TwoCables

I'm still looking for a definitive answer from someone on here. Is this my serial number? 04505607 If not, then does "2003.03" on the box in big letters mean that it was manufactured in March of 2003?

If you go the route of trying a sound card, then you're right that it's mostly just a matter of inserting the card into the slot and then installing the software and driver, more or less (you might be able to find 'how to' videos on YouTube, like "how to install a sound card" or something like that). Of course, if the onboard audio can be disabled, then you will want to do so just to help avoid the possibility of hardware conflicts. You'll also want to uninstall the Realtek audio driver and any Realtek software that's related to sound. Disabling it is done in the BIOS, and the BIOS can either be very easy to get into, or somewhat tricky - but usually not VERY tricky. Your computer's manual might show how to access it. Finding the onboard audio in the BIOS can be easy if you spend the time looking around - sometimes it's pretty obvious once you find it. If you find that Lenovo didn't provide a way to disable it (or even a way to get into the BIOS), then that's ok. After all, you can select the default audio device in Windows. Anyway, inside the computer case at the rear (the lower section in the back with a bunch of little horizontal 'panels'), you'll find expansion slot covers (the 'panels', as it were) that help keep the rear looking pretty from the outside when they are still in place. The one that's in line with the slot you'll install the card into will have to be removed. Actually, it's slightly lower than the slot. Anyway, if you're lucky, then it's being held in with a screw (almost always a philips screw too). If you're not lucky, then it will have to be "broken" off. If it has to be broken off, then be careful because all of the edges where the separation happens can be very sharp. If you're VERY lucky, then you'll find a fancy plastic screwless design holding the slot cover in place! So yeah, again, to know which slot cover to remove, it's the one that's almost in line with the PCI-E x1 slot (it's slightly lower). The slot itself will look like the tiny white one in this photo. Yours will probably be a different color though and it might be located in a slightly different place (like, it could be the topmost slot or something like that). If you don't have one of these slots, then any PCI-E slot will work. I'm just trying to help you avoid consuming a bigger slot just in case you may need it in the future. Oh, and this reminds me: make sure the card you buy isn't a plain "PCI" card because you might not have any PCI slots on your motherboard. Most sound cards these days though are PCI-E x1. Installation is just a matter of making sure the card gets inserted all the way, and flat in the slot. Cards can be fussy about being perfectly installed, and about being installed all the way in (or, maybe it's the motherboard that's fussy). So, take the side panel off the computer, lay it down on its side and use the sturdy parts of the card that can't be broken (like the edge of the card that will be facing you) to push it straight down into the slot, with your downward force going directly toward the slot itself, making for a nice square insertion. After inserting the card all the way (and perfectly), it's always a good idea to secure the card to the case using a screw, and you'll see where the screw goes. This part is difficult to explain, so this is where a YouTube video can come in handy. You can watch almost any video for this, including any that talk about how to install a video card, or just generic 'how to install a PCI card" or something. Most of them, if they're any good, should show securing the card with a case screw (and that's what you'll need; a "case screw"). If you're lucky enough to have the screwless design, then you won't have to worry about the screw at all. However, I still use them because I have a preference for everything being rock solid (I guess I'm a bit old-school). If you want to use a case screw but you don't have any, then you should be able to find one at Micro Center or you MIGHT even be able to get one at Best Buy. I'm sure about Micro Center, but I'm not about Best Buy. I've never tried to buy any small parts from them. If you're lucky enough to have a small computer shop near you that sells parts for building computers, then you're golden. Software installaton is usually a snap. After installing the card and connecting the ProMedia 2.1 to it, you just turn the computer back on, wait for Windows to start up all the way (which will include the automatic installation of a generic driver for the new card), and then you insert the CD that has the driver and software on it (some cards might come with more than 1 CD - one for the driver and software, and the other for additional software if you want any of it). After the installation of the software, you will restart the computer and get started on enjoying the new card! This can (and should) include trying all the various audio enhancements available to you in the software, including the Graphic Equalizer. I feel that it's usually best do to this with some kind of audio that you're extremely familiar with, such as a song or a movie. Adjusting all of these things is kind of like flavoring food with condiments, spices and/or seasoning. You just keep experimenting until it's perfect for you, and for you alone. Of course, you don't have to always use those settings for everything. If you find yourself feeling that you don't know how to adjust the Graphic Equalizer, then here's a tip: while playing something very familiar to you, adjust each frequency one by one, going all the way up and then all the way down. You will hear the sound of each frequency, and you'll then begin to know how you want to adjust all of them as a whole (this can be fun, by the way - so, don't get too carried away by the entertainment value that this process can have. lol). Remember though, your Bass and Treble adjustments are completely independent of the Graphic Equalizer (or the other way around, if you want to see it that way). So, it can be a balancing act, but it's worth it. Of course, other audio enhancements can affect the lows, mids and highs as well. Everything's independent, while working together at the same time. Just a quick word about the software installation: if you're interested in making sure you don't install anything that you don't need, then I can help with that, especially if it's a Creative sound card. Generally though, you want the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation option (it's the one that is NOT labeled "Recommended" or "Express" or "Typical", or "Full", or "Minimal" etc.). From there, you should see everything that can be installed, and you can even Google each thing to learn more about it in order to see what you want and don't want on your computer. So yeah, this can consume some time, but I think it will be very worth it in the end. It's just about the best way to hear what your new sound card is capable of. You might even find yourself listening to things as though you're hearing them for the first time! Like I said, this can be a lot of fun. If you go the route of trying a USB DAC like the Modi 2, then yeah, that's simple: just plug it in and enjoy. Windows SHOULD automatically select it as the default device, but you'll know because you have to plug your speakers into it with the Modi 2 connected to the computer via USB. So, the output path is Computer > USB cable > Modi 2 > speaker connector cable on the Modi 2's "Line Out" connectors > speakers. Therefore, if you have sound, then you're using the Modi 2. If not, then you just select the Modi 2 as the default device. Or, make sure your sound isn't muted. In your movie and music playback software, look into adjusting their built-in graphic equalizers, if one is available. I hope that I covered everything so that if you go through with this, then you'll be fully prepared. The proverbial rabbit hole goes even deeper than this, but we can explore the depths later.

