Audio Reviews

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In my humble opinion, if you are primarily interested in blowing off the roof while you crank up the volume for rap music, then put the CD in your stereo.

These speakers are not causing Dolby to lose sleep at night but for a home computer system, they are nothing short of excellent.

Sleek, extremely lightweight and designed so they can fit almost anywhere, they are wonderful for any home/office. And the sound? Perfect. Test them with any of Amazon's audio clips while you are on-line and you can see how professional Altec Lansing made these.

But what brings it all together is the price. For [a reasonable price], these perform better than most speakers that come with boom boxes and mini-audio systems.

So, if you want concert hall sound, go to a concert hall. But if you want to upgrade from the (usually) shoddy speakers that come pre-packed with most computers, these are the ones to buy.

I bought these speaker many years ago, probably about 7 years ago I think, for $100. They are a great set of speakers. I was happy with them then, and I am still happy with them now. Yes, I still have them and they still sound great. I listen to CD's in my car, on boom boxes, and on other computer speakers, but am still amazed at the quality and extra sound reproduction that I get with these speakers on my home computer or laptop. I see that Amazon has them for just over $50, at that price they are a steal. You won't be disappointed

For a month I researched and looked at so many speakers. I decided on these speakers. All I can say is WOW! These are better than most stereo speakers I have heard. I am MORE than satisfied and was TOTALLY blown away! Combine the unbelievable qualtiy with the price and these qualify for a five star rating. I can't say enough and have absolutely nothing negative to say about these speakers. I am very happy with my decision and would recommend these without hesitation. If you are looking, look no further.

This is my second Denon receiver, my first was the AVR-2700. Both are awesome receivers but the AVR-5700 has the capability to use up to 7 speakers instead of 5 and puts out 140 watts per channel. This lets you switch from bipolar surrounds for movies to direct radiating rears for AC-3 or 5 channel stereo. The 5 channel stereo mode is simply unbelievable. If you like listening to music as well as movies, this is the receiver for you.

I picked up this receiver as an upgrade to my previous Denon receiver (the AVR-2500) which I had for almost 4 years. The reason I bought my first Denon receiver is the fact that 10 years ago, when I bought my first CD player (which just happened to be a Denon) I have never had a problem with it nor ever needed a tune-up. I did lots and lots of shopping around before purchasing this Denon, and found that it was the top of its class. 140 Watts per channel makes this Denon a real screamer. 5-Channel Stereo, all of us reviewers can rant and rave about this, but you have to hear it to believe it. It simply makes any CD so awesome that 2-Channel Stereo just doesn't cut it afterwards. Dolby Digital and DTS make this Denon so versatile for all movies. And we cannot forget to mention THX-Ultra Certified...simply put: the Best of the Best. It is even set up for upgrading to future formats (6th, 7th and 8th channel) This receiver, even though so complex on its inside, is so easy to set up. It practically walks you through everything with its on screen programming guide in nice, easy steps. One word of advice: after buying this, spend the extra bucks for the higher-end cables and hook-ups, they make a world of difference. The Denon AVR-5700 is for anyone who likes to just sit back and relax and listen to their favorite CD, and for anyone who likes to watch movies the way Hollywood wants us to see them: Big Loud Scary and Fun.

Unlike many units out there, this one stands out as ahead of its time - and even by todays standards, still a major contender. Like the Acura legend, the AVR 5700 remains legendary. Quality build, rock solid performance for the HT enthusiast. Musical performance is also decent, especially due to ALPHA 24 processing. I have never clipped the amps on this unit running full throttle - of course, you must use tone defeat in order to eliminate risk; with good source the sound is very clean and undistorted. I use 5700 to drive 5 full range Paradigm's and often with subwoofer off - low end reached 30hz; ended up purchasing a sunfire sub to reach bottom end of 18hz.
No regrets.

