Speaker-System Reviews
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Worth The (Extremely Affordable) Price
A Great Deal On A Great Set Of Speakers
WOW!
- True multichannel audio
- Audio Management software
- On-screen control
- Integrated volume control
- Uses USB port (with Windows 98) or standard 3.5 millimeter stereo audio output
List price: $199.99 (that's NaN% off!)
Used price: $140.00

They'll blow you away . . .
Somewhat tricky to use with audio cardsBut in a way, these speakers are TOO good. They don't require an audio card because they connect via USB, and therefore come with their own audio management software. This, Altec claims, is a positive boon. There's no need, they say, to buy a separate audio card if you own their speakers. Unfortunately, this selling point, while truthful, belies market realities. Almost every computer sold today already comes with an audio card of some kind. So, if, as would seem natural, you install these speakers by plugging into the USB ports you'll create an odd and frustrating anomoly in Windows. Windows will believe you have two audio controllers: the Altec Lansing speakers and your audio card. This can be frustrating if playing games, because, despite the quality of these speakers, you probably do want the sound to go through the advanced drivers on your audio card. But Windows will typically give preference to whatever device was added most recently. So if you were used to having the sound pumped through your audio card before you got the speakers, the act of plugging in the USB cables alone will automatically cut your audio card out of the loop. The upshot: goodbye Aureal--or whatever your preferred audio accelerator was.
So how can you get these speakers to work with your Soundblaster Live or other audio card? Easy. Unplug the USB connection. Better still, never connect them that way in the first place. It's a simple fix, but it makes no intuitive sense and is only barely mentioned in the manual. Altec Lansing went to such trouble to market the USB connectivity of the product; it's more than a little ironic that most users don't really WANT to connect it that way.
Also, do take heed of the very OS-specific nature of the product. It will ONLY run on a Windows 98 machine. Not 3.1, not 95, probably not 2000 (though you should contact Altec Lansing for confirmation on that), ONLY 98. Don't even bother thinking that you can somehow create a workaround. If you don't have Windows 98, don't complain when you have to send them back.
All this aside, though, this is a serious audio system for your computer. At the price, you won't find anything better.
Little tweaking and you'll get the sound you want. Best!!!But I was not satisfied with bass at first. It was too low at low volumes, even with bass volume set at max. I tried to increase the bass using the equaliser that is built into mp3 player, but it distorted the music, it was distorted even at lowest volumes and it was distorted with othe speakers that I tried, so I concluded that it must be the soft equaliser that is messing things up. I was diappointed about it at first, I even went as far as ordering stand alone equaliser. But couple days later I found the solution to this problem. It turned out that (on mp3 player equaliser) you should leave the bass lever where it is and turn down the rest of the levers to get distortionfree bass. Than crank up the volume on the speakers.After that, I did got much, much more distortion free bass than I needed. (prologic mode cranks up bass even further)
In fact I listened music for 5 minutes at 30% volume with bass set up as described above and my next door neghbour showd up complaining about music.
I never even plugged in stand alone equaliser that I recieved.
I am completely satisfied with these speakers now.
You can get these speaker for a total of $100 at yahoo shopping.
It is dirt cheap for this much clean sound.
(I did compared them to Klipsch promedia thx 2.1 and think that midrange is more present (or live) in ADA890 and bass also goes deeper (no wonder ADA890 has 8" bass driver vs 6.25" in Klipsch)

List price: $329.99 (that's NaN% off!)

