Introduction

When it comes to multimedia speaker systems these days your choices seem limitless. Cambridge Soundworks FPS 2000, Creative labs four-point surround, VideoLogic's DigiTheatre speaker system, MidiLand S4 8200 system, the list can go on forever. One factor all these systems have in common is their relatively high price. Most speaker manufactures these days seem to take no consideration at all at the low-end consumer. When I say low-end consumers it means to say people who have no real need for a high priced speaker system for their computer and people who consider it to be insane spending all that money for your computer rather than your stereo system. What does the market have to offer us other than the crappy desktop speakers you get for around $20, with great sound quality to match high-end speaker systems, yet around a price range of $20 - $80. None really… until now; Diamond Audio Technology has put out their ProMedia speaker systems, which is yet to be beaten by a competitor for its price and quality.

Diamond Audio Technology is no amateur to the speaker industry. After their establishment in 1995, they have put out many multimedia speakers and have acclaimed prestige as one of the best speaker manufacturers in the market and has won many awards to its name. The ever-popular S2 4100 and S2 4030 speaker systems of MidiLand were designed and built by Diamond Audio, so you can see when I said they are no amateurs I really meant it”. Diamond Audio's ProMedia series consists of 3 speaker systems designed meticulously to cater to varying consumer needs. Their top of the range Promedia 3025 speaker system is priced just under $80 yet the sound quality is unmatched by anything so far in the market in its price range. Next in line is the ProMedia 2012 system and the other is the ProMedia 2010 system.

In this review I'll be considering each speaker system separately dealing on issues such as sound quality, troubleshooting, value, drawbacks etc. So you as our loyal readers and as customers, choose the speaker system that'll best suite your needs.

ProMedia 3025 Speaker system

The 3025-speaker system is Diamond's top of the range product offered in the ProMedia series for now. Containing two 5W satellites and a 15W subwoofer this seemingly small three-piece speaker system gives out sound more than you could ever imagine. Before I go into the real deal of sound quality lets first take a look into the Specifications and Features of the 3025 speaker system.

Features

• 25W R.M.S. 3 speaker system (2 x 5W satellites + 15W subwoofer)
• Digital volume controls, On/Off switch, and Power LED on detachable satellite stand.
• Bass level control on subwoofer
• Distortion Limiting Processor (DLP™)
• Complete Amplifier protection circuitry
• Silent turn on/off. Switch

Specifications

• Total power output (2 x 5W R.M.S. satellites + 15W R.M.S. Subwoofer) 25W R.M.S
• Signal to noise Ratio : 90db · Frequency response (Overall) : 50 - 18 KHz
• Maximum SPL : 98dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion : <1.0%
• Amp Sensitivity : 300mV
• Dynamic Headroom : <2dB

Contents and Assembly:

Other than the subwoofer and the two satellites, the package contains an adapter and the required cables to connect the speakers. You could get rid of the satellite stands if you wish, but then the remote looks like something out of this planet. So I doubt anyone would want to detach the stands for any reason. Talking about the satellites I must say they have been very nicely designed. Coupled with a gray front cloth mesh these satellites are very unique in their own way.

What makes this speaker system so good is due to its subwoofer. This 5" 15W sub produces enough bass for you to get a memorable DVD or gaming experience. The sub acts as the main hub to which everything connects to.

The fact that the Bass level controller is on the sub makes it quite annoying, since I have to keep reaching under my table all the time in order to fine-tune the music. (The recommended subwoofer placement is either under your table or in a corner of your room. I adopted what's most convenient to me.) It would be great if Diamond includes this feature in their future systems. The power on/off button and the volume controls are controlled by a wire-based remote, which connects to the subwoofer. You won't have trouble figuring out which cable goes where, since a detailed description is given in the manual included with the system.

As for the power supply, Diamond Audio supplies the required power adapter depending on your countries power supply. The power adapter itself is very well built as you can see in the picture. Wish I could say the same with Cambridge Soundworks power supply.

Your first impressions as you see the speakers will be very skeptical. If you're human you have to be, and most certainly I was, since I could not imagine a speaker system this small could produce impressive sound quality. However after you turn it on it's a totally different story. It's as if you have fitted a Ferrari engine into a minimoke.

The Trebles and Midrange is great giving the perfect frequencies as needed. Clarity is very good and due to the built in Distortion Limiting Processor (DLP™ ) it virtually eliminates Distortion if it detects distortion from its input source. What all this means to you is that the 3025 delivers crisp, clear, well balanced sound quality. As for bass the 15W woofer gives a good thumping. The bass is deep and precise; it won't be loud enough to make your ears shatter but it'll mark its presence with dignity. It appears that Diamonds Audio Technologies main aim in developing these speakers have been to get the most with the least amount of expense. If you ask me I think they have done a splendid job. Unlike most other manufactures Diamond Audio has given a great deal of thought to get the best possible quality from their speakers.

