[Mamesy]

Long time reader, first time poster. In the past, you guys steered me towards HD-555s and ATH-EM700s, both of which have turned my audio world upside down. So much that I quit my Itunes habit and went back to CDs and am thinking of getting into vinyl, but that's neither here nor there!

Now I'm looking for a cheaper set of PC speakers that aren't too much of a step down from either of those sets of headphones (fat chance, I know.) The Klipsch promedia 2.1s and Swans M10 are looking like the most revered budget sets on the board. It seems like people are more into the Swans, though.

So I ordered the Klipsch speakers today, only to start reading about the M10s after the fact. Klipsch has that nice return policy which I may take advantage of.

I'd be using these for gaming, movies, and music. I'm not into super loud bass and I value clarity and nice midranges over booming bass. It seems like the M10s are more up my alley and am wondering if I should not even bother unpacking the promedias? Are the M10s a pretty big jump? If so, I'd go ahead and order them right now and send the promedias right back.

Also, probably a dumb question, but would the M10s be a good replacement for the speakers on my TV? It's a sharp Aquos LC32D41U, fwiw.


Many thanks for any advice.

 

[tpc41]

if money permits, have you considered ordering both pairs and setting them both up and doing some A/B testing?

I am a happy owner of the swan M10s and have only heard the promedias for a small amount of time. I think the M10s lack the low end that the klipsch offer, but in terms of midrange the Swans were much better. the promedias have a larger sub which seemed to go much deeper. The swan "subwoofer" is more mid range than a typical sub. It is designed for desktop use where as the klipsch sub needs to be on the ground. I would not consider the differences between them to be huge, either would most likely fit your needs.

any yes both of these sets of speakers should sound much better than speakers in a tv.

edit: also i just saw the swans are marked down to $82 @ the audio insider... that's a great price! i wish they were that cheap when i bought them!

 

[Mamesy]

I could do a side by side test, though of course I would love to get it over with and pick one over the other.

I worry that the sub on the promedias will be overkill for my needs or, at worst, overpowering the mids and highs. I'm trying to avoid a repeat of the Z-2300s I owned for a short period. Some kick is nice though...would you say the sub on the M10s has no kick or is it just not as strong as a big sub?

 

[tpc41]

both of the subs have an adjustable bass knob on them. The swan sub can be cranked up, but its just not as deep a punch as the klipsch, but still very nice. I think this leads to better clarity from the swans. I agree that the promedia sub might be overkill.

 

[Mamesy]

Thanks. I ordered the Swans too, still deciding whether to send back the promedias or do a side by side test.

 

[Cry Havoc]

I have owned both the Klipsch Promedia 4.1s, 2.1s, and Ultra 2.0s. Of the three sets, the only that didn't blow on me were the 2.1s and they weren't even mine (a friend let me borrow them).

Suffice to say, I know what Klipsch sounds like for promedia computer usage. I just ordered a set of Swan M10s, so I'll post with my impressions of the speakers as soon as I get them burned in. =)

 

[billbillw]

I had a set of Klipsch Promedia (the 4.1 variety) for many years. I was never really that happy with them. Recently, I overhauled my desktop system and picked up a pair of used Athena bookshelf speakers and powered them with a small cheap amplifier (the infamous $15 Radioshack Accurian amp). The sound is so much better, its hard to explain.

Now, I'm not saying you have to buy a pair of Athenas and/or the Accurian amp, since they are both discontinued and unavailable. I think any good quality bookshelf would work. There is a lot of good talk about the Insignia NS-B2111 speakers available from BestBuy. Get those and a decent little amp, and you'd be good to go. Something like a super T-amp, or a gainclone type amp would go great with a setup like this.