The Tivoli Model Two is, without a doubt, the best purchase I have ever made. This unit is insanely good. Having heard the Model One, I decided to purchase the Model Two and the Model Subwoofer. The Model One is an outstanding mono table radio but the Two is better than just a stereo version. There is no remote, no blinking LED's or LCD display. Just the best sounding small stereo system I have heard outside of a Nakamichi system that goes for the price of a used car. Sounds are reproduced clean, clear, and with the addition of the sub, rich and warm. Don't let the small size fool you, this system will fill the room with music. The tuner is excellent, as it should be given the high tech components and geared dial. Setup is a breeze. Plug box b into box a. Plug box c into box a. plug boxes a and c into the wall. You're good to go! If desired plug a cd player into the aux port on box a and hold on. The quality is uniformly excellent and the appearance is an extremely nice retro look that will go great with all but the most modern of decors. For a price of about half of it's more famous competitor it is without a doubt the best deal I know of in small audio. No it can't replace large components for big rooms or home theater but then it's not supposed to. It's made to do one thing: produce great sound from a small package and that it does supremely. If you're in the market for small audio, look no further. You have found sonic nirvana.

I was looking for a mini "shelf system" for my office. Started by going to circuit city and best buy and looking at what they've got. Either the stuff was ugly and plasticky, sounded mediocre, or so full of gimmicky led's and stuff as to render it undesirable. The only exception was a nice onkyo unit, but at $400 that was more than I wanted to spend.

Then i started reading reviews of the Tivoli model two and it sounded like it fit the bill. Brought it home today (i splurged the extra $80 for the sub-woofer) and I absolutely love it.

Great radio reception which should work well in a steel office building, and have my ipod connected via the docks 1/8" line out to the aux in on the radio.

Absolutely a perfect fit.

Pro's
1. great value for the $
2. really solidly built-quality feel of all, especially the tuning knob
3. subwoofer is well done and tuned just right... definitely spring for it if you can afford.
4. terrific styling
5. great sound-especially from such small speakers, and absolutely unbelievable stereo separation.
6. aux input selection on the front, and every other input option you need is on the back.

Con's
1. (and this is really minor), it's a little hard to see the station #'s because of the colors chosen, but dialing is mostly a feel thing anyway.
2. the model one comes in many cool color combos, too bad the model two doesn't as well.

This is truely an incredible system. First thing you'll notice is that this is a heavy little box, which is good, because being light weight is a sign of cheap electronics. I just can't believe how this system can generate sound quality that fills the room.

In comparison, I have an Aiwa bookself system that cost me $400. And this Model Two Radio actually provided clearer and fuller sound. I have a Digital Dolby system which totals around $2,000. The Model Two was no match for that. But hey, that's not a fair comparison.

Get it if you want a great sounding system for your room and don't want to have giant system running wires everywhere.

I will be getting another on for my other rooms.

I got the Creative Labs MUVO 64 MB a few years ago and twas great. Never had a problem with it, not once. Only that it could carry 1 hour of mp3's or 2 hrs. of wma's. But that was a lot then, for a flash memory mp3 player. Now, with the MuVo TX FM 256MB it's what was great before but with more memory, FM radio, Voice Recorder, and an LCD screen to let me know what I am listening to. In my opinion, more reliable then the ipods because who the hell needs 100 hours of continuous music play. Although I do have to admit that the ipod is good to backup your files, if you have a whole lotta files to backup.

I decided to go with a Creative device because a few years back I bought a sound card for my PC and was very happy with it<br /> <br /> The MuVo TX FM is a great little device that burns all other MP3 Players in it's price catagory. I am able to store my files from work, record meetings, and hook it up to personal speakers in my office. The only problem is that the headphones that come with it are a bit too big for the avarege adult ear.<br /> <br /> I love the 5 band equalizer that lets me change the sound settings for diffrent kinds of music. It even has a custom setting where you can adjust it to your liking. The AAA battery last about 5 to 6 days if you use it regularly, so rechargeable batteries are a good idea. Overall, this is a great device for the music lover/computer guy.

Super pleased with purchase- best value, small, sturdy, super easy to navigate- and drag and drop...sound wual is awesome- perfect for gym, comfortable arm band.

Would be cool if they made it with the M port, but it's still cool. Creative labs by far the best brand out there for players.

The HD-580s are probably the best buy in quality headphones going today. These are true audiophile headphones that bring quality construction and sound with them. The 580s are akin to the equivalent of a pair of $1100 speakers if you use the rule of thumb of $1 for headphones for every $6 in speakers. [I own a pair of ACI Sapphires and a pair of Quad speakers].

While other headphone companies make quality gear, they really don't have anything at this price point that performs well. Grado's R2, a great headphone in its own right, is over two hundred dollars more than the 580.

