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For sale is a Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 amplifier that has been upgraded for longer life. A $43 refund is available for shipping back an old 5.1 (either Ultra or non-Ultra/THX) ProMedia panel.  A silent fan (Gelid, Arctic Cooling or Silenx) and over two dozen upgraded parts have been used, based on what I've learned repairing about 1,000 of these amplifiers since 2005.  Klipsch’s ProMedia 5.1 Ultra and THX computer speaker systems remain one of, if not the best computer speakers, but owners run into problems with amplifier failure.  You may read below for details on my upgrades for durability. I back these with a 90-day parts and labor warranty (in addition to a 14 day money back warranty).  The Ultra 5.1 and THX 5.1 panel dimensions are identical, and a THX or Ultra panel will work in either subwoofer enclosure and with either version's 5.1 control box and speakers.  This amplifier panel is in excellent working condition.  Free shipping is for the lower 48 states.

Differences between THX and Ultra panels: The Ultra and THX panels are interchangeable: same size opening, identical input jacks, satellite speaker terminals, fuse, and power cable.  The controls can be used interchangeably, too.  Most, but not all Ultra panels have one wide (3/16") and one narrow (1/8") push-on post for the two internal subwoofer speaker wires to connect to, while the THX (and a few early editions of the Ultra) panel has two, identical wide posts to match the two wide terminals on the black and red speaker wires inside the THX's sub.  I can provide an adapter for connecting a THX panel to the narrower sub driver connector in an Ultra enclosure. The Ultra panels operate a bit warmer than the earlier THX version: the Ultras draw about 28 watts when turned on, while the non-Ultras draw about 22 watts at low volume.  A couple of owners have said they like the Ultra panel's subwoofer performance better than the non-Ultra's. (An Ultra panel says "Ultra" on it, and has a silver RCA jack. The THX/non-Ultra does not. The Ultra sub enclosure has a horizontal port in the back bottom; the THX has a round port in the front).

I prepared this listing originally at the request of a couple of eBayers whose panels had failed, so I am not bundling other needed parts that a ProMedia 5.1 owner will already have.  A subwoofer enclosure with sub speakers to match the amplifier panel would add $25 plus shipping (send me your zip code for an exact shipping price quotation).  I have a control box, if needed.

$43 Core Refund: If interested, the buyer may return a non-working ProMedia 5.1 amplifier (Ultra or not) in the same box for a core value refund of $43. Shipping the broken panel will be the buyer's responsibility, but you may reuse the box and packaging from this amplifier. Fed Ex Ground using a free online account may be the best price, about $11 to $13 including insurance.  OPTIONAL: A buyer in the lower 48 states may request a preprinted Fed Ex Ground label billed to my account, and a $30 core value refund will be issued.  Put your broken panel in the box this panel will come in, attach my label, write "core return" on the box, and simply drop it off at a Fed Ex Office counter.  When the panel arrives, I'll issue a partial refund toward your original Paypal payment.

Option to extend warranty for 1 year: For $19.95, the buyer may extend the warranty to 1 year parts and labor at time of purchase.  Before making payment, please request a revised invoice if interested.

Canadian Buyers:  USPS Priority Mail costs $39, but does not charge any customs brokerage fee (unlike UPS or Fed Ex Ground). If I am offering free shipping to the lower 48 states when you buy, please request a revised invoice, and I'll credit $13 toward your shipping cost (net cost to ship to Canada will be $26). Canada will charge you taxes/duties for any item you import over $20 value.

Why do Klipsch's ProMedia 5.1s spark such strong emotions?  Why are these rare?  Professional musicians and serious gamers have sought these out, and buyers have gone to considerable lengths to get these cooling-upgraded Klipsch 5.1 systems to Asia and Australia (overseas shipping cost, plus expensive 500 watt transformers for US voltage). Why, then, are these no longer in stores, hard to find, and why are so many sold “as-is” or with no warranty?  Two problems are A) the computer sound market became focused on low price with a matching lower quality, making these so far separated in price that they became unprofitable for high-volume big box stores, and B) many Klipsch ProMedia 5.1s overheat.  The ProMedia's exceptional sound quality and high failure rate produce strong emotions.  Numerous people contacting me for repairs have been effusive in their love for their Klipsch 5.1s, and bemoan the sound dying.  I've done cooling upgrades for 8 years, and my goal is for people to enjoy the finest computer movie, music and game sound experience for the longest time.

Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 THX and Ultra vs. other speakers: The Klipsch 5.1 THX (front sub port) and Ultra (wider sub, rear port) feature a high-powered, highly efficient 470 watt power supply and matching amplifiers to immerse you into your games, movies and music.  Klipsch built its name in speaker design, specifically sound quality and efficiency: the satellites' tweeter, woofer and crossover reproduce music with crisp detail. Other computer speaker makers cut corners by stretching a single driver to reproduce music and voice information from 120 or 200 Hz up to 20,000 Hz. Klipsch uses a more expensive tweeter and woofer design. Their tweeters use an efficient horn design, getting more sound per watt from amplifier power.  (See speaker shopping comparison tips below)  I've come across only one customer who had some expensive Creative speakers (discontinued) that he thought at least matched these Klipsch speakers, but those were even harder to find, and when those systems died, repair support was unobtainable.

Safe arrival and long life: The amplifier will be carefully packed, protected and insured for shipping. Ebay does not show details of my previous upgraded Klipsch 5.1 systems beyond 90 days, but you can check feedback notes left by past buyers.  This is your chance to get a ProMedia amplifier plus upgrades that make it more reliable than when new.  

System Requirements:  An upgraded sound card is not essential, but is recommended for clarity. Good speakers will expose the weaknesses of your sound card that you might not have noticed before.

The internal amplifier has improvements compared to when new: If you have researched systems, you know the Klipsch Promedia Ultra and THX 5.1 models are among the most powerful, and have won many awards. You may have also noticed quite a few systems being resold as not working. The typical problem is heat. The nearly 500 watt six-channel amplifier is enclosed in the sub, where internal components get too HOT to touch in a matter of minutes (up to 200 degrees), even if the amplifiers are not working to produce sound! You can read about nearly new systems going down.  Over time sections of the circuit boards also become brittle, and can even turn to carbon and arc (short).  I learned about this problem and how to defeat it while fixing an Ultra system for myself in October 2005.

1) I upgrade the power handling and/or heat rating of at least 22 components. The upgraded components do not change how the amplifiers work; it's the same as originally designed.

2) I also installed a 92 mm silent fan out of sight with the circuit boards inside the subwoofer box. A small board on the power supply that would otherwise slowly age and char at 185+ degrees whenever powered on, will now stay at or below 120 degrees while inside the enclosure.  As your computer knows, air movement within a box does wonders for electronics: components' temperatures are kept from getting hot, and circuit boards no longer become brittle and char or short.

This fan draws less than 1.5 watts. I install a small transformer, which automatically switches on with the system to supply the fan's power).  The fan moves enough air (26.7 cubic ft/min), yet is almost totally silent.  It's hydro-dynamic bearings are rated for over 40,000 hours MTBF (mean time between failure).  Ball bearing fans are noticeably noisier.  I have not had fan failures, but this fan can be unplugged and swapped, if needed in the future.  (It's mounting adhesive can be cut and replaced). This system will plug in and function just like any other, only cooler inside.

3)  I install two 15-pin sockets for the two ceramic BASH HC1011 boards. In this way, if one of those boards ever fails, the owner will not need to ship the panel, but can unplug the old board and plug in a replacement without any soldering.  Harman Kardon/JBL carry these boards, and I try to always have a supply.

I've been very happy with the result. As far as I know, over 95% of the used systems I've repaired and cooled are still performing, and I have done my best to work with and help the few people that have had a problem, even after the warranty was expired. 

Using an infrared thermometer, I've measured temperatures before any fans are installed while playing only 2 speakers and the sub at moderate volume.  The panel was sitting outside its enclosure, in open air. Similar improvements were measured for an Ultra sub as for the THX. The table below shows how fan airflow kept temperatures far cooler, around 65 and 85 degrees, respectively:

Power Supply Component Temperature Comparison for Klipsch Ultra 5.1

Degrees Fahrenheit           BEFORE COOLING                                               AFTER COOLING

 

 

After 10 Minutes

After 20 minutes

After 10 Minutes

After 20 Minutes

R7

150 degrees

176

105

105

R527

160

197

105

105

I am confident this system will work great for you for a long time. Klipsch's powerful ProMedia would be more reliable if the engineers had properly calculated how much less airflow & cooling the power supply heatsinks get inside a closed sub box. The addition of a fan makes a great difference. Just be sure to use a surge protector -- it's inexpensive protection for electronics.

