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Altec-Lansing ACS-90 -- A Rare Vintage Audio Collectors Item for Your PC
Pros
They sound pretty darn good and came free with my computer.
Cons
Altec-Lansing doesn't make them anymore.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great speakers, but a collector's item. You can't buy these (new) any more. They appear to have been replaced by the ACS-95W's.
For the money, I don't think you can beat the Altec-Lansing ACS-90 speakers.
Why is that I'm unsure about the price? It's because they came with my computer. In any case, Altec-Lansing has discontinued the ACS-90 meaning that this listing, like many on Epinions, is one for a product which is no longer sold.
Anyway, it appears that the ACS-90 has been replaced by the ACS-95W, also a two-piece speaker system. You can pick the ACS-95W up for about $25.
The ACS-90 system includes two speakers, each having a single three-inch driver. Each driver is ported through an opening at the bottom of the case, increasing base response but decreasing efficiency. However, power is not a problem with this speaker as the amplifier, built into the base of the right-hand speaker, provides ample power for casual listening while you're sitting at your computer.
The right-side speaker has front-mounted volume and treble controls. Of course, if you're really into tweaking your PC audio, you can do so to your heart's content with the graphic equalizer included on the Winamp audio player. It might not make a big difference with small speakers like this, but you can adjust all the audio parameters, just as if you had an actual graphic EQ.
The connections on the ACS-90, all located on the back of the right-hand speaker, are straightforward. First of all, going from right to left, after the on-off switch, there's a plug to take the 13-volt, 2 Amp power input from the wall-wart power supply (i.e., input power totals 26 watts, meaning that the total output power of the amplifier is probably around 10 or 15 watts, summing both channels). Next, there's a mini-jack plug to feed a subwoofer, should you wish to add one to your ACS-90 speaker array. Then there's a mono mini-jack plug (3.5-mm) which takes the plug from the ACS-90's left-hand speaker. Next, there's a stereo mini-jack plug (3.5-mm) to take the line-level output from your computer soundcard. This takes a cable which is included with the speaker set. At the other end, the cable terminates in another stereo mini-plug which goes into the jack on your sound card. The one improvement, connection-wise, which would be really useful for these speakers is a headphone jack.
There's a small green LED on the front of the right-hand speaker, just to the right of the volume and treble controls. When that little baby's glowing, you know your ACS-90's are ready to rock!
And rock they will, with their excellent sound quality. Audiophiles might tell you that giant speakers are needed for good sound reproduction, but you'll be surprised at the massive presence you'll get out of these diminutive speakers. Okay, they don't quite keep up with my Boston Acoustics, but they're quite good.
Let's see, why don't we try playing a few MP3 files to see how these speakers perform? Well, on "Blue Flower" by Mazzy Star the bass drum is a bit muffled, but Hope Sandoval's trippy vocals are coming through quite nicely, as are the buzzy guitar chords. Next let's hear something a little jangly like "Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC. Wow. Those midrange vocals sound great. The cymbals are good. Bass, again, is a touch muddy, but with a definite presence. Okay, how about "Ugly Truth Rock" by Matthew Sweet? Wow, listen to the snarl of that lead guitar.
Hey, for $25, I might have to get an extra pair of these for my shower.
Why is that I'm unsure about the price? It's because they came with my computer. In any case, Altec-Lansing has discontinued the ACS-90 meaning that this listing, like many on Epinions, is one for a product which is no longer sold.
Anyway, it appears that the ACS-90 has been replaced by the ACS-95W, also a two-piece speaker system. You can pick the ACS-95W up for about $25.
The ACS-90 system includes two speakers, each having a single three-inch driver. Each driver is ported through an opening at the bottom of the case, increasing base response but decreasing efficiency. However, power is not a problem with this speaker as the amplifier, built into the base of the right-hand speaker, provides ample power for casual listening while you're sitting at your computer.
The right-side speaker has front-mounted volume and treble controls. Of course, if you're really into tweaking your PC audio, you can do so to your heart's content with the graphic equalizer included on the Winamp audio player. It might not make a big difference with small speakers like this, but you can adjust all the audio parameters, just as if you had an actual graphic EQ.
The connections on the ACS-90, all located on the back of the right-hand speaker, are straightforward. First of all, going from right to left, after the on-off switch, there's a plug to take the 13-volt, 2 Amp power input from the wall-wart power supply (i.e., input power totals 26 watts, meaning that the total output power of the amplifier is probably around 10 or 15 watts, summing both channels). Next, there's a mini-jack plug to feed a subwoofer, should you wish to add one to your ACS-90 speaker array. Then there's a mono mini-jack plug (3.5-mm) which takes the plug from the ACS-90's left-hand speaker. Next, there's a stereo mini-jack plug (3.5-mm) to take the line-level output from your computer soundcard. This takes a cable which is included with the speaker set. At the other end, the cable terminates in another stereo mini-plug which goes into the jack on your sound card. The one improvement, connection-wise, which would be really useful for these speakers is a headphone jack.
There's a small green LED on the front of the right-hand speaker, just to the right of the volume and treble controls. When that little baby's glowing, you know your ACS-90's are ready to rock!
And rock they will, with their excellent sound quality. Audiophiles might tell you that giant speakers are needed for good sound reproduction, but you'll be surprised at the massive presence you'll get out of these diminutive speakers. Okay, they don't quite keep up with my Boston Acoustics, but they're quite good.
Let's see, why don't we try playing a few MP3 files to see how these speakers perform? Well, on "Blue Flower" by Mazzy Star the bass drum is a bit muffled, but Hope Sandoval's trippy vocals are coming through quite nicely, as are the buzzy guitar chords. Next let's hear something a little jangly like "Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC. Wow. Those midrange vocals sound great. The cymbals are good. Bass, again, is a touch muddy, but with a definite presence. Okay, how about "Ugly Truth Rock" by Matthew Sweet? Wow, listen to the snarl of that lead guitar.
Hey, for $25, I might have to get an extra pair of these for my shower.
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