Klipsch ProMedia vs Swan M10

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macschwag14

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Hey everyone. I currently run with a pair of Creative Inspire 2.1 2500's, which have served their purpose for several years. I've got a little money though and am looking to upgrade to something a lot better, as I love music. However, my research has left me a little confused as to what to get.

As the thread suggests, I'm looking at either Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 or Swan M10 speakers. I will not run either with an amp at the moment, but they will be run through a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty sound card. Give the choice between these two sets, which do you recommend?

Thanks!
 
It's probably safe to say that either set is regarded as very good for PC speakers. The ProMedias are generally considered (AIUI) to have the better subwoofer, while the Swans seem to have better midrange clarity (and require more desk space due to their design--not a knock, just an observation). I would go for the ProMedias, but that's me.
 
I loved my ProMedia 2.1 set. Great subwoofer. The satellites were probably a little tinny. The highs are probably exaggerated a bit. I've never seen the Swan set in person, but people really like those as well.
 
Also I think the Promedias are $150+ whereas the M10's are $100.

Also the M10's are out of stock until September / October from what I've heard (in the US at least, I can't find them anywhere).

You should also know that the M10's aren't quite a 2.1 system as the .1 subwoofer is a 5" woofer and covers a much wider frequency range than the typical 8-10" subwoofer which the Klipsch has.

In short, if you want to rattle the walls, get the Klipsch. The Swan's should produce more accurate and 'better' sounds for the 300 Hz and up range though.

Also look at:
- M-Audio AV40 ($120, 2.0 system that is highly regarded around here)
- Swan D1080 ($125, 2.0 system that seems to be neck & neck with the AV40's)
- Swan M200MkII ($200, 2.0 system that, from what I've heard, will be pretty awesome, also supposedly the dual 5.25" woofers move enough air that you won't we wanting for a subwoofer)

*note that you CAN add a subwoofer to a 2.0 system, all home-theater subwoofers take a RCA line-level input, you can either use 1/8" to RCA to take your soundcards center / sub minijack line OR you can use RCA splitters for the front L/R output of our soundcard and merge the subwoofer in there.
 
Oh yeah. The Swan sub is supposed to go between the satellites. No putting it on the floor.
 
Get any of the speakers Arkangyl recommended.

I believe the Promedia's also have a problem where the amp in their sub is prone to frying so the design/QA isn't necessarily the best even if they sound ok while they work.

The m200mkii's have very strong bass even without a sub and go all the way down to 56hz or so (but they're also $200).
 
I own both the Swan M10s and Klipsch Promedia (except 5.1, but its the same speakers I believe).

I have recently upgraded my speakers, but between the Swan and the Klipsch, it depends on your listening preferences.

The Swans have better clarity and detail, meaning, when you listen to a song on them, you will hear each instrument clearly, as opposed to having them all mushed together in one noise. The greatest downfall of the M10s is the bass. Compared to a real system, or even the Klipsch Promedias, the Swans have NO bass whatsoever. The mids and highs do sound better on the Swans though.

The Promedias have a much fuller sound due to the low end being more present, but the clarity is not as nice as the Swans. If you're looking for bass, then I would definitely go with the Promedias.

I would suggest that if you listen to rap, hip hop, dance or any other bass heavy music a lot, to go with the Klipsch. If you listen to a lot of vocal or acoustic material, go with the Swans.

If I had to choose just one set, I think I would go with the Klipsch. I say that only because I also play a lot of games and watch movies, and would greatly miss the bass. If you just listen to music, mostly not bass heavy music, get the Swans. That is my opinion. Of course, it would be better to save some money and buy some real speakers if you are looking for the best option!
 
the promedias aren't bad, but they are cheaply built
i went through 3 sets before moving on
the amp fried in one
and the other two had something jacked up in the volume knob so you had to fiddle with it to get sound to come out of both speakers
all 3 sets headphone jack failed
 
My ProMedia set didn't suffer any problems for the few years I had them. Love my Audioengine A5s now.
 
Or if you're in Michigan, near the University of Michigan, I will sell you mine. They probably have less than 20 hours of use on them. I'll sell them cheap!
 
Thanks for the input! I'll probably end up with a pair of Swans, just not for sure which ones right yet.

And CJRP, you're selling some speakers?
 
I have a pair of Swan M10s, barely used in "like new" condition. I would love to sell them as I have moved on to larger, more expensive speakers, but I don't really want to ship them anywhere. So yeah, if you're near the University of Michigan area let me know. I forget how much these retail for, maybe $120.00 something, I would definitely sell them for pretty much half of that.

Edit: Just had a thought, if this type of selling discussion is not allowed here, please delete this post, sorry for any trouble.
 