I wrote this post over 12 hours ago, but I got sidetracked. I apologize for it being too long, but I'm very passionate about this stuff and I also feel that a short post would be more of a disservice than anything. Believe it or not, you don't have a sound card; you have a chip that's soldered to the motherboard (it's what I like to call "onboard audio"). Worse yet, realtek doesn't make anything that's "good". When it comes to audio products, Realtek just makes onboard chips; they don't make any sound cards. In the world of onboard audio though, they do have a couple of chips that are among the best, but that's not saying much. When it comes to sound cards - particularly the ones mentioned here, onboard audio is noticeably very inferior, especially with good speakers. The better the speakers, the easier it is to hear the improvement that a good sound card makes. So, if you had like cheap $10 desktop speakers, then you probably wouldn't notice a difference, but you have the ProMedia 2.1 system. Therefore, upgrading to a good sound card would be very noticeable. I think almost anyone who has a setup like yours would have a blast with such an upgrade. It's kind of like upgrading from a low-quality cheap 2.1 speaker system to the ProMedia 2.1. It's great fun! If you can find one of these sound cards at a local store, then I would strongly recommend buying it just so you can test it to see what you think. You can return the card the next day (or the same day if you buy it early enough in the day to give yourself enough time to try it out). You won't find the Schiit Modi 2 though, unless you happen to have a local store that specializes in such products. Don't get me wrong; I know the feeling of having someone recommend an upgrade like this (the kind where you have to take the person's word for it). When I had the Audigy 2 ZS, I thought that it couldn't get any better. I had the Altec Lansing VS4121 speaker system and I was extremely happy with my sound; I felt that I had nice clear mids and highs and great low end (especially because the subwoofer is inside of a wooden cabinet). My Audigy 2 ZS started dying on me one day, and so I replaced it with the XtremeGamer. It's a simple-looking card, but holy crap; that thing destroyed the Audigy 2 ZS. The low end was the biggest improvement; it went MUCH deeper (all the way down to 36 Hz very cleanly and powerfully - 35 Hz worked, but it was comparitively weak), and it was much, much cleaner and more powerful and very thunderous. It reminded me of the kind of delicious low end in some of the better THX-Certified theaters. I had no idea that my subwoofer could produce such awesome and pleasing low end. With the Audigy 2 ZS, my VS4121's subwoofer sounded comparitively boomy and it would distort for certain things, but that stopped happening with the XtremeGamer. It was like I upgraded to much better speakers. So, I was shocked. Of course, the mids and highs were improved quite noticeably too, and so was the sound stage. Simply put, everything was much better, and I was previously convinced with the Audigy 2 ZS that it couldn't get any better. After this upgrade though, I was like, "Ok, NOW it can't get any better. Finally!" Even so, I always secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1 system thanks to hearing it at a friend's house. Except, I kept putting it off by saying, "pff, with the sound quality I have now, I seriously doubt that I'd notice enough of an improvement to justify the cost". Then I upgraded to the X-Fi Titanium HD, and I was blown away even more. However, even though it was a nice upgrade to my sound, it wasn't HUGE, not like I was expecting. I later realized that the reason why was, I was already hearing just about the fullest potential of my VS4121s on the XtremeGamer. You see, my VS4121s weren't allowing me to hear the full potential of the X-Fi Titanium HD (they were bottlenecking it). I had effectively reached the fullest potential of those speakers while still having a MUCH larger potential from the sound card that could be had with better speakers. So, my upgrade to the X-Fi Titanium HD sounded small to me even though the sound card upgrade was huge. Even so, there were still certain improvements to my audio quality that still made me go, "Whoa!" So, I knew deep down that I would have to upgrade to better speakers some day if I want to feel better about the money that I spent on the Titanium HD ($162.98). Then recently I finally replaced those VS4121s with the ProMedia 2.1 system (it was actually just a couple of weeks ago), and now I think I'm finally hearing the X-Fi Titanium HD's full potential, or I'm at least a lot closer to it. Prior to getting the ProMedia 2.1 system, I thought that my audio quality was already extremely good and I'd even tell audiophiles that I think they'd be impressed with what I achieved without spending a fortune. I still secretly wanted the ProMedia 2.1s, but I thought that I'd never buy them because I believed that the upgrade wouldn't be big enough to justify the cost, but I was wrong. After making all of these upgrades to my audio, I can truly speak from experience that upgrading to a good sound card can make a big difference, and so can upgrading from a good sound card to an even better one. So yeah, you would DEFINITELY notice an improvement to your audio quality and I'd bet that you'd be extremely glad you did it. I think that you'd even wonder why you were happy with it before the upgrade.

