Klipsch Promedia 5.1's - Amp repair

I have a klipsch 4.1 sub box that failed. The satellite speakers work great however the subs sound horrible. I decided to open up the sub box & disconnect each sub to see if only one is blown. However, each one is blown so I have left them disconnected. Is there anyway to pinpoint what went wrong here? Are the subs just blown or is something on the amp wrong causing the subs to sound horrible?
 
I found it difficult to find some of the parts, especially the large electrolytic capacitors. While I am good at component level repair I found it easier to just send the board to Henry. htkclk@juno.com
 
It appears the amp I got back from Elliot-tronics is working. If you've got a blown one and are interested in trying this one, contact me at nix0r31313@gmail.com.

Bottom line is I know how it feels to be jerked around, so if it fails on you anytime in the next 6 months i'll refund your money if you send the unit back to me so i can verify.
 
Very interesting and long duration thread. One thing I wonder if anyone knows, is what, and where is the crossover located on the amp board that is responsible for the subwoofers 120Hz crossover point (for the 5.1 Ultra sub)? I even asked Henry this and he isn't ware that there is one (maybe the subwoofer filter is built into the external input selector/volume control?)

I want to replace the components of that crossover to change the crossover point to filter more of the mid-bass out of it since I'm ditching the trash satellite speakers that come with the 5.1 Ultra and instead using high end bookshelf speakers that by themselves go down to 47Hz, vs. the Klipsch satellites 150Hz due to their extremely small driver, therefore I have no need of the dual 8 inch subwoofers to be crossed over at a high 120Hz anymore, as there would be too much frequency overlap, plus the sub would produce even cleaner output cut off around 90Hz which is where I would like it.

I'm choosing to use the 5.1 in a 2.1 home theater system (yes 2.1, don't care about 5.1). And the TV I have specifically has a 3.5mm jack audio out which suits this perfectly as it allows me to avoid buying an external digital processor/preamp because the volume will be controlled via the TV, (already tested this before I sent my amp to Henry, who btw, so far seems to be an excellent person to deal with) and it works incredibly, amazingly well.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer my question.
 
Last edited:
Does anyone know if its possible to connect the 4.1 Pro Media Speakers to a TV or even a DVD player safely? I dont use them anymore for my PC since I like headphones better...
 
My 5.1 ProMedia Ultra's died a few years ago and I'm finally getting around to having the amp repaired. I live in Michigan and was going to drive over to Holland this afternoon to drop off my amp at Sybesma, but figured I would contact Henry as well. I don't believe Sybesma adds cooling as part of their repair, and it seems like it would be beneficial. I've contacted them requesting more details.
 
Does anyone know if its possible to connect the 4.1 Pro Media Speakers to a TV or even a DVD player safely? I dont use them anymore for my PC since I like headphones better...
 
Btc...I also live in Michigan. I sent my 5.1 Ultra amp off to Henry and he fixed it. Fast service. Very friendly and helpful. I would recommend him over the Holland place.
 
Pivo504 said:
Does anyone know if its possible to connect the 4.1 Pro Media Speakers to a TV or even a DVD player safely? I dont use them anymore for my PC since I like headphones better...
Click to expand...

Depends on the speaker impedance supported by TV/Receiver and an audio jacks.
As I recall, promedia 4.1 speakers were 4Ohms.
 
Pivo504 said:
Does anyone know if its possible to connect the 4.1 Pro Media Speakers to a TV or even a DVD player safely? I dont use them anymore for my PC since I like headphones better...
Click to expand...

Sure. Get an RCA to 3.5mm cable. Hook into the TVs low level output.
 
msuguy71 said:
Btc...I also live in Michigan. I sent my 5.1 Ultra amp off to Henry and he fixed it. Fast service. Very friendly and helpful. I would recommend him over the Holland place.
Click to expand...

I did eventually send my amp to Henry. According to Fedex tracking, I should have it back tomorrow. I can't yet confirm whether it actually works, but he has been a great guy to deal with. He's responded to every email in a timely fashion and has disclosed tons of information regarding the repair etc.

For me, it's probably going to be just over a week turnaround from the time he received my amp until the time I get it back. From the time I shipped the amp, it's going to be right at two weeks turnaround, and due to a weekend, the package sat at the UPS store for a couple of days before it actually got shipped.
 
