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One HOT speaker system
Pros
very clear, auto equalized, strong base you can feel POUND!
Cons
Tweeters could be a little stronger for super loud play.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The ACS495 series speakers are an excellent choice for either a surround sound theater/gaming system or an awesome music system.
Overview
Altec Lansing is a name that's been around in audio for a long time. With a spotless history, anything with the Altec Lansing name on it is definitely worth a try. With these high expectations, and even higher hopes, I gave the 495 computer speakers a try...and I was not disappointed.
The 495s are not set up as a "true" surround sound system. In saying that, I mean that speakers do not sit at points of the room all around you. Instead they work off of a sort of bouncing technology. The theory is that the side speakers send the majority of their power in a narrow band off to your side, so you don't really hear it. Those sound waves then bounce off of the surrounding walls and relay back to you, thus sounding as though it's coming from behind. At least, that's what I've read in some advertisements.
Truer to the fact may be the direct manipulation they do to the sound waves. Altec Lansing uses a technology like Bose; a cpu built into the subwoofer that analyzes the sound coming through and makes hundreds of adjustments a second to make it sounds it's absolute best. Unlike Bose, however, Altec Lansing puts a decent emphasis on bass, which I prefer.
To manage the surround sound, they simply change the sound waves. Remember that humans only have 2 ears, so we can't really tell that something is behind or in front of us. If a sound comes from in front of us and slightly to the right, we tell it is to the right because our right ear picks up slightly more sound. Likewise, if it is at that same place behind us we hear the same thing. So what allows us to tell that something is behind us? Well, the human ear is obviously structured to hear things in front of us. Sounds behind us have to either bounce in front of us and back or go through a part of our skin. Either way, the wave is slightly distorted, generally giving it a bassier and more muffled sound. Of course, we don't really notice this, we just say it sounds like it's from behind us =P. Anyway, we'll take a look at how that fits in just a little bit further down here...
Sound Quality
I found the sound quality to be extremely good. The 495s give a completely different sound than most systems due to the cpu in the speakers making fine adjustments every second to maximize your enjoyment. The sound is extremely full, lacking nothing in the low, mid, or high end. Bass comes through crisp and powerful and the high notes are crystal clear.
Higher volumes stress sound systems so they react differently when turned up all the way. I've found that the 495 tweeters are slightly weaker than the other speakers. High notes are the first to distort and lose some of their clarity at extremely high volumes. Bass notes still seem as clear and strong as ever at high volumes...even better because you can really feel them. Midranges seem to maintain themselves pretty well all the way through, though they lose some body in the extremely high end.
The 'simulated' surround sound is AMAZING. I was skeptical of even our modern technologies abilities to truly simulate a sound happening behind me. However, after several separate tests with mostly games, but a few DVDs, I was astounded. You will find yourself literally looking behind you to see what that sound was. It sound excellent when listening to music as you feel like you're back in the 80s with 4 tower speakers; each in it's own corner of the room. I still find myself turning down my music sometimes when I'm home alone because I'm sure I heard someone behind me...nope, just that excellent surround sound.
Volume
Volume is another strong point. With 60 Watts of power RMS, you're not lacking. But the amazing part is what it does with that 60 Watts of power. Most people think that the only important number in speakers is the power rating. There are a few things to remember though.
Power is generally advertised as peak power, meaning the max that a speaker can do in one quick pound. The important number is RMS power though, which is how much power a speaker can continuously play. If a speaker can do 400 Watts peak but only 25 RMS, you will never be able to turn them up high enough to use more than about 40 peak. the 495s handle 60 Watts RMS, which is equivalent to many home theater systems. For comparison, the $2500 Bose (well, $2500 right now in the fall of 2002) can do 100 Watts RMS, and if you've ever turned up a Bose home theater system, you know it gets LOUD.
Sometimes more importantly is the SPL (Sound to Power Level). This is how efficiently the speaker can turn power into sound. A speaker putting out 50 Watts can easily be louder than one putting out 100 Watts if it has a high SPL. The 495s have a very high efficiency level. The 60 Watts through them almost rivaled my 4 tower speakers which each had 15" subs and took 100+ Watts each!
