Rating: 
Summary: Great design and awesome sound quality
Review: The Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 Computer Speaker System is great deal. The sound quality is very good, and the price is extremely reasonable (only $70). The speakers are very small, leaving plenty of space for other things on your desk. The sub woofer takes up some room, but it can be put on the floor. If you don't like reading instructions, then you'll definitely like setting this system up. It is a very simple design. The speakers plug into the back of the sub and the sub into the headphone slot on the computer. Plus, all the controls are on just one speaker. This system is also designed to hook up to a television, DVD player, PS2, or just about anything. Given the design and quality of this system, this deal can't be beat.
Rating:
Summary: As computer speakers and not audiophile stereo equipment...
Review: ... the Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 Speaker System provides a remarkable return on a relatively meager investment. As I write this, I am listening to a 1930s recording of Django Reinhardt and hearing every note and nuance of the music; as well as every cough, click, and pop on the antique recording. A $99 investment is providing a vastly improved computing and listening experience while at my desk. The speaker system comes in a light and compact packing box. The included instructions are rendered completely superfluous by simple and intuitive design - just stick the green wire in the green hole and the tan wire in the tan hole, then turn 'em on and enjoy. Connection to a computer, MP3 player, or the like is via the standard 1/8 inch jack. Additionally, an adapter wire is provided for those wishing to use the speakers in a dual-RCA connector application (e.g. a Sony Playstation). Disappointment will result from inflated expectations. The Altec Lansings are not audiophile speakers. A critical ear will easily detect the sort of coloration common in desktop systems. The midrange is a bit weak; but the downfiring design of the relatively large mid-range cones in the satellites goes a long way towards minimizing this effect. Once the ear becomes accustomed to a slight tinniness, the remarkable clarity of these speakers becomes apparent. The bass module easily does its share - and then some. Tweak the EQ and crank the volume, and you'll have a fine system for gaming or DVD watching at your computer (I can rattle the pens in the cup on my desk if I wish). Build quality appears first-rate, and I have had no reliability problems. Controls are close at hand - if your hand is near the right satellite speaker. Volume, bass, treble, and power are on the front face (see picture, above); and a welcome headphone jack is on the right side of the same speaker. I suppose this system may be viewed as an evolution of the Altec Lansing ATP3LA 3piece speaker system, well-reviewed here at Amazon and available as of this writing for $60. The VS4121 bring a freshened look, the aforementioned headphone jack, and some sonic tweaking to the table. I examined the competing models from JBL, Logitech, and Creative. Bearing in mind that listening tests are so subjective as to be of dubious value, I will say that none matched the Altec Lansings their clarity and openness of sound, or their cozy design values. Creative's I-Trigue came closest; but its design involved a separate wired control unit that I feared would clutter up my desktop. Further, this control was far too light and skittered away from the approaching hand. Within this price range, you can purchase the Altec Lansing VS4121 system confident that you could not have done better in the computer speaker category.
Rating:
Summary: I love Altec
Review: Another great Altec Lansing product. Blows my old Altec 221 model out of the water in terms of power and clarity. What I liked:
- All cables except power cord can be removed from subwoofer and satellites.
- Bass and treble control reduces my need to adjust equalizer when I want to tune the sound.
- All controls located on one of the satellites. I was going to buy the newer Altec VS3121 but the separate control pod would add clutter to my desk.
- Clarity clarity clarity. Rurouni Kenshin episode 62 - it sounded like it was raining in my room. Not much to dislike:
- Bass much more powerful than I thought. It was too much under my desk so I moved it a few feet from my computer. Good thing the cables that came with it are long.
Rating:
Summary: Very happy with this set
Review: As a replacement for an old set of CS 4-Point Surrounds, these are remarkable. The soundstage is palpable, highs shimmer (with proper treble adjustment of around 70%), lows are well-defined and punchy (with bass turned down to around 25%, this thing can go a little crazy), and the convenience of having volume, bass, treble, power, AND a headphone jack on the right speaker is HUGE.
I was aware of a potential dip in low to mid-midrange frequencies due the downward firing driver; it's there, but very VERY slight. I do have a highly reflective soft pine desk, though. Volume, while not room-demolishing, is great, and distortion isn't a factor until well beyond comfortable listening volume.
Appearance is great, and the speakers themselves feel solid. This is one of the better ways I've seen the slim profile handled; like it or not, speakers size is directly proportional to their ability to move air and generate midbass frequencies. By including a 3" midrange, Altec has made a speaker than balances form and function perfectly. I can't recommend these enough, espescially at the price!
Rating:
Summary: Great Speakers for the Price
Review: I just bought these speakers from Best Buy because my last pair of speakers hissed and it was really annoying. I am very glad that I chose these speakers. No hiss! And when I crank them up listening to Sum 41 or LP, these babies have POWER! The sub is superb. It produces enough bass to let you know that it's there, but not so much that it is abnoctious. I would recommend these speakers for anyone that is a music fannatic, or watches DVDs on their comp. and doesn't mind not having 5.1 sound.