I'm amazed this thread is still going after 6 years. Guess we really love our Klipsch! (Sorry that Elliot didn't pan out for repairs for those of you who had to deal with him).

My original 4.1's sub has died, and it appears that Henry is now the go to guy for repairs? I can't recall anyone mentioning costs, so any of you who have dealt with him can PM me it would be appreciated.

Fortunately my 5.1's are still going strong. I've bought so many cheap speakers for my kids I can't imagine ever letting these things go.

Thanks!
 
My speakers are working again. If anyone wants to pursue repair, I can't recommend Henry highly enough. He was great in every aspect of the experience.
 
Its been several years since I've had my 5.1 Ultras repair by Henry, but I believe it was just over $100, also including his cooling solution installed (80mm fan & transformer hot glued into place (hey its not pretty but it works, and its all inside the sub enclosure). The return shipment included all the original hardware and a very technical list of diagnostics and repairs, stating exactly what he replaced and why. Very thorough and professional. I cannot recommend Henry Koch (htkclk@juno.com) enough.

BTW, repairs were done in Sep of 2011, still going strong today!
 
What is wrong with my ultra 5.1 there is a hum in my speakers that has been getting worse for a while. Now no matter how high I raise the volume the hum is louder than the music.
 
I had the same issue where hum was getting consistently louder. Sent my sub panel to Henry for repair, he replaced a number of components (too numerous to list here) which included fan for cooling. The hum is gone and my 5.1 Pro Media's sound better than ever. Henry is a pro to deal with whether his follow up, thorough explanation and payment as well as shipping. Highly recommend Henry.
 
So I've gone from having sound cut in/out on my front right satellite to it pretty much being permanently muddled/low output.

After some testing with the cables on both the satellites, computer on-board audio, and amp it seems like it's the amp causing the issue (or at least the amp's front right output connector). Is it safe to just dip a q-tip in rubbing alcohol and rub it in there to see if I can clean any possible dirt oxidation preventing good contact with the copper cables going to the satellitse?

I had mine repaired by elliot way back and thankfully I got mine back (was a bit delayed but nowhere near as delayed as some others have reported) but the issue with the satellite and sub never really seemed to have been fixed.

I just e-mailed Henry for some more info and a quote so hopefully he gets back to me soon and can repair/upgrade and test my amp (does he have a setup of his own he can connect your repaired amp to to test before shipping it back?).

I get muddled bass from my subwoofer that honestly seems weaker than the bass put out by my satellites which is concerning. Are the subwoofer drivers repairable or should I look into finding replacements?
 
harry23lim said:
im also having problem with my promedia 5.1 thx i think the bash module hc1011 is the culprit.. symptoms: satelite speakers cuts off randomly.. satelite also produce distortion and i noticed a lost of punch with my sub. i checked every weak points in the ac dc board( although my klipsch is still working and i didn't see any signs of charring) tested the 2n5551 transistor, the r527 resistor etc... i noticed my klipsch has factory upgraded resistors the suppose to be 1/4 watt resistor from r527 is 1 watt and r7 from the daughter board is 1 watt and other resistors are bigger than other klipsch owners here posted before.(probably because my klipsch release date was 2006) but the 22 uf caps 50v and the 47 uf caps 50v are still thesame max operating temp is 85c ill consider upgrading these parts to mil spec parts for durability ehancement. i also manufactured a bigger heatsinks for the ac dc board for added heat dissipation.

orded the module at harman audio in singapore and will arrive in 30 days. im in the philippines by the way.

I stumbled upon stpetesheperds old post on Ebay Regarding cooling kit upgrade for klipsch promedia 5.1 thx ultra.. i think this might be a help for others out there who's looking for a guide or some tips on how to troubleshoot their klipsch. :)

Tip #1: If your Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 system has lost just the satellites or just the sub, or these are intermittent, carefully inspect the white, the green and the orange-yellow connectors that link the boards together inside the sub. The connector's pins can lose their spring (due to current and heat, most likely), and one or more contacts becomes open.

Tip #2: If your Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 loses the sound after playing a short time, the problem may be the 2N5551 transistor on the power supply. although transistor is not a guaranteed fix you might want to give it a try. This problem happened most often on the older, THX panels. try to spray a component cooler on the transistor if it brings the sound back, that is good test to verify that the problem is the 2n5551 transistor.