They'll blow you away . . .
Somewhat tricky to use with audio cardsBut in a way, these speakers are TOO good. They don't require an audio card because they connect via USB, and therefore come with their own audio management software. This, Altec claims, is a positive boon. There's no need, they say, to buy a separate audio card if you own their speakers. Unfortunately, this selling point, while truthful, belies market realities. Almost every computer sold today already comes with an audio card of some kind. So, if, as would seem natural, you install these speakers by plugging into the USB ports you'll create an odd and frustrating anomoly in Windows. Windows will believe you have two audio controllers: the Altec Lansing speakers and your audio card. This can be frustrating if playing games, because, despite the quality of these speakers, you probably do want the sound to go through the advanced drivers on your audio card. But Windows will typically give preference to whatever device was added most recently. So if you were used to having the sound pumped through your audio card before you got the speakers, the act of plugging in the USB cables alone will automatically cut your audio card out of the loop. The upshot: goodbye Aureal--or whatever your preferred audio accelerator was.
So how can you get these speakers to work with your Soundblaster Live or other audio card? Easy. Unplug the USB connection. Better still, never connect them that way in the first place. It's a simple fix, but it makes no intuitive sense and is only barely mentioned in the manual. Altec Lansing went to such trouble to market the USB connectivity of the product; it's more than a little ironic that most users don't really WANT to connect it that way.
Also, do take heed of the very OS-specific nature of the product. It will ONLY run on a Windows 98 machine. Not 3.1, not 95, probably not 2000 (though you should contact Altec Lansing for confirmation on that), ONLY 98. Don't even bother thinking that you can somehow create a workaround. If you don't have Windows 98, don't complain when you have to send them back.
All this aside, though, this is a serious audio system for your computer. At the price, you won't find anything better.
Little tweaking and you'll get the sound you want. Best!!!But I was not satisfied with bass at first. It was too low at low volumes, even with bass volume set at max. I tried to increase the bass using the equaliser that is built into mp3 player, but it distorted the music, it was distorted even at lowest volumes and it was distorted with othe speakers that I tried, so I concluded that it must be the soft equaliser that is messing things up. I was diappointed about it at first, I even went as far as ordering stand alone equaliser. But couple days later I found the solution to this problem. It turned out that (on mp3 player equaliser) you should leave the bass lever where it is and turn down the rest of the levers to get distortionfree bass. Than crank up the volume on the speakers.After that, I did got much, much more distortion free bass than I needed. (prologic mode cranks up bass even further)
In fact I listened music for 5 minutes at 30% volume with bass set up as described above and my next door neghbour showd up complaining about music.
I never even plugged in stand alone equaliser that I recieved.
I am completely satisfied with these speakers now.
You can get these speaker for a total of $100 at yahoo shopping.
It is dirt cheap for this much clean sound.
(I did compared them to Klipsch promedia thx 2.1 and think that midrange is more present (or live) in ADA890 and bass also goes deeper (no wonder ADA890 has 8" bass driver vs 6.25" in Klipsch)

- 5-speaker setup for PCs, portable audio players, and game consoles
- 120 watts RMS total output
- 60-watt, 8-inch long-throw subwoofer
- 27 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response
- Dolby Digital THX-certified
List price: $349.99 (that's NaN% off!)

They'll blow you away . . .
Somewhat tricky to use with audio cardsBut in a way, these speakers are TOO good. They don't require an audio card because they connect via USB, and therefore come with their own audio management software. This, Altec claims, is a positive boon. There's no need, they say, to buy a separate audio card if you own their speakers. Unfortunately, this selling point, while truthful, belies market realities. Almost every computer sold today already comes with an audio card of some kind. So, if, as would seem natural, you install these speakers by plugging into the USB ports you'll create an odd and frustrating anomoly in Windows. Windows will believe you have two audio controllers: the Altec Lansing speakers and your audio card. This can be frustrating if playing games, because, despite the quality of these speakers, you probably do want the sound to go through the advanced drivers on your audio card. But Windows will typically give preference to whatever device was added most recently. So if you were used to having the sound pumped through your audio card before you got the speakers, the act of plugging in the USB cables alone will automatically cut your audio card out of the loop. The upshot: goodbye Aureal--or whatever your preferred audio accelerator was.
So how can you get these speakers to work with your Soundblaster Live or other audio card? Easy. Unplug the USB connection. Better still, never connect them that way in the first place. It's a simple fix, but it makes no intuitive sense and is only barely mentioned in the manual. Altec Lansing went to such trouble to market the USB connectivity of the product; it's more than a little ironic that most users don't really WANT to connect it that way.
Also, do take heed of the very OS-specific nature of the product. It will ONLY run on a Windows 98 machine. Not 3.1, not 95, probably not 2000 (though you should contact Altec Lansing for confirmation on that), ONLY 98. Don't even bother thinking that you can somehow create a workaround. If you don't have Windows 98, don't complain when you have to send them back.
All this aside, though, this is a serious audio system for your computer. At the price, you won't find anything better.
Little tweaking and you'll get the sound you want. Best!!!But I was not satisfied with bass at first. It was too low at low volumes, even with bass volume set at max. I tried to increase the bass using the equaliser that is built into mp3 player, but it distorted the music, it was distorted even at lowest volumes and it was distorted with othe speakers that I tried, so I concluded that it must be the soft equaliser that is messing things up. I was diappointed about it at first, I even went as far as ordering stand alone equaliser. But couple days later I found the solution to this problem. It turned out that (on mp3 player equaliser) you should leave the bass lever where it is and turn down the rest of the levers to get distortionfree bass. Than crank up the volume on the speakers.After that, I did got much, much more distortion free bass than I needed. (prologic mode cranks up bass even further)
In fact I listened music for 5 minutes at 30% volume with bass set up as described above and my next door neghbour showd up complaining about music.
I never even plugged in stand alone equaliser that I recieved.
I am completely satisfied with these speakers now.
You can get these speaker for a total of $100 at yahoo shopping.
It is dirt cheap for this much clean sound.
(I did compared them to Klipsch promedia thx 2.1 and think that midrange is more present (or live) in ADA890 and bass also goes deeper (no wonder ADA890 has 8" bass driver vs 6.25" in Klipsch)

