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Engadget's recession antidote: win a Klipsch HD Theater 500 sound system!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1 sound system, ready to rattle the floor of one lucky domicile. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!Huge thanks to Klipsch for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system. Approximate retail value is $599.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Thursday, April 9th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system impressions
Klipsch won our hearts over years ago with its ProMedia 4.1 setup, and we're happy to say that the winning formula hasn't been significantly altered in the HD Theater 500. Honestly, the satellites presented here look an awful lot like those bundled in with the ProMedia kit, but these do check in with a bit less bulk and a bit more gloss. Upon unboxing the 5.1 system, we were actually pretty astounded by how light each of the speakers were, with even the subwoofer not being painfully heavy. All the small talk aside, we know you're here to see if these suckers are worth your hard-earned dollars -- follow us on past the break for a breakdown of the pros and cons.
Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system hands-on
Klipsch stunned the boxed surround sound world back in late January with the announcement of three relatively affordable 5.1 sound systems. The middle guy (yeah, the HD Theater 500) just started shipping out to the earliest of adopters, and we just so happened to get our set in today. For $599.99 (MSRP), you get four surrounds, a center channel and a powered (100 watt) 8-inch subwoofer. Each satellite is a sealed enclosure finished in a high-gloss piano black, with a 2.5-inch IMG woofer (center channel has two) and a MicroTractrix horn-loaded aluminum dome tweeter (0.75-inches) packed within. We can say with certainty that these drivers are delightfully small, but if you're looking specifics, here goes: the satellites are 6- x 3.6- x 3.85-inches, while the center channel measures in at 3.6- x 9- x 3.85-inches. As for the subbie? 13.9- x 12.5- x 12.5-inches. We're setting this rig up as we speak to give it a listen and report back, but till then, feel free to peruse the unboxing gallery below.
Klipsch horns in on DTV transition madness
In a bit of a creative leap, loudspeaker manufacturer Klipsch is launching a marketing campaign that ties in with the (probably soon-to-be delayed) DTV transition. We're on board with the catchphrase "A high-def picture demands high-def sound," but let's be clear -- the DTV transition isn't going to bring 24/7 high-def video to all your OTA channels, and it certainly isn't going to mean high-def sound will be filling the airwaves, either. Like we said, though, it's hard to deny the fact that most people aren't aware of how atrocious most TVs sound, or how spending a little money on some new speakers can really increase their enjoyment of their systems. Klipsch is hoping its HD Theater 300, 500 and 1000 systems are an ear- and wallet-opening experience for them. So, are you willing to forgive a bit of a marketing stretch for a good cause, or do you lump this right in with cable companies using the DTV transition to scare customers into digital tiers?
Klipsch intros HD Theater 300 / 500 / 1000 5.1 speaker systems
Klipsch isn't exactly known for hovering around in the bargain bin, but given the current worldwide economic situation, it's pumping out a new trio of 5.1-channel speaker systems that are quite affordable given the specs. Starting at the low-end, we've got the HD Theater 300 (shipping in April), which packs mid-range surrounds (2.5-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch MicroTractrix Horn-loaded textile tweeter in each) alongside a down-firing 6.5-inch subwoofer. Moving on up, there's the HD Theater 500 (shipping in March), which swaps in an aluminum dome tweeter in the surrounds and an 8-inch subbie. The top-end HD Theater 1000 (shipping next month) includes 8.6-inch tall surrounds that support wall mounting and a 10-inch earth shaker. As for prices? Try $399.99, $599.99 and $899.99 in order of mention.