Oh, a laptop. So, you don't even have a sound card (that's what I like to call "onboard audio"). So, you're not really hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system. You can get an external USB Digital-to-Analog Converter ("DAC") such as the Schiit Modi 2, but it's about $110 after shipping. That's a large amount of money for me, but if you happen to feel that this is no big deal (like, if it's pretty affordable), then I would highly recommend it because it is highly recommended by audiophiles for people who would like to keep their costs as low as possible while still getting a huge upgrade. To be clear, every digital device that can play sound has a DAC. You see, digital audio has to be converted to analog audio so that we can understand it, but the quality of that DAC determines the quality of your audio output, and Realtek is really a producer of low-quality audio products that are "good enough for most people". The only potential problem with a USB DAC is (including the USB "sound cards") is, there's a very small chance that you'd also need something like this: http://schiit.com/products/wyrd ...and it costs $99.99 before shipping as well. Of course, that's a "wait and see" situation. No it's a full size desktop.Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk Hmm. Well, I'd hate to be responsible for you spending even more money, but there are some options out there that shouldn't cost more than roughly $100 to help you get a noticeably big improvement to your audio quality (meaning, you'd get a LOT closer to hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system). Based on what I'm reading, the Schiit Modi 2 seems to be one of those options, even for a desktop PC. Now, I prefer having a global Graphic Equalizer that enhances EVERYTHING, including things that don't have a built-in EQ option like YouTube - even with the ProMedia 2.1s (either it's my hearing, or it's the speakers - I don't know). So, I prefer a good sound card, particularly Creative's sound cards. My sound current card is the X-Fi Ttianium HD. It's a very high-end card, but it's no longer available. Well, it is, but the prices I've seen lately are so ridiculously high on the ones that ARE availalble that I've written this card off as being one that I can recommend to anyone, unless they are filthy rich. lol A quick word about my preference for a Global EQ (this is mostly directed at anyone who knows Creative's sound cards and is wondering if I really know what I'm doing): you can rest assured that I use Audio Creation Mode with Bit-Matched Playback enabled for all DVDs (in WinDVD) and all music files and CDs in Winamp, using their built-in Graphic Equalizers. For games, I use Game Mode. For everything else, I use Entertainment Mode with enhancements enabled like Crystalizer, Speaker (it's a little bit like a bass boost), and when I'm watching certain YouTube videos, I'll even enable Surround. I always leave Smart Volume and Dialogue Plus disabled. So, the next card that I can recommend that's made by Creative is the Sound Blaster Z, which can be had for $99.84 shipped from Amazon.com. You'll also find the Zx, and this appears to be the exact same sound card with a different accessory. You'll also find the ZxR, but it's not worth looking at. Now, the Sound Blaster Z isn't as good as the Titanium HD, but it's still quite good - and it has a superior headphone amplifier in it (600 Ohm amp vs. just 330). Of course, with the ProMedia 2.1 system, why would you want to use headphones? hehe Some people might recommend an ASUS sound card (either the inexpensive Xonar DG, or the expensive Xonar Essence STX), but I've never had a good experience with their software. I had the Xonar D1 which was once highly recommended, but I couldn't get the Graphic Equalizer to work at all. So, I can't recommend any of their cards in good conscience, even though MANY people will swear by these cards and say that they are superior to anything that Creative makes. In my personal experience though, I have NEVER had one single problem with any of Creative's sound cards or their software. Not one! To put that into perspective, I've been using their cards since the mid 90s, beginning with the Sound Blaster 16. I'm on my 5th Creative card now, and still 100% happy. Anyway, I don't really know which option you'd be happiest with (or what your best option is here), but I think that you'd experience a very noticeable upgrade either way. However, that's a cost of about $100. :/