There are three reasons as to why these speakers sound so good; firstly they have made their drivers very efficient. The cone is made very light, and the magnet is of a higher grade than normal creating more focused sound. The voice coil is made of pure copper resulting in the cone moving very easily and therefore most of the power received by the speaker is transformed into sound waves. The second reason is the cabinet design. The ported design increases the volume and bass capabilities of the speakers. And the final reason being the power output of the speakers. If you have had any experience in speaker hunting you'll know only too well that most manufactures exaggerate the specs they specify in their speakers. Some specify that their speakers are 5W, yet the harsh reality is that they are much less than that. Some manufactures specify fancy R.M.S. ratings, however one look at the power supply and you can easily identify that they are not capable of supplying the specified power. The ProMedia 3025 power supply is rated at 39Watts, which is more than adequate for the system.

The Tests

Just to see how well the 3025 fares we put it through a series of tests and I must tell you the results were not bad at all. Firstly I played a few DVD's to see how well these work on movies. I usually use the movies 'Rock' and 'Matrix' to test the sound qualities of speakers, since I believe these movies to really work individual components of a speaker to its max. You don't need to take my word for it, just watch the movie. Anyway as for the sound it was simply great. All three speakers played its role well in the countless explosions and firing throughout these two movies, and the movie dialogue was crisp and precise. Especially in the helicopter gun battle scene, the sound was incredible, giving the perfect balance and blend in sound making you feel as if the movie is real. However there's always a 'but' to every good thing; when you increase the volume way beyond the halfway mark the sound starts to distort slightly. I was quite disappointed with this, but hey one minus point isn't too bad now is it. I tested a few games such as Quake III, NFS IV and the explosions, the gunfire, engine revs, were simply great. You have to hear it to believe how good they sound.

What we should consider most when listening to the 3025 speakers is that they are only $80 in price. When you talk about value for money this is sure to be on top of the list. I mean think about it, why would you want to spend over a hundred dollars on a speaker system when the ProMedia 3025 sound just as them or in some cases better.

Conclusion:

By now you should have a good understanding as to how good the ProMedia 3025 speakers are. When it comes to value for money Diamond Audio Technologies is so confident that their speakers stand out of the crowed that they are willing to refund the purchase of any ProMedia speaker system, if anyone produces another speaker system that could match theirs in its price range and most importantly its quality. I think that's a very bold statement to make, but as far as I can see they have nothing to fear at all. So to wrap things up I'll just say that if you're an average user who's looking for great sound for a very reasonable price, then do not hesitate for a moment; get your self one of these gems.

Features

• 3" Diamond long throw drivers for increased bass response
• Total of 12W R.M.S. power output (2 x 6W R.M.S. per speaker)
• Individual Bass and Treble controls
• Proprietary 3DSPTM Feature
• Volume control
• Headphone jack
• Integrated Loudness Equalizer
• Subwoofer out jack
• Complete Amplifier protection circuitry
• Silent turn on/off. Switch

Specifications

• Total power output (6W R.M.S. x 2): 12W R.M.S.
• Signal to noise ratio : 82dB
• Frequency response : 90 - 18 KHz
• Maximum SPL : 96dB · Total Harmonic Distortion : <1.0%
• Amp Sensitivity : 300mV
• Dynamic Headroom : >2dB

Audio Quality

The ProMedia 2012 system, as it seems to appear is mainly aimed at users with low-end sound cards and with a tighter budget. One great thing Diamond Audio does in their designs is to avoid duplicating features of its other systems. The 2012 boasts of features such as separate treble and bass controls as well as a headphone jack and a subwoofer out jack.

The extra R.M.S. power is greatly evident to that of the 3025's satellites. The high and midrange frequencies are excellent, giving crisp clear sound all the time, and since it's sold just under $40 I think it's a great bargain. Behind the stylish cloth mesh you see in the picture rests a 3" Diamond long throw driver for increase bass response. (So they say) However the drawback that's most evident in the ProMedia 2012 system is its lack of bass. I guess you can't expect everything to be perfect from just a 3" driver; there are practical limitations as to what a 3" driver could do.

Yet Diamond Audio has understood the drawbacks of the 2012 and included a subwoofer out jack. One might ask why not include a subwoofer to this system as well; but then you are missing the total point of this system. As I said before this system has been designed mainly for customers with tighter budgets or people who have no requirement for such things. Therefore including a sub would makes this system quite impractical. However I too wish that they come up with a system like this with the sub in the future, now that'll be great.