Reliability
I have 3 separate Altec Lansing systems, 2 of them being the 495 series. I have never had any problem with either, and one is now some 5+ years old. My oldest AL system is one of their older series which is now approaching 10 years old and never had a problem! In addition, although many speakers will lose their 'give' after a few years and start to sound shallower and looser, my 495s sound as good as ever. I fully endorse the reliability of the 495 series speakers unless you turn them up beyond where they distort consistently (since distortion on ANY speaker means that you're damaging it).
Comparisons
First, I'll compare this against our Bose. I cannot remember the exact name of the model, but it is the 30 series 'power cubes' which runs some $2200-$2600 right now. I find that the Bose generally puts out a slightly more realistic sound, though the realism results in a lack of bass which is where the 495s really shine through. The 495s will not be able to match the volume of the Bose, but at low and mid volumes (including those where most people listen to home theater systems), the 495s can almost rival the clarity of the Bose. I believe that the systems are equal in their surround sound replication.
I have also had a chance to compare these to the Boston Acoustics that shipped with my fiancee's Gateway PC. I do not have the model number, but I know that they were the top of the line model when we ordered in the fall of 2001. I find that the BAs can manage a slightly louder volume on the high end. However, they lack a midrange speaker so the tweeters and sub are over-extended. This results in a sort of 'washed out' sound compared to the 495s. The sound quality, in my opinion, is lesser and the 495s clearly win out.
The only other truly good system I have access to is my Monsoon stereo in my new Firehawk, which I have added a 500 watt eclipse 8810 series aluminum sub to. The Monsoon, with my sub, obviously puts out much more bass. However, I find that without the advanced electronics of the 495s, my system requires constant adjustments to the graphic equalizer for each CD/station to make it really sound good. The 495s have a fuller sound, and are able to produce a better sounding bass note
Conclusion
The ACS495 series speakers are an excellent choice for either a surround sound theater/gaming system or an awesome music system. If you are the kind of person who does not discern quality and clarity of sound from one system to the next and goes straight for volume, you may be better off with a set of tower speakers. However, the 495s clearly win out against all other computer speakers, and most home theater systems when all is said and done.
Altec Lansing is a name that's been around in audio for a long time. With a spotless history, anything with the Altec Lansing name on it is definitely worth a try. With these high expectations, and even higher hopes, I gave the 495 computer speakers a try...and I was not disappointed.
The 495s are not set up as a "true" surround sound system. In saying that, I mean that speakers do not sit at points of the room all around you. Instead they work off of a sort of bouncing technology. The theory is that the side speakers send the majority of their power in a narrow band off to your side, so you don't really hear it. Those sound waves then bounce off of the surrounding walls and relay back to you, thus sounding as though it's coming from behind. At least, that's what I've read in some advertisements.
Truer to the fact may be the direct manipulation they do to the sound waves. Altec Lansing uses a technology like Bose; a cpu built into the subwoofer that analyzes the sound coming through and makes hundreds of adjustments a second to make it sounds it's absolute best. Unlike Bose, however, Altec Lansing puts a decent emphasis on bass, which I prefer.
To manage the surround sound, they simply change the sound waves. Remember that humans only have 2 ears, so we can't really tell that something is behind or in front of us. If a sound comes from in front of us and slightly to the right, we tell it is to the right because our right ear picks up slightly more sound. Likewise, if it is at that same place behind us we hear the same thing. So what allows us to tell that something is behind us? Well, the human ear is obviously structured to hear things in front of us. Sounds behind us have to either bounce in front of us and back or go through a part of our skin. Either way, the wave is slightly distorted, generally giving it a bassier and more muffled sound. Of course, we don't really notice this, we just say it sounds like it's from behind us =P. Anyway, we'll take a look at how that fits in just a little bit further down here...
Sound Quality
I found the sound quality to be extremely good. The 495s give a completely different sound than most systems due to the cpu in the speakers making fine adjustments every second to maximize your enjoyment. The sound is extremely full, lacking nothing in the low, mid, or high end. Bass comes through crisp and powerful and the high notes are crystal clear.
