Klipsch Promedia 5.1's - Amp repair

Thanks fellas for your input.

imyourzero, Yeah, unfortunately I was desperate enough to get easily excited about finding a or any "professional" with experience on these amps. I read maybe the first 4-6 pages of this thread only and thought "I found my man.."

RedTalon19: Wondering how exactly people got burned? That sounds like they got ripped off? Was it just extensive delays and lack of comm that marred this guy's reputation? That's bad enough, I know.. But did he ever do a poor technical job? I read the amps came back sounding even better than when new?? By the way, is the fan Henry installed placed internally (out of sight) or did he make a cutout for it on ther side? Any loss of bass response?


Burticus, Can you tell me what you meant by "I did eventually get my stuff back in mostly working order?" Mostly..?
 
Thanks fellas for your input.

RedTalon19: Wondering how exactly people got burned? That sounds like they got ripped off? Was it just extensive delays and lack of comm that marred this guy's reputation? That's bad enough, I know.. But did he ever do a poor technical job? I read the amps came back sounding even better than when new?? By the way, is the fan Henry installed placed internally (out of sight) or did he make a cutout for it on ther side? Any loss of bass response?

I remember some guy sent his amp off and after 4 or 5 months he only received 2 emails saying he was working on it but he never heard any definite answer and more importantly, never received the amp nor his money back. After a while I think he just gave up and moved on. I'd really have to dig to find it, its somewhere in this thread.

I have heard people that have received their amps back from him and they did work fine. I had zero problems with Henry and I haven't heard a single complaint from anybody about him on the forums here.

The fan was installed internally yes. It wasn't necessarily pretty, just glued on, but it does the job of moving air over the components. He even had a nice little converter hooked up so that it was powered by the speakers, and turned on/off with them. It doesn't affect the accoustics at all.
 
I can vouch for Henry as well. He was in constant contact and gave incredibly detailed explanations of everything he was doing. After the repair, my sub worked pretty nicely but it did stop working after about six months.

Henry offered to do repairs the second time for free with me only having to pay for the shipping. Since the second repair, the sub has been working flawlessly. All of this happened in 2010 so I feel pretty confident that the repair work lasts. Sound quality is great as well.
 
Burticus, Can you tell me what you meant by "I did eventually get my stuff back in mostly working order?" Mostly..?

So this is about 3 years ago. Power surge knocked out a bunch of my electronic equipment, including my precious Promedia's.

Elliot told me 2 weeks and it was closer to 3 months I think. After the first month I started calling him weekly, he was not replying to emails. The "mostly" comment is this... he did fix the amp. The bass doesn't sound nearly as punchy as it used to. He said the speaker coil could have been damaged during the surge. Hmmmm. But it is acceptable.

Also, the control module (with the volume knobs) had problems, and he sold me a replacement. It does work, but the volume control is spotty, I have to crank it up loud to get both front speakers to engage, then slowly try to back off without the left speaker cutting out. This makes the default volume on the speakers higher than I would like, and I have to use software volume control to bring it down to reasonable levels. Sometimes the volume mixer goes to 100% on me and the computer makes a sound (like a website video popup) and it is loud and makes me jump.

In the end it was kind of a wash. Ended up spending $150, which I could have just purchased a new set with. Yeah they work, but the volume knob issue is annoying.

If they blow again, I'll probably keep the sats and just buy a small powered Dayton sub. Or maybe not. I dunno.
 
Putting another good word in for Henry. Got my amp back last week and it sounds great. He stayed in contact the whole time, gave me a full list of everything he suggested replacing and all for a very reasonable price. Highly recommend Henry if you're looking to get your amp repaired.
 
New here but I wanted to register and comment about my experience with Elliott. I wished I had seen/read this thread to the end before sending my Klipsch amp to Elliott. When I first emailed him to get a quote on the repair, he was very quick with a response (1-2 days). He said it'd be about 20 business days for the repair. He received the amp end of January. Two months and counting, I can't even get an update or response. I'll update if/when I get my amp back.

At this point, I definitely would NOT recommend Elliott to anyone.
 
