Midiland 8200 DD System vs. Klipsch 2.400 THX System.
vs. 
Some may ask why I chose the Midiland 8200's over the Klipsch 2.400 or even the new Klipsch 4.1 system. The reason is simple. My friend has the Klipsch 2.400 system so I knew what they sounded like. Therefore, I wanted to see what else was out on the market. My friend and I like to compete, so obviously, I looked for something that was getting good reviews and that I thought would really be different than the typical 2.1 or 4.1 setup. I soon came across the Midiland 8200's which offered 5.1 Dolby Digital as I've said probably a thousand times now 
. I read all the reviews I could find on them and they sounded sweet, so I got 'em.
Now that I've had them for a while and got to listen to 'em real good, I can compare the two systems better. First thing right off the bat you guys are probably curious about is how does the 100w bass of the Midilands compare to the 160w bass of the Klipsch. You may or may not be surprised when I say this but it stacked up EXTREMELY well. I would have never guessed so much bass could be created from a sub so small. Midiland definitly did their homework and constructed the cabinent hella-good, hah.
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Comparing the subwoofers...
In comparing the two, I would say the Klipsch sub is tight and punchy with a very prominent tone. On the Midilands it seemed that the sound of the sub was rather "endless". It just flowed from one note to the next without a real distinct tone. The Midilands sub isn't as "showy" as the Klipsch sub. Let me emphasize that the Midilands bass doesn't sound bad. I can't imagine another speaker system that could even compete other than the Klipsch (possibly the Sirroco Crossfires if they are what most reviews say they are). It's just that I believe the Klipsch bass to be noticably better.
Something discussed at the Klipsch message board is the limiter on the Klipsch bass which is very strict. From reading the posts at that message board, most say that when putting the speakers at 1/2 volume, the limiter will kick in and start fading the bass down or making it "weaker." This is a safety precaution to keep the bass from killing itself, but why have so much power (400w) when you can't even use it with the bass? Which leads me to the point that the Klipsch have more power than anybody would ever use; it's just wasted. So don't buy an audio system on the idea that just because they have more wattage, it means they are better. Buy them on the idea that you think they will sound the best to you. I personally have not noticed a limiter on my Midiland's sub. That doesn't mean it doesn't have one, though (I am currently waiting on a reply from Midiland about this). Also note that not everybody at the Klipsch bbs has noticed the "problem" with the limiter. Maybe it's because they've never turned them up enuogh to see or notice it? Who knows. It's just something to think about.
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Comparing the satellites...
Now to comparing the sats. The main difference between the Klipschs' sat the the Midilands' sat is that the Klipsch have tweeters which are very useful for those high notes. There are some that don't like the Klipschhorn (by putting a driver into a horn you increase it's efficiency - in this case, the tweeters) and say they are very harsh and hurt their ears. I think I fall into that category, to a point. At lower volumes, it's great, but when you start pumping it up (probably about 50% and up), the high notes are just too "loud" and start hurting my ears. Thats why I prefer the sound of the Midilands. It's a much warmer sounds thats very pleasing to my ears. But, just because I like it, doesn't mean you will. Again, just another thing to think about. If you listen to lost of classical music where you like hearing the individual instraments, you would probably prefer the Klipsch. It all depends.
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Dolby Digital or THX?
This is like comparing apples and oranges, so I'm not really going to compare them; just try to give you some insight on what they are. Some of you may be curious what the differnece between the two mean or what it has to do with the system. Well, let me *try* to explain to the best of my knowledge; which is limited by the way
"Having a THX certification means that all the drivers and electronics that are used in the Promedia's are all matched perfectly for performance and sound. THX ensures that every component will deliver the most accurate sound possible." - GamersDepot review of the 2.400's.
As stated above, THX is a certification which proves a product is "the ultimate in sound and picture quality." THX is really so the consumer knows that he is going to get a kick ass product. Its a stamp of approval, so to speak. You can visit the THX website to find out more.
Dolby Digital, on the other hand is a format made by Dolby Technologies. Dolby Digital, or AC-3, is the most widely used format from Dolby Technologies, to date. Here is what they had to say about it:
"Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby's best-known digital system, is used to provide multichannel surround sound in cinemas from 35 mm film, and in the home from laser discs, DVDs, and digital broadcast television, cable, and satellite systems. It enables the transmission and storage of up to five full-range audio channels, plus a low-frequency effects channel (LFE), in less space than is required for just one linear PCM-coded channel on a compact disc. Additional features include the transmission of metadata that can control playback parameters such as dialogue-keyed playback level, and the ability of two-channel decoders to downmix multichannel soundtracks."
Basically, what I get out of it, is that it's a format which supports 5 channles, plus one LFE (low frequence effect) channel. This creates the "5.1" name which offers true surround sound. The center speaker mainly handles the voices in a song, DVD, or whatever audio you happen to be listening to. The rest back it up, per se. You can learn more by visiting DolbyDigital.com
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So, the conclusion...
Well, this is where you decide what is most important to you. What you think you will like best. I'm not here to preach that either the 8200's or ProMedias (2.400's) are the best on the planet. I'm here to help you decide what you think will beneift you best. All I can say, really, is that the Klipsch are basically dedicated to the computer, where as the Midilands can be used in all sorts of environments. Plug 'em in your Playstation, VCR, DVD-Player, etc. Anything with an S/PDIF, RCA or 3.5mm audio-out jack on it can be hooked up to these bad boys.
I would also like to point out that I am no professional here; these are all just my opinons and they are probably amateur ones at that. There is no way I can tell you which sounds better, all I can tell you is which I think sounds better. If the Midilands had the klipsch sub, they would be the best system for under $300 (I got mine for $225 shipped in March of 2001).
If you are lucky, you can run down to your local Best Buy and check out the Klipsch ProMedias, our Best Buy just recently started carrying them. I think this will help you, if you are confused on which to get. Well, I hope this helped. Thanks for reading.
1) Home
2) Specs
3) Pictures
4) Performance
5) Conclusion