Higher volumes stress sound systems so they react differently when turned up all the way. I've found that the 495 tweeters are slightly weaker than the other speakers. High notes are the first to distort and lose some of their clarity at extremely high volumes. Bass notes still seem as clear and strong as ever at high volumes...even better because you can really feel them. Midranges seem to maintain themselves pretty well all the way through, though they lose some body in the extremely high end.
The 'simulated' surround sound is AMAZING. I was skeptical of even our modern technologies abilities to truly simulate a sound happening behind me. However, after several separate tests with mostly games, but a few DVDs, I was astounded. You will find yourself literally looking behind you to see what that sound was. It sound excellent when listening to music as you feel like you're back in the 80s with 4 tower speakers; each in it's own corner of the room. I still find myself turning down my music sometimes when I'm home alone because I'm sure I heard someone behind me...nope, just that excellent surround sound.
Volume
Volume is another strong point. With 60 Watts of power RMS, you're not lacking. But the amazing part is what it does with that 60 Watts of power. Most people think that the only important number in speakers is the power rating. There are a few things to remember though.
Power is generally advertised as peak power, meaning the max that a speaker can do in one quick pound. The important number is RMS power though, which is how much power a speaker can continuously play. If a speaker can do 400 Watts peak but only 25 RMS, you will never be able to turn them up high enough to use more than about 40 peak. the 495s handle 60 Watts RMS, which is equivalent to many home theater systems. For comparison, the $2500 Bose (well, $2500 right now in the fall of 2002) can do 100 Watts RMS, and if you've ever turned up a Bose home theater system, you know it gets LOUD.
Sometimes more importantly is the SPL (Sound to Power Level). This is how efficiently the speaker can turn power into sound. A speaker putting out 50 Watts can easily be louder than one putting out 100 Watts if it has a high SPL. The 495s have a very high efficiency level. The 60 Watts through them almost rivaled my 4 tower speakers which each had 15" subs and took 100+ Watts each!
Reliability
I have 3 separate Altec Lansing systems, 2 of them being the 495 series. I have never had any problem with either, and one is now some 5+ years old. My oldest AL system is one of their older series which is now approaching 10 years old and never had a problem! In addition, although many speakers will lose their 'give' after a few years and start to sound shallower and looser, my 495s sound as good as ever. I fully endorse the reliability of the 495 series speakers unless you turn them up beyond where they distort consistently (since distortion on ANY speaker means that you're damaging it).
Comparisons
First, I'll compare this against our Bose. I cannot remember the exact name of the model, but it is the 30 series 'power cubes' which runs some $2200-$2600 right now. I find that the Bose generally puts out a slightly more realistic sound, though the realism results in a lack of bass which is where the 495s really shine through. The 495s will not be able to match the volume of the Bose, but at low and mid volumes (including those where most people listen to home theater systems), the 495s can almost rival the clarity of the Bose. I believe that the systems are equal in their surround sound replication.
I have also had a chance to compare these to the Boston Acoustics that shipped with my fiancee's Gateway PC. I do not have the model number, but I know that they were the top of the line model when we ordered in the fall of 2001. I find that the BAs can manage a slightly louder volume on the high end. However, they lack a midrange speaker so the tweeters and sub are over-extended. This results in a sort of 'washed out' sound compared to the 495s. The sound quality, in my opinion, is lesser and the 495s clearly win out.
The only other truly good system I have access to is my Monsoon stereo in my new Firehawk, which I have added a 500 watt eclipse 8810 series aluminum sub to. The Monsoon, with my sub, obviously puts out much more bass. However, I find that without the advanced electronics of the 495s, my system requires constant adjustments to the graphic equalizer for each CD/station to make it really sound good. The 495s have a fuller sound, and are able to produce a better sounding bass note
Conclusion
The ACS495 series speakers are an excellent choice for either a surround sound theater/gaming system or an awesome music system. If you are the kind of person who does not discern quality and clarity of sound from one system to the next and goes straight for volume, you may be better off with a set of tower speakers. However, the 495s clearly win out against all other computer speakers, and most home theater systems when all is said and done.
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