The reason for their value, I think, is that it contains much of the same internal electronics as the HD-600 and 650s. These retail for at least $150 or so more than the 580s, the only difference being the 580s are made of hard plastic and the 600/650s have additional electronics that only nominally effect sound.

These get my highest recommendation.

I received these headphones for Christmas. After searching for headphones, having used a few (Grado 60, Sony MDR-V4 and V6s), I find the HD580s are great.
They are comfortable, offer great sound reproduction and imaging and are adequate in bass. What's interesting is the fact that they are good enough to hear things I've not heard on some of my music CDs. I haven't experienced ear fatigue that I usually get with other headphones. Highly recommended!

I have a pair of 580s I bought over 9 years ago, and paid almost twice the current price. They are still the best sounding, most comfortable headphones I've ever used. I listen to music 8+ hours a day at work. These headphones are incredibly comfortable. Sound reproduction is excellent, I originally bought them to listen to live recordings I was making of local bands. They work great with my dat deck, or with my pc. After nine years the only signs of wear is the thin piece of foam between your ear and the speaker element. It's finally worn enough to need replacement. Should anything happen to these, I would buy another pair immediately.

Ok, I never thought I would write this about computer speakers.. If you dont have a woop (...) set of computer speakers, then buy these.. if you have to wonder if you do.. then you dont. If you have these Altecs you will understand that... Now down to the details, amazon.com got these to me ASAP and for free.. thanks amazon. Next, let me tell you that my first pair came from circuit city but i paid about fifty clams more:( but i have now purchased 5 yes 5 more pair from amazon. I gave them to a few emplyees as a gift. and another pair for my home computer. Dont sit too close to these and crank them as hard as they will go. They can play clean and undistorted to a higher level than your ears can bear. I first opened them, disappointed to see MADE IN CHINA after about 3 minutes of listening I have changed my opinion of MADE IN CHINA. Stop reading this and buy a pair. (...) gosh my ears are ringing..

Just got these speakers from Amazon and I have to say, "Wow!" I'm a music lover/stereophile who is picky about sound quality. These speakers replaced an aging set of Altec Lansing ACS53 speakers from the mid 90's. I used to be a snob, doubting that a set of computer speakers could measure up to the sound I got out of my high-end home system. Boy, was I wrong. I base this review on how it sounds with music, everything from classical, piano, vocals to rap and techno. I didn't try it with movies or games... they're not my thing on my computer.

The difference between the old and the new speakers is night and day. The highs and the mids are crystal clear without harshness, buzziness or coloration. The lows are powerful, punchy and tight, not boomy or muddled. Amazing 2.1 sound quality. Not nearly up to par with the high end rig that I have in the living room. But for a small fraction of the price, to even be mentioned in the same sentence is truly amazing. Plus, I can enjoy them while working on my computer instead of having to take time out to enjoy the home rig.

I was debating between these and the the Klipsch ProMedia GMX A-2.1. Though I can't comment about the Klipsch speakers, I have to say that, if you value music, for the price you can't go wrong with these Altec Lansings. Great for the computer/music lover or iPod user.

Three warnings:
1. The satellites are tippy and may fall forward if not secured.
2. You will want to start ripping songs at higher bit rates. Lower bit rates won't do them justice. You'll be able to hear the difference. Crappy recordings will sound like crap. High quality will sound like high quality.
3. Your neighbors will hate you from all the loud music coming from your place.

Good luck and enjoy.

Before buying these speakers I read just about every review on every speaker on Amazon. You have to be very skeptical about reviews because some are shills (from the competing manufacturers). My first set of Altec Lansing speakers for my home stereo system I bought 14 years ago with 15" subwoofers. I haven't purchased a pair of Altec Lansing since so I wasn't sure if they retained their standard of perfection. But I can see that my worries were unfounded. The sound is absolutely crisp and as clear as you'll get for computer speakers. I listen to everything from classical to hard rock to Ottmar Leibert (except rap, which I refuse to de-genius myself by doing) and the sound quality is consistent. I was considering Klipsch speakers, but after hearing them at the store there was no doubt that Altec Lansing was the clear winner for my ear.

I bought this remote about 2 years ago. I had a pretty good Home Theater setup, with all the components to go with it. After seeing reviews on Remote Central and other places, I decided to spring for the approximately $100+ cost of this device. It has worked flawlessly, controlling just about everything I have: DVD, Receiver, VCR, and TV.

