Cooler Xtreme : Audio / Sound : Klipsch ProMedia 4.1

Klipsch ProMedia 4.1

Performance - DVD:

Dolby Digital, Down-mixing and Directionality

When considering down-mixing effectiveness it’s worth noting that how significant a difference you will hear between Dolby Digital 5.1 and just plain stereo will vary from movie to movie. In some, the rear channels are mostly used just for some ambient sound effects and the difference is then not that significant but still quite a nice improvement compared to stereo. In Movies such as the Fifth Element which make better, but still not excellent use of the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, the improvement of Dolby Digital 5.1 is quite significant, at least as significant as the step from stereo to Dolby Prologic. There is no question movies like the Fifth Element and many other DD 5.1 movies offer a good enough 5.1 experience that almost everyone will consider every cent they spent on buying a Dolby Digital 5.1 speaker system as being very well spent.

However, it’s not until you have played movies that have taken full advantage of Dolby Digital’s capabilities that you will realize how much a realistic sound surround experience contributes to making us think that we are in the middle of the action. Two perfect examples of this are Saving Private Ryan and The Matrix. Both offer a much more immersive experience with a Dolby Digital 4.1/5.1 system than a stereo or even a Dolby Prologic system can ever achieve. A couple of excellent examples where you don't need bullets whistling by your ears to get a significant benefit of a Dolby Digital 5.1 track are The Ghost and The Darkness and a Bug's Life.

It's worth noting here that some listeners may prefer a system that has less directional rear speakers. This may sound strange for some, especially coming from the perspective of 3D audio in games, but many argue that you should use dipole speakers or other very non-directional speakers so that you can’t pin point the effect. The reason they think it’s better with non directional speakers is that (they claim) most sound effects located to the rear speakers are intended as surround effects and are hampered when you can localize them.

In our opinion this is only true for movies with a Dolby Surround track or with relatively unimpressive use of stereo surround channels and certainly not true for action movies like Matrix or Saving Private Ryan, something the backers of non directional surround speakers agree with. We also think movies like a Bug’s Life show that directional rear speakers is a significant advantage even without bullets whizzing by. While on the subject of directional or non directional surround speakers it's worth pointing out that in the case of Dolby Digital 5.1 music even the so called experts recommend directional surround speakers. They also recommend that they should be positioned behind angled slightly towards your ears like a proper gaming configuration.

We are not aware of any 4.1 multimedia speaker system that uses non-directional surround channels so in this price range it’s really not worth worrying about.

While the ProMedia 4.1 does not have an integrated Dolby Digital decoder another reason to buy this system is to play content featuring Dolby Pro Logic/Surround or Dolby Digital. This can be done using a software DVD player featuring 4 speaker downmixing (e.g WinDVD 2000 2.x multichannel, PowerDVD 3) on a quad output sound card, a hardware decoder, or a sound card with Dolby Digital decoding (currently Sound Blaster Live 5.1 with decoding in software via drivers).

The Dolby Digital (AC3) format is usually found in movies, but several games, especially ports from consoles, use Dolby Surround. So what's the difference between these formats then? Here's a quick run down:

Dolby Surround includes three channels. Two for the front with a left and a right speaker and one channel for the two rear speakers used for surround sound, which also has a limited frequency response of 100Hz to 7000 Hz.

Dolby Pro Logic is an enhancement to Dolby Surround and uses a four-channel mix of left, center, right and surround channels, which has the same limited frequency response as Dolby Surround. These channels are used for left, center and right speakers up front with one channel used for rear speakers.

Dolby Digital, also called AC-3, provides six separate channels of crystal clear digital surround sound. The six discrete channels are used in left, center and right speakers up front along with separate channels for two rear speakers and the LFE (low frequency effects) channel often connected to the subwoofer. All the satellites covers the entire audible range (20 Hz – 20,000 Hz) but as mentioned many decoders have a small mode for all or some (usually surround) where they filter away the low frequencies and send them to the subwoofer. The LFE track (the ".1") makes it possible to reproduce low bass effects with stunning impact (twice as loud as the other channels). AC-3 is the audio code decoder in the Dolby Digital sound system which eliminates the data people cannot hear while maintaining all the data that people can listen to, producing Dolby Digital surround sound.

Dolby Surround offers a significant step above stereo thanks to the surround channels that immerse you more into the movie than stereo ever can. The Dolby Pro Logic mode in the case of PowerDVD and every other software DVD player can only be used on the many older DVD movies that don't feature a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound track. That’s unlike using the ProMedia 4.1 with a hardware decoder in which case you can use it for Pro Logic decoding from other sources. That includes some games, a large number of Dolby Pro Logic VHS movies on the market and also a growing number of TV shows broadcast in this manner.