Rating:
Summary: awsome speakers
Review: I love these speakers. Clean sound, Solid bass, Excellent price! I just purchased one for my dad and friend for Christmas.
Rating:
Summary: These bass and highs are eye-popping!!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: An alternate point of view...
Review: I researched these speakers EXTENSIVELY before purchasing them. As is the case here, the vast majority of the user reviews on the various online merchant web sites are all extremely positive. The professional reviews, however, are more accurate. Read on if you want to know why this system is getting RMA-ed.
Most professional reviews that I located viewed this 2.1 speaker system quite favorably, but ALL mentioned one significant fact - the speakers have NO mid-range....and, in my experience, it's true. The idea of a down-firing mid-range on each satellite was sheer genius. The approach allows the speakers to be small and elegant with a stealth mid-range that also provides a low center of gravity so that the sats do not tip over (a common problem for tall and narrow sats). Yes, sheer genius...in the design phase. In practice, the down-firing mids do not work as advertised. The design leaves the mid-range completely empty and you are left with a WAY overly aggressive bass sub and bright, BRIGHT tweeters. No amount of fussing with the bass and treble controls will solve this problem. I constantly found myself reaching for the controls trying to tone down the aggressive bass and the PIERCING tweeters...all to no avail.
Okay, I knew this was going to be a problem when I purchased them...these facts were clear in all the professional reviews. "So what?", I figured. These are not very expensive and they just look so darned good. So I gave them a shot.
They arrived and I was incredibly impressed with their design. The wiring is ingenious (and unobtrusive) and the controls are within easy reach (and that's a good thing because of the aforementioned issues with the sound range)....and yes, they looked FANTASTIC next to my flat panel and small Shuttle cube. So, after I finished fiddling with the knobs, did I decide to keep them? Absolutely no way, and it had nothing to do with the mid-range.
As another reviewer pointed out, the sub emits a constant low frequency signal whenever the speakers are turned on. This is not a defect in one or two pairs...it is a design defect. Altec would have you believe that it is normal and states as much in the user manual, but I have never heard another sub do the same. The noise is not just distracting, it is maddening. The actual problem is that the sub design did not adequately insulate the input power source from the input audio source...so you end up listening to a gut-penetrating version of your house's AC current when you are not putting an audio source through the system.
I leave my speakers on all the time when I am using my computer...regardless of whether or not I am listening to music. In fact, they are on the same power strip and come on automatically. That way, I get to hear all the other windows feedback (beeps, new mail tones, etc.). I found myself constantly turning these speakers off lest I start to go insane from the hum.
BTW, I am not an audiophile and these issues still stood out. The hum was noticed by others the moment that they walked into the room. "What the heck is that?" was a common response.
Without the hum, these are 4 star speakers. No mid-range is an issue, but hey, they look great and are not very expensive. With the hum, however, they are one star at best.
Now where is that UPS man? Today, I have a package for HIM. :)
Rating: 
Summary: Possibly the Best 2.1 Computer Speakers for the Money
Review: I wanted to buy a decent sounding 2.1 system for my computer, but I didn't want to spend more than $100. I narrowed my choice down to the Creative Labs I-Trigue 3300 2.1 System vs. the Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 System. I went to a local Circuit City and a local Best Buy to listen to both systems side-by-side.
After listening to the Creative Labs and Altec Lansing systems I decided that, despite the higher power rating of the Creative Labs system (and the fact that it can pump out more raw volume than the Altec Lansing system), the VS4121 sounded cleaner and and more balanced (probably because it includes larger mid-range speakers, and because its subwoofer is not so overpowering).
As an added bonus, the price of the Altec Lansing system was about $20 less than the Creative Labs system.
I've had the VS4121 system for a couple of weeks now. I'm very happy it's performance for the price. My only gripe is that the subwoofer that came with this apparently "new" and "factory-sealed" set of speakers, which I ordered from J&R Music and Computer World (via Amazon), was dented right out of the box. The system works fine, and the woofer is hidden under my desk anyway, but I was still a little disappointed.
In any case, these are very good speakers for the price.
Rating:
Summary: Great with iPod
Review: I was looking for a dedicated set of speakers for my iPod. A week ago I picked up the Bose Media Mates and was very disappointed in sound quality...especially at their price! So I did a little research and decided on the Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 speakers since I have an older set (ADA 880) for my computer and love them. For the price the sound is awesome. Using the audio output on the dock, these Altecs pump out the sound with little effort. The highs are crisp and bass is there, and the mid range is okay. I just bought these at Best Buy because of the great price after the 30 rebate. Kudo's to Bose for having a great return policy and 30-day customer satisfaction!
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