Thank you! lol I didn't know what "zip wire" is, so I looked it up and I found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip-cord So, I'm guessing that you mean that many people feel that all that matters is the wire gauge. You just taught me 3 things here: Oxygen-free copper was created to avoid oxidation Oxidation causes resistance (but I guess I would have figured that out immediately upon realizing what the point of oxygen-free copper is) Electrons travel mostly on the surfaces of copper Oxygen-free copper isn't superior when it's new; it's just a longer-lasting product because without oxygen in the copper, it can't oxidize and therefore it can last much longer. Up until now, I thought that the point of oxygen-free copper was probably for a purer, cleaner signal right out of the box. So, I thank you for this valuable education! If I'm right, then I would think so! I mean, it seems to me that NOT soldering the strands probably results in the electrons being unable to get to all of the strands at the point where the wire connectors are holding the wires, but instead have to travel a little bit before they can eventually get to all of the strands naturally by transfer from strand to strand. If this is is true, then soldering should mean that the electrons go from the wire connector to the solder and thus directly to all of the strands immediately, which, if this is true, then would result in all of the strands receiving the signal right at the wire connectors immediately and simultaneously. Well, it's not truly simultaneous in extremely slow-motion, but it's probably close enough. I hope I'm right about all this because it certainly makes sense in my little brain. Thank you! Yeah, I guess I could spend a lot more by making my own, but I don't know enough to know if that would even provide a noticeable upgrade over these wires. I mean, the ProMedia 2.1 system is good, but it's not like it's an extremely high-end boutique system costing like a thousand dollars or more. That's if his Lenovo isn't a laptop. I'm assuming it is because he described the memory as "onboard memory".

Oh, a laptop. So, you don't even have a sound card (that's what I like to call "onboard audio"). So, you're not really hearing the full potential of the ProMedia 2.1 system. You can get an external USB Digital-to-Analog Converter ("DAC") such as the Schiit Modi 2, but it's about $110 after shipping. That's a large amount of money for me, but if you happen to feel that this is no big deal (like, if it's pretty affordable), then I would highly recommend it because it is highly recommended by audiophiles for people who would like to keep their costs as low as possible while still getting a huge upgrade. To be clear, every digital device that can play sound has a DAC. You see, digital audio has to be converted to analog audio so that we can understand it, but the quality of that DAC determines the quality of your audio output, and Realtek is really a producer of low-quality audio products that are "good enough for most people". The only potential problem with a USB DAC is (including the USB "sound cards") is, there's a very small chance that you'd also need something like this: http://schiit.com/products/wyrd ...and it costs $99.99 before shipping as well. Of course, that's a "wait and see" situation.

I'm not seeing anything with that many characters anywhere. I bought this used from eBay (because it's the original and superior design, and it's in mint condition), and the only thing that was in the box was the speaker system. So, if this number was printed on something such as some sort of certificate, then I would be out of luck.