Tip #3: If your system stops working, but the power supply makes high frequency noises, check the three small 22 microFarad and three 47 microFarad 50-volt capacitors on the power supply. Over time, the heat from the power supply starts to dry them out, changing the frequency in the power supply. Usually it is only the capacitors closest to the left heat sink (one 47 microFarad and one of the two closest 22 microFarad capacitors). This is just one of a couple dozen possible sources of failure, be sure the replacement capacitor are rated 50 volts or higher, and observe correct polarity.

Tip #4: If even your control box does not light up, check the 5 amp slow-blow fuse where the power enters the panel. If it has blown, check also the yellow or blue disk next to it for any signs of charring. That disk is a metal-oxide varistor, designed to sacrifice itself in case of a power line voltage spike. You can buy a replacement MOV and fuse at Radio Shack or any other electronic store.

Tip #5: If your system does not power up, and there is no high frequency sound from the power supply powering up (but the control box still lights), or the power supply is only supplying 30 volts to the regulator board (instead of 55 volts enroute to the satellite amplifiers), then there is a chance that a tiny, 1/8 watt 205,000 ohm 1% tolerance precision resistor on the miniboard to the right of the right side heat sink on the power supply has changed value. 1% means it must measure between 203k and 207k ohms. The resistor is immediately below the small black transistor at the upper left corner of the miniboard on the power supply board.

Tip #6: If your control box lights, but there is no voltage going to the amplifier boards and no high frequency sound from the power supply board, look if either of the two MOSFETs on the right power supply board have shorted. If they fail, there are probably also damaged resistors, (e.g., 22-ohm and 392 ohm) that must be replaced at the same time. both resistors are located at the daughter board.

Tip #7: if A few bridge rectifiers have failed at the entry point of the power supply board. While rare, this is an easy fix.

Tip #8: If your panel produces a hum in the speakers, you can replace a set of 4 electrolytic capacitors on the main panel: two 100mfd 35v [start with these two--they are easiest to reach and are the usual causes of hum], and two 100mfd 16v.

Tip #9: This is harder to diagnose, but if you get 55V into the regulator board for the satellites and 85v in for the subwoofer channel, but the output voltage is 0 or far higher than a range of 7.2 -9.8 volts to the satellite amplifiers [0 or far higher than 10 - 11 volts to the subwoofer amplifier], then you may need a new HC1011 chip. There are two of these on the regulator board, one for the satellites, and one for the subwoofer amplifier.

Tip #10: If you still have subwoofer but no satellite sound, check the voltage going to the five satellite amplifier boards. If it is -.47 volt, there may be a 22 volt zener diode on the power supply that has failed. (It sits next to a hot heat sink, like transistor 2N5551 [Tip #2]. 2N5551 produces similar symptoms but usually works for a few seconds when still cold.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your tip #8 fixed the hum in my set which was driving me nuts. The two larger 35v caps is what did it.
 
I have been working on my 5.1 system for a month or two. I replaced the two 100uF 35v caps between the power amps, and that made it better. One of those caps was totally dead when I tested it. I still get some buzz, but it goes away when the amp gets hot (HOT). Also in the last few days I noticed the buzz will also go away while it's still cool if the home circuit is loaded. Turning on a light or a heater works. A heater pulls the hot to neutral down from 123 to 120V, and pulls the neutral voltage up 1V. The light has less effect, maybe 200mV up on neutral and almost no hot to neutral difference. I'm not sure what it is, but maybe the amp is picking up ground noise, and just hitting ground with some current takes out the ripple it's getting...?! Maybe when it heats up it's changing the response to whatever it's picking up.

Still figuring it out.
 
I signed up for this site just to say how pleased I am with the ProMedia 5.1 amplifier repair done by Henry K. <htkclk@juno.com>. He completed the repair a few months ago (July 2014), but I wanted to wait a few months before sharing my experience in case any problems appeared. After Henry repaired it, my amp sounds as good as new. He was quick and responsive throughout the process, sending me detailed information about the ProMedia 5.1 beforehand, followed by a full report of the work he performed on my specific amp. Unless you see a newer post saying that he's no longer in business, Henry is definitely the person you want fixing your Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 amplifier.
 
My sound crackles real bad when I turn the volume up and down. Any ideas what the issue is?
 
A quick and dirty fix is simply quickly sweeping the pot back and forth for like 30 seconds with the power off to 'clean' it. It could make things worse if the traces are really degraded.
 