The MX-500 fits the hand very well, has very tactile buttons that are easy to find, and has a pleasing blue backlite that shows all controls when needed. It even has the capability of adjusting the amount of time the light stays on! The LCD screen displays what component you are using, and has multiple pages for each device. The one minor gripe I have is the 'Enter' button is all the way at the bottom of the keyboard-kind of a strange spot for a button that gets so much use.

For my second TV in our bedroom, I purchased a Sony VL900 Universal for about half the price of the MX-500; thought I'd save some money (the original failed, of course). Big mistake! The Sony started losing button functions after just a few months. Should have bought another MX-500 to begin with. I will be doing that shortly.

For those in need, the MX-500 is just about as good as it gets. Ergonomically sound, easily visible, relatively easy to program, and very flexible, the MX-500 is the one Universal Remote I recommend over all others. Learn how to use it properly, and you won't be disappointed. The most important thing here is reliability - it works over the long haul.

Before buying the MX-500 I tried many remotes. I bought and returned the 1 for all Kameleon.(Far too confusing and not enough buttons.) I then bought and returned the Sony AV 3000. (Again, not enough buttons, no way to label those that are there properly and a touchy touch screen.) I then tried the Phillips Pronto at a dealer. My God - how many screens do you have to go through to find the one you need?

I finally started doing some research on the Internet and decided to try the MX-500. Every once in a great while someone hits upon a design that is so simple and elegant that you wonder why nobody ever thought of it before. The MX-500 is one of these classics. I won't go through all of the things it does so well which other reviewers have eloquently described except to say that I have been able to program every command from every remote I have in such a way that I am able to know which button does what and to access them all quickly. I can also, for example, go to the VCR device and control some necessary TV functions (such as changing the TV input) from the VCR device. And I don't have to guess which button to press because it's clearly labeled. In fact, the MX-500 is easier to use than some of the original remotes which it replaces since some of them had tiny or confusingly placed buttons.

The MX-500's display is crisp with excellent contrast even in dim room lighting. If you have even a dim lamp on anywhere in the room you will be able to read the display. I never use the backlight. In fact,if there's anything bad to say about the MX-500 it's that the backlight is useless except in very dark surroundings.

In short, I think this is the best universal remote AT ANY PRICE.

I too have this Remote. It's by far the best one I've ever owned. I won't just repeat what's been said already, just whole heartedly agree. I've had it a year and have my living room home theatre system wired! To get the most out of it, look into a simple Radio Shacke JP1 compatible remote to aid in discrete code programming this one. Check www.remotecentral.com for about all the information on this you can handle. Buy it GREAT current Amazon price of $90.

What more can you ask for in a compact shelf system. I bought this one and I was thrilled with its mind-blowing power of 460 watts of pure audio. This system will rock your crib! For bass enthusiasts this is the system to look for at any electronics store. The system has two powerful amplifiers built in the chassis. One for the 8-inch subwoofers driving out 160 watts per channel into 6 ohms and 70 watts per channel into 4 ohms for the midranges and tweeters, totaling 460 watts! I have a Sony PHC-Z10 100 watt shelf system. It sounds a little louder for the mids and highs, but my JVC GigaTube system has much more thump to it. I also like the sound mode it has. It has Rock, Pop, Classic, Dance Club, Hall, and Stadium. I also like the Sound Turbo function it has so you can play your music to the max. It also has an independent subwoofer volume level control system so you minimize distortion of your bass and to avoid damaging your subs on accident if your are playing a song that has more bass in it's signal. It goes from level one through three. This system will also sound great for any compatible auxiliary component such as a video game system, DVD player, VCR, etc. All you need is red and white RCA audio jacks to connect your component to the auxiliary input. In my opinion, this system sounds very excellent for only $250.00. Be sure to test a display model of the MX-GT88 at the store before you purchase it.

Wow, I'm a definite JVC man for the rest of my life! I just recently upgraded from their 240 watt system to this baby and it has blown me away with it's amazing sound and bass power! The built in giga tubes are amazing and just sitting on the bed between the two speakers while jamming you can seriously feel like a high wind is blowing through at you from two sides! THEY HAVE SO MUCH POWER!! No other system will wow you like this system (well I'm sure the systems that are even higher wattage than this one from JVC will!) GET ONE NOW IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A STEREO SYSTEM!!Q

We just picked this up at our local Target for a clearance price of $129.00. We needed something for our pool gazebo where we entertain a lot. For the price, its a great sounding system. It was a simple out of the box setup and sounds just right, and it really rocks!!!