- Yamaha's exclusive advanced YST for deep, powerful bass
- 2-way satellite speakers for brilliant highs
- Magnetic shielding to eliminate monitor distortion
- Headphone output jack on the satellite speaker for convenient access
- Elegant slant-baffle design
List price: $149.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Really good, but not perfectThat was about 3 months ago. Now that I've had some time to listen to just about all the music that I own on these speakers, I have noticed a couple of things that I didn't hear before, probably because I was still in that phase of being excited about my new purchase.
First of all, the sub is low-passed at 200Hz, and the tweeters are high-passed at 12KHz. But I think the midrange drivers get the whole frequency range. So when I play anything with a lot of low bass in it ( < 80Hz or so), this really distorts the midrange because they can't reproduce those frequencies very well. I noticed this one day when I had the sub level turned all the way down (by accident I think), and I found out why the mids were distoring. The other thing is, the sub does not have really great low frequency extention as I would like. For midbass ( > 40Hz or so) it is pretty good, but I really need sound in the 20-40Hz range for some movies and songs. The frequency response of the system only goes down to 32Hz anyway, not low enough for me sometimes.
Another thing, now that I think about it, was that when they did the specs for this system, they measured the wattage at a THD (total harmonic distortion) of 10%. That is a lot of distortion, so you will probably not get 80 watts out of this system (even though it does get loud, the people in my dorm can tell you that) unless you like a lot of distortion.
Now it might sound that I am unhappy with this system now, but I still really like it. For only (...) (what I paid) it was a really good investment, but of course it is not gonna rank up with higher end stuff. But for most of the things I use these speakers for, they are great. Just certain things are a little lacking, but I think I can stand that for now.
the only speakers you'll ever needNow, I'd be willing to pay a lot more for this kind of quality, and I was prepared for a hassle setting them. However, they were blasting out tunes in about seven minutes from bringing the box in from my front step, and I couldn't be happier.
These Yamahas are THE choice not just for CDs, mp3's, games, DVD's, and all other computer uses, but they can be hooked up to anything with a simple 3.5mm audio plug. My Discman has never sounded better.
If I could give these speakers ten stars, I would, but we'll have to make do with five. They are perfect.
Get them while you still can
List price: $49.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Great Speakers for a great priceThe subwoofer is built well, its heavy, in a strong wooden case to eliminate distortion. The base is extremely powerful. The only problem it suffers is that at some volumes, it tends to overpower the satellites. But this can be fixed by adjusting the level of the base.
The Satellites are very lightweight, sometimes, i wonder if they are too lightweight. But anyway, they sound great, very clear. There is a power button, volume control and headphone jack on the satellite, very convenient.
There is only one slight problem with this system, it comes with a flimsy manual. But, that isn't too much of a problem because it is very easy to set up. Thats why I give it 5/5 Stars.
!!!!!!!!I was really suprised by the power this system pushes. The documentation is a bit sparse, but I'm led to believe that the whole system produces less than 40 watts. However, the sound is massive, largely in part to the 8" subwoofer which, at times, threatens to overpower the satellites. Not just loud, but clean sound, breaking up very little at top volume.
The only complaint I have is that the satellites are a bit bright and a bit weak in the midrange. Mostly I listen to reggae, so antually this sound works well, but I haven't found listening to jazz or classical as fulfilling. Still, you can't beat them and with a cheap Walkman CD player, I now have decent sounds in the bedroom.
Get Some if you can.When my friend saw them and heard them he then went out and got some. These are nice speakers.

- 70 watts per channel x 5 audio/video receiver and a 5.1-channel speaker system with an 8-inch, 70-watt powered subwoofer
- Processes DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Pro Logic II for enveloping surround sound from any source
- FM/AM tuner with 30 station presets
- Composite-video switching with 2 auxiliary analog-audio inputs
- Includes Remote Commander remote control and all requisite speaker cabling
Used price: $170.00
Buy one from zShops for: $152.88

