Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist BASS 2-Way Speaker for PC and MP4 (White)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought these on the basis of a good review in a gaming mag. However I also like classical music, a purpose for which these are singularly unsuitable. The bass is huge and boomy, the middle range weak. Try listening to a Bach cello suite with them: the open C-string sounds like a double bass on steroids while the upper strings sound like a nervous viola. Terrible.

I played around with the sound settings (Running Linux and haven't located an equalizer as yet) and found that selecting 5.1 surround sound seemed to improve the balance (since the bass would be directed to a non-existent central bass speaker, I suppose) but at the expense of overall quality - no better than the $20 generic speakers I'd had on my old computer.

Even for gaming I don't like the sound. You need the volume up quite high to hear the music and speech clearly, while sound-effects with booming sounds, such as spellcasting, are incredibly intense - it becomes almost nauseating after a while.

I should add that it's not just a case of not liking loud music - I have a first-class stereo system and listen to everything from Rammstein to Rachmaninoff at very high volume. The quality is what makes the difference.

I think another reviewer made a comment about liking these if you're the sort of person who turns their car boot into a bass speaker box - that's exactly the sort of sound these give.

Obviously many people disagree and there's plenty of good reviews - this is my personal experience and opinion of these speakers.

UPDATE: Since I've started running Windows7 and been able to use updated sound drivers, I've been much happier with the sound from these. They are still very bass heavy of course, but the right ambience settings in the driver selection can make a big difference. Still not ideal for classical though :)

Where stereo speakers are concerned, size matters. The size of the speakers matters, and so does the size or gauge of the cable that connects the speakers to each other and to the audio source. For decent bass one must have a speaker surface or speaker surfaces large enough to move a certain amount of air.

The Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist Bass speakers produce the best sounding bass I have heard on 2-way speakers designed for PCs and MP3 players in their price range. The bass speakers, or subwoofer drivers as Altec Lansing refers to them, are large enough (ALs specs say 4" each; the visible surface measures about 3 1/2" across) to push enough air volume to produce a satisfyingly deep bass sound, and to cause whatever desktop or tabletop they are set on to vibrate. The unique down-firing design of the subwoofer drivers amplifies the bass (as long as the speakers are on a flat, hard surface as opposed to, say, a thick carpet; even a thin tablecloth would absorb rather than reflect some of the sound). And the 1.5" "full-range speaker drivers," as AL describes them, that are near the top of each cone-shaped speaker really do put out a full range of sound, meaning good midrange as well as good treble.

As I write this I have these speakers connected to my laptop and I am listening to a live broadcast of an opera from the Metropolitan Opera House, and the sound quality is excellent and full. The orchestra and the soprano, mezzo, baritone, and bass singers all sound clear, full, and undistorted.

I have also used these speakers connected to an MP3 player set to play a selection of rock tunes during workouts, and the bass and overall sound is most impressive. The driving bass inspires a vigorous exercise session.

I don't know the gauge of the cable that connects the speakers, but it is considerably fatter than cables I've seen on any other PC and MP3 player speakers. I imagine that AL designed it that way because thicker speaker cable results in better quality sound. The lower the gauge, the thicker the cable, and as Amanda Moore writes on Crutchfield dot com's page on choosing and installing speaker wire, "the lower the gauge is...the better its capacity to pass the amplified audio signal."

As other reviewers have noted, the speakers are hardwired to each other, which means that they have to be moved together. Because the bass speakers or subwoofer drivers are exposed, this means that one must be extra careful when moving these speakers.

These speakers are almost the size of small bookshelf speakers, but because of their tapered cone-like shape they occupy less space than they would were they rectangular. They are just a bit shorter than the height of a roll of paper towels, and have a footprint almost as wide as a new roll of "giant" paper towels (or just a tad less wide than a new roll of Scott 1000 sheet per roll bathroom tissue).

