ADA 880 speakers – can you really justify these?
Written: Nov 06 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Decent sound, Dolby Digital
Cons: Expensive, cheesy design
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| eGnome's Full Review: Altec Lansing ADA 880 4 Speakers |
I should have saved my money. I had two options for speakers for my new Dell Computer system and I decided to spend the extra bucks for the Dolby Digital Altec Lansing ADA880 speaker system.
It’s not that this set of speakers is bad or anything, it’s just that I don’t see much of a point to spending a lot on speakers for a computer. I have a DVD drive in the computer, which is why I opted for the Dolby Digital speakers, but in reality am I really going to sit in front of my PC to watch a movie? There is a TV out so I could pipe it to my TV, but then I would have to situate my speakers for optimal TV viewing, thus defeating the purpose of using them with the PC.
I suppose if I played a lot of games on my PC it might be worthwhile, but still only marginally useful. Also, how much can you enjoy high audio quality when you’re sitting next to a computer with a humming fan and whirring DVD drive?
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here’s what I see as the plusses and minuses of this speaker system:
PROS:
I’m no audiophile by any means, but the speakers produce a more than satisfactory sound for me, and the subwoofer adds a nice dimension to that Windows startup sound. :-)
The system comes with a remote control that has buttons for power, volume, treble, bass, stereo, center channel, surround, dolby digital, and mute. Although a remote is nice, is it really needed? I’m sitting 2 feet away from the controls on the speaker.
The fact that these are Dolby Digital speakers allows you to get the full effects of today’s DVDs, which is why I originally decided to pay the incremental upgrade price for this system.
The computer system I choose only had 2 options for speakers systems so it was only a little more to upgrade to this system so overall it didn’t cost me that much. If I could have opted for a very minimal speaker system though I could have saved a lot. I believe this system retails for somewhere around $300.00.
If you don’t want to run cables all around to put the rear speakers in their proper place then you can convert this system to a 3 piece set by connecting the rear speakers on top of the front speakers. The system is very simple to hook up in either configuration. All of the cables are color coded so it’s hard to do it wrong. The quick start guides provided are also very clear.
The subwoofer adds a nice dimension to the sound and it makes a great footstool under my desk, although the edges are a little pointy.
CONS:
This system is pretty expensive for something you’re going to be listening to at your desk. Save the $300.00 and use it towards a good set of speakers for your stereo system.
No matter how hard they try computer speakers always seem to look like computer speakers. It looks like a failed attempt at a modern design. They also have those cheesy controls on the right front speaker. Can’t speakers be designed that are controlled through the computer? I don’t want to have to turn on my speakers along with my computer. I don’t have to turn on my stereo then turn on the speakers and then set the volume and treble on the speaker.
With 5 different pieces in this system there are a lot of wires. The back of my desk looks like a rat’s nest.
OVERALL:
These aren’t bad speakers, but you have to decide what you need them for. I can’t justify the cost for the use that I get out of them. If you enjoy good music while sitting at your computer or some state of the art DVD games then it might be a different story for you.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
eGnome
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Location: Red Bank, NJ
Reviews written: 51
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