Klipsch (http://www.klipsch.com) has added wireless technology to its
ProMedia 2.1 computer speakers. The original ProMedia 2.1 system was
introduced in 2000; the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless (US$199) looks and
sounds like the THX-certified original, only the Klipsch logos are
silver instead of copper.
The real difference between the two designs lies within a USB
wireless transmitter that plugs into the computer's USB port. Only a
few simple steps are required to get the ProMedia Wireless up and
running, according to Don Inmon, Klipsch director of product
development for personal audio.
Inmon, however, notes the misconception that many consumers have
about wireless audio. Often times, when people see the words
"wireless" and "speakers" together, they assume the entire sound
system is wire and cable free. However, no such speaker system exists
-- unless it runs off of batteries. Speakers need a power source to
drive them and that source needs to connect to electricity, he says.
With the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless, the subwoofer is the power source. It
plugs into a wall outlet and then the two speakers connect to it via
wires. Wireless, in the case of the ProMedia, means no wires attach
to the computer. This allows users to move their laptops freely
around the room without ever losing their 2.1 sound. The ProMedia and
computer wirelessly connect via the USB wireless transmitter.
The wireless range of the ProMedia spans approximately 30 feet in a
single room. Wireless owners with a Wi-Fi connection and an iPhone or
iPod Touch can use Apple's Remote Application to control their iTunes
from anywhere in the house covered by Wi-Fi.
Each speaker comes with a self-supporting pedestal, but Klipsch also
sells adjustable WB-1 wall brackets through its online store for
US$21.99 a pair. The high-output, low distortion subwoofer is a
bass-reflex type with a flared, tuned front port and 6.5-inch
side-firing driver. The 200-watt amplifier housed inside the
subwoofer enclosure ensures that the ProMedia 2.1 Wireless can
deliver superior sound over conventional multimedia systems, says
Inmon.