Thank you! Remember though, the difference won't be like the difference between night and day. Well, it wasn't for me, at least. As for the shipping time: the seller says to allow up to 2 business days for orders to be sent out. I ordered mine on Tuesday the 17th at about 5:30 a.m. and it didn't ship out until Thursday the 19th, and then it was delivered on Monday the 23rd. My ProMedia 2.1 system arrived on Friday the 20th. I didn't mind though because I wanted even more time than that to get used to the stock wires so that I could appreciate the new wires even more. Of course, 3 days isn't much, so I'm really looking forward to reading what you think. Of course, individual results will vary due to having the speaker system connected to different sources and whatnot, but still! I'll be watching this thread. I'm looking forward to testing out those cables. Fortunately I had my pro media unit for years so I know it's exact sound., and will easily be able to hear any quality differences with the new cable.. Appreciate your help., I'll definitely keep you guys posted.Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk I'm curious now: what do you have your ProMedia 2.1 system hooked up to? If it's your computer, then is it onboard sound or is it a sound card? If it's onboard sound, then I'd be interested in the model number of your motherboard. If it's a sound card, then I'd be interested in which sound card it is. If it's hooked up to something else, then tell me about it. I guess I want to geek out a bit. lol

Thank you! Remember though, the difference won't be like the difference between night and day. Well, it wasn't for me, at least. As for the shipping time: the seller says to allow up to 2 business days for orders to be sent out. I ordered mine on Tuesday the 17th at about 5:30 a.m. and it didn't ship out until Thursday the 19th, and then it was delivered on Monday the 23rd. My ProMedia 2.1 system arrived on Friday the 20th. I didn't mind though because I wanted even more time than that to get used to the stock wires so that I could appreciate the new wires even more. Of course, 3 days isn't much, so I'm really looking forward to reading what you think. Of course, individual results will vary due to having the speaker system connected to different sources and whatnot, but still! I'll be watching this thread.

Yep!

Your reply to this thread saved me from buying the new version of the ProMedia 2.1 system and then later regretting it (that is, if I ever learned what I got stuck with). By the time I saw your post here, I had already placed my order for a brand new one directly from Klipsch at like 1 or 2 AM on a weekday (lucky me, because otherwise the order could have been fulfilled before I had a chance to cancel it). After placing my order, I just sat on my computer for a couple of hours looking at posts and videos about this system because I was very excited about finally buying it. I eventually saw your reply here, and when I did, I began seriously considering cancelling my order, but only if I could find the older version for sale somewhere in very good condition. Fortunately, by some miracle or something, I found a barely-used one on eBay in mint condition for $141.19 after shipping! In my mind, that's a very good deal considering a brand new system is $139.99 shipped directly from Klipsch (at least, it is at the time of this writing) and is inferior to this one. I think it was made in March of 2003 because the box has "2003.03" printed on it. I'll have to ask Klipsch sometime though. Anyway, so I immediately ordered the used (but mint) system and then followed that up by cancelling my direct order with Klipsch. After that, I found and ordered some premium 16 AWG aftermarket speaker wires through eBay (I don't know what brand they are, but they're not overpriced Monster wires and I'm happy about that). The speaker system arrived on Friday February 20th and it really IS in mint condition (it was pretty clear from the photos, but I still had my doubts of course), and the wires arrived the following Monday the 23rd. So, I've been a very happy guy ever since that Friday and especially since that Monday, and I feel that I owe it all to you. I mean, if you hadn't written this post, then I would have the newer and inferior version and I probably wouldn't even know it. So, thank you!

