kenprospero's Full Review: Altec Lansing XT2 2 Speakers
The Altec Lansing XT-2 speakers came out a few years ago for $150/pair. They're now going for $29-$39, delivered on the web. This says a lot.
Bottom Line
Though a great improvement over laptop speakers, ultimately, the sound quality is not good enough for enjoyable sustained listening. The speakers are small enough that you can take them with you, and they come with a well-designed storage case. However, the case is about the size of a netbook computer. At $150, they would have been sent right back to the store. At $30 they're keepers.
Out of Box Experience
The speakers come packaged in a case for storage or for carrying. Inside are all the cables you need to set up the speakers. Each speaker has a fold-out stand so that it stays upright. A USB cable plugs into the computer and into the back of the right speaker. Then, you connect the left speaker to the right speaker with a retractable 3 foot cord, and you're up and running. The speakers are plug and play, meaning, plug them into a USB port and they work, no software to install.
While the speakers will draw power and run directly from the USB port, there is also an option to plug them into the wall. The advantage to this is that that you get extra power to the speakers.(2 watts per channel vs 0.8). Also, if you were using the speakers to play sound from an MP3 player, you would obviously need to plug them in.
The power supply is a universal power supply. it can be used in both Europe and the US. The adapter cord has several interchangeable 'heads' for use in different shaped plugs.
All in all, I found that installation took only a few minutes, and was simple.
Controls
Ok, now you have your speakers set up. The controls, are on the right speaker. Essentially, you have:
1. An on-off button. (there's a blue light in front showing that they're 'on').
2. Volume + and -, (self explanatory). If you're not using a USB connection, the volume controls can also be used to control treble and bass.
3. An input jack for an external sound source (such as an MP3 player or a CD player).
Controls were both simple and intuitive.
Sound
The most important feature of any speaker is the quality of the sound. Here, unfortunately is where these speakers fall short.
I found the sound to be a bit tinny and light. They lack a fullness of a larger speaker. If I'm watching a show or movie on the screen with friend, they are 'ok' but would not produce a satisfying listening experience for long periods of time.
The sound quality is largely the result of the drivers -- two 28mm (about an inch) drivers per speaker. They're just not large enough to produce. Deep rich sound.
It's kind of like having low-cost earbuds for an i-pod. They may be better than what the manufacturer provided, but are not fully satisfying.
This being said, they definitely produce a listenable sound. And at $30/pair, I guess I don't really expect that much more.
One can buy an optional subwoofer which will plug into the right hand speaker (cable provided). I imagine that this will help out with the bass -- but, that only helps if you're using these for a fixed system. If you're an audiophile, or even concerned with excellent sound quality, I suspect that these speakers just won't cut it, and adding bass when the high end is weak won't be a satisfactory solution.
If I'm by myself at my desktop, I prefer a decent set of headphones. If I were travelling, I think a decent earbud in the same price-range would produce equal or better sound and the earbuds take up almost no space and weigh almost nothing. Portability
Everything folds up into a nice case (about 8"x10"x2"). I find this a bit large (almost the size of a netbook, when you come down to it), but not horrible compared to i-pod docs or other alternatives.
Microphone
The XT2s come with a built-in microphone, making them usable for VOIP or other uses. The microphone works as one would expect.
Drawback
One major drawback, when the speakers are plugged into the computer through the USB port, the headphone jack on the computer is disabled. There's an easy work-around (disconnect the speakers from the computer), but this is not documented, and is a bit of a pain.
Conclusion
What are you going to use the product for. Do you want occasional music, or the ability to share the sound with friends. This product will be ok if you can buy it in the $30-50 range. Do you want good, deep sound that will turn your computer or ipod into a sound system. Not the product for you. Is your store selling this at or near $149 list. Don't buy it.
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