Moving on from Klipsch Promedia 2.1

[Dr_Asik]

Hello good folks of Audioholics. When I originally got my Klipsch Promedia I was very impressed with how lively and powerful they were compared to what I had before. However they have some limitations. When I listen to music with my headphones, I can make out all the detail that the Promedias reveal, plus quite a bit more. They're not good with subtle, airy details like hints of reverberation which are essential in some of the music I listen to. I find that the right channel on my Klipsch is less clear than the left, and since I changed my desktop to a large, massive L-shaped one, I have found that the best placement for my subwoofer was behind me which is awkward.

So, I am looking for something which will reveal more detail in music, be less colored and more easy on the ears. My budget is 200 - 600$, depending on what seems worth the money. For the past few days I have looked at a lot of speaker reviews : the Klipsch reference series, Audioengine 2 and 5, a few B&W models, Totem Mite, Beringher Truth, etc., and I can't decide.

I am leaning towards the Audioengine 5 or M-Audio AV-40 because they received shining reviews, fit my budget, and don't require an amplifier, which I don't have. I am even more clueless about amplifiers as I am about speakers, so avoiding to have to choose both items at the same time seems a wise choice to me.

However, I don't want to end up looking for new speakers again in 1 year, so I'd rather spend more now and be happy for years to come. So if powered speakers, by nature, all suck compared to "real" speakers I'd like to know.

I listen to all kinds of music, some very demanding like choral/organ and experimental electro. Also, I play video games, but I find most games to sound good even with mediocre speakers (they make use of heavy lossy compression). These speakers would sit on my desktop and should ideally not depend on the use of a subwoofer to provide good bass. Though I could always reuse my Klipsch subwoofer, which would be easy with the A5 which provide a subwoofer output.

I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, so if can take into account availability that's even better.

Thank you very much for your advice.

 

[Andreas]

Funny enough I have the same speakers as you and I find myself using my shure earphones when listening to music on my computer.

The Promedias though good for gaming fall short for music listening imo.



For music, though expensive these dyns are on my short list.
http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/loudspeakers/dynaudio-mc-15.html


For music and add the sub for gaming.
Note the 30 day return policy and they are a Canadian company.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/audiobytecomputerspeakers.html

Hope this helps,


Andreas

 

[jamie2112]

Funny enough I have the same speakers as you and I find myself using my shure earphones when listening to music on my computer.

The Promedias though good for gaming fall short for music listening imo.



For music, though expensive these dyns are on my short list.
http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/loudspeakers/dynaudio-mc-15.html


For music and add the sub for gaming.
Note the 30 day return policy and they are a Canadian company.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/audiobytecomputerspeakers.html

Hope this helps,


Andreas

The dynaudios are great speakers. I just mixed a record on them.....

 

[Soundman]

Funny enough I have the same speakers as you and I find myself using my shure earphones when listening to music on my computer.

The Promedias though good for gaming fall short for music listening imo.



For music, though expensive these dyns are on my short list.
http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/loudspeakers/dynaudio-mc-15.html


For music and add the sub for gaming.
Note the 30 day return policy and they are a Canadian company.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/audiobytecomputerspeakers.html

Hope this helps,


Andreas

The Dyns are great, but if the OP is looking for something a little more economical that still sounds great, consider the Behringer B2030P at around $130.00/pair. However, you would need an amp for these. These were suggested to me. I actually posted something similar on these forums just recently. For more ideas, see this thread: http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47835
Hope this helps.

 

[Dr_Asik]

Yes I definitely cannot afford speakers at 1300$. My budget is 600$ or less. I will look into the audiobyte speakers at 360$ as soon as I get some time. As for the Behringer, yes I had read your thread before, and they were highly praised by another forum member, however I could not find any professional review on them.

What I wonder is how those speakers you guys are suggesting compare with the Audioengine 5 (350$) which are highest on my list right now, due to a large number of shining reviews, possibility of using them without an amplifier, and ease of connecting a subwoofer to them.

 

[Nuance AH]

- Tweak City Audio WAF-1's paired with the Gizmo 2-channel amp
- Swan M12
- Swan M200MKII
- Swan S200A Merlot

 

[Dr_Asik]

Thanks for the suggestions. However, it seems to me that the A5 should remain top of the list for now.

TweakCity WAF-1 : not available yet; and thus not used, much less reviewed, by anyone.
Swan M12 : It's a 2.1 system. Having to rely on a subwoofer is inconvenient in my situation as its optimal placement in my room is awkward, and it's still not a very good placement for sound.
Swan M200 : Looks good, but only 3" woofers vs the A5 5" woofers.
Axiom Audiobytes : Again, only 3" woofers...

