Altec Lansing 221 2.1 Computer Speakers (3-Speaker, Black & Silver)

Rating:
Summary: bass is only good for thump thump stuff
Review: Although I am kind of disappointed that Altec did not include a bass volume control with these speakers I am satisfied with their performance. If your primary application for using these speakers has an equalizer you should be able to tone down the bass to an acceptable level. If you are not using an equalizer buy the Altec AVS300LA 3PC 10W 220V SPEAKER ( AVS300LA ) which has a bass volume control and sounds good for half the price. The AVS300 satellite design is not as nice and they don't sound quite as crisp, but for inexpensive speakers they are great. (I own both the AVS300 and 221 series). See the cnet review on the 300's for more information. The 221 satellites sound excellent and once you have the bass under control they are perfect if you don't want to spend a lot of money for good quality sound. As for those who say they are unable to get these to sound good with an equalizer they may not be using an application with a good quality equalizer. I have not tried Media Player yet, but Musicmatch works great with these speakers. Also where you place the sub woofer makes a big difference. If you place it in an inclosed area or in a corner of a room you are going to get a lot more bass, if you place it out in an open space it will not be as overpowering. After you figure out the best place to put it you can make the adjustments with your equalizer. One other con is that the sub is unshielded so keep it away from any monitors, hard drives, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Use an equalizer and these are good inexpensive speakers
Review: Although I am kind of disappointed that Altec did not include a bass volume control with these speakers I am satisfied with their performance. If your primary application for using these speakers has an equalizer you should be able to tone down the bass to an acceptable level. If you are not using an equalizer buy the Altec AVS300LA 3PC 10W 220V SPEAKER ( AVS300LA ) which has a bass volume control and sounds good for half the price. The AVS300 satellite design is not as nice and they don't sound quite as crisp, but for inexpensive speakers they are great. (I own both the AVS300 and 221 series). See the cnet review on the 300's for more information. The 221 satellites sound excellent and once you have the bass under control they are perfect if you don't want to spend a lot of money for good quality sound. As for those who say they are unable to get these to sound good with an equalizer they may not be using an application with a good quality equalizer. I have not tried Media Player yet, but Musicmatch works great with these speakers. Also where you place the sub woofer makes a big difference. If you place it in an inclosed area or in a corner of a room you are going to get a lot more bass, if you place it out in an open space it will not be as overpowering. After you figure out the best place to put it you can make the adjustments with your equalizer. One other con is that the sub is unshielded so keep it away from any monitors, hard drives, etc.

Rating:
Summary: poor quality system
Review: I bought these speakers hoping to have good sound, since the speakers my computer came with sounded awful. These speakers were a vast improvement, but they lack clarity, especially in the sub. The sub-wolfer is overpowered and does not put out a good bass sound, so you have to turn the bass way down for decent quality, but then there is a lack of bass. These speakers are also cheaply made, and the cords going into the sub feel loose, as if the connectors inside are falling off. Definitely looking for a new set of speakers!

Rating:
Summary: bass is only good for thump thump stuff
Review: I ended up cutting the wires inside the subwoofer and rerouting them to another subwoofer instead. It's good for games and some music if your the type who likes boom box style sound, but it in no way approaches quality sound. It's comparable to a boss acoustimass system except the bass is worse(flabby and muffled, ie. you can't tell the difference between notes and you can't feel slam from drum beats).
All in all not worth the price. My suggestion is spend about $150 for a stereo reciever or something with a built in radio and maybe a remote control, and get some cheap speakers to connect to it. The subwoofer in this thing is only 4", so nearly any decent bookshelf style speaker will have more bass than the lansings.

Rating:
Summary: pretty good, not perfect
Review: I found this speaker system on sale (a HUGE sale), so I figured I'd give it a try. For the most part, it sounds great. Very crisp, clean sound. And if I were using this with my computer, they would actually be perfect. But I'm using them with my Diskman as a makeshift home system where I'm very limited in space. As another reviewer said, there is no control over bass, and it needs to be turned DOWN. The middle and treble tones sound great, as I already said, but the bass is so incredibly muffled and out of control. If my Diskman had an equalizer, or if I were using this with my computer, I'd adjust the bass there, as the other reviewer did. But I'm going to have to return these speakers and spend a little bit more for a system with a volume control for the bass channel.

Rating:
Summary: Quality speakers at a Great price!!!
Review: I love these speakers. Not only can I use them for my computer but I can also use them for gaming and portable listening devices. They were so quick and easy to set up. In no time, I was able to listen to CDs on my computer. Watching DVDs on my computer is much better with these speakers. They make it seem like you're right in the action. I would recommend these to anyone who is looking for some nice new speakers!

Rating:
Summary: BIG SOUND! for a low price!
Review: I was looking for something to increase my home entertainment center, and for $35.99 @ SAMS CLUB it hit the spot! If you don't have the extra money to purchase a full surround sound set up, or you do have the space to do a proper set up.....Then here is your answer. It has crystal clear highs with great bass for the size of the subwoofer! The only draw back is there is no bass control. I really feel this has kept my desire to get an expensive set up at bay, at least until I don't have to child proof my house anymore!

Rating:
Summary: Nice
Review: These are pretty nice and small. I think they work pretty well.

Rating:
Summary: Definetly worth the money
Review: These are some nice sounding speakers, got them for like $12 in an auction probably the best computer investment I ever made. If you are looking for great souding speakers for little money these are defiently something to consider, I would even say they are probably better then the Logitech Z-340. Definetly sound like speakers that you would have to spend at least $100 on.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: These little speakers deliver amazing sound and rich bass. I listen to a lot of contemporary jazz and new age when I am working and these speakers bring the music to life. These speakers will amaze you even with hard hitting, thumping music. These speakers do not have alot power though. So I do not recommend them if you like crazily loud music. However, if you are looking to relax and listen to some soft grooves (music while you work), these speakers will not disappoint you.