Great system! Simple, no frills, sounds great
Sony entertainment system.....
holy cow this is the best
- Vented, dual-chamber subwoofer supports bass response to 50 Hz
- 2.5-inch satellite drivers offer rich midrange and high-frequency response
- Analog and digital input for signal clarity
- Master and bass volume controls within easy reach
- Magnetically shielded satellites prevent video interference
List price: $79.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Kapow!! I never thought my 'puter'd be my home stereoSpeaking as someone who bought his first stereo system with a school loan in the 70's I'm just amazed at the sound quality these speakers produce for well under $100. As for the volume and control complaints that a few people mentioned it is true that my son's electric guitar amp is louder. Of ocurse it's three feet tall. And there are very few controls on the speakers themselves which is just fine since every software program that plays music has an equalizer, balance control and such in it. I really don't need to set volume or balance six different ways.
I'm sure there are better speakers out there but with these you are well into the land of diminishing returns. By that I mean you'd need to spend a LOT to improve quality much at all. Get 'em, listen to 'em and see.
Absolutely Excellent
Boston.. always surprises me.
- 6-channel amplifier with Dolby Digital decoder
- No receiver required
- 5 compact satellite speakers and subwoofer
- 69 watts of total power
- Supports PC and TV environments with DVD player
List price: $249.99 (that's NaN% off!)

Good value for the PS2.I also have a mono VCR connected to the line in 1/8" input using a single regular RCA cable with an attached stereo 1/8" adapter (mono 1/8" will not work). By setting the CMSS mode to Music and the Digital Surround mode to Digital In, it uses simulated surround sound well from a mono VCR/CableTV. This method uses all 6 speakers. Having a stereo VCR should give much better sound.
If you play audio CD's from the PS2, it is best to use CMSS mode at Stereo (Digital Surround mode automatically is disabled). This method only uses the main left & right speakers and subwoofer. Of course, you can play cd's with the same settings as my mono VCR and use all six speakers; the resulting sound will be expanded stereo.
The main purpose of the DTT2500 is for the PS2 games, and here it excels. Twisted Metal Black supports Dolby Surround, and Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore sounds great in simulated Dolby. I just hope that more games are made with Dolby. We can definitely hear effects that were nonexistent when formerly using the RF adapter from the PS2 to TV speakers. Just make sure that you have the CMSS turned off and Dolby switched on.
I have not yet used any DVD's, but it seems unlikely that any issues will arise.
The sound quality is good for a low power system. You can overcome the louder center channel by adjusting its volume lower and the surround speakers volume higher. I find that I must also run the subwoofer at a slightly lower than normal volume or it seems to have a "thump" (could be due to room charasterics). Due to the small size of the left and right speakers, you can notice the lack in upper bass frequencies. If you like extra deep bass, the DTT2500 does come with a line level subwoofer output that will connect to a powered subwoofer and can be used simultaneously.
Don't worry about not having a DTS decoder with the DTT2500. If you need to have it, then you need a larger, more power packed home theater system. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and Creative's Multi Speaker Surround (for simulated surround from mono/stereo sources) does the job just fine.
The control unit is easy to understand and figure out what settings work best for the type of input used. One setting does not work for all formats, tweak it for your personal needs. All the adjustments are easy to make.
Overall, its a great value enhancement for PS2 gamers; has good TV/VCR performance; and average audio CD sound. It missed out on 5 stars because I believe that the main left/right speakers should have been a 2way so it could include better upper bass response.
Good system for the price.It's hard to argue with the convenience of having everything in one simple box, but there are also some issues that may lessen your enjoyment of the system. For one, there is no DTS compatibility, it's Dolby or the highway in terms of high-end sound. Secondly, the speakers provided are not extremely powerful, the subwoofer in particular. There's certainly enough power in here for a bedroom or small living room, but if you're looking for an audio system that will absolutely blow your friends away and engulf your living room in Surround Sound, you may want to save your money and look into higher-end packages. Finally, the options can be somewhat confusing. There are many choices for audio output (Dolby, Stereo, Four-Point, etc.) that are not very well-explained, but a little tweaking with the system will definitely give you good results, it just takes the patience to figure out which sound settings work best with which inputs (TV, PS2, Computer, etc.). One final word of warning- very few video games utilize Dolby sound, so don't expect to be playing your games in Surround Sound (as I expected) because besides a few games like The Bouncer and Twisted Metal: Black on PS2, games do not support Dolby.
Yet the few minor complaints I have about the system do not hamper my enjoyment very much and I love to crank things up and enjoy great sound and I also loved not having to hunt down a bunch of different parts (receiver, speakers, subwoofer, cables, etc.) to put together a respectable home theater. Overall, I give this product an A- and I am a very satisfied customer.
DTT 2500
- Combines state-of-the-art flat-panel technology with conventional cone technology
- Features 50 watts of directional audio power output
- Delivers 3-D sound reproduction at the high, mid, and bass ranges
- Front-firing subwoofer with a 5.25-inch cone and 25-watt output
- Convenient remote control puck includes mute and volume options
List price: $199.99 (that's NaN% off!)

One major flaw
Great Speakers
These speakers kick butt!
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.