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Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

Two speakers, one sub - lots of fun!

Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

Klipsch has been in the audio business for more than 60 years, so making a speaker isn't anything new to the company. Its Pro Media 2.1 speaker set is a testament to that when it comes to sound reproduction. The $150, entry-level, speaker set sounds great and is a great value in spite of some minor quibbles.

Setup is dead simple, and the included wiring should be sufficient for any desk, as well as most room setups. The conventional speaker jacks also allow you to replace the included wiring with any other speaker wire.

The metal speaker stands for the left and right channel bend rather easily if you lean on them by accident (which we did). But getting them back into proper shape is just as trivial. You can wall mount the speakers, but frankly, the result would look silly because many of the wires would hang out of the left speaker.

Once plugged in, the set handled everything from Nick Drake to Nine Inch Nails quite well and was detailed enough to bring out minor elements in the music at low volumes. When cranked, the set played on distortion free. Bass response at the recommended setting felt fantastic at all volume levels, and you certainly don't need to crank up the set to feel the punches.

The speaker!

The speaker!

Input options are the Pro Media 2.1's biggest stumbling point. With just two inputs, even with a few devices (computer, game console, MP3 player), you're going to have to play the cable-swap game. Both inputs are of the headphone-style variety, so you'll need adapters for your consoles. In an interesting twist, there's no button to push when you switch between inputs. If you have two devices plugged in and playing music, the speakers will pass both signals through at the same time.

Outside of the limited number of inputs, we're quite pleased with the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1s. Excellent sound quality, compact size, and a tolerable price point make it hard to go wrong with them.

11 Comments

  • SibirskiyTigr

    Posted Mar 8, 2010 3:50 pm GMT

    @rulo13
    send me a pic of the back of your TV, maybe I can come up with something

  • rulo13

    Posted Mar 8, 2010 11:51 am GMT

    @SibirskiyTigr
    My TV doesn't have one! just HDMI and audio plugs in the back!

  • SibirskiyTigr

    Posted Mar 5, 2010 3:29 pm GMT

    @rulo13
    You can still plug into headphone jack on your HDTV

  • rulo13

    Posted Mar 5, 2010 10:27 am GMT

    how can I plug it to my screen if it doesn't have a headphone jack? I use HDMI for my XBOX 360 and PS3

  • jhans

    Posted Mar 4, 2010 3:14 pm GMT

    I have had the same 2.1's for over 10 years and for the money I have yet to hear much of anything that even comes close. 5.1 is nice but anything near the same quality as the 2.1's in that category are closer to $300-400. I think I paid maybe $170 for this set back in 1999 or so and they still sound fantastic!

  • LINK946373

    Posted Mar 3, 2010 10:21 am GMT

    I have these and love them to death.

  • Gam3Guy

    Posted Mar 3, 2010 6:27 am GMT

    I used to have the 2.1 Pro Medias before I moved to a 5.1 setup. Best 2.1 speaker setup that I can remember at the time.

    Do they still make them? It seems like this article is a few years too late for those looking for new speakers.

  • wolfman579

    Posted Feb 28, 2010 12:48 pm GMT

    The sound quality of the ProMedia is amazing; for the price, and if you've never heard anything better. Speaking strictly about sound quality, they are far from amazing and certainly not great.

    There's a few truly great bargin passive speakers out there, the B2030P is quite possibly the best. They're $130/pair, take that + $170 for a 2ch receiver, $110 for a Dayton SUB-100 and ~$20 for cables/wire at monoprice. Total ~$430.

    You triple the cost over the ProMedia, but the sound quality would easily be 10x better. For $30 more you can substitue the 2ch receiver for the vsx-519v-k so you can add surrounds later on. That system would destroy ANY HTIB.

    In case you're wondering. My current system is a bit more spendy. It consists of 2 pairs of B2030P, a SVS PB10-NSD, and a VSX-819H-K. All cables from monoprice. I had both the ProMedia 2.1 and 5.1. They were awesome when I knew nothing, but now I could never go back.

  • Mizrach

    Posted Feb 28, 2010 1:40 am GMT

    I have these. Simply amazing speakers.

  • TruthOpinionSpk

    Posted Feb 27, 2010 6:19 pm GMT

    Klipsch has something for every budget. However, mostly for people who wanna spend $1000+ per speaker.

  • valdarez

    Posted Feb 26, 2010 10:24 pm GMT

    I have the Klipsch Pro Media 4.1 from nearly a decade ago. It's crazy good and still rocks with the best stereo speakers out there. Not sure why they quit making the 4.1 version. I wanted to buy it for my sis for her birthday, and they said they no longer manufacturer it.

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