Altec Lansing AVS500 4.1 Speakers
- Max. Power Output: 3.6 Watt
- Number of Speakers: 4 Speakers + Subwoofer
- Connection Type: Cable
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Altec Lansing AVS500: A decent sound system under budget
Pros
Low cost, 4 point surround with a subwoofer.
Cons
No digital connection.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Looking for a 5.1/6.1 or digital speaker system? This isn't the one you want. You need clear sound, some surround at decent volume? It's the perfect system for you.
This speaker system was gifted to me by my brothers for my birthday in 2001 and have been plugged into my system ever since. My previous sound system was an old pair of Cyber-Acoustic mid level stereo speakers that worked fine but had no bass response and very limited volume. Once installed, the AVS500 system was more powerful with a real bass sub that added much to my listening enjoyment. Since receiving this speaker system I have looked at many others at stores and online and found that there are much better systems out for a little more than the price of the AVS500's but I am happy with them and probably won't upgrade until I am ready to drop $300-$400 on a set of Promedia's.
The Altec Lansing AVS500
The Altec Lansing AVS500 speaker system includes 2 front stereo speakers, 2 rear stereo speakers and a subwoofer. The speaker system comes in two different colors, black and off-white. Mine are the off-white shown on the product page. The front and rear speakers connect directly to the subwoofer with regular RCA cable/connectors that are hard wired into the two sets of speakers, but the subwoofer connects directly to the computer. The cable from the computer to the subwoofer is proprietary and should it be lost, could be difficult to have replaced. The subwoofer has a switch for music/game which as far as I can tell turns on and off surround mode. The "music" position runs straight stereo sound to the four front speakers and lowers bass response slightly. The subwoofer can be turned up to correct this but it does make it a slight hassle since the subwoofer is under my desk.
The front right speaker has the main volume control and power switch for the system. It also has a control for the amount of surround. By turning this knob up, it splits the sound more to the front and rear and turning it down pulls the sound back closer to straight stereo.
Surround Sound
This system is what is called a "Quadraphonic" surround sound system and works very well with DVD movies using Dolby surround and even DTS but you must remember that it is not a digital surround system and you will not get true 5.1 or 6.1 effects with this system. Watching movies with the subwoofer switch set to "game" will bring out the surround as best it can as long as the surround control on the front right speaker is turned up to max. I have noticed that if you watch movies at low volume you will want to turn the switch on the subwoofer to "music" because with the surround mode on at low volumes you don't hear the conversations loud enough. If you choose to do this, you may also want to change the audio menu on the DVD to stereo as well.
Volume
I have absolutely no complaints here. The speaker system is plenty loud for my home office and I have been asked many times to "turn it down" when playing games. The subwoofer contains the amplifier and pumps a generous 70W of power to the 5 speakers. Grant it that is only 14W per speaker but that is still plenty and once you hear it for yourself you will probably agree (unless you are deaf or hard-of-hearing). The speakers are much louder in stereo mode than they are in surround mode.
Clarity
These speakers have remarkable clarity for their size and price range. The range of sound is crisp and clear from the lowest bass to the highest trebles. I have to mention also that a lot of that has to do with the sound card being used. I have a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and it really is a great card for clarity and surround. I have read a few reviews that claim these speakers are not very clean and I have to say it was probably not the speakers themselves but most likely the sound card being used.
Other Features
All the speakers in this system are magnetically shielded so they won't distort your monitor should you use them in close proximity. Some speakers are not meant to be placed near the monitor and cause the display to distort and "pull" the color into abstract patterns on the screen. These speakers won't do that.
The speaker system comes with a 1 year warranty and a registration card must be sent in within 30 days of purchase in order to validate your warranty.
All cables and connections are color coded so it is easy for anyone to set up and operate.
Speaker sizes:
Satellite speakers are approx. 5.5" tall and 4.5" wide. The subwoofer is approx. 13" tall and 6.5" wide. The subwoofer can be laid on its right side if you have a low clearance for it but it will still take about 7.5" to clear the cables that plug into the left side.