CJRP said:
I have a pair of Swan M10s, barely used in "like new" condition. I would love to sell them as I have moved on to larger, more expensive speakers, but I don't really want to ship them anywhere. So yeah, if you're near the University of Michigan area let me know. I forget how much these retail for, maybe $120.00 something, I would definitely sell them for pretty much half of that.

Edit: Just had a thought, if this type of selling discussion is not allowed here, please delete this post, sorry for any trouble.
Click to expand...


Bummer. I would totally bite if I lived near the Uni of Michigan, but no such luck. I'd have to have them shipped.

So, in your opinion, how to Swans sound?
 
I already had to fix someone's Klipsch ProMedia, and I can tell they're cheaply built. He brought in one of the satellite speakers as well, and from what I saw, they're probably worthless against the Swans. Sure, Klipsch used a larger subwoofer, so you can expect more low-end response, but the sound quality should be lower than the Swans.

I haven't tested the Swans, but I built bookshelf speakers for about $150/pair using HiVi drivers 4 years ago, and I just realized HiVi and Swans was the same company. The speakers I built are probably equivalent to the Swans 2.1 ( http://www.swanspeaker.com/product/htm/view.asp?id=123 ) with rear-firing vents and the sound is excellent when compared to many Hi-Fi speakers.

That is to say, the M10 set uses speaker drivers that are also used in real Hi-Fi applications (unlike the usual generic junk or low-end Tangband drivers used in cheap computer speakers, Logitech included), and it looks like all the speakers are in MDF cabinets, while the ProMedia satellites are made of plastic, so you'll hear no plastic sound with the Swans.

They seem to be in stock here:
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/swan-m10/products_id/89
 
Thanks, DragonMaster! Those Swan Divas you linked are simply beautiful! I've pretty much made up my mind to go for Swans, as another pair of cheap plastic speakers just doesn't seem that great. Plus, I've read about a lot of problems with the Klipsch ProMedia series.
 
Arkangyl said:
In short, if you want to rattle the walls, get the Klipsch. The Swan's should produce more accurate and 'better' sounds for the 300 Hz and up range though.

Also look at:
- M-Audio AV40 ($120, 2.0 system that is highly regarded around here)
- Swan D1080 ($125, 2.0 system that seems to be neck & neck with the AV40's)
- Swan M200MkII ($200, 2.0 system that, from what I've heard, will be pretty awesome, also supposedly the dual 5.25" woofers move enough air that you won't we wanting for a subwoofer)

*note that you CAN add a subwoofer to a 2.0 system, all home-theater subwoofers take a RCA line-level input, you can either use 1/8" to RCA to take your soundcards center / sub minijack line OR you can use RCA splitters for the front L/R output of our soundcard and merge the subwoofer in there.
Click to expand...

Wish we could have this kind of info on a sticky thread, heh... Ark's made similar/larger posts that would make crafting the post a cinch, and we end up repeating the same recommendations over and over and over...

Anyway, I'll add the Samson StudioDock 3i in my sig (2.0 system as well) to that list, it's about $120, slightly smaller than the AV40 and has pretty good connectivity options compared to most 2.0 monitors in the price range. You could look at Audioengine's A2/A5 as well but the A2 are kinda undersized/overpriced and the A5 are a lil' costly compared to something like the M200... I think you can audition them and send 'em back if you're not satisfied though.

Coming from those Logitech speakers (been there), I think you'll be very very happy with any of these sets... Just a matter of deciding how much you wanna spend. 'Specially for listening to a wide range of music. The lack of a sub will be less apparent with the costlier/larger 2.0 monitors obviously, but I think you'll be surprised at the bass that even the AV40s can put out. Certainly not rafter rattling but it's present, tight, and accounted for. Frankly I use my Samson set even for gaming and I used to have an old Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 set that I do not miss. When I wanna be more in tune w/surround effects (for ambiance or a competitive advantage online) I just put on my headphones.
 
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They seem to be in stock here:
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/produ...products_id/89
Click to expand...
Oops! Looks like they're not in stock finally. Parts Express lists the M10 as discontinued... but Audio Insider claims they're too popular to discontinue... Maybe the M12s are replacing them (they seem to be cheaply built compared to the M10s)

Maybe you should look at the M200s or D1080s if you can't find the M10s?
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/index.php/loudspeakers/swan-active-desktop/cPath/21_24
Since the center unit on the M10 is basically a woofer, you wouldn't lose any bass by going to one of those two 2.0 speaker sets.
 
The M10 tend to shift in and out of stock all the time... But yea, for the price I'd probably go for teh D1080s at 'least. The difference is like $15. The M200 were cheaper at one point too, I could've swore I saw them for $180 a couple months ago (up to $210 now)... Oh and if you're looking into Audioengine's A5, be sure to look up one of the 20% off codes floating around the web, it'll bring the price closer to that of the M200MkII.
 
