For under $100, the Klipsch ProMedia Speakers are great, and they come with adjustable bass loudness.
Computer speakers can be the ultimate half-step: better than whatever’s built into your computer, but not quite real, full-bodied speakers. Even the ones with subs tend to shelve out an entire frequency band. I’m saying the ProMedia is the end-all of computer speakers, just that they’re a step in the right direction.
At about the size of a thick textbook, the ProMedia come in silver or black plastic tuned port enclosure. There are two 2.5” drivers and one 1” tweeter stacked in a column in each speaker, making for a savvy design with the grille off.
There are a couple cool things about these speakers. They have an eighth-inch input on the front so you don’t have to disconnect whatever’s plugged into the back. It won’t take input from the front and back inputs at the same time, although the back takes priority. So, make sure nothing’s playing from your computer before you try to play something through the front input.
The ProMedias also have a headphone jack. This bypasses the speakers’ tonal qualities, but still runs through their circuitry, so it’s not the most pristine signal. However, it’s very convenient for volume control, especially if your computer’s volume control is inaccessible. In addition, the ProMedia Ultra 2.0 Personal Audio System speakers are iPod compatible-- major bonus.
Again, computer speakers are not for “tone freaks,” but the ProMedias really sound great, especially when the adjustable bass knob is turned all the way up. Smaller speakers typically deliver less bass response; you can push the lower end’s tone to a more even level with the rest of the frequencies. I would actually suggest this for computer speakers without a component subwoofer.
At 30 watts of combined power, Klipsch claims these speakers are the most powerful in their price range. And they get loud! To give you an idea, I work with 30 watt guitar amps on medium-sized stages and usually have them turned up halfway. Loud is not always better, though, and sound quality will degrade as the ProMedia gets louder, especially with the bass knob at eleven.
There is a sensitive frequency, around 1760 Hz (A6 on an instrument). You can hear it in an empty room, especially when listening to a speech. It’s not bad, and this frequency range usually adds presence, but every once in a while you might here a word or note resonate.
The ProMedia speakers are great for speech, and can easily double as low-cost TV or movie speakers. They deliver great presence for their size, and can comfortably accommodate a medium-sized room.
You can purchase Klipsch’s ProMedia 2.0 for $99 at Klipsch.com or Best Buy.
The Verdict