As such, when the ProMedia 4.1 really shines for movies when you listen to DVD movies with a Dolby Digital 5.1 (also called AC-3) soundtrack. In DVD movies you will find special effects including explosions, music, ambient sound effects and dialog. This is just like what you will find in games but with better overall quality and dynamic range. As such, when it comes to the sound quality when playing DVD movies, most of the comments from the gaming apply but the quality difference will further emphasize the different performance aspects of the system.

Explosions, other bass effects and the LFE channel

First, for movies the explosions are usually powerful enough to please most listeners without any extra boost and as noted the ProMedia 4.1 can also deliver a significant boost in bass if you desire and still maintain good quality. The explosions are also much deeper (lower bass frequencies) and the significantly better dynamic range increases the importance of having a powerful subwoofer that can handle low frequencies well. The ProMedia 4.1 subwoofer, even at fairly loud listening levels is a very good performer, slightly ahead, but in the same realm as the VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire.

These two systems are clearly above average in the systems I have heard in delivering the extra deep bass effects found in some movies with good extension 10 to15 Hz beyond the MM2000 and even more so behind many other less expensive systems. While we have not put the ADA8XX speakers through the same tests, Mikael did a through evaluation of the bass using test tones and a sound level meter using the ADA880. These tests also show that at least when it comes to quantity the ADA8XX series should be in the same range as the ProMedia. Note that as good as these systems are in reaching down to deeper notes they also won’t be able to deliver the chest pounding bass effects such as the 20 Hz T-Rex footsteps in Jurassic Park. Then again neither will many more expensive hi-fi subwoofers although they will usually be delivering better quality through the same ranges.

If you want to use the ProMedia 4.1 with a hardware Dolby Digital decoder you need to decide if you want to give up the LFE channel. Unlike the Crossfire that has an optional separate LFE input, the ProMedia 4.1, like most 4.1 sysytems only has the standard front and rear channel inputs and none of the external hardware Dolby Digital / DTS decoders we have seen on the multimedia market offer an LFE channel downmix. However at least one software DVD player (WinDVD) does downmix the LFE channel and when using the Acoustic Edge PowerDVD 3.0 will also down mix it. Neither the Live 5.1 software AC3 decoding in 4 speaker mode nor the Dxr3 four speaker downmix when used with a Live will downmix the LFE channel. The ProMedia 4.1 is one of the multimedia systems that takes better advantage of the LFE channel and while there won’t be a night and day difference it would be better to use a setup that can downmix it.

Center Channel Virtualization

The typical close proximity of the listener for PC DVD playback also allows for effective center channel virtualization when the speakers are not placed too far apart and there is a virtual Dolby certification process to ensure quality of the down mixing by the decoder. In terms of center, what is lost with software four speaker down-mixing when the speakers are not to far apart and the listener is close to the speakers is mostly, but not limited to, the ability to separately adjust center channel volume. Midrange quality and prominence also affect the effectiveness of the virtual channel and while I find the center virtualization to be quite effective on the ProMedia 4.1 it is somewhat less prominent than many other systems with less midbass extension including the Monsoon MM2000 and Crossfire. To be clear, I don’t mean that the ProMedia 4.1 midrange is lacking sufficient quality, just that the shift in the sound stage with more upper bass being present changes they way most people will perceive it. Where there is a combination of lots of bass heavy action in the range covered by the ProMedia 4.1 satellites and vocals I found that vocal clarity could also suffer slightly, particularly at very high volumes where the midbass on the satellites starts to distort. This was much less likely to occur on the MM2000 or Crossfire. With all of these systems I can also hear a difference relative to a system with a real center channel, but I suspect that at least in a desktop configuration you most likely won’t notice the lack of center speaker if you haven’t just heard the system with one.

In the desktop configuration a real center channel is mostly useful if you need to change the volume of the center volume up or down relative to the left and right channels. Adjustably aside, the difference between a virtual center and a true center channel will of course increase the further apart the front left and right channels are and if you go beyond 6 feet you better look for a system with a real center channel. That’s one of the reasons that Klipsch will be releasing a new 5.1 system very shortly. However, the bottom line is if you place the front speakers next the monitor or TV and don't sit too far away then it should work very well.

Loudness and Dynamic Range

When it comes to overall loudness there's no problem to fill a small sized room (e.g. 10x12 feet) with high quality sound or even a living room with loud and reasonably good quality sound when you play a DVD movie with this system. Using the decibel meter and sitting close (3 feet) it went as high as 104 dB during one scene and even 7 feet away from the subwoofer, deep bass effect were being delivered at 100 dB (rear sats just 3 feet away).