If you check feedback left for me by previous buyers, you can click on the auction numbers to see the Klipsch ProMeda upgraded systems they purchased and their comments. 


Includes: Klipsch ProMedia Ulltra 5.1 amplifier with installed internal upgrades, my "Tip Sheet" with simple ways to prolong your ProMedia's life, and 90-day warranty.  Buyer may return an old panel for a $43 core return credit ($30 if the seller provides the core's return Fed Ex Ground shipping from lower 48 states). Please be sure to tape your name on that panel, and write "core return" on the outside of the box.

Shipping: Please include with payment a contact phone number so I can complete Fed Ex's form, and kindly note if your shipping address is residential or not.  I ship the next day after payment using Fed Ex Home Delivery/Ground insured inside the lower 48 states, and USPS Priority Mail outside of that.  (Free shipping is to the lower 48 states only, but I'll discount the Priority or parcel post  Mail cost by $12). PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF IT IS SAFE TO LEAVE THE BOX AT YOUR DOOR, or if a signature should be required at delivery.

The quiet fan is installed out of sight inside the subwoofer box, which also houses the amplifiers. There is nothing you have to add or do. The fan is very efficient, so no extra power supply or connections are needed.  

Thanks for looking. Keep it COOL: I'd like to help you stop thermal stress from silencing your system.

 


INFORMATION BELOW IS NOT ‘REQUIRED READING’—THE IMPORTANT INFO IS ABOVE.

Repairs: For those who already have a system and need repair, I may be able to help.  Electronics is a hobby, so I am not looking to do any high volume, but I'll be happy to help as many as I reasonably can.  Most (95%) repairs plus cooling, upgrading an additional 22 to 29 parts and return shipping cost $107 to $147. I am now scheduling repairs for a month from now.

What If I don't buy a Klipsch 5.1 ProMedia system with coolingBecause sections in the power supply get hot whenever the system is powered up, even when not producing sound, the best thing to do if you don't have the fans is to keep the system turned off whenever you are not listening. That will delay the charring and shorting as long as possible.  Keep the back panel of the sub away from heating vents, and while the bass sounds best if the sub is near the corner of the room, be sure to still leave room for air to flow over the back panel, to keep it as cool as possible.  Write down my eBay ID in case you want me to fix & upgrade your system when your uncooled Klipsch 5.1 fails.

Shopping and Listening Comparisons:

Two specifications worth comparing: True (rms) power at the ears (efficiency) and distortion (THD). It is easy for manufacturers to inflate power numbers to look impressive using momentary short-circuit "peak" power claims. What truly matters are the RMS power ratings, if a manufacturer will publish them. THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) becomes noticeable around 10% and higher. Klipsch's satellites are listed at 1% or less and the sub at 3% or less. (I'm not biased against Bose--I enjoyed a pair of their top 901s for many years, but it is troubling that their system power and distortion specifications seem to be unavailable). Klipsch's strength is in speaker design: the satellites' tweeter, woofer and crossover reproduce music with crisp detail. They are also efficient, getting more sound per watt from amplifier power. If a speaker design is just 3dB more efficient, the result is the same as if the amplifier power were doubled!

Accurate bass vs. thump: Klipsch no longer produces the THX or Ultra, and no computer speaker system matches it today.  Its dual 8-inch subwoofer drivers have 22% more surface area than a single 10" sub.  The sub was not designed to impress with peaky, boomy bass, rather to accurately reproduce lower octaves of music (in addition to rumbling games and movies) as low as 25 Hz.  

TV Home Theater : This system is designed for playing music, movies and games on a computer, but can also be used for TV home theater as well. The Klipsch has three stereo miniplugs (for front L/R, rear L/R, and center/sub). It is easy to get three inexpensive adapter cords that have line level RCA phono plugs on one end (to fit the output of a surround sound receiver) and stereo miniplugs at the other end of the cord to plug into the Klipsch. Just as for a computer you need a sound card to decode surround sound into 5.1 sound, so for home theater you will need a surround sound decoder or receiver that can provide analog output for the 5 channels and subwoofer. Radio shack cables would be 15-2451, 42-2550, or 42-2483.

There is some confusion about cooling and the use of fans. 

