Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing GT5051 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just hooked these up yesterday and thought I'd add my two bits to the growing input on them...

First off, these speakers absolutely rock when in stereo. I'm replacing an old Advent speakers/Yamaha subwoofer combo with this setup and the Altecs win hands down. Whether it's a CD, MP3 or game you're looking to play, the sound and power from these speakers are top notch. Just make sure you've set the little switch on the back of the sub to 2/4 speaker mode and you're set. I'm even considering hooking up my stereo to these speakers using the RCA inputs and shelving my Bose speakers.

Other pros include: solid construction, intuitive controls and a killer look.

Where this system starts to lack is in surround sound. Maybe it's my setup in the corner of a room with my built-in nVidia SoundStorm audio, but I got absolutely no feeling of surround sound in HL2. I'm also wondering if the SoundStorm is to blame for a slight crackly sound on some MP3s (or is it the MP3s themselves??). More experimentation to follow...

Another drawback is that the all-important 2/4 speaker <==> 6 speaker switch is located on the back of the sub instead of being positioned along with all the other controls. This could be a real pain if you frequently switch from listening to CDs to playing games on a regular basis.

Overall a very good value for what you get!

I am very satisfied with this set, however I met the problem at first. when I get everything ready, I am disponited with its bass. because no matter how high the volume I turned, the bass from sub is still very tiny. Then I saw there is a bottom about sub in the control panel, I just press that bottom, and blue light was on, but the sub did not become better.
After I saw a reply in other forum, I finally save the problem:
"I guess that you do not turn up the sound of the bass. first you need push the sub bottom on the right of speaker, then the blue light next to sub bottom turns on. This blue light will turn on only 3 or 4 second. During this time, turn up the volume bottom. Only during this 3-4 second, the volume control can be used to turn on sub. In all other time, volume control is for whole system."

After I set as this instruction, I was shacked by its sub. If altec can mark this sitting more clearly, things will be easy for the person like me who just upgraded from 2.1 system, and am not familliar with 5.1 system.

After all, I am very satisfied its audio quality.

The short story: Wow... look no further. This system just came today and it's absolutely AMAZING! Phenomenal (and I mean PHENOMENAL) sound, brilliant design, superior workmanship, incredible value, awesome features, NASA-quality controls... I'm tellin' ya, you'll be stunned by this one. Just can't say enough about how pleased I am with this purchase. Bottom line: No need to continue your search. This one you can order with absolute confidence. Period!

Details: OK, first, so that you know whether or not to trust my recommendation, here's the scoop on me: My profession is mechanical engineering and I'm the kind of guy who researches all over the Internet before making a purchase like this. I want the very best in quality, price, workmanship, value, everything... and I don't want the hassle of making a bad choice, sending it back, looking for a replacement unit, etc., etc.

So, when I accidentally blew-up my old Altec Lansing sound system (for my A-Open computer), the search began for a replacement system. I checked the reviews, compared the specs, even went to two different computer stores to test sound quality. Frankly, none of the systems I found were all that hot. The workmanship was so-so (SoundBlaster systems especially), and the sound quality mediocre. Somewhat disappointed, I was at Circuit City and about to "settle" for a hum-drum Sound Blaster system, when my eye caught this system in a box on the shelf. It wasn't yet on display (and I never saw it on the Internet - because it was just recently released) so I didn't even know about it.

It's weird how this works, but when I saw the system, I knew instantly it was the one I wanted. I didn't even have to listen to it (a good thing because they didn't have one setup), I just went online, found it for around $115, and ordered it.

When I got it, man, talk about heaven! I wish you could feel one of these satellite speakers... hold it, check the fit and finish, feel its solid weight, they're amazing! The quality will absolutely blow you away. I actually feel grateful as I type this that there are companies like Altec who won't cut corners on quality. For those of you who don't know, Altec Lansing is considered one of the very best in this kind of audio componentry, and with this new purchase, they have my business for life. Normally I would never take the time to post a review like this, but I am soooo delighted with the purchase, I actually feel obligated to let other people know!