New here but I wanted to register and comment about my experience with Elliott. I wished I had seen/read this thread to the end before sending my Klipsch amp to Elliott. When I first emailed him to get a quote on the repair, he was very quick with a response (1-2 days). He said it'd be about 20 business days for the repair. He received the amp end of January. Two months and counting, I can't even get an update or response. I'll update if/when I get my amp back.

At this point, I definitely would NOT recommend Elliott to anyone.

Ratz, dang, and *sigh*..w'always me.. :- /

But don't we have recourse since we pay with paypal? I know there is a time limit to make a claim.. The guy (elliot) clearly states 20 business day turnaround, which is now clearly a gimmick from what i'm hearing.. I think paypal gives you 30-40 days protection? Might have to look into this.. Didn't anyone consider this and make a claim?

He received my amp on 03/19/2011... so 13 'business days' and counting... will keep everyone posted...
 
I emailed Elliott today and lo and behold I got a response. This was my second email to him requesting a repair status update. He never responded to the first email. He says the amp should be ready by the end of the week. Hopefully that is so. So I'm thinking no more than two more weeks with the return shipping time. Relief.

Maybe it was the way I posed the request that helped. I asked him to simply update me and to reassure me everything was ok. Just that. I told him I didn't care whether he was working on it or not. Just to let me "know we are ok." So perhaps if you send him a non-disgruntled, non-pressuring email, he will respond.

Of course, member dekz87 above hasn't seen or heard about his amp since January from Elliott. So that is definitely cause for grievance. He got mine 03/19.
 
He wrote me an email end of Feb saying that it would be done in a week. Since then, I've been more than patient with the guy. All my emails, once each month, were simple status update requests. Nothing that should upset him but still no response to date.
 
Here is my recommendation to fix the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 Ultra or Non-Ultra. Purchase the Logitech Z5500 or the Z906 and just use the sub and the audio controller from the Logitech with the Klipsch speakers. After having my Promedia sub repaired multiple times over the years I found a used Logitech Z5500 sub and couldn't be happier. The Logitech speakers cannot compare to the Klipsch speakers but the sub holds up well against Klipsch and it is built right. No more repairs, no more worries about overheating because Logitech built the sub to last. The Klipsch speakers continue to astound even when paired with the Z5500 sub.

Go with the Z5500 sub if you can find them since they are the best Logitech ever made.
 
Here is my recommendation to fix the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 Ultra or Non-Ultra. Purchase the Logitech Z5500 or the Z906 and just use the sub and the audio controller from the Logitech with the Klipsch speakers. After having my Promedia sub repaired multiple times over the years I found a used Logitech Z5500 sub and couldn't be happier. The Logitech speakers cannot compare to the Klipsch speakers but the sub holds up well against Klipsch and it is built right. No more repairs, no more worries about overheating because Logitech built the sub to last. The Klipsch speakers continue to astound even when paired with the Z5500 sub.

Go with the Z5500 sub if you can find them since they are the best Logitech ever made.

That's not a fix. That's a replacement. LoL. But you're on the right track. Best bet, in my honest opinion, is to just ditch the Klipsch sub/amp. Get a decent receiver or amp + sub combo and salvage the Ultra's satellites. Or you could upgrade to the Quintet which is probably a lot nicer anyway. I still have my Ultra sub but gave away the satellites. I'm thinking about getting a plate amp replacement and donating it as well but wonder if its worth the cost/trouble. When you decide to drop some money on quality components you won't ever have to worry about problems like this. You get what you pay for.
 
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That's not a fix. That's a replacement. LoL. But you're on the right track. Best bet, in my honest opinion, is to just ditch the Klipsch sub/amp. Get a decent receiver or amp + sub combo and salvage the Ultra's satellites. Or you could upgrade to the Quintet which is probably a lot nicer anyway. I still have my Ultra sub but gave away the satellites. I'm thinking about getting a plate amp replacement and donating it as well but wonder if its worth the cost/trouble. When you decide to drop some money on quality components you won't ever have to worry about problems like this. You get what you pay for.

Yeah, sorry, it is a replacement but it feels like a fix since the Klipsch satellites are still in place. :) I tried the receiver and powered sub first but didn't like all the room it took up. Much happier with the Z5500 sub replacement because it feels like I still have my Klipsch.
 
