Home > Consumer Reviews > Altec Lansing VS2421 2.1 Music and Gaming Stereo Speaker System with Microphone (Black)

Having worked as an audio programmer in game development, I have owned and used quite a number of speaker systems. I have yet to experience speakers that are as susceptible to radio interference as these. And it's not just the usual cell phone interference that we've all come to expect. This picks up radio stations when placed in the middle of an empty room, far away from wireless devices. I figured my unit was bad, but I had lost my receipt (I bought it at retail, not through Amazon) so I wrote to Altec Lansing support for advice on how to get warranty service. Their response was:

"The VS2421 is not magnetically shielded and therefore is more susceptible to interference than other speakers that are. there is no fix for this issue. The only way is to keep the speakers away from cordless phones, cellular phones or routers."

So, they are aware of the problem, yet continue to sell this and offer no policy for handling customers who have been stuck with this unit. If you do purchase this unit, make sure you can return it.

Just got these speakers today, they seem to be pretty good for the price. I am a casual listener via my laptop and listen from various kinds of music ranging from U2 and Beck to T.I. and Kanye. When I first plugged them in and started listening I was a little freaked because the base was over powering U2 etc, and I quickly checked settings and realized that the treble meter had gotten switched to the lowest setting (changing it to mid fixed the problem). Also tried some music with bass and turned the bass to max, pretty good. Overall they are great for the price and I would recommend them to anyone looking for speakers in this price range. If you are willing to spend a bit more then I would go with the Logitech Z-2300 THX-Certified 200-Watt 2.1 Speaker System, which I own at my other house.

This little system was just what I needed for my new 37 inch HDTV. The integrated TV speakers suffered from low end rumble, sputter actually, when watching movies with powerful scores or extreme sound effects. Enter the Altec Lansing VS2421. I did not want a 5.1 system with speaker stands and wires all over the place. Whatever audio system I added had to fit neatly into the existing wooden entertainment center cabinet. (the same reason for a 37 inch TV and no larger) This little gem did just that, with a satellite speaker to each side of the screen and the subwoofer tucked neatly inside the bottom shelf. I did add some self-stick rubber feet to what would be considered the front of the sub-woofer and then turned it on it's side. The whole system is unnoticeable if you do not know it is there! As for the sound, it is wonderful! With both a treble and sub adjustment, as well as a manual volume control, you can dial in the sound to suit your preferences. The system is wired to the TV stereo sound output jacks so that I can adjust the volume with my TV remote. It does a very good job of stereo imaging and handles extreme frequencies with ease. Watching the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is amazing compared to the built in TV speakers. There seems to be three times the sound at the same volume level WITH NO DISTORTION AT ALL. All the hidden frequencies are suddenly revealed. When called upon the little sub produces the ultra low thump that you can feel, such as with explosions. The system can go very loud if you want that, but high volume is not necessary to enjoy full fidelity. An added bonus is the line out. I plug my wireless headphone transmitter into this so I can enjoy a movie when everyone else is asleep! This little sound system has increased my movie night enjoyment greatly, and for only about forty bucks!

I enjoy music. I have a nice pair of sony headphones that generate good bass and great high tones. I think the closest thing to that is this Altec Lansing product. the bass is very sharp and punchy- after a few minutes of fooling around with the bass and treble controls, i achieved a perfect sound(at least to me). Highly recommend these speakers- easy to setup, very compact, and sound amazing. Also , the volume knob and mic are something that very few speakers at this price offer.

This pair of speakers outputs a very nice sound. They present a rich and full sound. The subwoofer ouputs a powerful bass tone in which you have the ability to control how much bass you hear. The wired remote is very handy to have. You are able to control volume, and treble output. You may also connect a pair of headphones. The only down side is that if you have your cell phone with in about two meters of the speakers and you make a call, receive a call or text message, you will hear beeping sounds at a pretty high volume. You are able to cut the power from the wired remote to stop the beeps. I mean like who talks on the phone while playing music?