Some time last year I purchased a pair of Creative Labs T20 speakers from Amazon and I have reviewed them here, and I remain mightily impressed and pleased with them. But since coming into possession of the Altec Lansing FX3022s I am beginning to wonder which speakers I prefer to listen to. Sometimes the ALs have too much bass, e.g., when I am listening to spoken audio or am watching online news clips and the like. But sometimes the CL T20s don't have enough bass and oomph compared to the ALs (which makes sense considering that the CL speakers simply aren't built to push as much air as the ALs are capable of pushing).

I love bass and I think one must be a bass lover to appreciate the Expressionist Bass speakers. But I don't love bass so much that I would want a car with a trunk that has been turned into a huge subwoofer, and I don't like it when I hear cars and vans, etc., that have that kind of overpowering bass emanating from them. I don't find the bass on these speakers overwhelming, but I do imagine that someone who cannot say that they love bass might find these speakers not to their taste. One negative about these speakers that I will note is that there is no way to adjust the bass on the speakers themselves; only the volume can be adjusted.

Follow up written on March 12, 2009: I wrote above that I was beginning to wonder which pair of speakers I preferred listening to, the Altec Lansing FX3022s or the Creative Labs T20s. Since then I've decided that I prefer the Creative Labs because to my ears, while the Altecs have what I describe above as a good midrange, comparison tells me that the Creatives have a very good midrange (in the sense of having greater subtlety, depth, and overall clarity; on a 1 -5 scale I give the Creatives a 5 for midrange and a 4 for bass, and the Altecs a 4 for midrange and a 5 for bass). I'm considering upgrading to a pair of Creative Labs T40s.

I am fairly certain I'll get flamed and accumulate a bunch of "not helpful" votes but too bad. These speakers are bass, bass and more bass. If you are the kind of person who likes their brains to jiggle from bass note vibrations, don't hesitate to send for these. I have never heard desktop speakers that have anywhere near the amount of bass as these do.

These are not little polite things. They take up a fair amount of real estate on your desk so make sure you have room for them. The construction quality is good; volume control is easy to use and accessible. Be careful when you handle them because the woofer is open at the bottom and you might poke your finger into them if you pick them up the wrong way. Also, I don't like the fact that the cord connecting the left and right speakers is not detachable.

Right away the first thing I noticed about these speakers when playing a CD through them is that they pump out a tremendous amount of thumping, flabby bass. They made the entire computer table shake and I could feel the vibrations in my chair. It is absolutely unnatural and after a while it becomes torturous. It does not faithfully reproduce recordings because of the over emphasis on bass. The midrange and treble isn't bad, but it is overwhelmed by the bass.

If you like bass, you will like these. If you like balance or finesse, look elsewhere. These are not high-fidelity speakers. They will get your attention but like someone with too much makeup, they quickly become tiring.

Two stars for the solid construction quality and if you can tame the bass they would sound fair, but these are way overpriced.

It will be worth your effort, though, to spend the time getting them set up and configured. I've had these Altec FX-3022 PC speakers for nearly a year now. Bought at Fry's on sale for about $80.00. Like some other reviewers, I agree that $100 or more is probably a bit steep for these. I tried several sets of PC speakers, including 3-ways with dedicated subwoofers in this price range and had to return them, but I'm keeping these Altecs. There's a catch to the complaints about too much bass. It's true they are too bassy out of the box. But the computer I have comes with a 10-band software equalizer or you can download one, sometimes for free. Check out the web site for your PC's audio controller and see if you can download an equalizer for it. Once you taper off the two bottom two or thee bands you'll find these speakers to be simply outstanding - among the best of 2-way, paired speakers. You can set the equalization permanently so you'll only have to do this 2-minute chore one time. The treble part of the speaker is definitely directional so you'll want to aim them right at your head. That makes these mostly "personal" speakers but multiple people can enjoy them if they get further away to allow the treble to fan out. Because the bass comes out the bottom, it can make a difference what they are sitting on. Mine are sitting on thick, sturdy shelves right at ear level behind my monitor and that may also help get the best quality sound, too.

Yes, the cords are permanenly attached and may not be long enough for a few people and there should be a grill over the bottom speaker for protection so be careful. There could be more controls on the speakers too. But these are still much better than most speakers in this price range.