Kind of a thread necro but just wanted to put in my review for Henry.

Had been having issues with my set for awhile and wasn't sure what was going on - ie. muffled/staticy/loss of sound on one channel but not the other.

Hell, I had been having trouble with it for so long and had reached out to Henry once a few years back but the problem went away. Eventually it came back a year later and I reached out to him again, and it went away. Finally this time it got bad and seemed to be more permanent. Henry continued to respond to my e-mails instead of writing me off as a person who was out to waste his time (it was more of a financial thing as I was still in school during the first few times I e-mailed him).

Finally bit the bullet and sent my board to Henry, he had it fixed, and shipped it back within a week or so. I took some time to package the panel very well and he clearly took just as much time and care in packaging it back up for return shipment.

Plugged it all back together and still encountered the same issue. Spent some time communicating with Henry via e-mail and he took the time to help me diagnose the issue (bad input cables) even though I had already paid him which counts for a lot as some more unscrupulous people would probably just stop responding.

Lots of detailed information from him on what he fixed/repaired/replaced as well as timely communications and patience with me after the fact. He even offered to send me a known working panel he had on hand in the event we couldn't figure out what was wrong with mine.

Definitely worth going to if anyone else still has a Klipsch around that starts having problems. With all the upgraded components and installed fan (which I don't even hear running), fingers crossed that it'll last me for years to come.
 
Last edited:
I only got rid of my satellites a few weeks ago. I was still using two in the rear. Bought the set in 2004, had the satellites the whole time and I sold off the subwoofer and amp back in 2010.

Best speakers I've ever owned with some of the crappiest electronics. Between 2004 and 2010 I had the amp repaired no less than 4 times
 
i bought the 5.1 promedias used about 7 years ago and they've been flawless since. got the set for $80! the past 2 weeks the speakers started buzzing louder and louder. i contemplated keeping the satellites and getting an a/v receiver and new sub, or maybe the logitech z906.

i went to fry's and the z906 were sold out so i didn't get them and being the impatient person that i am i decided i needed something immediately, so i figured, what the hell, why not try to repair the amp.

i have zero experience soldering or dealing with circuit boards. i put computers together, but that is it. I went to fry's again, bought a crappy soldering iron and 2 of the 100mfd 50v capacitors. they were out of the 100mfd 35v, but from the reading i had done it looked safe to use the 50v. they were also rated for higher temps.

i popped the amp out, found the 2 capacitors up at the top between the 2 small heatsinks .I used the crappy soldering iron to melt down the contacts and lightly tugged out the 2 capacitors. i was then able to slide the new ones in, hit it with the soldering iron and all works well again!

big thanks to this thread!
 
I have the non ultra 5.1 and my volume knob has been very finicky. When I turn it the volume jumps around all over the place, up and down. Can this be fixed easily?
 
I am getting my sub back from henry next week. I am looking to get new speaker wire what would be the best way to go.
 
You're probably long gone and won't see this but I bought these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OV41RBM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Kinda pricey but the build quality seems nice. I got them in black/grey which don't seem to be listed anymore.

As a side note (and at the risk of sounding like a shill for Henry), my satellites started hissing and the bass was very distorted and a high pitched whine came from the amp panel.

Thought my subwoofer was blown or something else going wrong. Henry helped me identify that it was a bad BASH module and not the subwoofer or the fan he installed. Shipped me a replacement out in the mail that was easily swapped due to a mod he made to my amp panel without needing me to solder anything.

He shipped it out and covered postage on his own dime (because I'm a past customer) and waited for me to receive it before I had to ask him how much it was going to cost for the module itself.

He's definitely done this for a long time and isn't gonna disappear on people anytime soon.
 
Has anyone had their Klipsch's repaired by Henry recently? My 5.1's are starting to go again (I'm the one that started this thread back in '08 with the infamous Elliot). My wife's 4.1 bit the dust a couple of years ago, but she is not as picky as I am. Looking to hopefully get them both fixed.

Thanks!

AARGH!
 
Necro bump!

Just a heads up, if you live near Dallas or Houston and would be willing to drive to Palestine, TX (I could probably meet you halfway somewhere), I'd be willing to give you (free) my working Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 setup that you can use for repairs on your unit or whatever. Just shoot me a PM :)

I also have them listed locally on Craigslist so they could disappear, but [H] members I'd be willing to just give them up for the greater good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top