Altec Lansing 5100 5.1 Computer Speakers (6-Speaker, Black)

List Price: $149.99

Features:

• 73 Watts total continuous power RMS (4x7 with Satellites; 22.5 with Center; 22.5 with Subwoofer)
• 100 Watts Total Peak Power
• 6-Speaker Surround
• Headphone Jack
• Cast Alloy Stands

Accessories:
Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter¿ with Surge Protection	Wharfedale MovieStar 60 Speaker Stands, Pair (Speakers Not Included)

Customer Reviews:

altec 5100 speakers [Posted on 2003-09-27]
The Altec Lansing 5100 speakers are excellent. They are stylish and compact with good sound and more than adequate power. The control module allows a multitude of adjustments (the headphone jack is on the back of the module but this isn't really an issue). The speaker market seems to be divided between low-end and high-end with very little in the middle. These speakers fit the bill nicely. Highly recommended.

More disappointed than pleased... [Posted on 2004-01-18]
I purchased these speakers back in September 2003. I had previously owned the Altec Lansing ATP3 3-Piece Speaker System and was immensely pleased with it. I wanted to upgrade, go surround-sound, and add more speakers for larger sound. Since I'd had good experience with Altec Lansing before, I chose them again over Logitech and Creative, and expected good quality from them.

My first gripe: too much bass. The subwoofer is overpowering. These speakers come with the ability to adjust both treble and bass. I have the bass set all the way to zero. I also set my bass through the Windows sound settings all the way to zero. I adjusted my media player equalizer the best I could to eliminate bass. The bass is still overpowering, to the point where, unless I am sitting directly in front of the central speaker, that is all I hear. I can hear/feel it all the way in my bathroom. It detracts from my audio enjoyment, as well as worries me that I'm disturbing my roommate and neighbors. The speaker volume has 5 points (with 'ticks' in between). I cannot play my speakers over 3, or the bass becomes floor-shaking. It seems that the default bass setting (ie 3 out of 5) should be an average bass output, while 0 should make it barely there and 5 should give it this intense bass that I'm getting now. This is the main reason I'm giving these 3/5 stars.

My second gripe is: distortion. At around volume 3, I will begin experiencing distortion. The audio begins to vibrate and warble just slightly, but it's enough to be noticeable and distracting. An audiophile (which I'm not) would be very unpleased, I think. Also, these speakers come with three 'sound schemes': Stereo x 2, 4.1 Gaming, and 5.1. Most noticeably when I'm in Stereo x 2, but also in 5.1 if my equalizer isn't set at default (ie. +0dB across the board), I will get ticks and squeaks during audio playback. Sometimes this doesn't happen, sometimes it happens constantly throughout a song, unless I turn the volume down. I haven't figured out if this might depend on the recording quality/volume of the mp3.

Overall, they have good sound, if kept at low volumes. But they don't seem to sound any better than a 2.1 system would, and they're definitely not of the quality I expect from a set of 130 dollar speakers. My recommendation: pass them up for something different. I really am more disappointed than pleased with these speakers. The bass really bothers me and, because of that, I'm probably gonna be looking for another speaker set sometime soon, unfortunately.

Well worth the price [Posted on 2004-06-15]
Well, I found these on ebay for $90 including shipping, and received them today.

The sound is excellent. Much better than my mini-stereo system I use upstairs with the tv/dvd. There are entire instruments that I hear now listening to music that were not picked up at all on my old creative labs system. Unlike most systems designed to be used with a computer, the midrange is quite strong.

When I first received them, the bass and treble were too high, but the handy remote control allows those to be adjusted. I found that for me a level of 3 worked nicely for both the bass and treble. If you like your bass more subtle, you may want to drop it lower. I like to hear the bass but without it shaking the floor.

The look of the system is very sharp, and it is exceedingly easy to hook up.

I take off one star because even when off, there is a slight hiss from the speakers if you put your ears up to it. I am incredibly sensitive to noise, but have to admit that I did not hear the hiss at all when listening to music or even when not having any music or sound and just using the computer for work.

I highly recommend these speakers.

Great Speakers [Posted on 2004-06-20]
I love these speakers. They're extremely easy to set up since they come with color-coded cables and everything is clearly marked. Once they're set up, they have great sound and excellent bass. Bass is sparse in cheaper speaker systems, but these have plenty of punch. They sound great, and work well for movies too. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase and highly recommend them.

Very stylish set of speakers, lacking in the mid department [Posted on 2004-09-29]
73Watt RMS continuous and 100 Watt RMS Peak sounds great. Speakers really have a great look to them. Don't take up much space at all. Decent Base and treble, though the mid range department is a lil lacking..

YOu might find yourself tweaking your card or software equalizers to produce a decent mid range sound. Luckily I have additional Mid range speakers connected to this system to compensate for this (using a Channel Splitter)

I am def. happy with this purchase and for only R799, you won't have to break the bank.

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