These speakers listed for over $100.00 not long ago so now is the time to buy. The volume is far more than I need. Maybe those complaining about volume didn't have all the PC volume controls all the way up. One PC I have has software volume controls in 3 places and they aren't all easy to find. If even one of these is low, then the volume can't max out. Additionally there's the volume controls on top of the speakers themselves.

There's probably a small number of people who won't like them for one reason or another but when correctly set up, these speakers are really, really good - as PC speakers go. I won't be looking any further. And, by the way, no matter how good your speakers are, any music lover should take some time setting up, adjusting and testing their speakers if they really want the best sound. I thought about giving them only 4 stars because Altec should have thrown in a free equalizer on a CD and some info on proper setup and then there would be a lot more 5-star reviews. However you can make them shine, and it's worth the effort for the money.

Before you buy a new set of speakers, you need to think of how much use you get out of your computer. The reason i say this is, if you are like me, and use your PC for the occasionally music video, music listening and netflix or movie clips from time to time...then you WILL NOT be disappointed! For $49.00 (tiger Direct) these set of speakers DO deliver,... on the other hand if you are an audiophile that expects to get $300 dollar worth of sound out of these puppies, spend an average of 5 hours plus a day watching movies, playing with your computer (or suffer from OCD, OBSESSING about the tone of color on the circle around the front of the speakers)... then DON'T get these speakers!!...you are better off investing good money for a 2.1 or 5.1 set.
BUT if you want the best deal for the money and want a set of speakers that look good and can sound like a more expensive set...look no more.
when I got them without listening to them first, i was a bit worried, but once I received them and tested them two things happened...

1- TOO MUCH BASS, yes is true...if you just connect the speakers out of the box and switch them on, they will shake ur room. BUT...if you have windows 7 YOU CAN CONTROL the beast (Go to control panel, Hardware and sound, then sound, and just look for the audio manager for your system) once I played with the settings...forget about it!!

2- PERFECT SOUND...I'm sure they are the BEST set of PC speakers I've ever owned, they look awesome, black glossy piano finish, looks great with my monitor , VERY stylish, the fact that they look so good, and the PRICE, makes every other issue dissolve into thin air, I'm so glad I listened to the 90% of people that said something good about them, the other 10%..well, ..good luck.

The newest iMacs - unlike previous generation iMacs - don't have the high quality speaker systems needed to get the most out of applications like iTunes. The sound quality is tinny and muffled. However, most people don't need a full surround-sound system to enjoy their favorite tunes and vids either.

Enter the Altec-Lansing FX3022! These speakers present exceptional sound quality for the price. What sets these speakers apart from others I investigated is the rich, deep bass from the bottom speaker. The quality of sound from these speakers rivals 5-speaker systems. The bass not only stands out on its own, but it resonates throghout the room. It's like having a sub-woofer, but without the extra box, wires and hassle. In addition, the highs and mid-ranges are clear and bright.

I have two criticisms of this product. First, the directions stink - especially if you're a Mac user. The connection is tricky for iMac users as the wiring is not intuitive. Secondly, the footprint of these speakers is a little bigger than you might expect when looking at the pictures. However, it's not too much more than most computer speakers - and no where near the three piece systems that Apple recommends.

Otherwise, I highly recommend these speakers to iMac users of all stripes. These are durable, sound great and are priced right.

First, some background information before my impressions of these Altec Lansing speakers. I have them attached to my Windows Vista 64 PC (a "no-name" system that I built from components). They are plugged into the on-board audio on my PC's Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L motherboard. I am NOT a gamer - I use these speakers for general PC audio and listening to music from iTunes & Windows Media Player. They replaced a very old but very capable set of Microsoft PC speakers that consisted of two one-way desktop speakers & a separate subwoofer that sat on the floor underneath the desk.