The other thing that’s important when watching movies with Dolby Digital soundtracks is not just loudness but the headroom a system can offer. That is, when the volume is set at a level where you can hear the dialog, the system will need sufficient power to deliver on the loudest parts of a movie. This is typically more stressful on a system than games or music as Dolby Digital soundtracks as noted can have a very wide dynamic range and it's an area that the ProMedia 4.1 performs very well. It's worth noting that this good headroom is particularly noticeable in the subwoofer that can deliver some room rattling effects with exaggeration ability that is maintained even when the system is pushed to almost to its extremes. The overall headroom in movies is somewhat limited by the satellites ability or perhaps I should say inability to cleanly handle upper bass at very high volumes but at "normal" loud listening levels this should not be an issue.

Matching Satellites, Dolby Digital Hardware and DVD Summary

To offer an excellent surround experience it's also important to have speakers that are well matched. If they are poorly matched you will notice significant discrepancies in the sound when some sound is moving from one speaker to the next, for example a car passing by. In providing the user with 4 identical satellites Klipsch has provided for perfectly matched transitions between the satellites. This does not amount to a night and day difference between systems that use different drivers for different channels. However, it can be quite noticeable when the most or one of the most important sound effects (e.g. a car) in the scene relatively quickly passes by across the front or from front to rear. Something else that comes out of the midbass extension of the satellites is that just as with games I was often able to pick out more bass oriented sound effects from the satellites than with most other systems resulting in a better surround experience.

You can of course also use the ProMedia 4.1 with a Dolby Digital hardware decoder but there is not a high return compared to software decoding in terms of quality difference and in all the units we have looked at you will as noted likely lose the LFE channel. When speaking of quality difference here we refer to both positioning/transitions and sound quality with both being slightly better with most hardware decoders than the latest versions of PowerDVD (3.0) and WinDVD (2.2 and 2.3 – we have not tried v.3.0 yet).

Overall, the ProMedia 4.1, just as with games is an outstanding performer for Dolby Digital material at the $300 price point delivering much deeper bass effects than every system I have heard with the exception of the Crossfire. The system is delivering very good volume again only behind the Crossfire in the systems I have listened to. The overall Dolby Digital experience delivered by the ProMedia 4.1 in the optimum seating and speaker placement surpasses that of every integrated hardware Dolby Digital decoder based system I have heard (I have not heard the DigiTheatre DTS, ADA88X series and several other systems we have not reviewed including the MidiLand S4 8200). The MM2000 that we will publish a review of shortly also has its strengths for DVD playback that most definitely make it a system worthy of your consideration. While there are certainly a number of quality options to consider I think that anyone looking to spend up to $300 on a multimedia system and does not require hardware Dolby Digital decoding won’t go wrong if they choose to select the ProMedia 4.1.

Summary:

Overall Score 9.8/10

We have seen over the past months that there is no speaker system that will please everyone and we can really group products into a range of price brackets. For those that demand excellent quality and are prepared to pay several hundred dollars then there have been options such as the VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire that are likely to please more people.

While the $RM1950 (in Malaysia) Crossfire retains my personal pick as best overall 4.1 system, the ProMedia 4.1 has thanks to updates from Klipsch clearly narrowed the gap between itself and the Crossfire relative to the original v.2-400 to the point where some will even prefer it. As we have noted before, the primary reason to consider this system is for gaming and watching DVD movies although listening to music will often be important. All things considered I feel that the Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 clearly is a worthy addition to the performance 4.1 multimedia system bracket where it delivers a lot a bang for $300.

Is the ProMedia 4.1 a clear best choice for everyone and anyone looking to spend $300 on a "decoderless" 4.1 multimedia speaker system? I don’t think so as even at this level a system is designed on compromises so you have to decide what's best for your tastes and preferences. Klipsch has to me done a great job in their design choices, but some of those choices won’t be for everyone. Having said that I suspect that for a large percentage of gamers and DVD fans it will indeed be the 4.1 system that hits the nail on the head.

Not only does the ProMedia 4.1 deliver above average overall volume and a powerful subwoofer that provides deeper bass than any other similarly priced or less expensive system I have heard. It also delivers good midrange and high frequency both in terms of neutrality and definition to go with super upper bass extension on the satellites.

When you factor in the highly sought after amplified headphone jack and the separate line input to go with the solid construction we see that the ProMedia 4.1 is a truly an outstanding product.

For music at this price point for a 4.1 system I think it ranges from good to great for depending on the listeners tastes and if you really like to exaggerate your bass then even excellent for music. I would more importantly describe it as a system that is excellent for gaming and movies. The Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 clearly delivers the goods in a manner that earns our Gold Medal of Excellence to go along with our 3DsoundSurge Surge of Approval.

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