Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing BXR1120 2.5 music and gaming speaker system

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am very pleased with these computer speakers. For the past few weeks, I have been searching for speakers that match the quality of my treasured Harman Kardon 195s. I first tried the Cyber Accoustics CA-3001 RBs. They felt cheap and sounded cheap (brittle, one dimensional sound) and sizzled and popped like nobody's business. I then tried the Logitech R10s, which had similar shortcomings.

On my third attempt I was lucky. I ran over to Wal-Mart and found the BX1120s. They are nicely made and have a tightly imaged sound. The midrange detail is excellent and very realistic. And most important they are not susceptible to interference from my huge monitor and powerful computer electronics.

The Altec Lansing BXR1120 2.0 music and gaming speaker system will give you basic speaker performance for an acceptable price. But it's hard for me to rate these speakers higher because for those looking for budget speakers, there are cheaper. And for those looking to spend in the same range, there are many better options.

For starters, the fact that they call this a "music and gaming speaker system" is definitely a marketing thing. This is definitely not going to satisfy anybody who wants to do anything more than minimal gaming. As far as music is concerned, once again this is for the undemanding user. There is no bass at all, and while they won't pop or crackle so much they definitely have that hollow cheap speaker sound. These are your basic general speakers for surfing the web and multimedia usage, nothing more.

If you must have these why not get the Altec Lansing BXR1121 2.1 music and gaming speaker system so you will at least get some bass. Because the 1120's have NO bass. Still, if you're going to do that then you will have to consider the Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System or the Creative Inspire A 200 2.1 Speaker System, either or which will give you better build quality at a similar price. But let me not get too far away from these speakers. This is part of the reason why it's hard to rate these highly; there are MANY better options out there in this price range.

As for the "iPod / MP3" cradle, it's pretty much just a piece of plastic that will soon be lost or discarded. The MP3 player port is just a stereo aux jack on the speaker, but my set didn't even have the cable in the box. Further negatives include a build quality that feels VERY light and will certainly not stand up to anything but gentle use. These things will fall over easily and the cables should not be pulled on. Handle with care.

The Altec Lansing brand is definitely a plus that sets these above a products like the Cyber Acoustics CA-3001RB 2.1 Subwoofer/Satellite System- Black or the Cyber Acoustics CA-3090 2.1 Computer Speakers- Black. Yet brand alone is not enough for me. The performance is just OK, but once again, not the first option in this group.

If you must get just a cheap set of speakers, the Logitech S120 2.0 Multimedia Speakers are probably almost as good at a better price. If you can pay a little more and step up to the Logitech X-140 2.0 Speakers or the Logitech X-240 2.1 Speakers. Like I said, there are almost too many options in this price range. As for me, I don't mind paying much more for myself. I trust my Creative GigaWorks T40 Premium 2.0 Speaker System. I would have probably not even gotten to test these if not for one of my relatives buying this without getting my input first.

Happy shopping.

This is a great little speaker system for its cost. The only problem, and a minor one at that, is that they are a little lightweight and tip over easy. If you place them on a shelf or some place that they will not be disturbed, it shouldn't be a problem. Mine are right on my overcrowded computer desk, in my high traffic living room and they are frequently knocked on the floor. That is probably more because of my rowdy family than anything else.
I would definitely recommend this item.

I bought these to use with my desktop computer. Great value. Small in size and weight, good sound. No complaints.

I'm no audio buff, but these are really bad speakers. They were bought to replace the standard non-upgrade Harman/Kardon speakers that came with a Dell system that finally died after about eight years of daily use. I selected them because they had both a volume and a tone knob. However... the tone knob only lets you select between "tinny-sounding" and "tinnier-sounding". They have VERY little bass and just have a very flat-feeling sound. Plus the cords were enough shorter on them vs. the older ones that we were unable to place the right speaker on the right side of the computer, and have to live with the stereo channels reversed. I realize I could buy an extension cord, but I plan to get a better set of speakers instead, because these really aren't good.

My speakers at work stopped working, and my boss purchased these as a replacement. He probably found them for about $15 at some hole in the wall. They're awful. If you take a pair of headphones, plug them into your computer's audio line out jack, place them next to your monitor, and turn the volume all way up, you'll have reproduced the effect of plugging these speakers in. There is no bass whatsoever. Altec Lansing has always been absolute trash as far as I have experienced, and anyone who says otherwise either has bad hearing, works for Altec Lansing, or both. Wouldn't it be hilarious if all the quality testers at Altec Lansing had bad hearing? It would certainly explain matters.

I just wanted some cheap speakers. These speakers did it's job. Only issues is when you crank it up, there is noise distortion. But you get what you pay for. What do you expect from cheap speakers?

Sound is fine; just what one should expect from a pair of speakers under $20. Handy to have an earphone jack in front. My biggest complaint is that these speakers are extremely unstable standing up. I've heard the expression "like balancing a pencil on its eraser head" which is an apt description here! As such, you could not adjust the volume with just one hand because it WILL tip over (maybe if you Velcro-ed them down ... hmmm ...). Product design flaw which may not bother some people but I think I will replace them.

I bought these to listen to my MP3 player in my kitchen. They fit the bill just right. The sound is good for a medium size room at a normal listening volume. Can't really blast these, at only 6 watts total, they're not that loud. I spaced them out at either end of the window over the sink. Good stereo separation and they fit nice in the corners. However, there is not much slack left in the cord between the 2 speakers. Tone control is practically useless. Recommended.

These speakers look a lot nicer than the beige things that came from the computer store, and they sound okay, if not stellar.

Some things to note:

1) They're not very well balanced. They're front-heavy and unstable, so if you brush up against them (for instance, by shuffling around something else on your desk) they'll tip over, which is a pain.

2) It uses a wall-brick adapter for power, which is another pain for a gadget-afflicted soul like myself. I have precious few outlets on my desk wide enough to accept wall bricks, and these speakers stole one of them.

3) They advertise the MP3 cradle, and how it allows you to connect your player to the speakers using an extra jack. But they don't give you the actual cable to connect the two. You have to buy that separately. In other words, the MP3 cradle is just a piece of plastic.

These speakers will do the job, but given their flaws I think the product merits only three stars.