Small Speakers - CanThey Do the Job?

As some of my fellow readers know, I've been using a stereo desktop speaker set (though a good one - Klipsch ProMedia 2.1) for my modest home theater system. Basically it consists of a PC running Vista Media Center and a modest sized LCD HDTV. My friend also have a TV the same size as mine, but paired with an 5.1 surround system. After playing a few movies as well as playing Age of Conan (excellent support for surround sound!), it's finally time for me to step up to the plate. Gotta keep up with the Jones, right?

I head off to Best Buy to see what they have to showcase. They seem to have a lot to play with, from stereo bookshelf speakers, to a set of 5.1 speakers, even complete "home theater" systems. I've decided to go the "put it together yourself" route, and checked out a few recievers, speakers, and sub woofers.

Klipsch Quintet II
I've been checking out some of the bookshelf speakers, and found them to be a bit too expensive. Among the high end speakers I've looked at, the Klipsch Synergy B-3 came out on top, while the Bose 301 V and Bose 201 V followed. However, the room I am setting up a surround sound system in is a modest sized living room, so there's really no need for a $1000+ professional-level speaker set up. While it was nice to dream, I had to get back down to earth real darn quick.

The Klipsch Quintet II is a kit that includes the front, rear, and center speakers in a box. You'd still need to purchase a self-powered subwoofer to add to the mix, as well as a reciever of your choice to round out your sound system. I've paired it up with Klipsch's own Sub-10 self-powered sub woofer and an entry-level 5.1 reciever from Sony (STR-DG510). It's a relatively quick-and-dirty audio set up for a medium-sized room. It may not be the cheapest set up, but it's the cheapest self-pieced-together set up I could muster.

The front and rear speakers are basically the same, and actually look like the ones found on their ProMedia 2.1 desktop speakers. The grill is similar and snaps into place via 4 round pegs. The tweeters are set inside a rectangular shaped horn while the mid range driver is proudly displayed naked. The center speaker is the only unit that is different from the other four. Unlike the others, it uses two mid-range drivers and a single horned tweeter.

The speakers are much smaller than the bookshelf models, and can also be wall-mounted with the right hardware. This allows you to fit them in spaces to make them more discrete.

Sound
The Klipsch Synergy Quintet II doesn't sound as loud or full as the bookshelf speakers, but then again, they were designed with a sub woofer requirement. They are actually clear and accurate, with voices crystal clear and highs coming out bright but not too bright (like the Bose speakers).

Mid-range bass is much less than any of the bookshelf models. This is due to the smaller woofer/mid-range driver. As such, the mid-range bass tend to roll off at a higher frequency as I'd like. This is no different with the Promedia speakers, but at then again, the Promedia comes with a matched sub woofer. As mentioned before, the Quintet seem to have been designed with a sub woofer as a requirement.

When paired up with a Klipsch Sub-12, I found that bass was too powerful and overwhelmed the small Quintets. I promptly returned the Sub-12 and bought a smaller Sub-10, which seem to compliment the Quintets bettter. I believe the larger Sub-12 would be better suited in a large dedicated theater room (such as one I plan to have in my basement when I have the budget) along with a the Klipsch B-3s. The Sub-10 seem to highlight the Quintets best when the crossover is set at around 75 Hz, which is a bit high. This is to make up for a somewhat weaker mid-bass of the Quintets.

Overall, sound is tight without any hint of flabby distortion. Listening to sources that doesn't have much low frequencies present, the Quintets seem to shine even without the presense of a sub woofer. However, you will sorely miss it once the bass guitarist starts strumming. Overall, music doesn't seem to be the best way to enjoy this speaker set (not that they don't sound good). The forte of these speakers is with action movies and even video games, which usually uses the extreme ends of the frequency spectrum. Music is much more subtle and can reveal a bit of disconnection from the satalite speakers and the sub woofer.

The Upshot
The price for all 5 speakers are around $500 at Best Buy. Not bad considering that a good pair of bookshelf speakers cost about the same price, and you'll still be left looking for another pair for the rear surrounds and center speaker. You'll still need to purchase a seperate sub woofer, however.

My current set up does the job in a medium-sized living room without over doing it. It's a modest set up paired up with an entry level Sony STR-DG510 5.1 reciever and a not-so-entry level Klipsch Sub-10 powered sub woofer. The Klipsch Sub-10 cost $400, while the Sony STR-DG510 reciever was on sale for $150. In total, my whole surround sound set up is a not-so-budget $1050 before tax.

I must say, as far as sound quality, I am very happy with the results. The reciever could improve with an easier user experience (hate those buried treble and bass adjustments via menus), and my 32" Norcent HDTV could be bigger. However, the set up is perfect for a mid-size living room.