Altec Lansing 641 4 Speakers

Pros: * Amazing sound * Includes remote with headphone jack * Sturdy construction
Cons: *HUGE subwoofer *Speaker wire is not replaceable *Can't adjust front speaker volume separately

Notes About This Review

I've taken the liberty of posting some pictures of several products I'll be reviewing for Epinions, including the Altec Lansing 641 4.1 speaker set. Sometimes seeing the product can help even more than...

Pros: Beautiful sound, remote. Headphone jack, bass and treble on remote. Subwoofer very powerful.
Cons: Needs good soundcard to be used to full potential.

I needed to replace my old, outdated, horrible-sounding Altec Lansing ACS54 4.1 speaker system.

I was locked in a battle between the Logitech Z-560s and these 641s. Reading many reviews and opinions, I heard about the lack of quality control...

Pros: Good power output, and above average sound for a purpose built PC sound system.
Cons: Cheap speaker wire. No Infrared remote.

When I bought my Dell Dimension 8200, it came with an HK-395 speaker system. At first, the sound was fine, but after an enthusiastic session playing Filter on the CD drive, the satellite speakers developed the familiar ‘death-rattle’. .. and that's all...

Pros: Great sound, great design, remote included
Cons: speaker cords may need to be extended.

As my quest to make the ultimate computer was wrapping up I had on last major choice to make. What kind of sound system will I buy? Whether you are an avid gamer, an audiophile, or just the average computer user who enjoys listening to music on their...

Pros: INTENSE SOUND, Full featured remote, great stylish look
Cons: Hefty price, wired remote, not suitable for all users

Pros Continued

These are definitely great speakers that will almost certainly surpass the sound need for most computer users. The 400 watt maximum is sure to play your favorite tunes with ease along with your most intense games. The speakers...

Pros: Hard, pounding bass, loud and crisp sound, stylish design.
Cons: The cables for the rear speakers could be longer.

Altec Lansing has a past of making exceptional products at a reasonable price. This hasn’t changed with the Ultimate 641 gaming speakers. This comes in a very large and heavy box. Inside, you will find four bookshelf-sized speakers, two wall...

Pros: Excellent Sound Quality, Attractive, Bass Output, Remote Control
Cons: Installed Speaker Wire Is Not Detachable, Thin Gauge Wire

I should begin by mentioning that I have purchased at least half a dozen different speaker systems for computer systems in the last ten years. To be honest, you can spend less than $50 these days and obtain sound that really isn't too bad and in many...

Pros: Superior sound quality over most computer speakers Excellent built quality Smooth, tight bass response
Cons: Satellites midrange response could improve a little Some midrange in subwoofer

The Altec Lansing 641 is Altec’s latest 4.1 systems offering, retailing at $199. It features a massive subwoofer, four matching satellites and one remote control that produce 400 watts max(200 watts RMS). The system’s remote control is wired to the...

Pros: Godlike bass, tight and crisp, clear highs with crsip treble output.
Cons: Hardly any. Huge sub.. that's about it..

These are the speakers you have been looking for since the day you were born. Let me break it down for you

While the subwoofer is huge, and the speakers themselves are quite large, the 641 system delivers not only INCREBILE bass output, but a...

Pros: Very clear sound for the money, powerful bass (if your environment can handle it)
Cons: Non-wireless remote, bass cannot be significantly lowered, gigantic subwoofer

When I got the huge box home, I immediately opened it and set it up, leaving Styrofoam, plastic and cardboard strewn across my apartment. I made all 4 speakers face me, hooked it up to my computer and hit “play” on winamp. Clear, powerful ...

Pros: Excellent Pounding Sound With Great Clarity Until The Sub Dies Out!
Cons: Until The Sub Dies!!! Repair? Yeah Right! Oh Crap! Read On!

This 641 system was designed as a Gillette razor!, Disposable When Done! It shaves you excellent until the razor goes dull, then it stops working and you have to throw it out!!! What kind of CRAP is this? The sub can't be repaired under normal ...

Pros: Very good sound indeed!
Cons: Not as durable as I expected so it should'nt have been sealed like that!

When I unpacked my 641,I was impressed and when I hooked it up and play my music and movies,I was even more impressed,in fact I was xtactic!But now my sub has gone dead after a couple of months and for some time now I want to get the schematic diagram for this prod.I say if it's gonna be so fragile then at least let be user repairable!Could anyone let me know how I could get a schematic diagram for this great system to repair the sub? Email:tone_hill15@yahoo.com

Pros: Great great sound,bass,no distortion..
Cons: Cheap irreplaceable speaker wires..

