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Altec Lansing ACS33 PowerCube Computer Speakers (3-Piece)

Altec Lansing ACS33 PowerCube Computer Speakers (3-Piece)

List Price: $49.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Altec Lansing ACS48 Speakers Rock My Socks
Review: ...This review is for the Altec Lansing ACS48 speaker set....

These speakers are amazing. They've got huge sound, and high quality at that, in a relatively small package. I'd ding them one star for some usability issues (shortish cord between the small speakers, no easily-accessible headphone jack, volume controls don't give a visual indication of level, lack of sufficient magnetic shielding on the subwoofer (it can't go near a monitor, but a few inches away from the computer case is fine), [poor] mfr carton (though the styrofoam packing is good)), but the sound more than makes up for it. There's no hum to speak of when the speakers are sitting idle, and the full range of sound is crisp and clear, even at volumes high enough to be heard in the other end of the house, with no distortion or muddy or tinny qualities. If your computer speakers double as your stereo, these are definitely worth the money (and you can get them fairly cheaply at auction these days). Two inputs allow you to hook them up to both your computer and a discman or TV or other device, so you can use them for more than just computing, and with the computer off. Our set has been going strong for 3 years so far, and I'm considering getting another set to use as "home theater" speakers (until we can afford a really nice Bose package or something).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Altec Lansing ACS48 Speakers Rock My Socks
Review: ...This review is for the Altec Lansing ACS48 speaker set....

These speakers are amazing. They've got huge sound, and high quality at that, in a relatively small package. I'd ding them one star for some usability issues (shortish cord between the small speakers, no easily-accessible headphone jack, volume controls don't give a visual indication of level, lack of sufficient magnetic shielding on the subwoofer (it can't go near a monitor, but a few inches away from the computer case is fine), [poor] mfr carton (though the styrofoam packing is good)), but the sound more than makes up for it. There's no hum to speak of when the speakers are sitting idle, and the full range of sound is crisp and clear, even at volumes high enough to be heard in the other end of the house, with no distortion or muddy or tinny qualities. If your computer speakers double as your stereo, these are definitely worth the money (and you can get them fairly cheaply at auction these days). Two inputs allow you to hook them up to both your computer and a discman or TV or other device, so you can use them for more than just computing, and with the computer off. Our set has been going strong for 3 years so far, and I'm considering getting another set to use as "home theater" speakers (until we can afford a really nice Bose package or something).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ACS48 Not Bad
Review: A lot of the negative reviews you see here are proably for the altec ACS33 which somehow got mixed in. The ACS48 has alot of power but most of it seems to be going to the subwoofer which is very good although almost as large as a small minitower. I get the impression that they took the ACS44 (which I had and like for it's compactness and good sound) and added a better subwoofer and a tweeter. There is no treble control on this unit like most on the market. I honestly got the impression that the sound from the midrange 3" speakers to only be a little more (if that) than other units out such as the logitech Z340 that sells for almost half the price. The subwoofer with the Altec ACS48 is noticeably superior, although the logitec was no slouch and more compact. In my opinion almost all of these companies and at almost all price levels are building these units for kids who want alot of boom but don't care much about the midrange.

If you don't care about a large subwoofer effect you might be better off buying a unit about half the price. Of note (with a lower price system in mind) is that although the sound is good in the cheapest Altec system on the market (the AVS300), for about [price]more you can get the Logitec Z340 or related with a little more power from the satelites and noticably louder and higher quality sound than the altec AVs300 (in my opinion from having heard and compared them both (list around [price])). The Altec ACS48 is only slightly superior with sound from the satelites than some lower priced models even though the total power is advertised as higher and much better in the subwoofer - although the logitec is conviently smaller and still no slough with the subwoofer and has cute little satelites that can be hung on the wall and at half the price. In summary, this is a good unit with good sound especially in the subwoofer, but if you only need a good subwoofer you can get similar sound and about half the price elsewhere. However, in all fairness -almost all PC speaker systems lack good power in the midrange.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW!
Review: After enduring 5 months of cheesy computer speakers, I decided to do some shopping for a better mousetrap. Chose these. Took them home and plugged them in. Wow! Sounded like my stereo system. Clean crisp sound with nicely handled bass notes. All in all alot of punch for the price (take it from me, a guy who likes a his music with alot of body and volume!). Get these folks, you won't regret it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: choose the better one for a little more
Review: after use it for about a month , i'll say this product is good , it has a nice double speaker and real kick bass system , but for 50 dollars , it ain't that good , if u want to buy this thing , buy the ACS-66 , it has more bass , and more clear sound , and it only ten dollars more