Generally speaking, I like these speakers quite a bit. I believe they are an excellent middle-of-the-road speaker for music & general PC audio. By "middle-of-the-road", I mean that I consider these speakers as a "hybrid", if you will, between tinny, cheap PC speakers that consist of just the 2 one-way units that sit on the desktop, and the mega-monster, bass-heavy PC speaker systems with a large subwoofer that are meant for gaming. The former are OK for general PC audio, but lack enough bass and sound quality for serious music listening, while the latter are intended for the serious PC gamer who wants desk-shaking explosions and other bass-laden audio effects. These Altec Lansing PC speakers strike a nice balance between the two. More than adequate general PC audio, great, balanced sound quality for music, and even good basic audio for games - although I think the serious gamer would find these speakers lacking.

These speakers are well built, using quality materials throughout, down to the heavy gauge cable that connects the two speakers together. They were as easy to connect and set-up as could be expected, and are easy to use with very accessible controls on the top of one of the speakers. Pay close attention to the dimensions, however. I didn't, and they are larger than the impression I got from viewing them online. They are somewhat tall & take up a fair amount of desk space. Be sure you have enough room to spare so there will be no obstructions for the downward-firing subwoofers in the base of each unit - not only to ensure good bass sound reproduction, but also because the speaker cones there are unprotected and could easily be damaged if set on top of a sharp object or handled carelessly (see "cons" list below).

As for style and price, I find them a little too "space age" looking for my taste - the truncated cone tower with the projecting speaker grill at the top is a bit strange looking to my eye. But, I wouldn't go so far as to call them "ugly". The shiny black housing is attractive enough, and they do go well with my all-black PC. Regarding cost, I think they are priced a little high. A list price of $20 - $30 less, with a comparable reduction in "street" price, would sell a lot more units.

All in all, I like these speakers quite a bit, although they are not perfect. I am happy to be rid of the large subwoofer that used to take up space on the floor under my computer desk. Not only did I tend to kick it, but it got in the way when vacuuming. And these new speakers sound every bit as good, if not better.

To summarize, here is a list of my "Pros" & "Cons" for these Altec Lansing speakers:

PROS

> Very good, balanced sound quality, particularly for music.
> High quality & well made.
> Fill a market niche between cheaper two-piece one-way PC speakers & huge, bass-heavy systems w/ separate, floor-based subwoofers meant for gaming.

CONS

> The downward-firing subwoofer speaker cones in the base of each unit are completely exposed & unprotected. They could easily become inadvertently damaged while handling or moving around on the desktop. They should be protected w/ a mesh metallic screen.
> Priced a little too high.
> For some people's tastes, they may be styled a bit strangely.

For speakers that size, they have a great range of sound and they are great for parties and campouts. I really like the way they are powered
with an AC to DC cord. That way, you can buy a 12 volt jumper battery
from any auto parts store and power the speakers with a "cigarette" plug and a DC adapter for notebook computers. You can listen to the speakers
at locations where there is no electricity. They are pricey for computer
speakers, but they are amazing. Yet, they won't compare with home hi fi speakers.

What can I really say about these speakers besides that through and through they are amazing. They have a sleek look: tiny, curvy, and smooth and a sound that matches some of the better sound systems.

Setup was also fairly easy and it's really easy to just plug and play. The fact that the base exists as part of the unit, as well, keeps setup easy and allows you to take up less room for your speaker system (something someone who uses a laptop from time to time like myself finds very pleasing).

A lot of other people went into detail beyond my own comprehension about the sound... All I can say is I'm a normal guy who plays video games with his computer and hooks up his ipod to speakers at parties and I enjoy these little guys.

I'll start by saying I got these for my office. In no way is this meant to be a review of anything other than home/office speakers, and as such - they are terrific ! All-around pretty crisp sound with good strong and punctual bass delivered right where you want it - the speakers themselves. Quite a piece of design ingenuity - these are pricey but deliver on their price. Well done !
So if you're willing to shell out the necessary $$ - you will not be disappointed.

The only thing I miss about the speakers is an integrated headphone jack. But since I work of a desk-situated laptop, it is not an issue for me, since I have the headphone jack right next to me.