Well these speakers are the best bet if you want a 4.1 or a 5.1 speaker system..They are the best i have ever heard..I had the Bose Companion 3..One of my friends had this big-daddy 641..I heard it for just one time..Next day, i bought one for myself..They are that good..Though they truly lack the EXCEPTIONAL clarity of Bose, but they make up for it in every other department..And the big-daddy sub-woofer is bigger than usual CPUs !! And when this big-daddy starts to rock, boy, it does ROCK !! You can feel your insides vibrating..truly !! Get a good sound card and dance away baby !! I don't think i will need any other system..Unless Bose brings something with their EXCEPTIONAL clarity combined with the power of the 641 !! But its not visible in the near future..So go buy these floor-shakers !! You will never regret it !!

Pros: Sound, power, looking...
Cons: Wires...

I have this set for the last 3 years and they are just the best; If you really want to listen the best sound and power for your buck these are the ones to get for any computer system, I owned Klipsh, Boston Acoustic, Polk Audio, MidiLand's, Bose... and this set just rocks//

Pros: Sound quality.
Cons: None.

I spoke to an Altec Lansing tech today and he told me a very important thing about them.

The speakers had a flaw in powering down the system that made the subs die in about an 8 month periond.....which most of the users have had happen.

If you used ONLY the remote to turn off the system and left the power switch located on the back of the subs on, the subs will still be powered thus shortening their life.

In order to keep the subwoofer life you have to:

1.) Turn off the power using the remote first.

2.) THEN then turn off the power switch on the back the subs.

If you do that simple thing, these awesome speakers will last you forever. I hope this helps out everyone!

-Chris

Pros: Sounded good until the warranty ran out.
Cons: Lousy quality - even worse support and service.

Apparently those that have reviewed this product have not had it long enough for it to fail miserably - and then have Altec Multimedia tell them to drop dead.
I am a professional AV user and so was very intrigued by what looked like a heads up product. I had experienced the junk factor w/ Altec before but I was not prepared for the horrible experience w/ this product.

I was so sold in the beginning that I actually bought two other sets of this system to give as gifts. All three systems have now failed. The subwoofer amp is total crap. I notified Altec by registered mail and numerous emails and phone calls of this failure and can't even get a return phone call. If you do some research you'll see that they discontinued this product in a hurry and have no intention of making this right for anyone.

DON'T buy this or any other Altec MM product until they get a clue as to what customer service and a quality product is about. This is junk at any price - you will regret purchasing it.

jp

Pros: sound
Cons: reliability

The sub woofer stopped providing sound after a month of use , replace by Altec Canada the same failure happened several weeks ago after warranty. It seems that both time the failure occurred following a few minutes maximum power use. I am quite disappointed and look for another system with better reliability. Altec 641 was hooked up to a MAc G4
Pierre leon

Pros: Strong bass, independent rear volume control, crisp highs.
Cons: Rear speakers need longer wires. Thin wire. Wired remote

I got this system with my ABS computer 3 years ago. They still sound brand new. The bass pounds and shakes our entire house. Speakers are crisp and loud, but only if you can run them off a good sound card. I've read other users reviews about subs failing, I can't say that mine are even close and I always run these as loud as they will go without distorting. If you take care of them, they will take care of you. I would definitely buy them again, and I have recommended them to my friends.

Pros: Sounded good when it worked
Cons: Subwoofer failed, crappy service

I've had these speakers for over a year now, and as soon as the warranty ran out, the sub failed. Tried contacting the company, but no luck. Their customer service sucks! If you have the same problem and the warranty is still valid, you'll have to pay for the shipping costs, which can be quite high, since the damn thing weighs a ton. The speakers still work, but without any bass, they might as well die too. The product has been discontinued, but obviously a bit too late for me and a lot of other unhappy customers. I am NEVER buying anything from Altec again, even if they'd be giving it away for free.

Pros: Sounded great when they worked
Cons: Expect the sub to quit, and don't expect any help from Altec.

Sub quit soon after warranty expired, and Altec refused to make good on it. No repair is possible, either... box must be glued together. This is the last thing I will EVER buy from Altec. The retailer, London Drugs in Prince George, sounded sympathetic and promised to look into it and get back to me. I haven't heard from them in 4 months, guess I never will. Bought Altec because they looked solid and thought it was a good investment dealing with an established company, but was I ever wrong!