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08 SEPT 2004 |
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Altec Lansing VS3151 Multimedia Speakers |
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Altec Lansing has
been manufacturing computer and home
audio speakers for quite a long time
now. As a previous owner of Altec
Lansing’s ACS54 4.1 multimedia speaker
system, I can safely say from experience
that Altec Lansing manufactures high
quality speakers that produce great
sound at very affordable prices.
Today,
we will be taking a glimpse at Altec
Lansing’s latest speaker series, the VS
series. The speakers I will be taking a
look at is a 5.1 speaker setup. A 5.1
setup includes two front channel
speakers, two rear channel speakers, a
center channel, and a subwoofer. As
these speakers provide surround sound,
it makes it ideal for music, movies, and
especially games. |
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Based on the given features
and specifications below, the multimedia
speakers seem to look very promising.
Features:
-powerful speakers which
bring a great sound experience
-powerful bass which allows
you to feel the ground shake
-dual mode selector allows
you enjoy the best experience from different
sound sources
-wall-mountable speakers
and tilting center speaker
-control pod which allows
you to adjust the volume
-shielded satellites
Specifications:
-Sound Pressure Level:
103dB
-50 Watts RMS
-Front
Speakers-5 watts/channel @ 8ohms
-Rear
Speakers-5 watts/channel @ 8ohms
-Center
Speaker-10 watts/channel @ 8ohms
-Subwoofer-20
watts/channel @ 8ohms
-Signal to Noise Ratio:
>80dB
-Dimensions:
Satellites:
8.3” (W) x 3.1” (D) x 4.3”(H)
Subwoofer:
10.8”(W) x 7.3(D) x 7.1”(H)
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The speakers arrived in a
large cardboard box that weighed approximately
fifteen pounds. Inside the brown cardboard box
was the retail box of the speakers. The retail
box is emphasized with the colors red and
black. On one side of the box, there is a
picture of what the speakers look like
altogether. Based on the picture, you can
immediately see the slim profile design of the
speakers. The box clearly states that the
speaker system is a 5.1 setup. What caught my
eye was the cool design on the other side of the
box. It shows a hand “breaking through the
box”. This represents the innovation and
breakthrough performance. The last important
feature indicated on the box is the different
applications these speakers can be used for: MP3
players, PC gaming, TV, as well as CD Players.
When opening the box,
everything is packaged neatly in a foam carton.
When taking the carton out, I noticed the
control center piece on the side. The rest was
packaged in between the foam. All of the
speakers which individually wrapped in plastic
as well as the folded wire protruding form the
speakers.
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When
looking at the individual
satellite speakers, you will
immediately notice the slim
profile design. Each speaker
has a silver and black design
which looks professional. When
lifting one of the satellite
speakers, I noticed that it was
very lightweight. This can be a
good or bad thing. You will be
able to easily place the
speakers, but one accidental tug
on the wires and the speaker
will topple over. When placed
on a flat surface, the satellite
speaker naturally tilts upward
because of the way the base is
made. The satellite speakers
(excluding the center speaker)
stand tall yet are thin. The
base of each speaker has four
small rubber grips to prevent
the speakers from moving.
The center
satellite speaker is different
because it sits horizontally on
a wider base rather than
standing up. In addition, the
center speaker can be tilted up
or down to compensate for the
height at which it is placed.
Next is the
subwoofer. The subwoofer is
approximately the size of a
shoebox. It is composed of a
5.25” driver covered with a
black non-removable grill. The
driver is housed in a wooden box
in a ported configuration.
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The way the speakers are installed
in general is that all the satellite speakers and
control center is plugged into the subwoofer. The
subwoofer is then plugged into an outlet with the
attached AC cord. Then the control center has three
wires which are used to plug into your computer or other
device. Installing the speakers was overall very
simple. Each of the speakers plugs are color coded. In
addition, to avoid any error, each of the plugs are
designed to fit only in a single plug on the subwoofer
and each plug on the subwoofer is clearly labeled. All
of the speakers are connected to the subwoofer as well
as the control center.
The control center is what allows
you to power on and off the speakers. In addition, it
has several knobs which allow you to change the overall
volume, bass, and center channel volumes. In the back
of the control center is a switch that allows you to
choose the source of sounds that is going into the
speaker system. This keeps the speakers optimized in
the right conditions. For example, if you are playing a
DVD movie that support 5.1 sound, then put the switch on
the ‘6’. If you are playing an MP3 or some song from a
CD player, you will want to put the switch on the ‘2/4’
position to allow you to hear sound from all 6 speakers
even though it was meant for just 2 speakers. The
speakers are now ready to be tested!
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I tested these speakers with my
Sound Blaster Live! sound card. I first decided to test
these speakers by listening to music. I chose the
Eagles Hotel California (my favorite song to
start with). The guitar sounds were clean and crisp to
point where each note could be heard very distinctly.
Having been used to the recently reviewed Logitech
Z-5300 (a different class of speakers), I noticed that
the thump of the bass of the drum was a bit lower than
what I was used to. Using the control center, I turned
up the bass. The drum beat then “packed a punch” like
it was supposed to. Then I moved on to a different
kind of song by listening to Evanescence’s Bring Me
To Life. The voice of the female singer was also
clear and the subwoofer had a lot of bass. When I
turned up the volume even higher, I noticed that the
bass had a bit of trouble keeping up in the very low
frequencies. I decided to ignore that for now and to
move onto movies.
I chose again to use one of my
favorite movies, Kill Bill. Again, the mid and highs
were clear during the famous Crazy88 fight scene. The
subwoofer produced a lot of bass that worked well with
the movie. In the Lord of the Rings, the speakers
worked well in this movie as well since there are a lot
of things going on during the huge battle. With the
arrows flying around, the roars of the enemies, and
swords clashing, I could feel the presence.
Lastly, I used the speakers for
gaming. I think the speakers excelled the most in this
part of the testing. As usual, I played a Half-Life mod
called Natural Selection. I could hear the footsteps of
the marines and aliens very well and the direction they
were coming from. The directional change from one
channel to another was fluid and clear. The other game
I tried was EA Games Need for Speed Underground. I
chose this game because I really wanted to have the test
geared toward the lower frequencies. I came to the
conclusion that the engine noises worked well when the
subwoofer was at a medium volume. When I turned the
overall volume even higher, I noticed the response was
still slightly lacking at the very low frequencies.
My overall impression is that these
speakers shine when turned on a relatively medium to
high volume. Although there was low distortion at
maximum volume, you might need to adjust the volume of
the subwoofer depending on the medium that you are
playing in order to ensure the best experience.
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At the price
of $299.99 and as a 2.1 speaker configuration, it
becomes a bit difficult to categorize who to recommend
this for. On one hand, the treble and midrange are
excellent in this speaker system that will surely please
audiophiles. On the other hand, the subwoofer is
slightly lacking. If you have the money and mainly like
to listen to music, I would recommend this system to
that kind of individual. If you are on a budget and are
also looking for quality speakers, there are many other
lesser models offered by Altec Lansing that are
comparable to this speaker system. Although this system
is fairly high priced, probably due to the innovative
InConcert technology, I can see a lot of potential for
this technology. As the prices drop, I hope to see this
technology in more affordable products so that it can
dramatically improve lower end speakers. If Altec
Lansing can't compromise on that yet, I would recommend
them to improve the subwoofer first.
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Reviewed by
ronald@digitalreviews.net |
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