Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Speakers (6-Speaker, Black & Silver)

Features:

• Deep-bass, compact subwoofer
• 6-speaker surround sound
• 60 watts RMS
• Signal to Noise ratio at 1 KHz input: >70 dB
• System response: 35 Hz to 18 kHz (-10 dB)

Accessories:

Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter¿ with Surge Protection

Customer Reviews:

Better than "The Best" [Posted on 2004-01-01]
First, I have to say that I do not own these speakers -- not yet. However, I've spent hours auditioning computer speakers in various stores, and I am just amazed at how good these sound compared to almost all of the others, especially those that cost over 4 times more! Also, I spent all of my time auditioning with *music* and not with games, and the music on these was just leaps and bounds above the rest. It is my view that you should buy speakers based on the way various types of music sound, and the games/home theater will be good as well. The kicker for me is in the bass -- no bass is supposed to sound boomy, and these have a nice, tight/accurate bass on music. Almost all of the others -- Logitech, Creative Labs, and even Klipsch -- sounded too boomy, even after several adjustments/placement/etc. And I personally like very crisp highs/mids, and the satellites did a nice job there as well. So, bottom line:

Good = overall sound (especially the tight bass), reasonable size

Bad = styling, low power

Unfortunately, since I haven't owned these, I cannot comment on the build quality or how easy it is to blow them. But for the money, I was just shocked at how good they sounded. Only other speaker that came close IMHO is the Bose (and generally I am not a Bose fan), but it's only a 2.1-channel system. Lastly, the only reason I haven't bought these yet is because I still have an old pair of Advent 2-channel computer speakers that still rivals most of the sub/sat systems I've listened to. But if I must have multi-channel in the near future, this one will be at the top of my list.

Great For Gaming, Movies, Electric--Bad for Acoustic [Posted on 2004-02-29]
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.

So-so performance for a low price [Posted on 2004-04-05]
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.

The Best Speakers EVER [Posted on 2004-04-07]
I just got these speakers today after only waiting a DAY! Now thats what i call speed. Okay to the speakers, they have to be the best speakers ive ever owned. If your a gamer or watch movies on your computer these are a must have! And you cant beat the price, 70 bucks!
If you where pondering wether to get this or not you defenitly should. Best speakers u can get, that are under $100.

They are a good deal for the money but... [Posted on 2004-04-17]
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.

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