My gaming experience with the 2012 was quite okay, however the lack of bass was quite evident. Yet the overall experience you get compensates to this, since the only complaint I had with this system was the lack of bass. Everything else just kicked in smoothly. The trebles and midrange were very powerful and clear; I just couldn't believe how these small speakers could produce such great quality sound. Power is more than adequate and if you have no hearing problems I doubt you'll be able to go past the half way volume mark. Game dialogues, and overall music in NFS IV and Quake III was quite impressive, but explosions, gunfire and car crashes all were lacking depth due to the lack of bass. Audio music was rich in clarity giving perfect high and midrange frequencies. The 3DSP 3D enhancing feature truly does give a 3D effect to the music. It may not be as good as a 4 or 5 piece system but for its league no doubt it's really impressive. Movies too gave a good overall effect with crisp clear dialogues and well-balanced sound. Yet as I said before the sound lacked the depth when it comes to bass.

However don't think that these speakers are not good at all, because they are exceptionally good for a $40 speaker system. So if you're no high-end gaming fanatic and you want a decent speaker system for a very reasonable price then this is a good option the go for.

I guarantee you that you'll not find a speaker system that's capable of producing similar sound quality at this low price of $39.99. Buying a speaker system totally depends on your actual needs and budget. So as I said before, if you have no special requirement for a high-end speaker system then the ProMedia 2012 speaker system is a real bargain not to be missed.

Features

• 3" Diamond long throw drivers for increased bass response
• Total of 10W R.M.S. power output (2 x 5W R.M.S. per speaker)
• Proprietary 3DSP™ Feature
• Volume control
• Headphone jack
• Microphone pass-through for educational applications
• Integrated Loudness equalizer
• Complete Amplifier protection circuitry
• Silent turn on/off. Switch

Specifications

• Total power output (5W R.M.S. x 2): 10W R.M.S.
• Signal to noise ratio : 82dB
• Frequency response : 100 - 15 KHz
• Maximum SPL : 95dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion : <1.0%
• Amp Sensitivity : 300mV
• Dynamic Headroom : >2dB

Audio Quality

As I mentioned before the people who'll opt to buy this speaker system are those who have absolutely no real need for an expensive speaker system. I guess if you're fed up with the desktop speakers you got with you computer system, then this is an excellent choice. Caged in a durable mesh grill these 3" long throw drivers give out a total power output of 10W R.M.S. If you are upgrading from your cheap $20 or $30 speaker system, then the 2010 speakers are bound to give you a totally new experience. Size can be very deceiving when it comes to Diamond Audio's speakers. If you think this is just another $30 speaker system you get in the market, boy are you wrong.

Diamond Audio is so confident that their speakers are unmatched by any other speaker system in their individual price ranges that their guarantee states: if a customer finds a superior speaker system to ours within 60 days of the purchase of one of our speaker systems, we'll refund their purchase in full. For a company to make such a statement, you could just imagine how good these speakers really are.

As with the 2012 the 2010 also produce impressive high and mid range frequencies. I put these speakers to the usual test, similar to what I did with the ProMedia 3025 and the 2012. Well I must say the overall effect I got from these speakers were really good. I tested a few other speakers in its price range just through curiosity to see how good these speakers really are. Believe me, they were worlds apart. Trebles and midranges were almost similar to a good speaker system, yet the bass isn't too great (guess I don't need to repeat myself again). However it sure beats all the other speaker systems I tested in its range. The fact is you really can't expect excellent sound quality from a $30 speaker system, so if you want excellent sound be prepared to spend over a hundred dollars. However in its price range of $29.99 I can't think how these speakers could get any better.

The 2010 also comes with the 3DSP™ feature, giving you crisp clear 3D sound when needed. It also features a Microphone pass-through for educational applications. I couldn't think of any real need for this for myself, yet that's just me. Some might find this feature very useful in their college studies as well as company presentations. It also comes with a headphone jack, giving you the choice of privacy when needed.

Overall I would say the ProMedia 2010 is a great speaker system and it out performs most speaker systems in its price range (This goes for the total ProMedia series as well). I don't know about you, but I think that's exceptionally great. How often can you say this when it comes to speakers? Finally I would say that if you are looking for a really cheap speaker system with very impressive sound then the ProMedia 2010 system is an excellent buy. If you already don't own any speaker system but want to step into this new world, I suggest you go ahead and start with this, it's great, you'll simply love it. If money's no real object then go for the ProMedia 3025(It really kicks ass). However if you're looking for really great sound then the 2010 will disappoint you, no doubt. It's sheer common sense, want more… pay more…!!! When it comes to sound however it's always a matter of personal taste. Some might like the sound produced by the 2010 and some might not. The final decider is you, so make sure you make the right choice, however I would recommend any of the ProMedia speaker series to anybody any day.