 As computer speakers and not audiophile stereo equipment... |
| Review Date: October 18, 2003 |
| Reviewer: F. L. Watts, Atanta, Ga USA |
| ... the Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 Speaker System provides a remarkable return on a relatively meager investment. As I write this, I am listening to a 1930s recording of Django Reinhardt and hearing every note and nuance of the music; as well as every cough, click, and pop on the antique recording. A $99 investment is providing a vastly improved computing and listening experience while at my desk. The speaker system comes in a light and compact packing box. The included instructions are rendered completely superfluous by simple and intuitive design - just stick the green wire in the green hole and the tan wire in the tan hole, then turn 'em on and enjoy. Connection to a computer, MP3 player, or the like is via the standard 1/8 inch jack. Additionally, an adapter wire is provided for those wishing to use the speakers in a dual-RCA connector application (e.g. a Sony Playstation). Disappointment will result from inflated expectations. The Altec Lansings are not audiophile speakers. A critical ear will easily detect the sort of coloration common in desktop systems. The midrange is a bit weak; but the downfiring design of the relatively large mid-range cones in the satellites goes a long way towards minimizing this effect. Once the ear becomes accustomed to a slight tinniness, the remarkable clarity of these speakers becomes apparent. The bass module easily does its share - and then some. Tweak the EQ and crank the volume, and you'll have a fine system for gaming or DVD watching at your computer (I can rattle the pens in the cup on my desk if I wish). Build quality appears first-rate, and I have had no reliability problems. Controls are close at hand - if your hand is near the right satellite speaker. Volume, bass, treble, and power are on the front face (see picture, above); and a welcome headphone jack is on the right side of the same speaker. I suppose this system may be viewed as an evolution of the Altec Lansing ATP3LA 3piece speaker system, well-reviewed here at Amazon and available as of this writing for $60. The VS4121 bring a freshened look, the aforementioned headphone jack, and some sonic tweaking to the table. I examined the competing models from JBL, Logitech, and Creative. Bearing in mind that listening tests are so subjective as to be of dubious value, I will say that none matched the Altec Lansings their clarity and openness of sound, or their cozy design values. Creative's I-Trigue came closest; but its design involved a separate wired control unit that I feared would clutter up my desktop. Further, this control was far too light and skittered away from the approaching hand. Within this price range, you can purchase the Altec Lansing VS4121 system confident that you could not have done better in the computer speaker category. |
Very happy with this set
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| Review Date: February 20, 2005 |
| Reviewer: B. Lee, New Jersey |
As a replacement for an old set of CS 4-Point Surrounds, these are remarkable. The soundstage is palpable, highs shimmer (with proper treble adjustment of around 70%), lows are well-defined and punchy (with bass turned down to around 25%, this thing can go a little crazy), and the convenience of having volume, bass, treble, power, AND a headphone jack on the right speaker is HUGE.
I was aware of a potential dip in low to mid-midrange frequencies due the downward firing driver; it's there, but very VERY slight. I do have a highly reflective soft pine desk, though. Volume, while not room-demolishing, is great, and distortion isn't a factor until well beyond comfortable listening volume.
Appearance is great, and the speakers themselves feel solid. This is one of the better ways I've seen the slim profile handled; like it or not, speakers size is directly proportional to their ability to move air and generate midbass frequencies. By including a 3" midrange, Altec has made a speaker than balances form and function perfectly. I can't recommend these enough, espescially at the price! |
Very, very impressive for the price!
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| Review Date: August 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Darren X, Toronto, Canada |
I'm babysitting a set of these for the summer, and I am extremely impressed, enough to go out and buy some for myself in the fall. I'm wondering why I spent $1500 on speakers, sub and amp... at low volumes these are an excellent replacement.
Very nice, powerful sound. I found I needed to turn the bass down to about 10 oclock and the treble up to about 2 oclock to get a nicely balanced sound (it's pretty boomy and dull otherwise). Once you do that the result is very pleasing. I do not hear the hum that others complain of, I admit that would be annoying. Midrange sounds fine to me. The imaging of these speakers is nice... guitar chords seem to hang suspended above my desk. Horns sound bright and sassy. Vocals sound pretty neutral to me. Snare drums have crack and texture. Kick drums have some real b***s. Others have complained the bass is inaccurate... sounds fine to me and I'm reasonably fussy, I'm not just a boom-head (although if you are these will do the trick)...I have no trouble hearing and following complex bass guitar passages on any prog rock material. In general, it is very very easy to distinguish different instruments in the material. Volume wise they will easily go well past comfortable listening volumes if you're sitting at your desk.
Build quality is nice. These things look more expensive than they are (when I first saw/heard them I guessed they were about $250). It's great to have tone controls at hand (I know audiophiles frown on them, but for sub audiophile equipment they are a necessity).
Overall, I am astonished at the price/performance ratio. Something this good would have cost several hundred dollars ten years ago. |
Great with iPod
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| Review Date: January 11, 2004 |
| Reviewer: foredogg, Portland, OR USA |
| I was looking for a dedicated set of speakers for my iPod. A week ago I picked up the Bose Media Mates and was very disappointed in sound quality...especially at their price! So I did a little research and decided on the Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 speakers since I have an older set (ADA 880) for my computer and love them. For the price the sound is awesome. Using the audio output on the dock, these Altecs pump out the sound with little effort. The highs are crisp and bass is there, and the mid range is okay. I just bought these at Best Buy because of the great price after the 30 rebate. Kudo's to Bose for having a great return policy and 30-day customer satisfaction! |
Fantastic Speakers
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| Review Date: October 16, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Kenneth E. Aldridge, Franklin, Oh. |
| What a wonderful surprize. It took about ten minutes to install them to my HP Media center computer. They replace speakers that came with my 19" monitor which were lousy to say the least. (speaker make with held) But the vs 4121s surpassed all my expectations. While I am not an audiophile, I do admire and expect good faithful sound reproduction and these speakers more than do the job. I don't understand how the more expensive ones can do any better. Suffice to say I am completely satsfied and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for their moneys worth. |
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