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That's not a fix. That's a replacement. LoL. But you're on the right track. Best bet, in my honest opinion, is to just ditch the Klipsch sub/amp. Get a decent receiver or amp + sub combo and salvage the Ultra's satellites. Or you could upgrade to the Quintet which is probably a lot nicer anyway. I still have my Ultra sub but gave away the satellites. I'm thinking about getting a plate amp replacement and donating it as well but wonder if its worth the cost/trouble. When you decide to drop some money on quality components you won't ever have to worry about problems like this. You get what you pay for.

Normally you do get what you pay for...but it's not like the Klipsch 5.1 Ultras were cheap. Considering their selling price, they should still be in service like most of the Logitech units. The fact is, Klipsch made a better sounding set of speakers but the amps were unfortunately plagued with reliability/overheating issues. A real shame.

As for pairing the Klipsch sats with the Logitech sub, that's a reasonable option but those Logitech subs were known for being muddy and boomy (and I personally owned the Z-680s which were similar/the predecessor to the Z-5500s). I guess you could tune it some, but my Klipsch subs were always tighter and more accurate. The Logitech subs are great for gaming, though -- for sure.
 
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Yeah I know what the Ultras were supposed to be but its a fact that Klipsch skimped out on using quality components that wouldn't fail. They just don't have the same quality of circuit board components that go into them as what you get when you pay more for HT gear. My point is that I'm willing to pay more for gear that has a higher quality. The Ultras were nothing short of fantastic (for the price) when I got them back in 2004 or so but by 2008 they were completely dead, even after I got them repaired in 2007. You just hit a brick wall and it becomes more trouble than its worth. It really is a shame but that level of audio no longer provides me with the performance that I'm looking for. The satellites only go down to 150Hz or so (abysmal for a lot of music) and the sub's crossover is too high (becuase of the satellites) and doesn't provide enough output. The sub was really nice, accurate, and tight for music but, again, you can get much better if you're willing to pay more.


Here's my current setup:

Polk RTi-A1 bookshelfs
Emotiva XDA-2 DAC
Emotiva XPA-200 amp
Emotiva X-Ref 12 sub
Emotiva Ultra Sub 10 (daisy chained)
Monoprice 1.5ft XLR interconnects (for the amp)
Monoprice Premium RCA cables (for the subs)
Emotiva XRCA-1x2 splitters (for the subs)

I'll be adding a SVS PC12-PLUS pretty soon as well and maybe upgrade the speakers to a pair of Dana's next generation of 640i bookshelfs when they get released by the end of the year. Emotiva is coming out with a brand new line of speakers as well. Should be interesting.
 
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They just don't have the same quality of circuit board components that go into them as what you get when you pay more for HT gear.

Agreed, but that's the thing...many people who purchased the Ultras just wanted the best set of PC speakers available and weren't willing to pay more for HT gear. A good HT setup will certainly sound better than what the Ultras are/were capable of, but there will always be a market for an all-in-one package at a given pricepoint because many people don't want to pay more or spend time researching and sourcing parts.

I'm not surprised that your tastes have been refined to the point that the Ultras are no longer worth the trouble. I'd be right there with you if I owned a set of Ultras (I owned the original v2.400s and two sets of the 2.1s). I think that happens to most of us as we grow older and more experienced. My v2.400s blew my socks off over a decade ago but now I, like you, realize their limitations and have the means to acquire superior components. I still think they serve as fine PC speakers as far as PC speakers go, but a LOT of excellent gear has been manufactured since then...so yeah, even if I just wanted "PC speakers" these days I'd either end up with a pair of good bookshelves/monitors (which is what I currently have) and a sub like your setup, or a good 5.1 HT setup if I really wanted to maximize the experience during games and movies.

All in all we agree in that you do get what you pay for. I still have a (then) top-of-the-line JVC 5.1 surround receiver and a complete set of Cerwin Vega speakers (floorstanders, bookshelves, center & sub) that are all still working long after many Klipsch setup have died. Unfortunately I no longer wish to commit that degree of room to such an in-your-face setup, but it all does still work like the day it was new.

