Altec Lansing 2100 2.1 Computer Speakers (3-Speaker, Black & Silver)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(2 out of 5)

Not Designed With Me In Mind

So, first, let me get this out of the way: These speakers sound great. The bass is powerful and punchy while the small and very attractive speakers deliver a crisp high end. Mid-range does suffer a bit in larger spaces, but probably only to the very discerning listener. I replaced my clunky Yamaha YST-MS50 system with this one and, as far as the sound goes, I find the 2100's to be very comparable.

OK, so why give it 2 stars? Well, it has everything to do with the design of these things. Altec Lansing has successfully taken a potentially great product and ruined it with terrible controls. The remote, in my opinion, is completely useless. It features a power button and two volume buttons. Now, assuming you have the speakers plugged into the same outlet strip as your computer, most users will shut the speaker system down with the computer system. This makes sense to me. The problem is that whenever you bring power back to the system, you must manually turn on the power button on the remote and re-adjust the volume to a normal level. The default for this system is for it to be OFF and at VERY low volume. The only workaround to this is to keep the speakers powered on all the time. But this, to me, makes very little sense. When I turn my computer on, I expect to hear sound. Well, you don't with the 2100's.

My second gripe has to do with the fact that this system has no headphone jack. This is a major inconvenience when using the computer late at night.

My third gripe has to do with the fact that you have no idea what volume you are listening to. The remote, as I said, features two volume buttons but with no visual display telling you where you are at. This just goes against my natural tendency to want to know what volume I am listening to relative to the system's capabilities.

My last gripe has to do with the design of the speakers. I have no complaint with the subwoofer as it is very slim, compact, and well protected. However, the satellites have fully exposed speaker cones that are barely protected by only a thin vertical strip of metal. I had to move these speakers well above ear-level in order to keep them away from the stray hands of my young child.

So, overall, the system is great sounding, attractive, and completely user-unfriendly. Just not enough, in my opinion.....

(4 out of 5)

very nice. Volume control is annoying

The 2100's replaced an old set of Altec Lansing speakers I've had for years. These new ones are much nicer to look at, and provide plenty of clean sound for gaming and music. The tweeters have almost zero mid-range though, and the subwoofer doesn't provide much either, so you end up with a lot of highs and lows. The tweeters are very lightweight, and I find myself knocking them down now and then as I move things around on my desk--no big deal.

On the downside, the speakers come with a clunky wired remote for power and volume control. This adds extra wires coming from your desktop, and the volume control is NOT rotary, which I dislike. The rotary control is the most intuitive for volume, and you can tell at a glance what your volume setting is. Instead, we get two buttons for the volume, which provide NO visual feedback as to what the current volume is, nor what the min/max volume is. Additionally, if you turn the power off to the speakers, they RESET themselves to the minimum volume. Every time I turn the computer on, I have to crank the volume up 15 notches or so. If you leave the power on to the speakers at all times, you won't find this to be a problem. One final gripe is about the bass control--it is located on the back of the subwoofer, quite out of reach.

If you are in the habit of leaving the power on regularly, you will have no problem with these speakers and you'll enjoy the cool look and pretty sound. Otherwise, if you are as picky as I am, and are willing to settle with some less "cool" looking speakers, you might think about heading toward something else.

(4 out of 5)

Tim Robertson MyMac.com Review

My first impression upon seeing the 2100 series speaker from Altec Lansing was "sweet!" Yes, I like the look of these speakers, but looks are but one of the many important factors into making your decision on what speakers to buy.

Sounds quality, I hope, is the number one factor. In that regard, the 2100's sound great. While not as loud as the ... Monsoon PlanarMedia 9 speakers, they do have about the same clarity of sound. That is to say, very good in both audio reproduction and imaging.

The 2100 series are a three-piece speaker system, consisting of two satellite speakers, and one powered sub-woofer. Like most other computer speaker systems, this one also has a remote control (wired) that has a Mute button, as well as two volume controls. Nice, but what I especially enjoyed was the metal stand the remote control rests on. This may seem a small thing, but not after you have had to deal with the remotes on most other computer speakers, which usually lay on the desk. The remote stand shows forethought on Altec Lansing's part.

The satellite speakers are very small, half the size of the Monsoon speakers reviewed a few weeks ago. If you have a cluttered desk, and a pair of large flat-panel speakers would have a hard time finding a home on your desk, take a look at these. Each speaker is set into a metal stand, making them harder to accidentally move. Even with the metal stand, the speakers are still tiny.

They say good things come in small packages. This is proven true here, as I was really impressed with the sound quality of the two desktop speakers. The sub-woofer is equally great sounding, but is anything but small.

The sub-woofer sports not one, but two 4" speakers, which do a respectable job of reproducing low base sounds. The sub is made from sturdy, well-crafted wood. They are also ported, meaning better bass response.

Obviously, ... speakers are not going to rival a home entertainment system in pure volume, clarity or base, but the sound level the average computer user will listen to the 2100's at will not be disappointed.

Specs:
Power: 35W RMS ‹ 50 WATTS total peek power. (Look for distortion when pushing anything close to their peek.)
Front Speakers: 5.5W/Channel at 4 ohms.
Subwoofer: 17.5W at 4 ohms.

Overall impression: I like these speakers! If I were doing a head-to-head comparison with the aforementioned Monsoon's, I would have to give the Monsoon speakers a slight edge in sound quality. In workmanship, the winner would be the Altec Lansing 2100.

A good value speaker that sounds more expensive than they are. A true audiophile will want to look elsewhere, and spend more money. For the average computer user who wants better sound than the built-in speakers on your computer, these will make you smile.

MacMice Rating: 4 out of 5

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Tim Robertson

(4 out of 5)

Great 4 all music, movies, & gaming needs. Especially w/ PS2

Bought this system and hooked it up with my playstation2. Altec included a special cable to easily hook up both ps2 audio jacks into the satillites, while keeping your video jack in the tv. A lot of systems do not provide these cables, so this was a nice extra. Setup is easy. There is plenty of cord for a lot of reach. Slim design fits anywhere and looks PERFECT with the ps2 system, or anything in need of a modern look.

Altec's sound is superb compared to your average tv. You paid $(...) for a gaming system, you might as well take advantage of its high quality sound capability. These speakers are a start.

This system boosts a nice bass sound, while maintaining top quality and clarity. As previously posted, the midrange could use more boost. You can adjust the subwoofer, but unfortunately there is no other knobs to refine the sound to your taste. It's because of this that the system misses a perfect score.

Overall, altec did a wonderful job with the sleek, lightweight design. Best sound for your dollar. Top quality. Buy these speakers!

(3 out of 5)

good for almost everything.

I bought these speakers with the intent of creating my own little home entertainment center for music (primarily) and for movies. When I heard them at the store (costco) they sounded great except for a little distortion I thought was due to the MP3 player. AFter taking them home and putting them through my rigorous testing process I found that they work great with Earth, Wind and Fire, and reproducing a great acoustic jazz bass sound (I'm a bass player). They sounded great with most all of my jazz CD's except Bill Evans (the piano sounded funny) and Branford Marsalis (the mix between the drums and bass was a little muddy).

Then there was the classical test. My wife plays violin, and is also pretty particular about sound. It failed in reproducing a good sound with bowed bass (Edgar Meyer) and exposed mixing flaws in orchestras. Perhaps the worst part was the distortion that occured at low volumes particularly in choral music.

So, if you like rock music, these are the speakers for you (if you care about hearing yourself talk). If you like jazz, you might want something better, and if you like classical or choral music, pick something else.