Conclusion
This is a great speaker system for any gamer or music lover at low cost. It is not the greatest but it doesn't cost $300 or more either. You can pick up a set of these speakers online for about $50. If you're looking for a 5.1, 6.1 or digital speaker system, this is not the one you want. If you just need clear sound, some surround and at decent volume, this is the perfect speaker system for you.
Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful :-)
The Altec Lansing AVS500
The Altec Lansing AVS500 speaker system includes 2 front stereo speakers, 2 rear stereo speakers and a subwoofer. The speaker system comes in two different colors, black and off-white. Mine are the off-white shown on the product page. The front and rear speakers connect directly to the subwoofer with regular RCA cable/connectors that are hard wired into the two sets of speakers, but the subwoofer connects directly to the computer. The cable from the computer to the subwoofer is proprietary and should it be lost, could be difficult to have replaced. The subwoofer has a switch for music/game which as far as I can tell turns on and off surround mode. The "music" position runs straight stereo sound to the four front speakers and lowers bass response slightly. The subwoofer can be turned up to correct this but it does make it a slight hassle since the subwoofer is under my desk.
The front right speaker has the main volume control and power switch for the system. It also has a control for the amount of surround. By turning this knob up, it splits the sound more to the front and rear and turning it down pulls the sound back closer to straight stereo.
Surround Sound
This system is what is called a "Quadraphonic" surround sound system and works very well with DVD movies using Dolby surround and even DTS but you must remember that it is not a digital surround system and you will not get true 5.1 or 6.1 effects with this system. Watching movies with the subwoofer switch set to "game" will bring out the surround as best it can as long as the surround control on the front right speaker is turned up to max. I have noticed that if you watch movies at low volume you will want to turn the switch on the subwoofer to "music" because with the surround mode on at low volumes you don't hear the conversations loud enough. If you choose to do this, you may also want to change the audio menu on the DVD to stereo as well.
Volume
I have absolutely no complaints here. The speaker system is plenty loud for my home office and I have been asked many times to "turn it down" when playing games. The subwoofer contains the amplifier and pumps a generous 70W of power to the 5 speakers. Grant it that is only 14W per speaker but that is still plenty and once you hear it for yourself you will probably agree (unless you are deaf or hard-of-hearing). The speakers are much louder in stereo mode than they are in surround mode.
Clarity
These speakers have remarkable clarity for their size and price range. The range of sound is crisp and clear from the lowest bass to the highest trebles. I have to mention also that a lot of that has to do with the sound card being used. I have a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and it really is a great card for clarity and surround. I have read a few reviews that claim these speakers are not very clean and I have to say it was probably not the speakers themselves but most likely the sound card being used.
Other Features
All the speakers in this system are magnetically shielded so they won't distort your monitor should you use them in close proximity. Some speakers are not meant to be placed near the monitor and cause the display to distort and "pull" the color into abstract patterns on the screen. These speakers won't do that.
The speaker system comes with a 1 year warranty and a registration card must be sent in within 30 days of purchase in order to validate your warranty.
All cables and connections are color coded so it is easy for anyone to set up and operate.
Speaker sizes:
Satellite speakers are approx. 5.5" tall and 4.5" wide. The subwoofer is approx. 13" tall and 6.5" wide. The subwoofer can be laid on its right side if you have a low clearance for it but it will still take about 7.5" to clear the cables that plug into the left side.
Conclusion
This is a great speaker system for any gamer or music lover at low cost. It is not the greatest but it doesn't cost $300 or more either. You can pick up a set of these speakers online for about $50. If you're looking for a 5.1, 6.1 or digital speaker system, this is not the one you want. If you just need clear sound, some surround and at decent volume, this is the perfect speaker system for you.
Thanks for reading,
Gr8ful :-)
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