My only contention was that, for the price of the Klipsch 5.1 Ultras at the time, one would have expected them to last more than just a few years. Buyers should have gotten what they paid for. Yet there were sub-$100 speaker sets from Logitech, Creative, Altec Lansing, etc. that far outlasted the Klipsch.
 
My only contention was that, for the price of the Klipsch 5.1 Ultras at the time, one would have expected them to last more than just a few years. Buyers should have gotten what they paid for. Yet there were sub-$100 speaker sets from Logitech, Creative, Altec Lansing, etc. that far outlasted the Klipsch.

I couldn't agree more. It's really sad to see what happened and I wish Klipsch puts out a better set one day based off technology from the RSX/Quintet line but I won't be holding my breath for that. Even Logitech is starting to not make stuff like it used to, unfortunately. The Z-2300 series are gone but I bought a couple of them before they dried up. Their replacement (the Z-623) is a joke in comparison but OK for the price. I thought it was bad enough when they lowered the quality of the satellites in comparison to the Z-2200 (they had bigger drivers). The Z-906 series is OK but has less bass. I honestly don't care if these companies need to charge more for the same or better product (inflation). Its when they continuously put out lower quality junk that pisses me off and why I gave up on computer speakers in the end.


But, if I wanted a 5.1 computer setup today for gaming/movies and didn't want to take up too much space I would get the following:

Receiver/amp: Yamaha RX-V475 or Sherbourn SR-8100 (and run it off HDMI) or Emotiva UPA-500 (and run 5.1 analog out straight off the sound card or motherboard)
Speakers: Klipsch Quintet
Subwoofer (pick one): Polk PSW505, Polk PSW110, Polk PSW125, BIC F12, BIC PL200, Klipsch RW-12D, Klipsch SW-110 or SW-112, SVS PB-1000, SVS SB-1000, SVS PC12-NSD, SVS PC12-PLUS, Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Plus, HSU sub, whatever Emotiva comes out with next, etc.
 
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Does anyone know if there's a way to buy just the boards as replacement parts rather than doing a piece-by-piece repair?
I'd like to just swap out the AC/DC board with a new one (preferably with upgraded parts) and see if that fixes all of my issues, rather than dealing with a custom replacement of various parts not knowing which ones might be bad. I don't really have the time to figure all of that out.

So if there's any way I could get that I'd love to hear it. I'd even consider swapping the board with the fuse on it, though that seems like it would be a bit of a pain to do, it might help.
 
Just letting you guys know that I listed up my very good condition Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 with cooling upgrade on fleabay if anyone is interested. I think you'll know which one it is when you see it. Thanks.
 
Does anyone know if there's a way to buy just the boards as replacement parts rather than doing a piece-by-piece repair?
I'd like to just swap out the AC/DC board with a new one (preferably with upgraded parts) and see if that fixes all of my issues, rather than dealing with a custom replacement of various parts not knowing which ones might be bad. I don't really have the time to figure all of that out.

So if there's any way I could get that I'd love to hear it. I'd even consider swapping the board with the fuse on it, though that seems like it would be a bit of a pain to do, it might help.

You won't be able to find a replacement of the exact same board (since nobody makes them) unless you part it out of another 5.1 Ultra. Hope that helps.
 
You won't be able to find a replacement of the exact same board (since nobody makes them) unless you part it out of another 5.1 Ultra. Hope that helps.

Yeah what I mean is I'm hoping someone has a few that they got damaged and then swapped out the bad stuff with better, high quality parts, and are now selling at reasonable cost for the poor bastards like me with busted amps. Hell I'd even send my parts I replace back so they could put them to use.
 
Recently experienced some intermittent hissing, scratching, and crackling noises coming out of the satellites. The sats themselves would never cut out completely but figured there was a faulty capacitor somewhere. I replaced all three 47uF 50v caps (C17, C18, C25), all three 22uF 50v caps (C19, C20, C39), and the 100K resistor MR7 on the AC/DC converter board according to the schematic. I also replaced both IRFZ44N FETS for the satellites on the digital convertor board at the same time but most likely was not necessary for my issue. I used IRFZ44 as they did not have IRFZ44N equivalent at my local electronics store. Everything has been back to normal since and hope this can help someone who was having the same issue as me.
 
