Question on 4.2 setup for PC's - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

HighLife · 01-07-2008, 07:23 PM

I just picked up a set of 2.1 Promedias. Love them so far...really nice sound, minus alittle bit of distortion at higher levels.

I was wondering if the 4.2 setup is the same as the 2.1 as in setup? Meaning, can i buy another 2.1 setup and use that as 4.2? Or does the 4.2 let you connection both subs to the same sub channel?

Amy · 01-07-2008, 08:13 PM

Sure, you'd just connect the second set of 2.1s into the rear channel of your soundcard.

HighLife · 01-07-2008, 08:19 PM

so the 4.2 is really just 2x 2.1 ? they come so you connect 2.1 to you front and 2.1 to the rear channels?

Thanks for the info btw =)

Amy · 01-08-2008, 02:54 PM

Yes, it's just two 2.1s. The only down side is you'd have two volume controllers, one for front/one for rear, but you can always just use your soundcard software to adjust volume.

You'll also need to do some arranging so both volume controllers are attached to the front speakers. They are not hardwired onto the speaker--they slide out backwards and can be mounted to any speaker.

I'm sure I just confused you now--feel free to send me an email if you need further help: amy.unger@klipsch.com

dgbiker1 · 02-01-2008, 04:48 AM

Sorry, I know this thread is a bit old now, but I've owned a 4.2

I also bought 2 2.1s separately and put them together into a 4.2. I actually preferred the separate volume controls since you can control the rear speakers completely independently of the front instead of setting rear volume as a fraction of total volume. I'd recommend taking the control pod off the rear speakers so you can mount it up front with the other pod. I actually removed both pods and mounted them under the desk, then wall-mounted the speakers.
And the setup sounds really good. I had a 4.2 with an SWS sub added on (Klipsch PLEASE bring these back!!!) and it sounded amazing. I made the mistake of stacking the subs though, and one of the 2.1 subs fell and ripped the connections off the back of the other

So don't stack them, I went from a 4.3 to 2.2.
A good upgrade down the road is to replace the front speakers with a good set of bookcase speakers, the 2.1 sub puts out enough power to power a decent pair. It makes a great sounding setup and keeps things clean since you don't need the receiver, amp, etc... It's too bad the SWS sub was discontinued because the 2.1/4.2 +Bookshelf speakers+SWS makes a more than respectable home theater setup for a good sized living room.

HighLife · 02-01-2008, 05:29 AM

wow thanks for the info...i was wondering about the bass...

how would the back sub work? since the signal is coming from the front which its not plugged into..

I never knew it could power a set of bookshelf speakers.....i would think i would overload the amp that way.

dgbiker1 · 02-01-2008, 03:36 PM

How the subs work depends on how you set it up. For music, I just set it up like a normal 2.1, but connect a y-splitter from the line/headphone out on the soundcard. That way the front & rear get the same signal. If you want true 4-channel sound just plug the front & rear into the respective sound card inputs. The rear channel still gets the broadband signal with bass, and the crossover network in the sub will take care of separating bass from everything else. In that case you just have surround bass.

Another option (what I'm doing now) is to get the Promedia 2.0 speakers for the surround as they're a good bit cheaper. They sound better than the 2.1 satellites and you don't have to worry about the extra sub. You won't get the extra bass, but I'd recommend going with a separate sub anyway as it will get you down to lower frequencies than the 2.1 subs do.

As for the speakers, you probably can't power a huge set of speakers with it, but I think the amp is good for about 40W IIRC. That's plenty to drive decent bookshelf speakers at a good volume. I'm using Polk RS1s (I think) and they sound fantastic through that setup.