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: You can do better
Review: At first I was okay with these speakers. They were ... and weak of course, but I wasn't expecting much for the price. Then I started having constant crackling and popping noises whenever there was any bass whatsoever(at any volume). I guess if you don't care about sound AT ALL, these will work fine. They won't even replace a basic CD-player for music purposes though. If you want to play games or listen to music ever, but don't have much to spend, splurge just a tad and for $... you can pick up the Labtec Pulse-424 3 piece setup. Those are an amazing steal. Normally I think Altec-Lansing makes good stuff. Who knows maybe I got a bad set? But they were unbearable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Doubtful most users need more than this
Review: Certainly not the best speakers you could ever have for your computer, the ACS33 nevertheless fills an important niche in the market. If you're looking for subwoofered sound on the cheap, this is probably your best bet. They're competent performers, without taking price into consideration. Look at how much they cost, and you'll think there aren't better speakers made on the planet. They have the potential to work, as do most speakers, on both Macintosh and Windows machines.

Interestingly, they also have a secondary use. Because they don't need a computer to work at all, they can be plugged directly into any stereo system that has the ability to output its sound (that is, one which has an AUDIO OUT jack). They can thus give resonant stereo sound--even to lowly portables. You'll think twice about whether you really need to upgrade to a whole new system after hearing these speakers. (Before buying for this purpose, however, I'd recommend you go to altec-lansing.com and grab the manual for this product, just to make sure that it's compatible with your stereo.)

Inasmuch as there are drawbacks to the speakers, they are ones you would expect from a product so inexpensive. As another reviewer has rightly pointed out, there's no volume control on the woofer. There's also no bass, treble, or speaker-independent volume control. And the speakers are rated at only 10 watts, with a relatively indelicate frequency response.

But, big deal.

If, like most people, you've got your computer jammed into a corner in a busy room, you don't have the soundspace to set up a truly extraordinary auditory experience. If you've got a lot of people living with you, anything more than 10 watts is discourteous, anyway. Unless you have a room that you can dedicate to the computer, and that's relatively isolated from others, it's extremely unlikely you would actually be able to use more than this system offers.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: hmmmm, i payed 40$, and i am still being blown away
Review: For the price, these are the best valued speakers in the world. Ive had the set for almost a year now and I am still being blown away by the sheer bass and decibel level. If you are on a budget, and you need some high quality sound for your kazaa music collection, nascar racing game, or anything else you could think of, then these are the speakers for you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: reepicheep
Review: Great sound at a great price. I wanted something for work that sounded good and was inexpensive. Based on previous reviews I bought these. Everyone was right. Best feature of all -- no bulky transformer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great sound. Very easy setup. Bass sounds teriffic.
Review: I am not an expert, but the ACS48 are much better than the speakers that came with my computer. Great for playing audio cd's, dvd's, and games. Games are very intense sounding. (Diablo 2) It took just a minute or so for me to setup. No software installation is required. I use them with a Sound Blaster live value card. ***Caution*** The satellites are shielded, but the subwoofer is not. There is a possibility of video display interference if the subwoofer is to close (3ft) to the monitor, and the subwoofer is somewhat large, but it works swell right under my desk with no problems. I noticed a major difference right away. Deep bass. Rich sound. I am happy.


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