Recently experienced some intermittent hissing, scratching, and crackling noises coming out of the satellites. The sats themselves would never cut out completely but figured there was a faulty capacitor somewhere. I replaced all three 47uF 50v caps (C17, C18, C25), all three 22uF 50v caps (C19, C20, C39), and the 100K resistor MR7 on the AC/DC converter board according to the schematic. I also replaced both IRFZ44N FETS for the satellites on the digital convertor board at the same time but most likely was not necessary for my issue. I used IRFZ44 as they did not have IRFZ44N equivalent at my local electronics store. Everything has been back to normal since and hope this can help someone who was having the same issue as me.

Interesting, need a little help here...

You replaced these 6 capacitors:
K-PM5.1Ultra-ACDCboard%2801%29.jpg

But which resistor? Is it the big green one on the right in between the two huge caps?
Also, you didn't do anything to the board that I circled in green? That looks pretty darkened to me, is yours the same way?
If it's only those caps and a resistor that I'd have to replace I would definitely be able to do it.

Please advise! :)
 
Yes I replaced all 6 of those caps that you have circled. The caps I used were of higher temp rating at 105°C vs the original 85°C.

The resistor I replaced is the one on the small daughter-board you have circled located on the very top (looks be be slightly burned in your pic). I replaced the 100K resistor with one that is 2w power rating and stood the resistor up from the daughter-board itself to help dissipate heat away from the other nearby components as it gets HOT. If your symptoms are similar to mine I would definitely try replacing the components as they don't cost much at all and are easy to replace.

I also had some burn marks under the board where transistor Q10 (transistor closest to the 3 caps you circled) was but I did not end up replacing it.
 
Thanks a lot for the response! Do you know of a good place to get these parts? As far as I know RadioShack stopped selling electronic components recently.
Definitely interested in using parts with a higher rating/tolerance to make sure I don't run into any similar issues again, but I wouldn't know precisely what to get. I assume there's a good website that has them available though?
 
My second pair has just bit the dust. :(

Works intermittently, but primarily just hisses out of the speakers now. If I unplug the speakers, the sub hisses. I tried unplugging everything nearby to rule out interference, so it sounds like an internal problem.

I'm going to take a crack at it this time around to see if there is anything obvious, if not I'll be looking to get it fixed properly. For the price range I can't find anything remotely comparable to pair with my RSX-4's... any ideas anyone?

Is the Elliot Tronics guy stil around? If this week is not fruitful I'm hoping to get them fixed. Does the ~100$ include shipping? Where is he located?

Thanks
 
I would stay away from Elliot if possible... I've heard a lot of bad stories about him.

I had Henry Koch at ([email protected]) repair my amp; took about a month and $100, plus had him install a cooling fan to help move air over the electronics inside (nothing special but it gets the job done). I'm getting close to 2 years and still going strong.
 
I emailed Henry ([email protected]) who resides in Minn. He repairs circuit boards for the ProMedia units, including 2.1, 4.1 and 5.1. Quick reply from him with clear instructions about how to ship the board, plus exactly the type of upgrade he makes on the unit -the 4.1 system takes much less time than the 5.1 to upgrade and repair. I can generally repair and upgrade the 4.1 amplifier and its preamplifier (if neeeded) for $100 shipped. There are a couple of resistors and a zener diode that cook on the plate amplifier. I upgrade the wattage of the resistors and mount a fresh zener diode above the board to stay cooler.

I sent the unit off today (low rumbling sound and static coming from all speakers). Either the circuit board needs to be upgraded, or the problem lies with the controller. I'll post back after the unit is returned to me in a couple of weeks.
 
I emailed Henry ([email protected]) who resides in Minn. He repairs circuit boards for the ProMedia units, including 2.1, 4.1 and 5.1. Quick reply from him with clear instructions about how to ship the board, plus exactly the type of upgrade he makes on the unit -the 4.1 system takes much less time than the 5.1 to upgrade and repair. I can generally repair and upgrade the 4.1 amplifier and its preamplifier (if neeeded) for $100 shipped. There are a couple of resistors and a zener diode that cook on the plate amplifier. I upgrade the wattage of the resistors and mount a fresh zener diode above the board to stay cooler.

