of music they typically listen to. The differences between genres can also be significant when considering the musical ability of a system. The emphasis on these comparisons will be on how the system performance relative to the direct competition. What you get in terms of music performance on a 4.1 speaker system for $300 will be typically be behind what you can get by spending around the same money on a 2.1 system.

Music is an area where you can find significant differences between systems and accuracy aside in the end what someone likes or dislikes will be highly influenced by personal preferences.

When you get up the quality range of the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 the differences between genres are certainly much less significant than for most less expensive systems but we think it’s still worth running through them.

First a general comment. The noteworthy midbass extension on the ProMedia satellites results in a shifting of an additional portion of the sound stage up into stereo image. On most other 4.1 systems the midrange can come across as somewhat more prominent than on the ProMedia. Some people will want to keep that midrange prominence and that’s not something you can do with the ProMedia 4.1. Note I am definitely not saying the ProMedia midrange is recessed, just that the sound, just as with the sound of the AMR-150, is quite a bit different in some respect than that of most other 4.1 systems because of the better midbass imaging.

So let’s look at how this all shakes out for some different genres.

Orchestral Maneuvers

Classical music or any other music that utilizes a large orchestra to reproduce more complex scores will pose perhaps the biggest reproduction challenge a speaker system can face. For that reason I will spend a bit more time here and suggest you read this section even if you never listen to classics as many of the points apply across all genres. The orchestra is typically spread out across a fairly expansive stage and a good recording will allow you to pin point many of those instruments on the virtual sound stage. The ProMedia 4.1 shines through with a precise, if somewhat forward, sound stage. This forward sound stage is something Klipsch is aiming for with their systems, preferring to place the listener front row center rather than a few rows further back from the stage.

Get down!

In classical music you are also most likely to find music to challenge the low-end response of a speaker system. Instruments such as the double bassoon that goes as low as 26 Hz and the organ that can go as low as 16.4 Hz will pose a great challenge for any speaker system, much less a multimedia speaker system. While no multimedia subwoofer that will deliver those low frequencies Klipsch 4.1 manages to get down to 30 Hz at a relatively neutral level and while the definition at 30 Hz is not as great as at the higher range of the subwoofer, its getting there where most other subs won’t.

Dynamic Range

If reproducing a wide variety of instruments covering a very wide frequency range across a precise but not artificially detailed sound stage is not enough, the speaker system (including amplifier) will in orchestral scores often be challenged to deliver what is likely the greatest dynamic range of any music. That is, ideally system has to have enough power to deliver the both the very quite and very loud passages with good clarity and without compressing the volume. Like other excellent quality multimedia systems the ProMedia 4.1 handles this very well with the subwoofer scaling very well from very low right to high overall volumes and the satellites sounding just as good at low volumes as they do at moderately high volumes.

Orchestral music also comes in many flavors and while the ProMedia 4.1 was good across the board it did reveal some relative strengths and weaknesses. For orchestral music with lots of lower strings and other instruments in the bottom end of the sound stage (including some brass instruments and drums) the ProMedia 4.1 really stands out against most other multimedia 4.1 systems when it comes to placement of those instruments into the sound stage (AMR-150 is the current exception that I have heard). For classics with more emphasis on the upper strings upper horns, woodwinds and piano the ProMedia 4.1 also does a good job but I found myself more often than not also putting the Crossfire and MM2000 ahead of the ProMedia 4.1. It’s not a night and day difference but a pretty consistent impression. Overall compared to the other 4.1 systems I have heard I found the ProMedia 4.1 to range from very good to excellent at reproducing classical soundtracks.

Rock, Pop and Country

In pop and rock and country music ability to reproduce vocals without excessive (or ideally with out any) coloration is an added challenge while dynamic range becomes of much less importance. The ProMedia 4.1 does a fine job in this respect in a manner similar to the other quality systems that I have heard but do keep the earlier comment on the vocals in mind. There is no set formula of instruments in this genre but most often you will find guitars, drums, cymbals, and pianos accompany the vocals. In some pop music, as with rap, techno and R&B you will also find some surprisingly challenging bass tracks that can give many subwoofers fits. The ProMedia again does a very good job across this range with good punchy bass than can be exaggerated a fair bit. Unlike most of the other systems some of the more bass heavy tracks (e.g. Celine Dion Power of Love) the ProMedia 4.1 sub can handle them quite effortlessly and at higher volumes is second to none I have heard in this respect. This genre is to me one of the strong suites of the ProMedia 4.1.

Jazzing it up

In jazz music great low frequency presence, smooth neutral midrange with great definition and good high frequency definition are very important. Here I must admit a bias for the string bass imaging offered by the ProMedia 4.1. In this respect I find it offers standout performance against all but the in the HPM-4100 (2.1 system) and AMR-150 thanks to the satellites good frequency range and good blending with the subwoofer at reasonable volumes. When it comes to the horns and piano that can also be so important in jazz I prefer the sound of both the Crossfire and MM2000 but still enjoyed the reproduction offered by the ProMedia 4.1.

Rap, trance and dance

In rap music good vocals reproduction and punchy bass are crucial and for dance beat and trance music punchy bass is again crucial. The ProMedia 4.1 sub is a standout here although both the MM2000 and Crossfire subs will also excel. The other systems compared in this review will also please many listeners, but don’t offer the same kind of kick delivered by the ProMedia 4.1. I still don’t think any of these systems can be used to drive a dance party at the volumes people are often looking for, but the ProMedia 4.1 will comes as close as I have heard to meeting those needs. Note that I have not heard a multimedia system that will meet all those needs.

Summing up the music

Now most people don't just listen to one type of music and while many do put emphasis on some particular types, pretty much everyone wants a system that can deliver very good all around performance and that's just what Klipsch has delivered with the ProMedia 4.1 system.

I can't really offer an all-encompassing definitive subjective opinion on what the best 4.1 speaker system is for music for you as it depends your definition of "best" even if you limit the question to systems costing $300 or less. Without that limit I personally think that the $150 more expensive (in North America) Crossfire has a technical advantage and is, more importantly, delivering more neutral sound, something that makes it my pick for the overall top.

Even so there are some things that the ProMedia 4.1 does better than the Crossfire that someone no so keen on the most neutral sound will prefer. The same is true when comparing the ProMedia 4.1 to the Monsoon MM2000 system. That is the MM2000 is a system is in several respects a smoother one for music through the upper midrange and lower high-end frequencies than the ProMedia 4.1 but a weaker one when it comes to bass imaging on the satellites and deep bass reproduction on the subwoofer.

If you put emphasis on shifting a greater percentage of upper bass into the stereo sound stage with good definition and at the same time want great subwoofer bass extension or above average exaggeration ability to go with above average loudness then the ProMedia 4.1 is the way to go at this point in time. You should also consider the excellent Polk AMR-150 if less volume and subwoofer extension is ok and your budget is not so big.

Despite all the technical test results it’s quite possible you might come to a different conclusion than me in your own personal preference evaluation of these systems. The key again is where possible do your own auditions and also keep in mind that some less expensive systems are also delivering good quality.

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