Rating: 
Summary: So-so performance for a low price
Review: My ears are quite sensitive, so the audible hum the speakers produce when on but not playing music is extremely annoying. I can ignore the noise of the computer fans, but I cannot tune the hum out for some reason--perhaps subconsciously I just don't expect them from speakers, plus the noise is pretty harsh.The noise also submerges some of the finer details when playing music, especially at low volumes. It doesn't matter too much, since the detail level isn't high at all. I agree that these speakers are good for people who don't care much about music quality. The bass is strong, though, so if you like bass-heavy music and don't mind the hum and poor midrange/high-end, get these.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for the price
Review: Not top shelf - but when you are on a budget - go for it!
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic speakers! Easy to use! GREAT!!!
Review: Other reviews are right, these speakers sound incredible if properly hooked up to a decent sound card. The hum others experienced was probably because of improper hook-up. The down side to these speakers are in the construction. They are pathetically easy to blow, even at low volume levels. If you accedentally direct a little bass to the sattelites you are going to have a ruined speaker. It has happened to me twice so far.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible sound, but poor quality
Review: Other reviews are right, these speakers sound incredible if properly hooked up to a decent sound card. The hum others experienced was probably because of improper hook-up. The down side to these speakers are in the construction. They are pathetically easy to blow, even at low volume levels. If you accedentally direct a little bass to the sattelites you are going to have a ruined speaker. It has happened to me twice so far.
Rating:
Summary: They are a good deal for the money but...
Review: The Altec 251s are a very good deal for the money. The satellites sound acceptable for games, and the sub-woofer is surprisingly good sounding. I was expecting thump thump boom boom, and I am surprised to hear some well controlled bass (in a small room). Corner placement of the sub definitely helps. The built-in headphone jack works okay though it is not a high fidelity amp and you can hear some noise and distoration at louder volumes. Now the but... I have a pair of older Altec Lansing studio monitors here (10" woofers, and silk dome tweeters) and a pair of large cabinet Electro Voices for the rear. Couple that with a 100 watt per channel receiver and you realize that there is just no way that little plastic box speakers can put out the power, or pure smooth sound of full range speakers. Mind you the 251's don't sound bad or anything, but they sound like little speakers. No fault to them, they are. Fortunately in a small room, playing 3-D games, they are adequate, if not down right awesome sounding at times. As some have noted the rear speaker cords are on the short side. Plan accordingly. At higher volume levels the system distorts, but in a small room (12x10 or so) they play loud enough that you should be satisfied. The mid-bass is more or less missing, and the mid-range is weak at times, but I suspect this is true of most inexpensive computer speakers. What these do have going for them is a a good balance of features, sound, 5.1 convience, and a great price for what you get.
Rating:
Summary: Computer Surround Sound
Review: The sound quality is excellent. With 5 speakers to place & 1 sub-woofer the sound feels real. It has terrific bass & I really like the speaker system. You should get it.
Rating:
Summary: High quality speakers!!
Review: these are the best speakers that i have ever gotten! they sound great and i can use them for virtually all devices. it's like i have a great home stereo system that i can actually afford. i would definitely buy from altec lansing again. i also would recommend it to anyone who is looking for great quality speakers at an affordable price.
Rating: 
Summary: Great For Gaming, Movies, Electric--Bad for Acoustic
Review: These sound like high quality bookshelf speakers. That is their downside. They don't reproduce string acoustic music well. You can't hear the vibrations of the wood accurately, if at all. You can't tell if you are listening to a violin worth millions or an electric toy in the hands of your novices on the popular music radio stations. They do have have great range on the low-end. A low note on a cello will cause involuntary tears. They do lack on the high-end. You can forget having involuntary tears from the high note of a mandolin. If you want low-range, distortion-free, and booming sound for movies, gaming, and electric music, as well as your wind instruments if you don't care about the details of the material of the wind instrument, these are the speakers to own. They are incredible for that. They are designed for electric noises and explosions. You can't beat the sound or price. I will continue to use these for that purpose while I'll keep the acoustic music in the car's system. As far as the buzz. Yes, it does exist. Play with your computer and speaker volumes to reduce this buzz, as well as enable noise reduction filters. All speakers have this. It is more pronounced in these speakers, probably because of the bookshelf design. As far as styling, I bought these speakers for the 70s retro styling. Altec Lansing offers comparable speakers in 40s/50s/60s retro styling and modern styles. Logitech and Creative have no sense of style. If you own a Lazy Boy and $2 Starry Night print in a $2 frame, you probably don't understand that Logitech and Creative have no style. I do wish I gave up the low-end of the cello for the reproduction quality of acoustic string instruments by going with the 5100s from Altec Lansing. The have a SouthWestern style that would blend well with the rustic woods and leathers, mahogany, and black leather.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic speakers! Easy to use! GREAT!!!
Review: These speakers are terrific! they are very easy to install, because the speaker jacks are not only color coded, but only certain speakers fit into certain jacks. The sound is great, but i warn you!!! i spent 3 hours trying to get a "cracking, blowing" sound when they played bass, but i found out that all you have to do is turn down the computer volume, and turn up the speaker volume on the speakers themselves, and this solved the problem. they are terrific speakers for the price, and i would suggest them to all my friends! my only complaint is that you can't completely turn the subwoofer off, but it's not a big problem. other than that, A++++. Oh, just fyi, these speakers sounded much better than the equal value creative speakers. If you don't believe me, just go to any best buy and try them out yourselves! A++
Rating:
Summary: High quality sound and affordability
Review: These specific speakers I was recommended from a personal reference; someone who happens to be an audiophile too. I knew Altec Lansing was a high quality brand, so I imagined the speakers to be a bit more expensive. Not so. For seventy dollars you're getting a great deal. The sound is great, and the sub is absolutely outstanding. Very satisfied.
| 
