Altec Lansing ADA 70 2.1 Speakers

So after after living for a year or so with a crappy mouse and even crappy headphones (lost the little speaker cubes my computer came with) I decided to splurge and purchased a wireless mouse and these Altec Lansing speakers. I figured with the ever increasing quality of streaming audio I may as well invest in some decent speakers.

Overview: This set consists of two satellite speakers each 7 watts and a 20 watt subwoofer. The satellites are each about 5" high with a 2.5"x3" base while the subwoofer is slightly bigger than a large shoebox (48x38x30cm according to the website). One satelite has the master power, volume, bass, and treble controls and a second set of controls is located on the subwoofer. Since most people stick the subwoofer under the desk (or in my case under the bed) having controls on one of the satellites is a nice touch.

Setup: Wires and connections are color coded and the instructions are very clear. The connections are 1 USB cable (comp to sub), one audio cable from the headphone/speaker jack on your computer to the subwoofer, one audio cord from the sub to the master satellite, one cord from the slave satellite to the master satellite, and a power cord from the subwoofer to an outlet. A few more cables than I was expecting but hey, they all tuck away neatly. Having a longer power cord would have been nice but otherwise all the cables are of adequate length.

Sound: Probably the most important feature, eh? Well this system certainly does sound great. The subwoofer in particular is quite powerful and adds great presence to any audio application. Usually little cube speakers sound hollow and stuffy but with these speakers you are pretty much limited only by the quality of the source. Mp3's sound crisp and clear as do cd's. Volume is adequate for anything short of a crowded room party.

Overall: I was quite impressed with this product. Installation was a breeze and the sound is fantastic. They are a definite improvement over the cheap-o speakers that come with most pc's but wether this is worth the $110 is your call. If you play a lot of games or use your computer as a stereo I would definitely consider these.