I'm very surprised that no one has replied yet. I hope you're still looking for answers, because I have some! I believe so, unless the older satellites have a different power requirement for some reason (like, a different OHMs rating or something). I don't have a clue about this though, so all I can recommend is that you do some research and also ask on here. Also, if you like having the control pod attached to one of your satellites, then I also recommend looking into seeing if the pod slot on the bottom of the satellites is the same. It should be, I see no reason why they would have changed it, but it's better to be safe than sorry! I'd like to be able to expand on the stuff about the power requirements, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I recommend getting this one from eBay: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Premium Gold 16ga Speaker wires, Cables, Professional, Pair (perform a search on eBay for it. I don't want to link to it because I don't want to look like I'm advertising). There's another seller selling some Monster-branded wires, but they are a little more expensive, and there's nothing in the description that says they're Oxygen-Free or that the wire ends are soldered with Silver (the part that goes into the amplifier). In other words, the Monster wires seem to be a bit more plain than the ones I'm recommending. I own the ones that I'm recommending, and they are definitely very high-quality in construction, and they definitely improved the audio quality: the mids and highs are clearer and crisper, and the sound stage is superior as well. It seems to me that the two different speaker wires that I mentioned here are really the only ones that are available these days. The Monster wires are probably the same ones that Klipsch was selling back when they were still manufacturing the plug-in style satellites, but I've never liked Monster's products because they're overpriced and you can usually get equal or better products for less. Go ahead and compare for yourself; search eBay for Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, Premium Monster Cable Speaker Wires, Custom Made Pair 10'. Have both wires up in two different tabs: one for these wires and one for the others, and switch back and forth to compare the photos and the Description, and the price. You might see for yourself why I went with the other ones! I would think that it's perfectly safe, as long as you're not exceeding a constant power draw of 17.5W per satellite and 65W for the subwoofer because 17.5W and 65W are exactly 50% of the total output capacity that the amplifier has per channel (I'll explain why I said this in a moment). To be clear, as long as the constant power draw doesn't exceed these wattages (per channel), then I would say that it's perfectly safe. Fortunately, the workload of any speaker is constantly changing in normal use (like while playing music, watching movies, YouTube videos, or playing a video game). I mean, the only way to have a purely constant power draw is to play something like pure sine waves while never adjusting the volume. Of course, even a sine wave isn't truly constant, but it's as close as you'll get. My reason for saying "50%" is based on my extensive knowledge of power supplies for computers. At least with computer power supplies ("PSUs"), if the computer is being used in such a way where the power draw is constant, such as "Folding", then it's extremely important to make sure that this constant power draw doesn't exceed about 50% of the PSU's capacity - especially if it's going to be pulling that power 24/7 for several weeks or months without ever stopping. Even the very best PSU could fail if the continuous power consumption is too high. After all, the closer the power consumption is to the PSU's maximum capacity, the higher the temperatures are. From what I can tell, a speaker amplifier is really just a power supply. If that's true, then what's true for a computer PSU would be the same for a speaker amplifier. If not, then I would love to be educated ASAP. If you're just wondering if it's safe to leave this system on for several hours per day even if it's not being used, then the answer is a definite 'Yes' because it's designed to be on 24/7. That's why the switch is in an inconvenient location for daily access: you only need to access the switch on your first day of ownership while setting the system up, and then you leave it on 24/7. After all, you have to access the amplifier side of the subwoofer cabinet in order to insert the speaker wires and also the DIN cable, so this is when you'd turn the amplifier on. I've seen complaints on the internet about the location of switch (like on Amazon.com in the reviews and even on here), but it doesn't need to be turned off when it's not in use, unless it's going to be left unused for like a week or longer. Y'know? Switching the amp on and off every single day will shorten its life much faster than just leaving it on. A daily on/off cycle could be the source of some of the common problems that the ProMedia 2.1 system has. At least, that's what I would think. In conclusion, I think that as long as you're not using the ProMedia 2.1 system at steady very high volumes every single day for several hours per day (i.e. as long as you're using this system for a computer, while you are AT the computer rather than for your entire house or apartment), then it should last a very long time without ever overheating or dying prematurely on you, or giving you other problems. So actually, this makes me wonder: how exactly are you using this system? What is the primary use when you're using it "for long hours"?

