Samwise

I have two 4.1 sets hooked up to a Hercules GTXP in a 7.1 configuration. 2 speakers for center channel and one for all the others.

Thats right seventeen monkeys, also see innovazero's post. But if you want a really sweet system you need two 4.1 sets hooked up to a 7.1 sound card. It rules!

I got my first set 2 years ago and it is still running great. I got my second set 5 months ago and it has the infamous high pitched whine so I have to send it back.

Good point.

Some of you may already know this but I learned this in school recently and thought it was pretty cool. We were learning about the ears and how they perceive sounds from different locations. One way is just through the shape of the external ear and how it amplifies sounds from certain directions, allowing us to localize aounds along a vertical plane. Another way is though the difference in time it takes the sound to travel to one ear compared to the other. The last way is through the difference in sound pressure level for a given sound at the two ears. What I thought was really cool was the professor explained why we only need one subwoofer. The reason is that the frequency of the sound produced by the subwoofer is so low and the wavelength is so long that the same wave of a sound can be going through both ears at the same time and thus we can't localize it. A normal midrange sound would have numerous waves travel to one ear before the other even receives it just based on the space between your ears and the wavelength of the sound. I guess medical school is good for something. By the way, I have two subwoofers, obviously not for surround sound, just for the extra power.

The second set of 4.1s I got was an open box from Best Buy and it didn't have the wires included so I talked the guy down to $100 for the set. I didn't have the time (or skill?) to make the wires myself so I just ordered the 4.1 set from monster cable. I can't tell too much difference in sound quality but I think that is mainly because this new set has the high pitched hissing that some others have complained about. I have definitely determined that is not the monster cable wire either, it is the sub. I have to send it in to Klipsch. What I really like with the monster cable is that it gives me the extra length (15 feet for the fronts and 30(!) feet for the surrounds) and the connectors are really nice. I had some problems with connectors not staying in right with the ones Klipsch provides. Isn't the included wire 20 gauge from Klipsch? The monster cable set was listed at 16 gauge but they sent me 15 gauge. Not a big difference but nice none the less.

What is the best way to place the subwoofer to get maximum response? I know you should put it in the corner of the room but should the sides of the subwoofer be right up against the wall or should it be angled so the side ports have a little room to breathe?

How are you guys playing back your DVDs? I think most of the problem you are having can be attributed to a software DVD player, that is what I have noticed in my experience anyway. DVDs are really soft when I play them using PowerDVD and I have to crank the volume to around 60%. But when I hooked up the same speakers directly to a stand alone DVD player (with 5.1 speaker outputs) and watched the same DVD the sound was much louder and I wouldn't think about turning the volume above 25%.

I am wondering the same thing. From what I have heard so far is that satelites are almost as good as the klipsch and that the subwoofer is louder but doesn't go as low or sound quite as good as the klipsch. For the price though and the included DTS/DD/PL II decoding and remote make this an extremely attractive set. I was thinking of picking this up and using it with my TV and DVD player and not buying a receiver. I know this won't sound the best, but it is a cheap solution until I can afford a really nice receiver and home theater quality speakers.

I love my 8.2s! (Two 4.1 systems) I just wish that I had more time to use them. I also wish they would come out with a DDEX/DTSES decoder.

Glad I could help. 8 speakers and 2 subwoofers in a 7.1 setup truly does OWN!

I have the exact same problem. It is most likely the speakers, not the cables or the soundcard or PC. I have two sets of 4.1s. One set sounds great (extremely soft lower pitched hiss that you can only hear from about 1 inch away) and the other has a high pitched hiss that I can hear about 10 feet away when the room is quiet (even when the PC is off). I also bought the 4.1 monster cable set and it didn't help the hissing problem at all. I talked to Klipsch about this and they said 9 times out of 10 it is the sub and where you connect your speakers to it. They said to send them in and they will fix/replace them for free.

I love my 4.1s, even in music. When I first heard music through the 4.1s I was amazed. It was like I was completely surrounded by the music. It wasn't like the music was coming out of any individual speaker, it was like the music was right there in my head. And for games and DVDs you must have the 4.1s.