I sent the unit off today (low rumbling sound and static coming from all speakers). Either the circuit board needs to be upgraded, or the problem lies with the controller. I'll post back after the unit is returned to me in a couple of weeks.

Can he do any improvements as far as sound quality? Possibly replacing more of the components with something of better quality. Does he offer any modifications to prevent future issues? I have a 4.1 set I use as a 2.1 set and so far no issues with it but I am worried long term. My speakers and enclosures are modified and I love my setup.. don't ever want to lose it! Also curious if he can take a 4.1 setup and turn it into a stronger 2.1 setup since I don't plan on using the other two channels. Guess I should email him lol
 
Can he do any improvements as far as sound quality? Possibly replacing more of the components with something of better quality. Does he offer any modifications to prevent future issues? I have a 4.1 set I use as a 2.1 set and so far no issues with it but I am worried long term. My speakers and enclosures are modified and I love my setup.. don't ever want to lose it! Also curious if he can take a 4.1 setup and turn it into a stronger 2.1 setup since I don't plan on using the other two channels. Guess I should email him lol

I'm not sure about upgrading sound quality but when he repaired my Ultra 5.1 unit he used components rated at a higher temp and I also opted for his custom, makeshift cooling system which power on/off with the speakers.

He is super friendly, very knowledgeable (gave a detailed description of his repairs which was WAY over my head) and usually responds quickly.
 
Anyone have a subwoofer SPEAKER that they have laying around? My foam rotted, since I live in the tropics I need to get a aftermarket woofer or the old 2.1 back. OLD subwoofer, the new one is crap lol.
 
Quick response/fix from Henry. He emailed: The problems you were hearing were from two NE5532 preamplifier integrated circuits inside the control pod, and some dirty contacts inside the volume control itself (mostly the former, though). I replaced the two ICs and was able to get a little cleaner into the nearly-fully sealed main volume control. I also then replaced two 47 uF 50 volt capacitors on the panel that had failed (one was down to 17 uF as I recall). The new capacitors are better quality low ESR Nichicon 63 volt 47 uF capacitors. I also replaced a 1N4747A zener diode that had seen plenty of heat, and sometimes fails. I replaced the two 2 watt 680 ohm and 47,000 ohm resistors Elliot had installed with 5 watt 680 ohm and 47,000 ohm resistors. The panel and control are working well. I touched up some of the rusted screws on the back panel (purely cosmetic).

I'll get the parts back either on the weekend or early next week. I'll post back then.
 
Received the circuit board/controller back - amazing 8 day turnaround (even more amazing is I live in Hawaii). Excellent workmanship by Henry. Unit plays without issue...excellent sound. I highly recommend Henry for Promedia Repair.
 
Zyklon808

What is the diameter of the driver? Places like Parts Express (http://www.parts-express.com/cat/speaker-surround-refoam-kits/328) have kits to re-foam or replace the surround, or alternately they sell drivers to replace the original.

I looked. I just simply do not have the soft touch for that kind of repairs. I asked around locally and everyone quoted me $$ per hour to fix.

Also the kit that I need is rubber, not foam. Better durability in Hawaii.

The rubber kit is more than the cost of the speaker!
 
What's the diameter of the speaker? I could recommend a replacement if you know the size.
 
Has anyone considered just replacing the subwoofer amp with something like this Dayton SA70 amp?
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=300-784

I have a 4.1 system and the amp is broken. I had a friend look at it, replaced the fried resistors, etc. But it still didn't work. I contacted Henry and it would cost $125 to repair the amp and control pod. The aforementioned amp costs $70 shipped.

Just curious if anyone has tried substituting a different amp into the Klipsch subwoofer. I realize that the Dayton SA70 amp only has connectors for two speakers, but I'm ok with that.
 
I wish I had found this thread before I saw the other one with good reviews of elliot. I am just now getting to the 20 days and I have yet to get an update in regards to anything. I try to be nothing but polite in the emails, but no response.

I also read that people were calling him, does anyone have his phone number?
 
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