Altec Lansing VS4221 2.1 Speaker System Music & Gaming System with Remote

Amazon Customer Reviews

(4 out of 5)

Good Sound, Poor Controls

Currently, I have these speakers connected to both my computer and my DVR/cable box via an A/B switch. As such, they are my primary home entertainment speakers. While the sound is great, I am somewhat disappointed with the controls and the remote as they are far from being user friendly.

Like most modern-day electronics, the VS4221 uses soft switches that leave the unit in standby mode. The problem with this is the unit is continuously using electricity. My Kill-a-watt (see review) indicates that the speakers use 6 watts in standby mode. This is quite a bit considering there are 8760 hours per year, yielding 53 annual kwh or about $6.20 in wasted electricity annually.

Another problem with soft switches is that is never clear what their current status is. It would have been to have a simple LED readout for volume so there wouldn't be any startling explosions of sound. This scenario leads to the gravest problem of all with the speakers. When disconnecting and reconnecting the power, the speakers turn on automatically. As I have them connected to a DVR/cable box that is often left on, blaring sound can come on after a power outage or circuit breaker trip.

The last gripe I have with these speakers is the diminutive remote. It is appropriately sized for an infant. This wouldn't be an issue if the speakers were only being used with a computer. However, my DVR has the volume control disabled. This means I must rely entirely on the speaker volume. This turns out to be a hassle as the remote can easily be lost and is just too small to grip.

Despite my complaints about the user interface, the speakers' sound quality is quite good for the money. The bass is enough for any rock music fan or movie buff. As I use the same set of speakers for music, movies and TV, I have never been dissatisfied with the sound quality. And, in the end, that is what really counts.

(5 out of 5)

Good Sound For The Money!

I bought these to use with an inexpensive DVD player and TV in our bedroom. I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality sound for the money. Being the lazy sort, I wanted remote control and this system has this convenience. I am use to visual feedback with a remote, so I have to pay attention to perceive the differences as I push the remote buttons.

With the concert DVD's I have viewed, the sound has been really good.

The range of treble and bass adjustment seem limited. Loudness also requires a few pushes to make changes noticeable. But at the end of the movie, when I want to turn out the lights and go to sleep, a push of the button and the little blue LED goes out, telling me it is off. All-in-all a good system and suitable for a number of uses.

(3 out of 5)

Cool looks, so-so sound, fair price...

If you're mainly looking to play games, watch DVDs, and maybe have casual background music while working at your computer, you could do far worse than this system. Like most computer speakers, the sound is mainly treble and bass and weak midrange, which is fine for most rock and rap music.

The sats do look really cool, though it's hard to hear why Altec Lansing bothered to include downward firing (alleged) mid-woofers on the sats since they seemed almost imperceptible.

And of course the wireless remote is an awesome feature...unless you lose it of course, in which case you might as well throw the whole system out the window.

Not sure why they give you treble and bass controls since most people use the software equalizer on Winamp or Windows Media Player, etc. I would've preferred to see them take that cost and put it into the actual drivers, especially the subwoofer driver which as one would expect from any computer speaker system, is mediocre at best.

Still, for eighty bucks this isn't bad. Certainly beats the living daylights out of those ridiculous two hundred fifty dollar Bose 2.1 systems!

(5 out of 5)

Great Speakers

So far i've tried them w/ the 3 R's: Rap, R&B, and Rock. I have to say the quality is great. No distorotions, warping, or sounds like that Just great LOUD music!

(2 out of 5)

Very Dissapointing

Overall I would have to say that these speakers were a disappointing purchase. I wanted a nice upgrade from my old Altec Lansing ATP3 set and was royally upset with the sound quality of these new speakers so much so that I'm now back to using my old pair.

First of all, the bass is uncontrollable and is way too boomy. It could be from the size of the woofer or perhaps because it is a front firing speaker, but for whatever the reason, It produces way to much bass. I had to put my iTunes equalizer on bass reducer just to get a decent sound. In addition, the bass is just too boomy and doesn't usually fit fit with the music. Instead of crisp "pop" like bass it kind of throbs incessantly. You'll find it very difficult finding a bass level that you like.

Secondly, the mid-range is totally lacking. This could maybe be because of the fact that the driver is almost totally enclosed. The sound is so lacking in that range and is very noticeable on some songs. My old ATP3 speakers have a GREAT midrange sound so I was very disappointed when I got these. I would say the lack of midrange is the most frustrating thing about these speakers.

Thirdly, the treble is too treble-y! I suppose it would be good for people who like to pierce their ear, but for me, even at a med-loud level it's frustrating to deal with. The songs sound airy as well.

Lastly, though the remote control can be kind of cool, it is more of a detriment than a positive thing. Although you can adjust your music from anywhere in the room, you can't ever tell how much bass, treble, volume or loudness that you turned up or down and it can be very annoying. Some sort of feedback would be helpful.

On the positive side however, the speakers can get quite loud and can rock the entire house, if that is what you are looking for. The only music genre that I would the speakers acceptable with is dance/techno and possibly hip-hop (though I don't listen to it) because of the need for deep bass and piercing high frequency synthesizers.

Avoid these speakers as you will most likely be disappointed. Get an old pair of Altec Lansing ATP3 speakers, they are much better.