Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing VS4221 2.1 Speaker System Music & Gaming System with Remote

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're mainly looking to play games, watch DVDs, and maybe have casual background music while working at your computer, you could do far worse than this system. Like most computer speakers, the sound is mainly treble and bass and weak midrange, which is fine for most rock and rap music.

The sats do look really cool, though it's hard to hear why Altec Lansing bothered to include downward firing (alleged) mid-woofers on the sats since they seemed almost imperceptible.

And of course the wireless remote is an awesome feature...unless you lose it of course, in which case you might as well throw the whole system out the window.

Not sure why they give you treble and bass controls since most people use the software equalizer on Winamp or Windows Media Player, etc. I would've preferred to see them take that cost and put it into the actual drivers, especially the subwoofer driver which as one would expect from any computer speaker system, is mediocre at best.

Still, for eighty bucks this isn't bad. Certainly beats the living daylights out of those ridiculous two hundred fifty dollar Bose 2.1 systems!

I bought these to use with an inexpensive DVD player and TV in our bedroom. I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality sound for the money. Being the lazy sort, I wanted remote control and this system has this convenience. I am use to visual feedback with a remote, so I have to pay attention to perceive the differences as I push the remote buttons.

With the concert DVD's I have viewed, the sound has been really good.

The range of treble and bass adjustment seem limited. Loudness also requires a few pushes to make changes noticeable. But at the end of the movie, when I want to turn out the lights and go to sleep, a push of the button and the little blue LED goes out, telling me it is off. All-in-all a good system and suitable for a number of uses.

Currently, I have these speakers connected to both my computer and my DVR/cable box via an A/B switch. As such, they are my primary home entertainment speakers. While the sound is great, I am somewhat disappointed with the controls and the remote as they are far from being user friendly.

Like most modern-day electronics, the VS4221 uses soft switches that leave the unit in standby mode. The problem with this is the unit is continuously using electricity. My Kill-a-watt (see review) indicates that the speakers use 6 watts in standby mode. This is quite a bit considering there are 8760 hours per year, yielding 53 annual kwh or about $6.20 in wasted electricity annually.

Another problem with soft switches is that is never clear what their current status is. It would have been to have a simple LED readout for volume so there wouldn't be any startling explosions of sound. This scenario leads to the gravest problem of all with the speakers. When disconnecting and reconnecting the power, the speakers turn on automatically. As I have them connected to a DVR/cable box that is often left on, blaring sound can come on after a power outage or circuit breaker trip.

The last gripe I have with these speakers is the diminutive remote. It is appropriately sized for an infant. This wouldn't be an issue if the speakers were only being used with a computer. However, my DVR has the volume control disabled. This means I must rely entirely on the speaker volume. This turns out to be a hassle as the remote can easily be lost and is just too small to grip.

Despite my complaints about the user interface, the speakers' sound quality is quite good for the money. The bass is enough for any rock music fan or movie buff. As I use the same set of speakers for music, movies and TV, I have never been dissatisfied with the sound quality. And, in the end, that is what really counts.

Overall I would have to say that these speakers were a disappointing purchase. I wanted a nice upgrade from my old Altec Lansing ATP3 set and was royally upset with the sound quality of these new speakers so much so that I'm now back to using my old pair.

First of all, the bass is uncontrollable and is way too boomy. It could be from the size of the woofer or perhaps because it is a front firing speaker, but for whatever the reason, It produces way to much bass. I had to put my iTunes equalizer on bass reducer just to get a decent sound. In addition, the bass is just too boomy and doesn't usually fit fit with the music. Instead of crisp "pop" like bass it kind of throbs incessantly. You'll find it very difficult finding a bass level that you like.

Secondly, the mid-range is totally lacking. This could maybe be because of the fact that the driver is almost totally enclosed. The sound is so lacking in that range and is very noticeable on some songs. My old ATP3 speakers have a GREAT midrange sound so I was very disappointed when I got these. I would say the lack of midrange is the most frustrating thing about these speakers.

Thirdly, the treble is too treble-y! I suppose it would be good for people who like to pierce their ear, but for me, even at a med-loud level it's frustrating to deal with. The songs sound airy as well.

Lastly, though the remote control can be kind of cool, it is more of a detriment than a positive thing. Although you can adjust your music from anywhere in the room, you can't ever tell how much bass, treble, volume or loudness that you turned up or down and it can be very annoying. Some sort of feedback would be helpful.

On the positive side however, the speakers can get quite loud and can rock the entire house, if that is what you are looking for. The only music genre that I would the speakers acceptable with is dance/techno and possibly hip-hop (though I don't listen to it) because of the need for deep bass and piercing high frequency synthesizers.

Avoid these speakers as you will most likely be disappointed. Get an old pair of Altec Lansing ATP3 speakers, they are much better.

the remote is convenient the speaker quality is acceptable for what do I which includes DVD watching and a broad appreciation for music that includes everything from Classic Rock to Ethiopian music. However at certain levels the treble sounds a tad bit distorted, I think this may be due to my laptop's sound card so when I come back from vacation i'll test them out with a brand new Lg laptop which will have an improved sound card. Other than that im happy with this set.

I spent a lot of time comparing speakers at CompUSA. The best sounding speaker that I heard was a Logitech 5.1 system and I have no need for a surround system. The best sounding 2.1 speakers was the Harmon Kardon sound sticks, but it's an old style that doesn't look right with my current Mac system. So, I ended up choosing this Altec Lansing. As soon as I set it up at home though, I instantly regretted it. The speakers have excellent bass, but that's pretty much all that can be heard. Even at low volumes, I found it overpowering and had to turn it down. The speakers are fine on the high end, but there doesn't seem to be much in the middle. I will probably end up returning these speakers and continue searching for something better.

i got a decent deal on them - $70 for these altec lansing speakers is nothing but a steal. great for studio/dorm. Ease of use and the remote is a big plus. i only wish the speaker wires were a bit longer.
but otherwise, great deal.

I'd buy this system again for the money--it's got plenty of power and a clear sound. But here's two problems I wish I'd known about before I bought them.

1) wires to the two satellite speakers are short. I think they're 8 foot, maybe 10 at most? Fine, obviously, for putting next to your monitor, but I wanted to put them around the room, and I'm going to have to go to Radio Shack for extenders to do that.

2) Mid-range on the speakers is disappointingly weak. I know, I know--to be expected in a 60 dollar computer speaker system, but I was still bummed. It helped music playback a little to tweak the equalizer on my iTunes.

I purchased this speaker system for use with my TV/DVD in a bedroom. Originally, I wanted the similar Bose system, but the Altec Lansing VS4221 was $170 cheaper! The sound quality is great and it more than fills the room with sound. The sound is crisp and clear; much better than the muddy sound from the TV speakers. The bass can be really strong though I keep it turned down for a more balanced sound.

You can pay more for a similar speaker system, but, for the money, this one is great. Unless you are an audiophile sound-snob with deep pockets, you can't go wrong with this system.

When I first got rhese the sound was terrible, after about a week they started to sound good when I used the equalizer in Winamp and on Windows media player, without that they sounded pretty flat