Here is what I have found:

1.  Why are fans needed?  Upgrading parts alone is incomplete. You can replace parts that fail, but the heat generated is still there.  I have seen sections of the Klipsch’s power supply board turn from bright green to dark green and finally to black after a few years’ exposure to that heat. That black became carbon, which started to arc and led to failure.  Even the bright yellow adhesive nearby will finally char and start to cause short circuits by the bridge rectifier.  I have seen dozens of panels with these failures.  Upgrading components will not solve this problem with the circuit board and adhesives.  I’m glad there are options beyond mine for fixing Klipsch Promedias, but without fans moving cooler air past the circuit boards, the upgraded parts alone are only delaying a failure. There IS a need for removing heat.

2. Do fans inside a sealed enclosure do any good?  The ideal is to have fresh, cool air, but if the acoustics of the sub make it impractical to bring in fresh air, all is not lost.  Closed cooling systems are more commonly used with liquids (think of refrigerants circulating in air conditioners or coolant circulating in an auto’s cooling system), but a circulation of air inside an enclosure also effectively removes heat.  The fans are designed to set up a circular airflow within the sub, bringing air past two small, hot heat sinks plus a neighboring miniboard and components which often overheat. The heat without the fans is enough to burn your fingers after just 15 minutes, even if the system is not producing sound (handling only a fraction of its rated power).  The airflow draws that now-heated air past a much larger, cooler heat sink that runs the full width of the panel and is thermally linked to the back panel. This larger, cooler piece of metal absorbs the heat from the circulating air, and shares it with the back panel. That back panel is designed by Klipsch and Indigo (the BASH maker) to radiate the internal heat of the system.  It is normal for the panel to get warm during use, since it must radiate 25 watts of thermal energy at idle, and 60 watts or more while playing at volume.

The fans do not reduce how much heat the system produces, but they more quickly and efficiently get the heat off the hot spots and onto the back panel for removal into the room. 
Fans do not need fresh air for cooling. It would help, but fans even out the internal air inside the sub. Instead of vast areas staying cool, while small spots get very hot, now the entire internal air will be an evenly balanced warm.

3. Does this cooling upgrade involve drilling holes in the sub?  No. The electronics are inside a tuned speaker enclosure, and new holes would adversely affect the tuning (bass response). 

4.  Does the sub already provide enough air circulation by the movement of the subwoofer cones?  In a word, no.  The movement of the subs is synchronized so that both pull and push together.  They do not pull air from one side of the sub to another, but pulse air in and out of the sub’s port.  That oscillation at audible frequencies when channeled down into a narrow port is impressive and can be felt by holding your hand over the opening, but inside the entire sub and on the spread out surface of the components, the motion would be hard to detect.  If the hot circuit spots could both somehow be relocated in the narrow path of the air as it is funneled through the tuned port, then there could be some cooling effect.  There would still be no cooling, though, at idle (when subs are not thumping and displacing air). 

I wish other people success with their repairs, but suggest removing heat and not just getting some components to handle the heat is a vital part of the solution. 

Extreme measures (for creative people looking for ultimate component life):  In the quest to remove heat, a couple of people have even replaced the back panel holding all the electronics with a blank panel (to keep the sub acoustically sealed), and mounted the electronics and its cooling fans in open air (one put it in a ceiling’s crawl space, as I recall) so the Promedia stays really cool.  There are also some expensive Japanese liquid cooling systems available for computers, but their price (over $100) and the plumbing are two obstacles to installing them in the Klipsch Promedia 5.1 systems. 

Conclusion: the fans will move the heat onto the back panel.  Simply allowing a small room fan to move air past the back panel when operating at high volume or in a hot room is all that should be needed beyond this kit.

MORE INFO ON REPAIRING & COOLING OTHER PROMEDIA 5.1 SYSTEMS

If your system is still working, have me send you my latest a do-it-yourself kit. The kit includes the 92mm fan, transformer with easy squeeze-on connectors, 4 upgraded components (not essential, but recommended if you are proficient at soldering) and emailed photos & instructions.  You will need RTV gasket maker, pliers, and if upgrading components, a soldering iron & solder.

BELOW ARE QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS FROM PREVIOUS AUCTIONS (8750429824, 330003002614 & 8776366750) for those who want to know more DETAILS ABOUT THE SYSTEM'S CONDITION:

The subwoofer was not working when I bought it. The vast majority of these subs have had their power supply overheat, and a component 'opened' so that it no longer would conduct electricity.  This was not refurbished by the factory

Q: I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT EVERYTHING WORKS FINE, just like it was new only with these upgrades? and THAT IT CAN BE OPERATED AT A HIGH LEVEL WITHOUT BURNING UP?