DragonMaster said:
I already had to fix someone's Klipsch ProMedia, and I can tell they're cheaply built. He brought in one of the satellite speakers as well, and from what I saw, they're probably worthless against the Swans. Sure, Klipsch used a larger subwoofer, so you can expect more low-end response, but the sound quality should be lower than the Swans.

I haven't tested the Swans, but I built bookshelf speakers for about $150/pair using HiVi drivers 4 years ago, and I just realized HiVi and Swans was the same company. The speakers I built are probably equivalent to the Swans 2.1 ( http://www.swanspeaker.com/product/htm/view.asp?id=123 ) with rear-firing vents and the sound is excellent when compared to many Hi-Fi speakers.

That is to say, the M10 set uses speaker drivers that are also used in real Hi-Fi applications (unlike the usual generic junk or low-end Tangband drivers used in cheap computer speakers, Logitech included), and it looks like all the speakers are in MDF cabinets, while the ProMedia satellites are made of plastic, so you'll hear no plastic sound with the Swans.

They seem to be in stock here:
http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php/p/swan-m10/products_id/89
Click to expand...


Wow I had no idea that the Klipschs were so poorly made. The ones I had (sold them) lasted me for over 5 years atleast, and they're working fine for my friend now. The Swans do sound more detailed, you're right about that.
 
Wow I had no idea that the Klipschs were so poorly made.
Click to expand...

They weren't that bad, but they decided to use a plastic casing, which is part of the reason why all multimedia speakers don't sound good, they used horn tweeters, and the control pod uses cheap sealed pots and there's an opamp that often fails (which can only be caused by a poor design or unsuitable part).
 
I know this is a little off-topic, but I want to reduce the number of threads...

...but I'm looking more and more at the Swan D1080MkII's. How's the base on them compared to a 2.1 setup? And also how does the sound compare to the Swan M10?

Sorry to be an Inquisitive Isaac, but I haven't found these answers on other forums and threads.
 
You'll get more midrange. They're sort of the little brothers to the Swan m200mkii's that I have. Very similar but with 4" midwoofers instead of 5". It won't reach the same lows as a subwoofer will get, but it'll still get far enough down to enjoy music. I added a sub to cover the gap, but I really could've gotten by without.

The Swan m10's have 3" woofers and 1" tweeters. The subwoofer is 5", so it's basically a midrange fill to even it out, but it won't give you much deep bass.

My recommendation if you're looking at the d1080's is go ahead and get them. If you decide you want a sub later, you can always get one, although you might need to upgrade to a Xonar soundcard if you want good 2.1 with actives and a sub. AFAIK there's no way for the X-Fi to output stereo over 5.1 (which you need if you want to plug both speakers and sub into the card instead of splitting the cable).

The m10's are supposed to be nice speakers, but it's worthwhile to go for speakers that hold their own without a fill since usually that'll end up leaving you wanting more. The reason with the m10's that people put the sub on the desk is because the mid/sub has to be close to the speakers in order to minimize the audible gap you hear, but it's better not to have that gap in the first place.

The d1080's can go down to 65hz. Vocals cut off somewhere around 80hz for the low-end so the d1080's could easily reach that whereas the smaller drivers of the m10's cut off at 140hz and send the rest to the mid-fill woofer.

So to give you a better sense of the Swan lineup:
m10 - 3" midwoofer (2) - 140 hz cutoff + 5" subwoofer (1) - 42 hz to 5 khz
d1080 - 4" midwoofers (2) - 65 hz cutoff
m200mkii - 5" midwoofer (2) - 56 hz cutoff

That's for the low-end/mids, highs shouldn't be a problem on any of them. 3" drivers in general are severely limited for bass/midrange and those specs aren't limited to the m10's.

You may decide you want a woofer to fill out the bottom end, but you may decide that even if you got the m10's, which only go down to 42 hz which isn't very low for a sub.

So the difference between the d1080's and the m10's is that with the d1080's you're getting stereo midrange/bass down to probably 70/75hz or so before the drop starts. On the m10's, you'll get some weird hybrid with stereo upper-mids and mono low-mids and bass. So the dual-woofers that hit lower will be ideal for hearing vocals since you'll be hearing genuine stereo instead of half-stereo for the upper register and half-mono for the lower.

That was something that was never quite comfortable for me with the Z-Cinema USB speakers I had before. They had 3" drivers and an 8" sub and while they sounded very good otherwise and were perfectly listenable for movies, I could definitely hear the gap/absence in that range.

Also, I'm not even sure you can get the m10's anymore, but you still should be able to get a pair of d1080's.
 
No problemo at all. We're all in a perpertual state of learning or relearning, just a question of the what that happens to be. :)
 
The d1080s have 5" woofers, not 4" ones. I would definitely recommend the d1080s or m200s. You can also pair them with a subwoofer if you need more bass, and the end result would be much better than the Klipsch (but pricier).
 
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