... well actually, I don't know. I'd have to do some kind of comparison. The A5s are big, less than 400$ shipped at my door and seem to deliver powerful, clean sound. The Audiobytes are sexy indeed, but smaller and more expensive. They're supposedly more clear and less warm.

Ah, I'm just growing more and more confused.

 

[tortoise1810]

I have just recieved my S200A Merlot a week ago.
From what I have heard, M200mkii performs closely to S200A except S200A's bass is tighter. S200 and M200 actually share the same 5'' woofer, but the electronic circuit in S200A was designed better than M200mkii.
Swan M200 hands down.
I think theaudioinsider still have some b-2-stock M200mkii which go for $139, or the regular retail price would be $299.

 

[Dr_Asik]

How do you guys think the A5 compares with the M200MkII ? Also, could I get much better quality sound, in my price range, by going the bookshelf speakers + amp route?

 

[wunderkind]

Since you are in Canada, I highly suggest to look into Canadian brands like Paradigm, Energy, Mission etc as they are highly regarded in the audio-dom.

 

[tortoise1810]

Swans really produce some great multimedia speakers and M200 series are their legendary products. Check the reviews!

From my own experience, my $99 Swans S400 beats my dad's $200 Klipsch PM2.1 np.
Btw, bookshelf speakers + amp is also a good choice.

 

[Dr_Asik]

I don't feel I have the knowledge required to choose the best amp+speakers solution, so I ruled out that solution. Next was the Swan M200 against the Audioengine 5. The only opinions I could find on the net was that the A5s were superior, and while I don't give that much value to random individual opinions, this tipped the balance in the A5s favor enough to make me buy them. As I said, I was already in favor of the A5 due to the large number of shining reviews and the fact that they include a dedicated subwoofer connection.

So, I expect them by my door during next week, if all goes well. Can't wait!!!

Thanks for your all your advice, although I ended up choosing against the popular Swan recommandation, it helped me get an overview of my options.

 

[rbf1138]

Just got my A5s Saturday, and they're excellent. I too had my Pro Medias die on me last week, and these are certainly a nice improvement. The next step for me is figuring out what component to add next. I primarily listen using my Macbook, which I'll sometimes run through my Go Vibe headphone amp. I think the logical next purchase is a DAC? I'm a little unclear as to what would make the biggest difference in quality at this point.

 

[Dr_Asik]

Just got my A5s Saturday, and they're excellent. I too had my Pro Medias die on me last week, and these are certainly a nice improvement. The next step for me is figuring out what component to add next. I primarily listen using my Macbook, which I'll sometimes run through my Go Vibe headphone amp. I think the logical next purchase is a DAC? I'm a little unclear as to what would make the biggest difference in quality at this point.

I'm afraid I can't be of much help as I never heard the A5 myself yet, but IMO if you can't pinpoint any specific flaw in the sound quality you should just enjoy them and save your money for later.

I'm curious as to how exactly they are an improvement over the Klipsch PM2.1; of course I'll be able to evaluate that next week but as I said, I can't wait. My one fear is that the bass will not be on par with the PM2.1 subwoofer; but it might very possibly be more clear and precise. What about vocals? Guns + explosions? Orchestra?

 

[rbf1138]

I play a lot of games, in addition to music. That said, the bass is absolutely adequate, with the only thing missing being turning up the sub to physically feel gunshots. At this point, I'm not really missing it, though I wouldn't rule out a sub in the future. I've watched some Blu-Rays and tv, and the clarity is really excellent, with dialogue really crisp and clear.

 

[rbf1138]

quick post so i can show you the speaker stands i setup for them this weekend...

 

[rbf1138]

another throwaway post...pics coming

 

[rbf1138]

I don't know where you're planning on putting these, but here are the speaker stands I setup this weekend pretty easily.

Bought 2 desktop paper organizers from Office Depot and flipped them upside down, giving me space under the speakers to store things, and then got Mopads at Guitar Center so I can adjust heights.

http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0555qx9.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0556ao4.jpg

 

[Dr_Asik]

I don't know where you're planning on putting these, but here are the speaker stands I setup this weekend pretty easily.

Bought 2 desktop paper organizers from Office Depot and flipped them upside down, giving me space under the speakers to store things, and then got Mopads at Guitar Center so I can adjust heights.

http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0555qx9.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0556ao4.jpg

Nice stands and thanks for the suggestion. However they are a bit expensive and I have some spare foam pads so I think I'll just use that.