Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: a bookshelf speaker with retro style

This Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review is for anyone who wants a tabletop speaker system that sounds great, is easy to use and that looks cool - it’s one of the best bookshelf speakers you can buy if you don’t mind spending a substantial amount of cash. 

Klipsch is an American audio brand that has been going since 1946, and with a portfolio of products ranging from speakers to soundbars and headphones, it certainly knows its stuff when it comes to sound. You can always expect some big things and the Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 is a prime example of that. 

In this Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review, you’ll be able to find out everything you need to know about this multimedia speaker system, from my take on its design and setup to its performance and features. 

Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: price and availability 

You can buy the Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 now for $299 in the US and £369 in the UK. Take a look at the widgets on this page to see where you can buy it. 

Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: design and setup 

A sleek 3-piece setup with retro styling, the Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 is designed to sit on your desktop. In the box, you get two speakers to place on a table or shelf, a subwoofer for the floor, a remote control and a selection of cables to get it set up with your devices. You can buy it in black or white, depending on your decor at home. 

The speakers are small and black with a detachable grille woven with black and gold with a Klipsch logo in the bottom right corner - you can choose to take this off if you prefer the style of the speaker without it. Each one measures 203 x 140 x 109mm so will easily fit on either side of a computer monitor. The subwoofer is much larger measuring 305 x 254 x 381mm, it still sat comfortably under my desk and so I had it pushed back into a corner. Like the speakers, it has a woven black and gold grille but this one isn’t detachable.

Turn the subwoofer around and you’ll find a few different controls and ports. To get it working with your phone or laptop, you can choose to use Bluetooth, the Stereo Analog RCA or the USB-A port. 

Alongside these inputs, there's also a switch to power it on as well as dials to control the bass and volume. They’re not massively easy to reach so you’ll probably be better off pumping up the sound from whichever device you use it with or the included remote control instead.

The remote control is small and black with minimal buttons which makes it very simple to use. You can use it to adjust the volume, boost the subwoofer, switch between inputs and turn on Bluetooth. My only issue with it was that I couldn’t use it from across the room, I had to get right up close to the subwoofer for it to work.

Setting this multimedia system up is seriously easy, you just need to place the speakers on either side of your computer screen diagonally facing you, plug them into the back of the subwoofer, hook that up to power and then use the Bluetooth button on the remote to pair it. You'll know when it's in pairing mode thanks to the blue LED light on the front. For a more permanent desk setup, it’ll be better to plug it all in using a wired connection. That’s all you need to do though, it literally took me seconds to be up and running.

Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: performance and features 

If it’s powerful, immersive sound you’re after then you will certainly get that here. The Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 system sounds great no matter what you listen to, from music to movies and even gamers will get on well with it.

Each satellite packs a 1” polymer compression driver and a 4” polyfiber cone while the subwoofer uses a 8” long-throw polyfiber cone. All in all, you can expect a peak power of 220W from the three elements of the system combined.

Naturally, you’ll get the best experience sitting in between the two small speakers, but even if you’re elsewhere in the room, the sound travels well. The audio makes you feel as if you’re right in the action like you’re listening to songs playing live or like you’re deep into a videogame's story. 

Not only is the sound rich and warm but it’s also clear and precise, although when the bass starts thumping you do lose out there in some ways. For the most part though, you can hear intricate details of the music, and the soundstage is wide enough to give loads of depth to the track as well. 

In terms of features, the Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 keeps things simple. There are no extra thrills like an adjoining smartphone app, voice control, multiroom or even a more detailed equaliser which is a shame at this price but not everyone will be looking for that sort of functionality either. 

 Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: verdict 

The Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 multimedia speaker system looks great but it sounds even better. It may be simple when it comes to features but that does mean it puts all of its energy into doing exactly what you need it to, creating an immersive and rich audio experience, especially when you are sat in between the two speakers. 

Some people might be looking for something a little smaller or something with extra smarts like Wi-Fi streaming but if you’re hunting for a three-piece set with wired connectivity and Bluetooth then this is a fantastic choice. I absolutely loved the look of this getup too!

Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 review: also consider  

Another set of tabletop speakers to consider is the Ruark MR1 Mk2, especially if you don’t really want the extra bulk added by the subwoofer. They’re small, they’re powerful and like these, you can connect to them using Bluetooth. They’re actually much easier to control as well thanks to the handy dial on top. 

If money is no object, take a look at the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo, the sound is absolutely incredible and powerful enough to shake the walls. Top-tier in almost every way, they’re some of the best stereo speakers you can buy.