The battery on my ipod died after a year of having it. Now the charge only lasts about twenty minutes. I still use it every day, but only in my car with a charger attached.

I own the 3rd Generation iPod with the buttons on it and it's amazing. My brother owns this new 4th Generation iPod and it is also amazing. It doesn't come with the dock, however, this is not a much needed accesory. You can still transfer songs onto it and charge it if you use the firewire cable. Amazing MP3 player. It holds 5,000 songs- something you're not going to fill up anytime soon. Mine has about 900 on it and I've had it a year now. Once again amazing product, stop by the store and pick one up for yourself. You'll be doing yourself a favor!

If you are looking for a real good mp3 player, this is the one to get! It has everything i am looking for. First off it has a 20gb hard drive which can store 5,000 songs. my iTunes playlist has at least 600 hundred songs! second it has the new click-wheel which makes things much more easier to manuver around. the 3rd gen. iPod is real nice too but i don't like that the play, pause, stop buttons are at the top. finally the design is really high-tech looking. It has a nice white coating on the front and a metal finish at the back. it's thin as ever now also! i bought this for my wife for christmas but i also bought one for me too! these 20gb were sold out evrywhere!

The fair market value of ~$75.00 for these speakers is quite attractive, never-the-less, I returned my set a week after purchase and I will tell you why.

1) Sound quality is marginal at best. The highs are only apparent & clear if you turn the bass down to about 15-20% and the treble to about 55-60%. Without this adjustment, the sound is quite muddy and highs are lost to the droning lows. If you listen to these speakers next to Klipsch 2.1's ($140) or Creative's 250D's ($125) you will be amazed at the difference in accuracy and clarity. Now, admittedly, the VS4121's are half the price (roughly) but the difference is well worth the increase in QUALITY sound considering more and more of our entertainment is computer based (for instance - my entire audio collection is on my drive).

* Sidenote for your understanding: I listen to a great deal of Electronic which has a wide frequency range. Highs are extremely important. These speakers couldn't keep up. I also had a problem with 1 single track where low's were cutting out all together.

2) The manufacturer warns of a detectable buz or hum from the sub if the a/c current in your home operates @ 60 cycles. This is picked up and transmitted through the sub whether your speakers are connected to an audio source or not. This problem is WITHOUT REMEDY. My house was built in 1998 (relatively new) yet this became an enormous problem, regardless of where I plugged them in. The manual says that it's only detectable at low levels or with no audio source. A track would end and I would hear bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz until the next track began or I shut the speakers off completely. I don't experience this problem with any other speakers (multimedia or otherwise) in my home.

3) For the price (MSRP of $129.00), a remote (wired or wireless) would be a wonderful upgrade. You may not realize but reaching for the satellite to adjust EQ and volume is troublesome especially considering they need adjustment quite frequently.

Other than these gripes, the finish of the sub and satellites is quite nice and the audio cables are longer than they were on the old ATP3's which helps with configuration options.

I went into Best Buy to look at expensive receivers to replace my old broken down one, and decided to take a look at some computer speakers as I listen to all my music and watch all my movies through my PC. It took me all of 30 seconds to decide to buy these speakers instead. I couldn't believe the sound that was I was hearing. The Bose speakers positioned right next to them (that were the same price) didn't sound nearly as good. Both low and high sounds come off crystal clear. These speakers, combined with a Sound Blaster Audigy provide an incredible sound experience rivaling high end audio systems costing hundreds more. In other words, I would recommend these speakers.

I purchased these speakers for my dad as a Father's Day gift. After I gave him the gift, I then had to put everything together: The quick connect guide included with the set made the installation easy! I had everything connected w/i 5 minutes.

My Dad wanted to play one of his favorite CDs to break in the speakers. After we popped in the CD and pressed play, the sound was eye-popping! My jaw dropped and I listened with excitement. The bass had the whole room shaking wall to wall. The highs are crystal clear too.

I'm sure there are other speakers that you could buy that cost over $100 and could do the job better. But for the $99 I spent for this set, I believe that I purchased the best buy.