Interesting! My unit sounds great with the current wires, but if a thicker gauge yields even better sound, then I might have to upgrade the cables.Sent from my AT&T iPhone 6 Plus using Tapatalk (You will want to read this on your computer because it's extremely long - you'll see why it's so long once you read it) Yeah, mine was producing a great sound too. So, I was surprised to hear a difference at all because I was kind of thinking that the aftermarket wires were just for being able to achieve the same audio quality at louder volumes (I thought that maybe the audio quality noticeably decreased at higher levels, which I never tested). My reason for buying them was, I'd rather know instead NOT knowing if they will improve my audio quality. When they improved my audio quality, I began wondering how because I'm not really sending that much power through them at all. After thinking about it for a while though, it began to make sense: there are several more strands inside the protective jacket to carry the power (or the amplified electrical signal) to the speakers. So, the more strands there are, the easier it is for each strand to help carry the load (there's a lighter load for each strand). Of course, these aftermarket wires could also have thicker-gauge strands as well, but I can't tell. I'd definitely say though that there are several more strands. I think too that the more strands there are, the better the chances are of the entire signal reaching the speaker, thereby minimizing signal loss. Or maybe it could be more that it helps avoid (or at least minimize) any gradual weakening of the signal over the length of the wire, thereby resulting in a stronger, fuller electrical signal at the speaker. So, let's assume just for the sake of argument that the ProMedia 2.1's stock 22 AWG speaker wires only have 7 strands inside the jacket at 30 AWG per strand (which would be called "22 AWG 7/30"), and that the 16 AWG aftermarket speaker wires have 26 strands in the jacket at 30 AWG per strand ("16 AWG 26/30"). Remember that this is for one wire (one jacket), not for both the positive and negative (red and black) wires combined. Anyway, I don't know if these are the actual specs for both the stock and aftermarket wires, but if we have the same electrical signal on both of them at the same amplification, then the power, integrity, quality and purity (etc.) of that signal should be superior from the 16 AWG 26/30 wires by the time it reaches the speakers since there are more strands to share the load. Of course, it's not just the number of strands. I mean, of course, other considerations include the thickness of the strands (maybe the aftermarket's strands are thicker as well, I'm not sure), the material of each strand, the quality of that material, how the strands are wound together, and probably even the jacket, to some degree. Regarding the fact that the wires I am recommending are soldered at the exposed ends (with a Silver solder), I understand now as to why this helps. Soldering the exposed strands together basically transforms them into one solid piece. So, it's probably akin to soldering them to a plug (such as the plug on the end that goes into the satellites). The plug end is a solid piece of metal, so why not solder the exposed strands together at the other end in order to make those ends become one solid pieces too? That way, absolutely all of the strands become one with each other right from the very beginning of the wire. To find the wires that I bought and recommend, search eBay for Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Premium Gold 16ga Speaker wires, Cables, Professional, Pair. You can also find the Monster wires by searching for Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, Premium Monster Cable Speaker Wires, Custom Made Pair 10'. Picture the ends that go into the speaker connector on the amplifer on the microscopic scale. I mean, imagine that you're like a millimeter tall and you are looking closely at the ends of two different stranded wires: one end is soldered together (with silver solder) and the other isn't; it's just twisted together like normal. The strands that aren't soldered also have to be twisted together very tightly in order to minimize power loss, and even then you can still see gaps between the strands on this microscopic scale. Therefore, the conductivity between the strands is inferior to the soldered strands because the silver solder connects all of the strands together thereby making them become one solid unit. This, in tern, results in the entire signal getting transferred to ALL of the strands right from the start. Having such a strong start results in a strong finish. So, picture them being pinched inside of the speaker wire connectors on the amplifier. With strands that aren't soldered together, you'd see the twisted strands getting squished and separated slightly while some of the wires still aren't even coming into contact with the wire connector. If I'm right, then this would mean that only some of the strands are in direct contact with the wire connector (maybe most of them, but definitely not ALL of them), thereby forcing the electrical signal to have to travel down those directly-connected strands a little ways before it can reach all of the strands equally by way of transfer from strand to strand as the signal goes further and further down the wire. The result would be that some of the strands at the very beginning are being forced to work much harder since some of the other strands aren't able to share the load yet due to not even receiving the signal yet. Of course, I'm just assuming that there are microscopic gaps between the wires. This still isn't a bad design though because the signal does quickly reach all of the strands eventually by way of natural transfer from strand to strand. It's probably just not the BEST design in terms of acheiving the highest audio quality possible from the wires. You want to minimize resistance as much as possible to have the cleanest possible transfer of the electrical signal from the source all the way to the speakers. The less you lose between the amplifier and the speaker, the better the audio quality. So, with strands that are soldered together, direct contact is being made to each and every strand inside the amplifier's wire connector right at the very beginning because the speaker wire connector is touching the silver solder, and all of the strands are connected together by the silver solder. So, the signal goes from the speaker wire connectors to the silver solder which, in turn, gets transferred immediately to all of the strands right from the very beginning since all of them are soldered together. That way, NONE of the strands have to work any harder than any of the others at any point, not even in the first millimeter of length! In addition, there are many more strands in the aftermarket wires than there are in the stock wires, so each strand has an even easier job. The more and more I think about it, the more and more I feel that this is a beautiful design. I guess this begs the question, "Why didn't Klipsch use wires like this instead?" I think the answer is, using those cheaper wires helps keep the overall cost down while having a negative impact on the audio quality that normal consumers would never notice or care about (I mean, even with the new version of the ProMedia 2.1, we're seeing mostly 5-star rave reviews, and we know that the new system isn't as good as the original). This makes me wonder what other compromises they made, and whether I can replace those compromising parts with better ones in order to achieve the fullest potential of this speaker system. I mean, if I can hear a difference between the stock wires and the aftermarket wires, then surely I should be able to hear further improvements by upgrading other parts that were chosen to help keep the cost down (or maybe chosen just to help keep Klipsch's costs down to maximize profits). So yeah, the satellites do produce a very good sound quality on the stock wires, but they produce an even better sound quality on these aftermarket wires. Is the improvement worth $26.49 after shipping? It depends. The answer is 'Yes' if you can appreciate an improvement that I think most normal consumers would either say is "small", "negligible", "barely noticeable", or that they can't even hear. I have a few family members like that: they can't even tell the difference between a 128k MP3 and FLAC. I can hear the improvement with these better wires and I appreciate it very much, but I would bet there are people who would say that the difference is too small to even be worth paying ANY money for it (partly because you also have to do the work of disconnecting the stock wires and then connecting the new ones). I would bet that some people would even be like, "I don't even need the sound to be as good as it is with the stock wires, so why should I pay $26.49 to improve it even further when it's already more than I need?" For me though, I deeply appreciate high fidelity audio (I could probably become an audiophile if I really wanted to). So, I want to hear the fullest potential of this speaker system and I'm willing to do almost whatever it takes to get it. I want my audio quality to be as good as possible without spending hundreds of dollars, and so far, I'm doing exactly that, partly thanks to these superior wires! The quality really is cleaner, clearer, and crisper, and the sound stage really is superior. I love it!

