Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing BXR1220 2.0 Speaker System

5 star:		(150)
4 star:		(81)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Length:: 4:37 Mins

In this product review video I take a few minutes to show you what's in the box, what the speakers look like, how to plug them into your system, and a demonstration of the sound quality.

enjoy!

Altec Lansing's BXR1220s are not designed for those who want audiophile quality sound. So far, the sound has not really improved much over the past few weeks after breaking these in for long stretches. Considering the price it's hard to get too demanding in the sound department. Relative to many similarly priced speakers these are a small step up, and they will more than suffice for an extra computer in a guest bedroom. Yet in many ways these are a new take on basic 2.0 speakers. For starters, these are powered by your USB port instead of via an AC outlet. For those starved for outlets, that's a welcome convenience. For those running out of USB ports, that's either a possible turn-off or a reason to buy a USB hub.

If style is a major factor for you, these might win over other models on looks alone. These speakers are small and just look cool. They are about the size of 2 soda cans, turned on their sides with silver stands holding them up at about a 15 degree angle. The right speaker has a turn switch in the back of it to power them on, and there is a volume dial on the top.

My set didn't really have instructions, but instead had simple pictures on the top inside flap explaining how to connect them. Installation was very simple, but I could see some people tearing the box apart looking for the "quick connect guide" referenced on the side of the box.

THE GOOD

+ The fact that these are USB powered means you don't have to worry about heavy power adapters or outlets. This is a definite plus.

+ The speakers themselves are VERY light and compact, making them a possible choice when travelling with your laptop.

+ The pricing is definitely attractive; even though these are not the least expensive USB powered speakers, they are in the ball-park.

+ The styling of this unit is definitely cool. They are compact and do not appear to be as inexpensive as they are.

THE CONCERNS

- The sound quality is very hollow and doesn't respond well to being broken-in. Most speakers soften after extended playing, but these seem like they might take weeks of non-stop play before they would sound better.

- The volume dial doesn't provide granular adjustment. Volume seems to go from "low" to "moderate." They never really got loud and there were few levels in between. That's a sign of low-efficiency wires typical of this price range.

- All the connections are hard-wired, which partly negates their potential use as travel speakers. Travelling wreaks havoc on cheap speaker wires. I have had many a portable speaker system bite the dust during a business trip. You are going to have to really pack these up carefully if you're travelling with them to preserve those wired connections. Once they break, this set is toast.

- These don't use USB audio. The awkward way they have tethered the audio input to the USB power cable makes these speakers less comfortable for laptops. Many newer laptops have USB ports on the side and audio outputs on the front. HERE'S A TIP: You can pull the two wires apart as far down as you want, but then you will have messy wires to deal with.

- Using a USB port means those who don't have a USB hub yet may have to look to buy one. For many home PCs USB ports are at more of a premium than power outlets.

- Perhaps the biggest con for some is going to be that there is NO auxiliary input to connect an MP3 player to these. Many other compact speakers do include an auxiliary input. In their desire to keep costs and prices down, they have limited the potential market for these speakers.

THE CHOICE

The fact that these don't come with a subwoofer may prompt some to look into the Altec Lansing 1221 2.1 Speaker System. I wouldn't recommend that. Those sound slightly better, but adding extra bass cannot improve this model's features and tone. The only way to get that is with a better set. And if you just want to save money, there are less expensive models out there.

If you want to stick to entry level units at the lowest end of the price range you should consider the Logitech S120 2.0 Speakers, keeping in mind that those are not USB powered. The Logitech S150s are USB powered and offer USB audio as well, meaning no extra cables. Each of those speakers come with their own flaws, but if low-cost is your primary objective they should be considered.

If you want to add a sub you should look at the Logitech X-240 2.1 Speakers, Logitech S220 2.1 Speakers, the Logitech LS21 2.1 Speakers or the Creative Labs Inspire A200 2.1 Speakers. And if you don't want a sub but are willing to spend more the extra $8-10, the Altec Lansing VS2620 2.0 Speakers are well worth it. They sound pretty good for a budget pair of speakers. They are about 50% more than these but still in the affordable price category. Once again, some might be tempted to step up to the Altec Lansing VS2621 2.1 Speakers that include a subwoofer. In that case it might be worth the expense, but then you are in a price range that includes many other good options.

CONCLUSION

Even with all of that, there is still a market for these. If compact size and style are key factors for you, these might win out over other models based on those things alone. These speakers are small and just look cool. The fact that these are USB powered is nice, but the hard wired connections and lack of an auxiliary port limit their flexibility. If outlets are at a premium for you and you have an extra desktop at home (like in your kid's room or a spare computer in the guest bedroom) these will do the trick for light use as long as you don't plan on moving them too much.

Enjoy.

These speakers will never make my computer sound like my expensive stereo with Bose surround sound, but for the money they work great. I especially like that they do not require a separate power source but can run off the USB port on my notebook. I didn't expect that they also need to be connected through the headset jack. This cable sticks out on the front of my computer and gets in my way. Not a huge problem and one that desktop users won't have, but I thought the USB would be the only attachment I needed.

Design:

I have a laptop desk, that's maybe, 2 laptops in width (a big Dell 15" laptop, that is). So this seemed like a nice addition. These speakers are quite small, professionaly designed, and literally the size of a 16oz soda pop can, no bigger, no smaller, maybe just a tad wider at the audio end, but that's it. Hence, they fit perfectly on my small laptop desk! Also, a great feature is that there's no need to plug into an outlet!!! Saves a few tangles, not bad, and you can take them wherever your computer is, as long as it has a good battery life! Finally, the speakers sit very steadily and comfortably on my desk, the chances of them falling over without being knocked on purposes are virtually nill.

