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Got My Promedias Can You Say Weak!!


RaidersFan

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I just got my promedias today. Hooked them up and was expecting to be blown away. They are extremely weak. I turn them up almost all the way and its still nowhere close to how loud I listen to music. True, I like my music loud, but something isn't right. 400W Where you at? I was reading the troubleshooting guide and it says to make sure the amplifier main power switch is engaged. I thought they meant the speaker switch on the control pod, but it also says that. That is something else. Where is this amplifier main power switch? What else could be wrong?

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Dude, I know exactly what you're talking about. I had similar expectations after my friends talking them up so much. They have quality sound, true, but there's no way they really push 400 watts total. I'm also looking for the main power switch, but have yet to find it. Let me know if you do.

Jason

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It sounds good if I plug into the speaker out, but is says to plug into line out. Will anything happen if I plug into the speaker out? I am using an old SoundBlaster 16. I was going to wait for the Audigy, but now I am considering just buying the Acoustic Edge now. I don't like the Santa Cruz. I like creatives because they will work with default drivers and just have always liked their products and I don't think Phillips can nail the quality and drivers with their first product. So, I was planning to wait to upgrade to the Audigy, or maybee the new cards from Phillips or Turtle Beach. Anyway, if this SB16 is my problem, should I just upgrade to the Acoustic Edge now? Could this be my problem? How much louder will the Acoustic Edge be?

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It could be your amplification on your sound card. You should try plugging them into a portable cd player and turning the volume up as loud as you can get them. They may not sound like 400 watts, but I think that it is loud enough. I recommend plugging them into what ever sounds the best

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There is no main power switch on the amp of the 4.1's. That was a error in the type up of the maual, so stop looking for it. Have you tried adjusting the volume controls in windows?? The volume there could be turned down really low. Trying adjusting that, maybe it will help.

WARNING... Do not hook your Klipsch up to the speaker out of your sound card!!! Some soundcards have a built in amplifier for the speaker out plug, actually that's what the speaker out is for. Plugging your powered speaker into the "amplified" speaker out could blow your speakers or preamp.

RAIDERSFAN If when you did hook them up to the speaker out plug and they sounded louder but not really really loud, then I would definitely say that you have to adjust the volume controls in windows.

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quote:

Originally posted by kleggatt:

At half volume my v.2-400's are uncomfortably loud. Mabye you got a bum set. I listen to these things below quarter volume.

Ditto.

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I had the same problem with my new 4.1's before I adjusted the windows volume settings. After comparing with others i have come to the conclusion that windows isnt very consistent with the volume level it outputs. there are difference between different versions of windows, and also between even slightly different revisions of each version, and we all know theres something like 20 different versions of windows 98 smile.gif

What this all means is that windows volume settings that work for one person will be very weak for another.

Some people suggest putting windows volume at 3/4, the promedia manual suggests 1/2.

When i had it set to 1/2 i had to really turn the volume up to get even a normal listening level, never mind actually getting loud yet. to get the levels experienced by most people in this group i have to have both my windows main volume and wave volume at 100%. For some people these would be really bad settings and would give distorted output, but you have to realize that at this setting my version of windows is only outputing a volume that is equal to your half volume setting.

What this all boils down to is there is no one setting that can be recommended for everyone, you just have to experiment to see what works with your system, maybe someday windows will fix their peice of crap software and make it more consistent, but i doubt that will happen anytime soon.

Untill then i have my windows volume settings maxxed out, and my 4.1's are performing just like they should be

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I don't think it's different versions of Windows that's the problem, I'd bet it's different sound cards.

Just a few weeks ago I had and older sound card, Diamond Sonic Impact s70, and I could easily keep the main volume and wav volume at 50% or less and the Klipsch were still way loud.

However, with the new sound card, SB Live, I need to have the Windows main volume and the wav volume near 100% to get the same level of loudness out of the Klipsch. With the old sound card levels that high would give distortion, but with the new sound card everything is crystal clean.

I think maybe that sound card manufacturers have realized than most people just don't know what they're doing and always have their volume at 100% in Windoze. And to keep people from getting such ugly sound out of their devices they may now be making sound cards that can only be turned up to 50-75% even though the software may say it's at 100%. This would eliminate alot of calls to their service departments. Just a theory.

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When I used windows 98 and ME I had all windows volumes at 100%, and could still max the pros with most songs and movies without getting distortion. After I went to win2k I keep main vol at about 70%, and anything over 80% on the pros volume is too loud. I have a sblive original.

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Caring is the first step toward disappointment.

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I have mine set to 80% on 98SE.. winamp set to 100%

Pro on max - no distortion.. too loud

SBLive! 5.1

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