Thank you, minermark! Klipsch already has my serial number in an e-mail that I sent them almost a week ago where I'm asking for a replacement satellite stand. In the e-mail, I decided to be like, "While I'm at it, can you tell me when my system was made?" I haven't received a reply yet, but I did get a notice that they are experiencing higher volumes than normal and that it could take about 7-10 business days before I receive a reply, or something like that.

I just went looking on eBay for some replacement fuses for my satellites and my amplifier just in case I may need them some day. While looking, I saw some "Synergistic Research RED Quantum" fuses for $89.95 (yeah, for just one fuse - I think). Here's an excerpt of the description, which is supposedly what others are saying about this fuse: "..the best hifi tweak I've ever made; what a sound!" "...took a chance with this RED fuse, and man what a difference, took a layer of mud out I didn’t realize was there..." "...inserted the SR Red fuse several days ago, and thought to myself how great it sounded. Put my stock fuse back in, and was shocked at the collapse of music..." "...a steal as far as what they do to improve your system!" "...I took a chance on this SR Red fuse, and it paid off big-time..." Up until seeing this, I thought that a fuse is just a fuse, and it doesn't matter which one I buy as long as it's the correct amperage and size. Well, seeing this got me to thinking that I should at least ask about this on here instead of blindly purchasing any expensive fuses. Have you upgraded to better fuses? If so, then did you notice an improvement to your audio quality? If so, then what fuses did you buy, and how much did they cost? In case you might be wondering, I have already upgraded my speaker wires to some very high-end 16 AWG wires. I'd post a link (it's on eBay), but I don't want to look like I'm trying to advertise them or anything. I'm just looking for an answer about whether it's worth upgrading to better fuses, if it even makes a difference.

So, I'm just curious: how can I tell when my system was made? I'm mostly interested in the year, but I think it would be nice to also know the month. I still have the retail box and it does say "2003.03" on it. Does this mean March of 2003?

I think a part of the reason for the superior sound is the fact that the speaker wires are plug-in style vs. being hardwired. The older system might also have superior fuses as well. Speaking of the wires, you can further increase the audio quality by upgrading to 16 AWG wires (the stock wires are much thinner at 22 AWG). You can get them brand new through eBay (which is actually what I did) for less than $25 after shipping. You can either get the Monster-branded wires or you can get some mystery-brand if you don't want to contribute to Monster's already-excessive income. I went with the mystery brand because unlike the description of the Monster wires, these said that they're made from Oxygen-free wires. In addition, the description also says that the exposed ends that plug into the amplifier are soldered in with a Silver solder; I can't tell if the Monster wires are soldered at all (there's only one photo of the Monster wires, and it's not very good). The description of the mystery brand wires claims that using a Silver solder maximizes conductivity resulting in an even better and clearer sound signal. All I know is, I definitely noticed an upgrade to the audio quality coming out of my satellites! The mids and highs are indeed clearer and crisper, and the sound stage was improved as well. Another nice thing about having the ends bieng soldered is, you don't have to worry about frayed wires that you have to twist back together.