Is it best to have your subwoofer on an angle like that?

Wow, I do the exact same thing as pinipeg. I have a Hercules GTXP so I control the volume through there.

I don't know if this helps any of you guys but... I have a Hercules Gametheater XP. I had a 4.1 set and then I bought a 2.1 set. I got a RCA to miniplug adapter and plugged my 2.1s into the center channel. Worked great. Same sound came out of both 2.1 speakers and used it as a center channel. Later I found a sweet deal on a set of 4.1s. I sold my 2.1s and hooked up one 4.1 set for my front L/R and center and the other for my surround L/R and rear center L/R. I now have a 7.1 setup with 2 speakers for my center channel and 2 subwoofers. It sounds awesome. Both subs work in music and games but not with all software DVD players. I just have to get the right software DVD player.

I know it is possible with the Hercules Game Theater XP so I would think it would work with the Audigy 2 as long as it had the appropriate connections. I actually had this exact setup until I found a great deal on another 4.1 set and I sold my 2.1s. Now I have two 4.1 sets plugged into my GTXP for an awesome 7.1 setup.

What is the manufacturer's warranty on the 4.1's? How long, what does it cover, etc. Thanks.

The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition DTS track has to go down as one of the best if not the best DVDs for sound (or video for that matter) to show off your killer system. I also like Eagles: Hell Freezes Over, Episode II, and the Matrix.

3 responses but no answers to my question, oh well. I emailed Klipsch and they said that 9 times out of 10 it is a problem with the control pod. Otherwise they might have to repair the subwoofer. At least it is still covered under warranty. Answers to your questions: Yes I am Samwise Gamgee, if you have any questions on Lord of the Rings, I'm fairly certain I can answer them. As for the monster cable I'm not really sure. I can't tell much of a difference, but I am obviously having static issues so I can't really make a good judgement. I was actually hoping that the monster cable would fix that problem, but it didn't (the speaker with the loudest static and the speaker getting the radio station were both hooked up with monster cable). I do really like the longer wires that the monster cable provides and also the connections are really nice. I actually had one speaker that would tune out on rare occassions due to the poor connections included with the factory Klipsch wires, that never happens with the monster cable. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I own two Klipsch Promedia 4.1 sets, one with the included speaker wires and one with the Monster Cable 4.1 upgrade. Everyone of the speakers has static that can be heard, some louder than others. Some of them I can barely notice unless I am right next to them whereas others I can hear pretty distinctly (if the room is quiet) from where I am sitting about 10 feet away. It is a relatively high pitched static. I have completely unplugged and removed my computer and I have put the speakers in standby mode but I still hear the static. On one occasion I was even picking up a local radio station on one of the speakers. What is the cause and the solution to this static?

Are you getting subwoofer response from your 2.1's while they are plugged into the headphone jack?

So you have your entire set of 4.1s plugged into the headphone jack? Does that mean you are using 4 speakers for the rear center channels? Are you getting subwoofer output from your 4.1 set while it is plugged into the headphone jack? For some reason I am not. I also have another question. I am getting a hissing sound out of my speakers. It isn't very loud, but if you put your ear right up next to the speaker you can hear it. Even when I push the button to turn off the speakers the hissing sound remains. When you turn up the volume you can't hear it at all as the music drowns it out. Are you having this problem? Any ideas what it might be coming from?

I have two sets of Klipsch Promedia 4.1's and I have them set up in a 7.1 configuration on my Hercules GTXP with 2 subwoofers and 2 speakers being used as a center channel. The only problem is that I need to plug at least one set of 2 speakers into the main front or main rear plugs to get both subwoofers to work. If I plug an entire set of 4.1's into the center and headphone jacks, I don't get any subwoofer out of that set. By mixing up the plugs it works fine, except that then the volume controls for the speakers is all screwed up. I wish there was a way to fix this. Anyone know what to do? It sounds incredible by the way.

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