One thing that's easy to overlook in other systems, and then feel the pain of it later, is the extra features. Here I'm speaking of things like auxillary input connections and system controls. This unit has an extra 1/8" stereo input jack PLUS a set of standard RCA inputs (on the sub-woofer). Very hand because you can run output from, say, your stereo equipment or MP3 player directly into this system (and no need to have your computer turned on).

The right speaker has all the controls you need including separate controls for overall system volume, center channel volume, sub-woofer volume, and surround satellite speaker volume. It also has a headphone jack and a power button. I know what you're thinking, "A power button? That's not much of a feature!" Trust me, it definitely is a feature! Some systems don't even have a power button. This one's close at hand so that it's a cinch to turn off when the phone rings, but more importantly, if you've ever had a speaker system that had no power button and suffered from the annoying drone of that 60-cycle hum coming through your speakers, with this one you'll have nothing to worry. Click the power button and your room is totally silent. Nice!

So, how do they perform? Well, a moment ago I just popped in my Matrix Revolutions DVD and listened to that massive battle scene towards the end of the movie. Oh my God! The sound is stunning! When I saw this movie in the theaters, the action and sound were so intense that it was almost a bit scary. I know the comparison will seem impossible, but I tell you that I just had the same little tinge of fear go through me as I pumped up the volume and watched that scene again... just like in the theater!

As for the surround sound effect, check this out. I have the two combo satellite speakers and the center channel speaker setup on a shelf above my computer monitors. The satellites are about 2 feet apart and the center speaker right between them (how's that for a compact, breeze of a set-up! No running wires all over the place!). Now, in Matrix Revolutions there's a scene where a guy is typing quickly and loudly on a keyboard, and he's way off to the right side of the screen. When I watch that scene, I hear all the background sound filling the entire room, but I hear his typing coming distinctly from the right side of the room. That's pretty sweet!

As for other audio, like regular CD & MP3 playback, the sound is equally outstanding. There's a certain crispness or purity to the sound that is quite extraordinary... unlike any system I've heard before.

Could the system be improved? Well, it'd be tough, but there are a couple things that come to mind. First, it would be fantastic to get an auxillary input connection on one of the satellite speakers so that you don't have to kneel down or climb under your desk to work with those connections. Second, people who don't have the speakers within arm's reach probably will wish for a separate volume controller that could be set on their desk (instead of having the controls built into one of the speakers). Of course, these engineering compromises help bring the system down into its super-appealing price range. Me personally? I love the simple, elegant design the way it is. I think it's a thing of beauty.

OK, I realize this review was overly positive, so I just want to reassure you that I don't work for Altec, I don't know anyone who does work there, and I don't stand to make any money from posting this review. Just an incredibly satisfied customer who's pretty darn happy with his purchase.

WOW! That is as simple, straight forward and to the point as I can be. I have been an Altec Lansing affecionado for many years now, graduating from the legendary ACS-48 to my current love...the GT-5051. It was a change I must admit, going from stereo imaging to surround sound, but well worth it. I was looking for something newer to compliment the arrival of World of Warcraft (probably the game of the century... :) when I found the GT's at the manufacturer's site. It may have been love at first sight, guess I will never know!
Lets get to some specifics. The clarity is just incredible. All I can do now is smile when I listen to my old favorites. It is almost as if they are re-issues of the same music, as if I had only heard half of the music before. And playing games is so strange with the voices and sounds being positional...they move as the action or characters in the game do. Something else, new but pleasant to get used to.
Setting them up is a breeze, which is one of the main reasons I had previously shied away from surround sound,it just seemed so complicated! You will more than likely need a sound card with a surround sound setup option to help tame these little rascals and adjust them to your personal tastes. There are some controls on the right satellite for this, but I found that I needed more perfecting, which is the only reason it gets 4 stars rather than 5. The Sound Blaster Audigy 2 sound card was a great help in this area. And by the way, the controls which are backlit an alluring electric blue adjust the center, sub or surround separately.
Bottom line folks, it is an Altec! Expect quality and lots and lots of sound! If you are ready to make that move to surround sound for your PC, this is probably the right choice. It was for me....... :)