Answer: Yes, the purpose of the upgrades is so that you can play music at a high level. Sometimes I'll turn the system up so we can listen to music through the doorway as we move between rooms. (The thumping bass travels better than the treble!) No system in a car or home should be driven past the point of when you hear distortion, though. Distortion is very hard on speakers (and amplifiers).

Q: Hello, as you might guess I'm a little hesitant about buying something that someone other than the factory has repaired, although you do seem to know what you are talking about. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE AMPS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED if they got so hot as to blow the circuit. I'm sure they are designed to shut down before being damaged, at least I hope. DO YOU PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY for the work you have performed on these units?

Answer: I can appreciate your concern.

1) First, about the amps: There are really six separate amps (for each speaker and the sub). They all are mounted on separate boards from the power supply. The switching power supply is what has components that overheat. The overheating is localized to two areas (thus the two fans), both on the power supply board. When the components go bad, they stop conducting electricity, and the amps get no power. It is not that all the amps get hot, or that the power supply failure causes a cascade or chain-reaction of failures. The fuse does not even blow when the supply breaks. Klipsch finds it worth their while to refurbish these systems--they see that the systems are not ruined after the breakdown.

2) I have offered various lengths of warranty. I think I could offer a one year warranty and not have returns, but adding that length (and risk to myself) does not seem to be worth it. The customer has a risk whenever an item is out of warranty (even in warranty, you have to calculate the cost to ship, and turnaround time). My risk is not being able to control whether people use surge protectors, accidentally short their speaker wires, or put their sub in front of a heating vent, etc. I experimented with how long to offer my own warranty on these. I started at 7 days, then 14 or 30 days. The bidding seemed no higher with a 30-day warranty, but I'm including 30 days for this system. I've thought of offering a 6-month extended warranty for an added cost, but I don't know how to price it.

FROM AUCTION 8776366750

Q: How long is the cable that attaches the control box to the sub? Also, how many watts would this unit draw at idle, and at normal listening levels? Mar-09-06

Answer: The cable is 8 feet 9 inches long. My 200 amp AC clamp meter is not the most accurate measuring this system's relatively low wattage. However, when the system is turned on, it draws about .2 amp, or 24 watts. (You can save a couple dollars a month in electricity if you don't leave it on 24 hours a day). The meter stays at .2 amp at low level listening. The meter only gets to .4 amperes steady draw when the bass is starting to be felt and 4 satellite speakers (not just stereo) are being driven. That computes to just 50 watts steady. So where's the other 450 watts? As you may know, audio amplifiers must be able to produce brief, high spikes, but their constant average output will be comparably small. The BASH switching power supply might draw 1 to 5 amps momentarily (system operates with a 5 amp slow-blow fuse), but will normally fill your room for well under the drain of a 60 watt light bulb. For bidders overseas, you can see that a 500 watt 240V to 120V voltage converting transformer should be plenty big enough. Thanks for the great question.

Q: I really like how you upgraded this system. What I need to know before bidding is: 1. Will it be 100% compatible with a Mac G5 computer? 2. Is it DTS? 3. Is it THX? Mar-08-06

Answer: Thanks for your interest. The Klipsch Ultra system uses 6 channels of analog input by way of three shielded cables. It does not process, decode or decompress the audio information. Customers need a separate 5.1 (or greater) sound card in their computer (or a stand alone Dolby, DTS, etc. decoder/receiver if using the Klipsch with a TV). I'm happy with the Audigy 2ZS sound card in my computer, which handles DTS, Dolby, is THX rated, etc. Since this system is handling analog, not digital signals, there should be no problem using a Mac, as long as it has three 3.5 mm (about 1/8 inch) stereo sound output jacks. (I don't personally know the G5). The previous version of this Klipsch 5.1 system, the Promedia (non-Ultra) could use the 'THX' label. From what I understand, it was the speakers which were certified to meet THX standards (not the amplifiers). I don't know if Klipsch took any shortcuts with the Ultra satellite speakers to cause them to lose 'THX' certification, or if Klipsch simply decided they did not want to pay the royalties to continue using the 'THX' logo. This system will sound great, but is not certified by THX's labs. The Ultra increased the size of the subwoofer enclosure over the earlier 'THX' Promedia to slightly expand its lower frequency range. 

Thanks for looking!


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