Sound:

I also, at first, have had only my laptop speakers to rely on (which, as you could imagine, are terrible since I have the most basic soundcard and speakers on it). So, a couple years ago I bought a nice $70 headset from Logitech. The headphones were/are amazing, producing rich, clear, deep sounds that my computer speakers wouldn't even come close to reproducing! They are really great headphones! It was nice to get these speakers and avoid the inevitable matted hair I get with headphones.

So, how do these speakers compare? As I'm writing this, I'm listening to The Stamps Quartet. Those of you familiar with them will know that many songs have counter-tenor notes being sung, and JD Sumner provides a rich basso profondo. Hence, a whole range of notes are being hit. While the sound is obviously not like those of $70 headsets, there's a nice ambience to them, and they handle the high and low notes very well. For $20 ladies and gentlemen, this is a really nice buy. Those that like listening to more punk/rock, I listened to some Gogoll Bordello, and the speakers once again handled the very rich nature of instruments and vocals very well.

Summary: If you need cost effective, quality, space saving, and easily portable speakers, then get this! Only time will tell how well they do in the long run.

P.S. Unlike a pair of speakers I had on my desktop, these have strong shielding that makes sure there is ZERO feedback due to electromagnetic mingeling. Nice and crisp sound. Again, for $20, these are good enough.

For under $20, amazing sound. I read the many reviews here before buying, and a few people complained of low volume, not enough adjustability, static and/or distortion. I just hooked mine up and am blown away by how good these sound. Listening to chamber music at good volume, the strings and piano come through with nice clear treble and mid-range, and with more bass than I would have expected from speakers the size of soda cans. I don't have any of the problems that some reviewers mentioned. Even at full volume, which is considerable, there is almost no distortion. No, they may not be "audiophile" quality, but if you're an audiophile, why are you buying $20 speakers? For the rest of us non-audiophiles who just want decent sound, you can't beat these with a stick. I'm going to buy a few more for Christmas giving.

Bought a 22" Vizio for the kitchen. The speakers are extremely small and do not project too well as the TV is ultra slim. The TV does have a USB port for upgrades. I plugged this into the headphone jack and hooked up to the USB port. What a difference! Major improvement in the sound, in fact, it's just hard to believe the difference. They turn off with the TV and the TV volume controls the speakers....just great! So....I just ordered a second pair to hook up to the 20" in the den. I was not sure if the TV USB would power these as it is specially designated for a laptop, anyway, they work fine. I like the fact that you can place them further apart to get a better two channel sound.

Hope this is of some help if you were considering these for something else than a laptop.
Ed

I bought these speakers because I wanted mini laptop speakers that were powered by a USB connection. Well these babies cost me 15 bucks so I figured they would be OK. When I hooked them up I was blown away by the quality of the sound. The highs are very impressive and the bass of course does not rattle the room but it does put out a full sound that makes these speakers a no-brainer if you want mini speakers. They are not the smallest of the pack but the reason is that Altec Lansing maxed the bass by making the box in the shape of a Bazooka type sub-woofer and even has port holes on the back, this design was very well thought out. I covered the holes on the back to compare the sound and it was a very noticeable difference. The only con i see is that they are to big to carry in your PC case but if you can deal with that I highly recommend them, especially for the price.

These speakers are just amazing.I hooked them up to my HP Pavillion desktop in less than 2 minutes. I wanted to test them so I logged onto my netflix and put on a movie. All I can say is "WOW" Do not let their size deceive you, for little speskers they pack a BIG punch. My wife was in our bedroom watching TV she ask me to turn the volume down and that's about 30 feet away for our desktop. Very stylish & unique design. Well worth the cost and them some. These were perfect for me. I have a very good 23" monitor, It would be a great monitor, but has weak speakers. I'm not a Gamer & I don't listen to music, but I watch movies, utube & all the news stations. This was a perfect solution. Thanks Altec Lansing for a beautifully design product.

I'm a small/travel speaker nut of sorts owning many systems from the only available in China Edifier systems, to small disc speakers, to the Bose MusicMonitors. My current travel speaker of choice is the Bose MusicMonitor which is overpriced at the retail of $400 but it is the best small speakers bar none.

However, these deserve 5 stars for two simple reasons.

1. They are by far, the best of the breed for USB powered speakers. There're no batteries or AC adapter required. It is absolutely UNFAIR to rate these speakers in comparison to other AC powered speakers since they are in different categories. I ran it off at full volume off my tiny 2 lbs laptop on battery power. Nothing else is quite like it terms of sound quality and volume.

Music is quite listenable, though not high fidelity. (Even the Bose MusicMonitor at $400 are not high fidelity.)

2. They are $20. Even AC powered $20 speakers would be hard pressed to be a whole lot better.

Other than the slightly large size, these are perfect laptop presentation speakers - more than adequate to fill a small room for a dozen people

Given what they are, definitely deserve 5 stars.

Altec Lansing is a good name, I've owned a pair of their home audio speakers previously and they were crisp and clear. These little computer speakers are surprising for their size and the sound that they deliver. Not much in the way of bass, but the mids and highs are very clear.

I found Jazz and other live instrument/vocal music to be especially nice to listen to on these, while R&B/Hip-Hop was not as good since the bass response is sometimes a little distorted at higher volumes, but perfectly acceptable at normal to low volumes.

Being powered by USB is great, but it also means I lose 1 out of 2 USB ports on my MacBook Pro. I'm not a fan of having to unplug my printer or another device to hear music.

I also don't like the fact that you can't use these for iPod/iPhone playback since they are USB powered. The standard iPhone USB charging plug DOES power these speakers! But... the stereo jack and USB jack that comes out of these speakers are wired together and only split about 3 inches from the end - so you'd have to let your iPod/iPhone dangle from the outlet to make it work.

If you have the USB port to spare, you simply can NOT lose on these for $20.00!