I am a poor graduate student, and I was looking for something to improve my home sound system/"home theater". These have proved to be wonderful. I, of course, don't have hardware to take full advantage of all of the speakers, but the sound they produce is crisper than any speakers I have ever owned. You can crank them up loud, and they are great for watching movies, especially ones full of intense music and sound effects. I even quit using my shelf system to play CDs -- now I use my DVD player. The only problem is that the "surround" satellite speakers are made so that they bounce the surround sound off the walls Unfortunately, there is a hallway opening on the wall between my couch and TV, so the surround sound just shoots into the kitchen. Oh, well, it's still one of the best purchases I made this year.

Speakers well-packed in styrofoam. All speakers, especially the sub, have a good heft to them--doesn't feel like cheap plastic. Instructions and set up very simple and straightforward. Multiple ways to hook them up to PC's, games, etc.

Sound is not bad for the price. No piercing tweeters in the setup--just 3 inch midranges that deliver good highs, mids and lows. The sub seems a little weak. All asjustments and power on/off are on the right speaker--a nice touch.

A word on set up. I had them way over-EQ'd through windows media player. Overdriven and scratchy. Once I used the WMP presets (Jazz, Rock) the sound was very nice indeed. A great value.

While they are definately no substitute for my NHT ST-4's (google that one) but they do well for what they are designed for--good quality sound from your PC. I give 5 stars for the value, 4 stars for the overall sound.

UPDATE:
Over two weeks I've listened to Jazz, Rock, Country, Funk and Classical. They handle all music styles very well. The sub is not as weak as I first thought. An excellent value--highly recommneded.

Hi,

I've had these speakers for about 2 months and they do work in surround very well. Playing Doom 3 is a great test. In that game you are literally in the dark for a great portion of the gameplay and your surround setup better work or you have no idea where the enemy is coming from. These speakers will put monsters behind you or to your side or in front of you with ease. The sound clarity is very good. You can overdrive them if you set the EQ up too much. These speakers do not need to be overdriven to sound good. Alot of other brands require you to overdrive them to get the high end to be clear but this set does not require that. The sound is correct when you set the EQ flat (as it should be) and then you can make modest adjustments to suit your listening needs.

Overall they rate 5 stars in my book for two reasons

1. They work well in 5.1 with crisp clear sound.

2. The fact that you do not need to place rear speakers and hide cords to get true 5.1

For the money you'll not be disappointed. Just remember to start off with your EQ flat and go from there.

I bought this system after reading so many reviews online and i must say it was worth spending time and money after the speakers.They still need a 5 channel sound card to get the best effect.I wont agree with other reivews reagarding changing eq settings from computer. Just and enjoy the music.One of the main features is that you do not have to extend cords everywhere in your room to get the surrond effect, just adjust the angel of the speakers's posistion.

These speakers are great though I can say a knob for bass would be nice. It provides a nice balance of treble and bass so that sound is sharp, and clear.

I recently purchased a new Dell XPS 400 (a.k.a. Dimension 9150) that did not come with speakers, so I did my research and concluded that the Altec Lansing GT 5051 might be a good bet for my setup because it was so compact for a 5.1. Little did I realize, even though being 5.1. surround, that my onboard sound card was much too low quality to serve the GT's right (Although very happy with my Dells in general, you would think that a dedicated gaming system such as the XPS would have an audio card already in it!): But the sound was flat, with little or no bass, ambience or sense of depth. So I went out and purchased a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz 5.1 (approx. $40) to work with the GTs. The color coding on the card outputs matched the inputs of my Altec Lansing 5.1 speakers perfectly for a quick and easy hookup.

The sound quality coming off this system now is absolutely incredible: Playing MP3s, I hear effects and sounds that I did not even know existed from my old PC or even home stereo.

Highly recommended setup, but make sure you have a good audio card!